Poop gray color. Understanding Gray Stool: Causes, Diagnosis, and Health Implications

16.08.202316.06.2023 by alexxlab

What causes gray or clay-colored stool. How is pale stool diagnosed. When should you see a doctor for gray poop. What treatments are available for pale stools. How does liver health affect stool color. Can medications cause clay-colored stool. Are pale stools a sign of serious illness.

Содержание

The Significance of Stool Color Changes

Stool color can provide valuable insights into our digestive health and overall well-being. While variations in stool color are common and often harmless, persistent changes may indicate underlying health issues that require attention. Gray or clay-colored stools, in particular, can be a sign of problems within the biliary system – the network responsible for draining the gallbladder, liver, and pancreas.

The normal brown color of stool is primarily due to bile salts released by the liver. When this process is disrupted, it can result in pale or gray-colored stools. This change in color is often accompanied by other symptoms, such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin), which occurs due to the buildup of bile chemicals in the body.

Common Causes of Gray or Clay-Colored Stools

Several factors can contribute to the appearance of gray or clay-colored stools:

Liver disorders (alcoholic hepatitis, viral hepatitis, biliary cirrhosis)
Gallbladder issues (gallstones, tumors)
Pancreatic problems
Bile duct obstructions or abnormalities
Certain medications
Congenital biliary system abnormalities

It’s important to note that occasional changes in stool color can also result from dietary choices or temporary digestive disturbances. However, persistently pale or gray stools warrant medical attention to rule out more serious conditions.

The Role of the Digestive System in Stool Color

To understand why stool color changes occur, it’s helpful to review the digestive process:

Food moves from the stomach to the small intestine, where nutrient absorption takes place.
Unabsorbed material passes into the colon (large intestine).
The colon absorbs most of the remaining water from the food residue.
The resulting waste is eliminated as feces.

The liver plays a crucial role in this process by producing bile, which aids in the digestion of fats and gives stool its characteristic brown color. When bile production or flow is impaired, it can result in pale or gray-colored stools.

Diagnosing the Cause of Gray Stools

If you experience persistent gray or clay-colored stools, your healthcare provider will likely perform a thorough evaluation to determine the underlying cause. This may include:

A detailed medical history and physical examination
Blood tests to assess liver function and check for viral infections
Imaging studies such as abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI of the liver and bile ducts
Endoscopic procedures like endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

During your medical consultation, be prepared to answer questions about the duration and frequency of your symptoms, any accompanying signs like abdominal pain or jaundice, and your current medications.

How do healthcare providers diagnose the cause of gray stools?

Healthcare providers use a combination of patient history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging studies to diagnose the cause of gray stools. Blood tests can reveal liver function abnormalities and viral infections, while imaging techniques help visualize the biliary system to identify any structural issues or blockages.

Treatment Options for Gray Stools

The treatment for gray or clay-colored stools depends on the underlying cause. Some potential interventions include:

Medication adjustments if a particular drug is causing the issue
Antiviral treatments for hepatitis infections
Gallstone removal or gallbladder surgery
Procedures to remove blockages in the bile ducts
Lifestyle modifications, such as reducing alcohol consumption for alcoholic liver disease
Management of underlying pancreatic or liver conditions

In some cases, addressing the root cause can quickly restore normal stool color. However, chronic conditions may require ongoing management to maintain proper biliary function and overall digestive health.

When to Seek Medical Attention for Gray Stools

While an occasional change in stool color is usually not cause for alarm, certain situations warrant prompt medical evaluation:

Persistent gray or clay-colored stools lasting several days
Accompanying symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever, or unexplained weight loss
Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
Dark urine despite adequate hydration
Chronic fatigue or weakness

Early detection and treatment of underlying conditions can prevent complications and improve outcomes. Don’t hesitate to consult your healthcare provider if you have concerns about changes in your stool color or other digestive symptoms.

Is gray stool always a sign of a serious condition?

While gray stool can indicate a serious underlying condition, it’s not always cause for immediate alarm. Temporary changes in stool color can result from dietary factors or mild digestive disturbances. However, persistent gray or clay-colored stools, especially when accompanied by other symptoms, should be evaluated by a healthcare professional to rule out more serious issues affecting the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas.

The Connection Between Liver Health and Stool Color

The liver plays a crucial role in maintaining normal stool color through the production and release of bile. Bile not only aids in fat digestion but also contains pigments that give stool its characteristic brown hue. When liver function is compromised, it can lead to changes in stool color, including:

Pale or clay-colored stools due to reduced bile production or flow
Dark, tarry stools if there’s bleeding in the upper digestive tract
Green stools if bile moves too quickly through the digestive system

Maintaining liver health through a balanced diet, regular exercise, limited alcohol consumption, and avoiding exposure to toxins can help ensure proper bile production and normal stool color.

How does liver disease affect stool color?

Liver disease can significantly impact stool color by interfering with bile production or flow. When the liver is damaged or bile ducts are blocked, less bile reaches the intestines, resulting in pale or clay-colored stools. Additionally, liver disease can cause other stool changes, such as dark, tarry stools due to bleeding or floating stools from poor fat absorption. These changes in stool appearance can serve as important indicators of liver health and function.

Medications That Can Cause Gray Stools

Certain medications can affect bile production or flow, leading to changes in stool color. Some drugs that may cause gray or clay-colored stools include:

Antidiarrheal medications containing bismuth subsalicylate (e.g., Pepto-Bismol)
Some antibiotics, particularly those that affect gut bacteria
Iron supplements (which can sometimes cause dark stools)
Certain antacids
Some anti-inflammatory drugs

If you suspect that a medication is causing changes in your stool color, consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your regimen. They can help determine if the medication is the cause and suggest alternatives if necessary.

Can over-the-counter medications cause gray stools?

Yes, some over-the-counter medications can cause gray or clay-colored stools. The most common culprit is bismuth subsalicylate, found in products like Pepto-Bismol, which can temporarily turn stools a light gray or black color. This effect is usually harmless and resolves once the medication is discontinued. However, if pale stools persist after stopping the medication, it’s important to consult a healthcare provider to rule out other potential causes.

Dietary Factors Influencing Stool Color

While gray or clay-colored stools are often associated with medical conditions, certain dietary factors can also influence stool color:

High-fat diets may lead to lighter-colored stools due to increased fat content
Consuming large quantities of dairy products can sometimes result in paler stools
Lack of certain nutrients, such as iron, can affect stool color
Some food dyes or additives may temporarily alter stool appearance

It’s important to distinguish between temporary dietary-induced changes and persistent alterations in stool color. If dietary adjustments don’t resolve the issue, seek medical advice to investigate potential underlying causes.

How can diet affect stool color?

Diet can significantly influence stool color through various mechanisms. Consuming foods rich in certain pigments, such as beets or leafy greens, can temporarily alter stool color. High-fat diets may result in lighter-colored stools due to increased fat content, while iron-rich foods can lead to darker stools. Additionally, certain food dyes and additives can cause temporary changes in stool appearance. Understanding these dietary influences can help differentiate between harmless color variations and those that may indicate a health concern.

In conclusion, gray or clay-colored stools can be a sign of various health issues, particularly those affecting the liver, gallbladder, or biliary system. While occasional changes in stool color are often benign, persistent alterations warrant medical attention. By understanding the factors that influence stool color and recognizing when to seek help, individuals can take proactive steps to maintain their digestive health and overall well-being. Remember, early detection and treatment of underlying conditions can significantly improve outcomes and prevent complications.

Stools – pale or clay-colored Information | Mount Sinai

Stools that are pale, clay, or putty-colored may be due to problems in the biliary system. The biliary system is the drainage system of the gallbladder, liver, and pancreas.

Food passes from the stomach into the small intestine. In the small intestine all nutrient absorption occurs. Whatever has not been absorbed by the small intestine passes into the colon. In the colon most of the water is absorbed from the food residue. The residue is then eliminated from the body as feces.

Considerations

The liver releases bile salts into the stool, giving it a normal brown color. You may have clay-colored stools if you have a liver infection that reduces bile production, or if the flow of bile out of the liver is blocked.

Yellow skin (jaundice) often occurs with clay-colored stools. This may be due to the buildup of bile chemicals in the body.

Causes

Possible causes for clay-colored stools include:

Alcoholic hepatitis
Biliary cirrhosis
Cancer or noncancerous (benign) tumors of the liver, biliary system, or pancreas
Cysts of the bile ducts
Gallstones
Some medicines
Narrowing of the bile ducts (biliary strictures)
Sclerosing cholangitis
Structural problems in the biliary system that are present from birth (congenital)
Viral hepatitis

There may be other causes not listed here.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Contact your health care provider if your stools are not the normal brown color for several days.

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

The provider will perform a physical exam. They will ask questions about your medical history and symptoms. Questions may include:

When did the symptom first occur?
Is every stool discolored?
What medicines do you take?
What other symptoms do you have?

Tests that may be done include:

Blood tests, including tests to check liver function and for viruses that might affect the liver
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
Imaging studies, such as an abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI of liver and bile ducts

Korenblat KM, Berk PD. Approach to the patient with jaundice or abnormal liver tests. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 138.

Lidofsky SD. Jaundice. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 21.

Marks RA, Saxena R. Liver diseases of childhood. In: Saxena R, ed. Practical Hepatic Pathology: A Diagnostic Approach. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 5.

Last reviewed on: 7/30/2022

Reviewed by: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Pale stool: causes, diagnosis, and treatment

Pale stools can result from dietary choices, an infection, or an underlying medical problem, such as gallbladder or liver disease. People with persistently pale stools may need medical treatment.

If pale stools occur once with no other symptoms, it is usually safe to wait and see if the stool returns to its usual color. A child or infant with pale or white poop should see a doctor as soon as possible to rule out any underlying conditions.

In this article, learn about the causes of pale stool and other symptoms that may occur with them.

Bile from the liver, known as bilirubin, creates the typical brown hue of a healthy bowel movement. When the stool is very pale, it often means that not enough bile is reaching the stool.

Stools may contain low bile levels if there is a problem with the gallbladder, pancreas, or liver. People with consistently pale stools may want to talk with a doctor about conditions that affect these organs.

The most common reasons for a pale stool color include:

1. Foods

Some foods, such as fatty foods, may cause stool color to become yellow.

The occasional pale bowel movement is unlikely to be a cause for concern. Changing the diet may cause poop to return to its usual color.

What should poop look like?

2. Giardiasis

Giardiasis, also known as beaver fever, is an infection that may turn the stool yellow. Symptoms can result from an infection with Giardia lamblia, an intestinal parasite. A person can contract this parasite by drinking contaminated water or coming into contact with soil or stool that contains the parasite.

Giardiasis is present around the world, including all parts of the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Other symptoms of giardiasis include:

headache
abdominal pain
vomiting
fever

Symptoms start 1–2 weeks after infection and can 2–6 weeks to resolve, or longer in some cases. Prescription medicine can reduce the time symptoms last.

3. Medications

Many drugs and medications can damage the liver, especially with high doses.

Both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) remedies, for example, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, can harm the liver.

Large amounts of aluminum hydroxide, present in antacids, can cause stool to lighten in color. Barium sulfate, a type of contrast used for certain X-ray tests, can also cause pale stools.

Pale stools may be a sign of liver damage in a person who:

is taking a new drug
has been taking medication for some time
is taking high doses of a drug

With OTC drugs, it is best to stop taking the drug and see a doctor as soon as possible. For prescription drugs, people should speak with their doctor before stopping the drug.

Which drugs cause liver damage?

4. Gallbladder disease

The gallbladder holds bile and is located on the upper right side of the stomach, next to the liver. During digestion, the gallbladder releases bile into the intestines through the bile duct. Gallbladder diseases can change the color of stool.

Gallstones, one of the most common gallbladder diseases, can block the bile duct.

As well as pale stool, it can cause:

intense pain
nausea
vomiting
fever and chills
jaundice

Without treatment, gallstones can cause problems with other organs, such as the pancreas and liver.

Treatments for gallbladder problems depend on the cause. A doctor may have to remove gallstones, either surgically or with medication to dissolve them.

A person can live without a gallbladder, and so a doctor may remove it if gallstones keep returning. The person may need to change their diet after surgery.

What are the most common gallbladder problems?

5. Liver problems

Problems with the liver or bile ducts can turn the stool pale.

There are two forms of bilirubin in the body. One type is passed in the urine or feces and the other type is bound to protein (albumin), which helps it stay in the blood vessels.

When a person has liver or biliary problems, bilirubin is unable to pass in the stool. This causes the stool to lose its color, giving it a paler or clay-colored appearance.

Conversely, the body excretes excess bilirubin in the urine, giving it a darker or amber-colored appearance.

There are many types of liver disease, including:

infectious diseases, such as hepatitis A, B, and C
liver damage from alcohol consumption
fatty liver disease, most common in those with obesity or who eat a high-fat diet
autoimmune diseases, when the body attacks the cells of the liver
failure of other organs
liver cancer
liver cysts
Wilson’s disease, a genetic condition where the body retains too much copper

In addition to pale stool, other symptoms of liver disease include:

nausea and vomiting
fatigue
very dark urine
fatty stool
itching
swelling in the ankles or legs

Anyone under a doctor’s care for liver disease should report any changes in stool color.

Treatment for liver disease depends on the cause and how far it has progressed.

For mild liver disease, a person may only need medication and lifestyle changes. Those with severe liver disease may need a liver transplant.

Sometimes problems with other organs — such as the gallbladder — lead to liver symptoms. In this case, a doctor must treat the underlying condition as well.

Examples of bile duct problems include bile duct obstruction, which may be due to bile duct stones.

What is cirrhosis?

6. Pancreatic problems

Diseases of the pancreas can make it hard for this organ to secrete pancreatic juices into the digestive system. This can lead to the food moving too quickly through the gut, resulting in a pale and fatty-looking stool.

Examples of problems with the pancreas include pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

Both can involve jaundice, with the following symptoms:

pale and fatty stools
dark urine
yellowing of the whites of the eyes

Pancreatitis refers to swelling and inflammation of the pancreas.

It can result from various conditions, including:

infections
autoimmune pancreatitis
gallstones
high alcohol consumption
the use of some drugs

Chronic pancreatitis can also increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Treatment for pancreatitis depends on the cause. The doctor may address an underlying issue, such as gallstones.

Some people need hospitalization, intravenous fluids, and pain management. If a bacterial infection is present, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

In some cases, surgery may be necessary.

What is the best diet for someone with pancreatitis?

Pale stools in children are not necessarily a medical emergency if they occur once and are pale but not white.

Breastfed babies often have light yellowish-brown stools. Once they start transitioning to solids, their stool usually becomes browner.

When the stool is white or very light brown, this can signal a more serious problem, such as cholestasis, a type of liver disease.

In newborns, cholestasis or any other problem with the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas may be a medical emergency. A caregiver should call their pediatrician right away.

If the baby has other symptoms, turns yellow, or appears to be in pain, they must go straight to the emergency room.

In older children who have no other symptoms, it is usually safe to wait for the next bowel movement.

What are the pros and cons of breastfeeding?

White or clay-colored stools during pregnancy usually indicate a problem with the gallbladder, liver, biliary ducts, or pancreas. Some people develop a pregnancy-related liver disease called cholestasis of pregnancy.

Symptoms of cholestasis include pale stool as well as:

intense itchiness
pain under the ribs on the upper right side of the stomach
dark urine even when hydrated
nausea
exhaustion beyond that of a typical pregnancy
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes, fingernail beds, or skin

It is not clear precisely what causes cholestasis, but pregnancy hormones might affect liver functioning.

Treatment can include medication and frequent monitoring, including blood work and ultrasound scans. In some cases, an early deliver might be necessary.

How will pregnancy affect your body?

A doctor will ask some questions and may carry out a physical examination.

They may ask:

When did you first notice this symptom?
Are all your stools pale?
What medications do you use?
Do you have any other health conditions?
Do you have any other symptoms?

To investigate pale stools, a doctor may recommend the following tests:

blood tests to assess liver function and look for signs of infection
endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
imaging studies, for instance, an abdominal ultrasound, a CT scan, or MRI of the liver and bile ducts

What are the symptoms of liver disease, and how do doctors diagnose it?

The outlook will depend on the cause of pale stools.

If a person’s stools are pale because of certain foods or supplements, changing the diet or regime will usually help.

The outlook for pancreatitis varies. In around 2% of cases, it can be fatal. It can also increase the risk of other conditions, such as pancreatic cancer.

For people with pancreatic cancer, the chance of surviving 5 years or longer after diagnosis is around 42%, if it is still limited to the pancreas. If cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate is about 3%.

Gallstones can be life threatening, especially if a person needs emergency surgery, as is a risk of complications.

Various factors can lead to pale stools. It is not always possible to prevent pale stools, but people can lower the risk of developing certain diseases, such as pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

Some ways to prevent pancreatitis include:

following a low fat diet
avoiding smoking
limiting alcohol consumption
maintaining a moderate weight

Similar measures may also help prevent pancreatic cancer.

To reduce the risk of liver disease, a person can:

limit alcohol intake
maintain a moderate weight
eat a balanced diet
follow all instructions when taking medications
having hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccinations, if a doctor recommends them

Which foods protect the liver?

Diseases of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas can quickly become life threatening, but they are usually treatable.

If symptoms arise, such as pale stools, it is best to seek help as soon as possible, as leaving them can lead to lasting damage and complications.

Sometimes a person passes one pale stool, and then the usual color returns. If pale stools persist, it is best to seek medical advice promptly, especially if there are other symptoms, such as pain, dark urine, vomiting, or a fever.

Here are some answers to questions people often ask about pale stool.

What does pale stool mean?

Pale stools can indicate problems in the liver, bile ducts, gallbladder, or pancreas. Dietary factors can also play a role. Giardiasis, a parasitic infection, can cause yellow stools.

Is it serious?

Without treatment, the conditions underlying pale stools can be serious or lead to severe complications. Anyone with persistently pale stools should seek medical advice.

Bowel movements reveal important information about a person’s health. One pale stool is not usually a matter for concern, but frequent pale stools can indicate diseases of the liver, pancreas, or gallbladder.

In some cases, treatment can help a person feel better within a few days or weeks. Other underlying conditions require long-term management.

Read this article in Spanish.

Grayish-white stools – causes, diagnosis and treatment

Grayish-white stools is a discoloration of stools, often accompanied by a violation of the consistency and frequency of stools. A change in the color of feces is characteristic of dysbacteriosis, diseases of the liver and gallbladder, and damage to the pancreas. To determine the cause of the appearance of gray or white feces, a coprogram, ultrasound and radiography of the gastrointestinal tract, endoscopy are prescribed. To eliminate the symptom, probiotics, enzyme preparations, specific antiviral and detoxifying agents are used.

Causes of grayish-white feces

Errors in diet

Passage of gray feces in an adult is observed after the abuse of fatty foods. An excess amount of neutral fats accumulates in the intestine, due to the increased load on the pancreas, lipids are not digested and are excreted in the stool. The consistency changes – the feces become soft, “fat”, leave marks on the walls of the toilet bowl. Typically, stools increase up to 3-4 times a day.

Usually the symptoms disappear on their own, normalization of stool color occurs the next day. The reasons that provoke the discharge of grayish-white stools in infants are the incorrect introduction of complementary foods, the use of unbalanced milk formulas. A change in the color of feces occurs against the background of general weakness and lethargy of the child, constant crying and refusal to feed. These symptoms are an indication for consulting a pediatrician.

Dysbacteriosis

Violation of the composition of the intestinal microflora causes digestive disorders, insufficient digestion of incoming food. The feces become liquid, grayish-white or dark gray in color. The frequency of stool with dysbacteriosis increases up to 5-7 times a day, defecation is preceded by cramps and discomfort in the left abdomen. The stools have a fetid odor, a light gray coating can be seen on the surface.

Hepatitis

Infectious causes cause destruction of liver cells and disorders of bilirubin metabolism, due to which the supply of stercobilin to the intestine decreases, which stains feces in a brown hue. Gray feces appear at the height of hepatitis, the symptom is combined with a sharp darkening of the urine and yellowing of the skin. Characterized by an increase in stool and a change in its consistency, before defecation, patients feel rumbling and “seething” in the abdomen.

The duration of the symptom depends on the type of liver inflammation. In non-severe forms of viral hepatitis A and E, grayish-white feces persist for 2-3 weeks. With hepatitis B, the color of feces returns to normal after 1-2 months, in case of severe damage to the hepatic parenchyma, dark gray stools are excreted up to six months. Alcoholic hepatitis, complicated by damage to the pancreas, often cause persistent lightening of the feces.

Cholelithiasis

Isolation of grayish-white stool indicates an exacerbation of cholelithiasis and blockage of the bile duct by a calculus. In this case, bile does not enter the intestines, symptoms of obstructive jaundice develop. A person notices that the stool becomes light, almost white, the consistency of the stool often remains normal. Discoloration of the stool occurs simultaneously with severe pain in the right hypochondrium, nausea, bitterness in the mouth.

Pancreatitis

A change in the color of feces to white in adults occurs in chronic pancreatitis, which is characterized by pancreatic enzyme deficiency. The light color is due to the accumulation of undigested food in the stool. Fecal masses are abundant, grayish-white in color, with a sharp fetid odor. There is an increase in stool, during defecation, patients experience diffuse pain in the abdomen.

Disorders of the pancreas function are often irreversible, therefore, without the appointment of replacement therapy, the restoration of normal stool color is impossible. The patient’s condition worsens under the influence of external causes – with the abuse of heavy food, alcohol intake, the disease worsens. During this period, diarrhea is disturbing with the release of a large amount of light feces, accompanied by intense pain in the left hypochondrium and epigastrium.

Other pathologies of the liver

Damage to liver cells of various etiologies is accompanied by parenchymal jaundice, which is typically characterized by the appearance of a grayish-white color of feces. Such changes persist for a long time, for several months. Violation of the chair is combined with dull pain and heaviness in the right hypochondrium, nausea and vomiting with bile. Most often, discoloration of feces is caused by such reasons as:

Cirrhosis : alcoholic, postnecrotic, biliary.
Massive lesions : hepatocellular carcinoma, echinococcal cyst, polycystic liver.
Functional disorders : Gilbert’s syndrome, Crigler-Najjar syndrome, cholestasis of pregnancy.

Complications of pharmacotherapy

A short-term change in the color of stools to grayish-white is a natural reaction after oral administration of barium sulfate for x-ray of the digestive tract. Light fecal masses depart 10-12 hours after the study, atypical coloring of fecal masses persists for 2-3 days. Normally, these changes are not accompanied by dyspeptic disorders or abdominal pain.

Other reasons also provoke gray feces: taking antacids, iron. Trace elements, which are found in large quantities in these drugs, accumulate in the feces and cause the appearance of a characteristic grayish-white color. With the use of iron preparations, the color is darker up to black. Discoloration of feces is possible with prolonged use of antibiotics, anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Rare causes

Inflammatory bowel disease : Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic enteritis.
Celiac disease .
Malignant tumors : cancer of the head of the pancreas, cancer of the duodenum.
Bile duct atresia .

Diagnosis

A gastroenterologist is in charge of identifying the cause of gray stool. The specialist collects an anamnesis and complaints to establish why dyspeptic disorders appeared. Diagnostics includes instrumental imaging methods, which, according to indications, are supplemented with invasive techniques. To clarify the diagnosis, laboratory tests are prescribed. Most informative methods:

Coprogram . Microscopic analysis of grayish-white feces reveals the remains of undigested food, muscle fibers, starch grains. The absence of stercobilin is pathognomonic. To confirm the diagnosis of pancreatitis, a study of the level of fecal elastase is done. Bacteriological analysis is necessary to detect dysbacteriosis and bacterial overgrowth syndrome.
Biochemical blood test . With obstructive jaundice, cholestasis syndrome is determined – an increase in the amount of cholesterol and the enzyme alkaline phosphatase. An increase in the level of ALT and AST indicates cytolysis and parenchymal jaundice. To check the exocrine function of the pancreas, the concentration of pancreatic lipase and amylase is measured.
Ultrasound . In order to detect the organic cause of the grayish-white hue of feces, a survey ultrasound of the abdominal cavity is performed with targeted scanning of the organs of the hepatobiliary zone. The study allows you to visualize signs of the inflammatory process of the gallbladder, heterogeneous echogenicity of the liver parenchyma, rounded volumetric neoplasms.
Duodenal sounding . To assess the flow of bile into the intestine, several portions of bile are sequentially taken after stimulation with secretory drugs. Typically, slow bile flow or its complete absence in case of blockage of the common bile duct. The collected material is sent to the laboratory for bacteriological analysis.
Cholangiopancreatography . White feces usually appear when the biliary tract is affected, so ERCP is required. The method involves examining the Vater papilla and bile ducts using endoscopic technologies. The study reveals stones in the bile ducts, signs of inflammatory and tumor pathologies.

Treatment

Help before diagnosis

Grayish-white stools caused by dietary errors do not need to be treated. The patient is advised to consume easily digestible foods (stewed vegetables, soups, lean meat) for several days, to reduce the amount of portions. You can’t take alcohol. If during this time the stool has not returned to normal, you should consult a doctor to determine the cause of the disorder.

To avoid diarrhea and stool discoloration when taking antibiotics and other toxic drugs, it is advisable to drink natural kefir and yogurt, which are rich in beneficial bifidus and lactobacilli. Self-administration of enzyme preparations to improve digestion is not recommended, as this can provoke violations of the pancreas.

Conservative therapy

Treatment of dyspeptic disorders, including grayish-white stool, is mainly aimed at eliminating the cause of the symptoms, after which the color and consistency of the stool normalizes. Medications must be supplemented with a special therapeutic diet, which is selected depending on the disease. In clinical practice, drugs such as:

Enzyme preparations . Medicines containing pancreatic extract improve the processes of parietal and abdominal digestion in the small intestine. Gray feces disappear a few days after the start of medication, the severity of other dyspeptic disorders decreases.
Probiotics . They are a mixture of beneficial bacteria that inhabit the colon and prevent the reproduction of pathogenic microflora. In adults, they are prescribed for long-term antibiotic therapy, combined with prebiotics, which stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria.
Cholagogues . They increase the contractility of the gallbladder and expand the ducts, improve the colloidal properties of bile, so that it is released into the intestine in the right quantities. Additionally, hepatoprotectors are recommended, which protect cells from the toxic effects of bile acids.
Antivirals . In chronic hepatitis of viral etiology, special treatment regimens are used with interferons, RNA polymerase inhibitors. Medicines reduce the viral load in the blood, inhibit the replication of the virus in the liver cells. They are combined with detoxifying agents.

Surgical treatment

Complicated cholelithiasis, which is accompanied by grayish-white stool, requires surgical intervention. Removal of small calculi is carried out during therapeutic and diagnostic ERCP, and the method of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is also used. With pronounced changes in the biliary tract, drainage according to Kerr or Halstead or the formation of a choledochodigestive anastomosis is indicated.

Grayish-white feces – causes, diagnosis and treatment

Grayish-white feces is a discoloration of stools, often accompanied by a violation of the consistency and frequency of the stool. A change in the color of feces is characteristic of dysbacteriosis, diseases of the liver and gallbladder, and damage to the pancreas. To determine the cause of the appearance of gray or white feces, a coprogram, ultrasound and radiography of the gastrointestinal tract, endoscopy are prescribed. To eliminate the symptom, probiotics, enzyme preparations, specific antiviral and detoxifying agents are used.