Why Do Stools Float Sometimes?

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Are Floating Stools?
• Why Would Stools Float?
• When To See a Doctor
• Treatment
• Prevention

Stools, or poop, usually sink to the bottom of the toilet, but sometimes, they can float. If your poop never sinks to the bottom of the toilet bowl, you may have too much gas in your intestines.‌

Normally, floating stools aren’t a cause for concern. Read on to learn more about why stools float, what floating stools say about your health, and more.

When stools float, it means the poop stays on the surface of the toilet water instead of sinking. Normally, poop sinks to the bottom of the toilet bowl.‌

Floating poop doesn’t mean you’re sick, but it can be a symptom of various conditions.

There are several reasons why poop floats and never seems to sink.

Too much gas. You may have too much gas in you due to your diet, which can make your stools float.  

Some people think that floating poop is caused by fat, but it’s usually caused by gas. Research has indicated that once floating stools were degassed, they weighed the same as sinking poop. This indicates that gas was responsible for making floating stools float, rather than fat inside the poop.

Gas in your digestive system is usually caused when you swallow air or eat certain types of foods that break down into gas. 

If you eat a high-fiber diet with a lot of vegetables and fruits, you may get floating stools because digesting high-fiber foods releases more air during digestion. This leads to air or gas being trapped in the stool, making it float in the toilet bowl.

Medical conditions. If your poop floats, there’s a slight chance you have steatorrhea, which means you have too much fat in your poop. Steatorrhea indicates you can’t absorb fat properly, and it can be a symptom of the following conditions:

• Celiac disease
• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) due to cystic fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis
• Diseases affecting small intestines such as tropical sprue, Whipple disease, and lymphoma
• Bile acid deficiency

You may also have the following conditions if you have floating poop:

• Gastrointestinal infection
• Malabsorption, which means you’re not absorbing nutrients as well as you should

Floating stools don’t necessarily mean you have an underlying health condition. To determine if a health condition is causing this, you should be on the lookout for other indicators. 

If your floating stools are smelly, sticky, or bloody, for example, you should see a doctor. Your doctor will give you a proper diagnosis and walk you through the process of understanding your condition if you have one. Here’s a closer look at what might cause these symptoms.‌

Smelly and sticky stools. Smelly and sticky stools are typically a symptom of nutrient malabsorption. This means your body isn’t able to completely absorb and digest nutrients from your gastrointestinal tract due to damage to the small intestine, not having enough pancreatic enzymes, liver disease, HIV/AIDs, or other conditions.

If your floating stools are smelly and appear sticky, you should contact your doctor.

Blood in your stool. If your floating poop is accompanied by blood, it could be caused by:

• Bleeding in your anus or rectum
• Cancer of your digestive system
• Blood vessel abnormalities
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis
• Ulcers in the stomach or small intestine
• Polyps
• Diverticulitis ‌

If you find blood in your stools, you should see a doctor. If you’re experiencing weight loss, dizziness, or fever in addition to finding blood in your stools, you should talk to your doctor immediately. You should also get emergency medical help if there is a lot of blood in your poop, or if it is maroon or black and tarry.‌

Your doctor will be able to determine what is the exact cause of bloody poop through imaging tests and physical exams.

When you visit your doctor, they will likely ask you several questions about your medical history and your current health to determine why you have floating stools. They will also ask you about your diet and how long you’ve been having this issue so they can make any needed diet and medication recommendations.

Unless there is a medical condition causing you to have floating poops, there is no need to do anything to treat or prevent them.

Monitor your pooping habits. Always be aware of any changes to your stool and bowel movements. If you’re suddenly pooping more or less, or your poop looks very different, you should report these changes to your doctor. Your doctor will find it easier to diagnose any health conditions you may have if you keep an organized record about your pooping habits.

Changing your diet. Sometimes, preventing floating poop can be as easy as changing your diet, since floating poop can be caused by eating foods that cause you to have more gas.

You should avoid the following foods if you have a problem with too much gas:

• Hard candy
• Fizzy or carbonated drinks
• Gum‌

Keep a food diary so you can keep track of what you eat and narrow down what foods are giving you gas. You should bring this diary to your doctor so you can talk to them about how you can change your diet.

Top Picks

Why Do Stools Float Sometimes?

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Are Floating Stools?
• Why Would Stools Float?
• When To See a Doctor
• Treatment
• Prevention

Stools, or poop, usually sink to the bottom of the toilet, but sometimes, they can float. If your poop never sinks to the bottom of the toilet bowl, you may have too much gas in your intestines.‌

Normally, floating stools aren’t a cause for concern. Read on to learn more about why stools float, what floating stools say about your health, and more.

When stools float, it means the poop stays on the surface of the toilet water instead of sinking. Normally, poop sinks to the bottom of the toilet bowl.‌

Floating poop doesn’t mean you’re sick, but it can be a symptom of various conditions.

There are several reasons why poop floats and never seems to sink.

Too much gas. You may have too much gas in you due to your diet, which can make your stools float. 

Some people think that floating poop is caused by fat, but it’s usually caused by gas. Research has indicated that once floating stools were degassed, they weighed the same as sinking poop. This indicates that gas was responsible for making floating stools float, rather than fat inside the poop.

Gas in your digestive system is usually caused when you swallow air or eat certain types of foods that break down into gas. 

If you eat a high-fiber diet with a lot of vegetables and fruits, you may get floating stools because digesting high-fiber foods releases more air during digestion. This leads to air or gas being trapped in the stool, making it float in the toilet bowl.

Medical conditions. If your poop floats, there’s a slight chance you have steatorrhea, which means you have too much fat in your poop. Steatorrhea indicates you can’t absorb fat properly, and it can be a symptom of the following conditions:

• Celiac disease
• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) due to cystic fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis
• Diseases affecting small intestines such as tropical sprue, Whipple disease, and lymphoma
• Bile acid deficiency

You may also have the following conditions if you have floating poop:

• Gastrointestinal infection
• Malabsorption, which means you’re not absorbing nutrients as well as you should

Floating stools don’t necessarily mean you have an underlying health condition. To determine if a health condition is causing this, you should be on the lookout for other indicators. 

If your floating stools are smelly, sticky, or bloody, for example, you should see a doctor. Your doctor will give you a proper diagnosis and walk you through the process of understanding your condition if you have one. Here’s a closer look at what might cause these symptoms.‌

Smelly and sticky stools. Smelly and sticky stools are typically a symptom of nutrient malabsorption. This means your body isn’t able to completely absorb and digest nutrients from your gastrointestinal tract due to damage to the small intestine, not having enough pancreatic enzymes, liver disease, HIV/AIDs, or other conditions.

If your floating stools are smelly and appear sticky, you should contact your doctor.

Blood in your stool. If your floating poop is accompanied by blood, it could be caused by:

• Bleeding in your anus or rectum
• Cancer of your digestive system
• Blood vessel abnormalities
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis
• Ulcers in the stomach or small intestine
• Polyps
• Diverticulitis ‌

If you find blood in your stools, you should see a doctor. If you’re experiencing weight loss, dizziness, or fever in addition to finding blood in your stools, you should talk to your doctor immediately. You should also get emergency medical help if there is a lot of blood in your poop, or if it is maroon or black and tarry.‌

Your doctor will be able to determine what is the exact cause of bloody poop through imaging tests and physical exams.

When you visit your doctor, they will likely ask you several questions about your medical history and your current health to determine why you have floating stools. They will also ask you about your diet and how long you’ve been having this issue so they can make any needed diet and medication recommendations.

Unless there is a medical condition causing you to have floating poops, there is no need to do anything to treat or prevent them.

Monitor your pooping habits. Always be aware of any changes to your stool and bowel movements. If you’re suddenly pooping more or less, or your poop looks very different, you should report these changes to your doctor. Your doctor will find it easier to diagnose any health conditions you may have if you keep an organized record about your pooping habits.

Changing your diet. Sometimes, preventing floating poop can be as easy as changing your diet, since floating poop can be caused by eating foods that cause you to have more gas.

You should avoid the following foods if you have a problem with too much gas:

• Hard candy
• Fizzy or carbonated drinks
• Gum‌

Keep a food diary so you can keep track of what you eat and narrow down what foods are giving you gas. You should bring this diary to your doctor so you can talk to them about how you can change your diet.

Top Picks

Fecal buoyancy linked to intestinal microbiota

09:58

11/21/22

2. 8

Biology

Medicine

This property of excrement does not depend on other factors

Oleg Lischuk

American researchers figured out why some feces sink in water, while others float on the surface. According to experiments on mice, the composition of the intestinal microbiota is solely responsible for this. The report on the work was published in the journal Scientific Reports .

Feces 10-15 percent of people float on the surface of the water, and this is not associated with any pathological condition. Among people with functional bowel disorders, this proportion rises to about one in four. Historically, it was believed that the buoyancy of feces is due to the high content of fat in it, but in 19In 1972, Michael Levitt, a gastroenterologist from the University of Minnesota, and his student William Duane, in experiments with the stool of 39 people (including six patients with steatorrhea), showed that even fatty feces sink when gas is removed. The researchers did not specify the origin of the gas component, and this question, which has the potential for clinical application, has remained open until now.

To understand it, staff at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under the direction of Nagarajan Kannan, used conventional C57BL/6 (B6) and gnotobiotic (born and reared in aseptic conditions that do not have a microbiome) mice. Some of the latter have been colonized with microbiota in their intestines by a single intragastric injection of the drug, either in the faeces of normal mice or one of two healthy women, or by allowing contact with environmental bacteria. Fecal sterility of germ-free mice and successful colonization of the intestines of the rest were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction, scanning electron microscopy, and measurement of bacterial DNA concentration (a measure of microbiota density).

Flow cytometry showed that the number of undigested particles of food biomass is inversely related to the density of the intestinal microbiota. In thermogravimetry, the feces of germ-free mice differed from the rest of the samples in at least three temperature ranges; pycnometry revealed its significant superiority in relative density. The shape, size and color of the stool in all groups of animals did not differ.

To assess the buoyancy of faeces, the researchers used a simple LIFT test they had previously developed – levô in fimo (literally translated from Latin as “raising in dung”) test. It consists in placing stool fragments in water and a Trump fixer solution (10 percent formaldehyde and one percent glutaraldehyde) in phosphate buffer (TFS), followed by recording their position (at the bottom or surface) after a minute, hour and day. It turned out that all samples from germ-free mice sink in water and TFS in less than a minute, while about half of the bacteria-colonized samples remain on the surface of the water and all of them continue to swim in TFS after a day.

Also, the authors of the work performed simultaneously LIFT and microbiota density determination in gnotobiotic mice before intragastric colonization (all faeces were drowned, bacterial DNA was practically not determined) and after it weekly for 12 weeks. By the third week, with all methods of microbiota formation (transplantation from mice and humans, from a non-sterile environment), the DNA concentration in the whole stool began to stabilize at a level of more than 10 thousand nanograms per milligram, from that time all biosamples were floating.

Metagenomic analysis of the intestinal microbiota of conventional, artificially colonized gnotobiotic and their donor mice revealed 13 dominant species of gasogenic bacteria from 11 genera, and their composition in different animals was extremely heterogeneous. The most common was methane-producing Bacteroides ovatus , associated, as previously shown, with an increased risk of flatulence in humans.

Thus, the buoyancy of feces depends solely on the gases produced by the microbiota; Swallowed air and the chemical composition of the dense matter of the stool do not play a role in this, Kannan concluded.

In 2019, Tufts University researchers reported that transplanting feces from physically fit older adults significantly increased the grip strength of mice. At the same time, a Belgian-Dutch scientific group showed that the intestinal microbiota affects the quality of life and the risk of developing depression. In turn, the species composition of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract depends on at least 69 main factors, including such non-obvious ones as the opinion of one’s own body weight and plans to reduce it, preferences for chocolate varieties and taking antidepressants – the Dutch, Belgian, Russian and British scientists.

You can read about the various uses of excrement in wildlife in the blog “It’s the norm: about the instrumental use of feces.” Issues related to fecal transplantation are analyzed in detail by Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Mikhail Gelfand.

On mice

Found a typo? Select the fragment and press Ctrl+Enter.

10:45

05/17/23

5.5

Medicine

Biology

Diagnostic dye turned out to be an antidote for toadstool pallidum

Drug registered in 1956 helped poisoned mice

Oleg Lischuk

Chinese and Australian researchers have found that indocyanine green dye, which is used as a diagnostic tool, can serve as an antidote to the main toxin of toadstools and some other poisonous mushrooms. A publication about this appeared in the journal Nature Communications.
Pale Grebe (Amanita phalloides) — widespread and  the most poisonous mushroom, which is associated with about 90% deaths from mushroom poisoning. The prognosis for its use is unfavorable and is associated with irreversible liver or kidney failure. It contains several toxins, the strongest  — alpha-amanitin, from the amatoxin family, which also contains some other members of the Amanita genus, as well as Galerina, Pholiotina and Lepiota. It is believed that its action in humans is due to the inhibition of a key protein synthesis enzyme, RNA polymerase II, followed by the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis. A specific antidote for alpha-amanitin does not yet exist, although it has been shown that some available drugs (for example, silibinin, acetylcysteine, and penicillin) can reduce its toxicity by an unidentified mechanism.
In the search for an antidote, researchers at Sun Yat-sen University, the Garvan Institute for Medical Research and the University of Sydney, led by Qiao-Ping Wang, used a previously developed and tested on the toxin of the sea wasp (Chironex fleckeri) conceptual scheme for the systematic search for antidotes. It includes the identification of molecular targets using genome-wide CRISPR knockout screening and the selection of ligands for them by virtual screening of FDA-approved drugs.
The model-based CRISPR screening assay (MAGeCK) helped identify several biological processes associated with alpha-amanitin cell death. In addition to the expected translation by RNA polymerase II, they included apoptosis, N-glycan biosynthesis, and cholesterol metabolism. Of particular interest was the biosynthesis of N-glycans, as two of the ten most affected genes — STT3B & MGAT1 — were its components. Blocking this process in various ways has shown that it is indispensable for the cytotoxic action of alpha-amanitin and, in particular, STT3B (part of the oligosaccharyltransferase enzyme complex) regulates the penetration of this molecule into the cell.
With this in mind, the researchers screened in silico for 3201 molecules from the FDA libraries (ZINC and Drugbank) and selected 34 potential candidates for STT3B blockers. Of these, 10 were unavailable, the remaining 24 were tested in cell cultures. Two of  — the antifungal drug posaconazole and the fluorescent dye indocyanine green  — prevented the death of most human cells of the HAP1 line under the action of alpha-amanitin, while not exhibiting their own cytotoxicity.
The authors of the work opted for indocyanine green for two reasons. First, in computer molecular modeling, it reliably blocked the STT3B catalytic center by binding to three of its amino acids (Ser319, Trp380 and  Ser449) by hydrogen bonds, and with one of them (Trp380) additionally by π-stacking. Secondly, this drug was approved by the FDA in 1956 and is now widely used in angiography, diagnosing circulatory disorders and assessing liver function; it is not metabolized, is rapidly excreted by hepatocytes, and when administered once at a standard dose (0.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) does not have significant side effects.
In a further series of experiments, the researchers found that indocyanine green significantly increases cell survival in cultures of the HAP1 and HepG2 lines, as well as in murine liver organelles under the action of alpha-amanitin. Testing with the help of a bioluminescent reporter system showed that this effect is realized precisely through the inhibition of STT3B.
In in vivo trials, mice were injected intraperitoneally with 0.33 milligrams of alpha-amanitin per kilogram of body weight. Four, six, and eight hours later, they were given three intravenous injections of five milligrams per kilogram of body weight (approximately equivalent to the effective dose in humans) of indocyanine green. The drug was rapidly distributed in the body, accumulating mainly in the liver within two hours.
A biochemical blood test showed that indocyanine green effectively reduced levels of markers of liver damage (alkaline phosphatase, aspartate and alanine transaminase) and kidneys (blood urea nitrogen and creatinine) elevated by alpha-amanitin. Histological examination confirmed that the drug is able to prevent toxin-induced necrosis of these organs. In general, indocyanine green increased the probability of survival of poisoned animals from  12. 5 (without treatment) to  50% by the 30th day. Efficiency strongly depended on  the time of administration: it increased significantly when the intervals were reduced to hours and  decreased — with an increase to 8 and 12 hours, that is, it is advisable to administer the drug immediately if you suspect toadstool poisoning.
Further pre-clinical and clinical trials are needed to approve the use of indocyanine green for these indications in humans. The authors emphasize that the obtained results demonstrate the effectiveness of the combination of genome-wide CRISPR screening with virtual screening of existing drugs for the rapid search for a wide range of antidotes.
Earlier in 2023, Japanese researchers demonstrated in mice and rats that an antidote made from two synthetic hemes could protect against carbon monoxide and cyanide, both of which are common causes of death in fires. In 2018, a Chinese-American research team was able to neutralize the bite of Chinese red centipede in mice with the anticonvulsant drug retigabine.

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Floating stool, which means if the feces do not sink: what is it, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention

Stools – floating; Floating stools

Floating stool is a term used when feces are seen floating in the toilet after flushing. This is often associated with diarrhea, but may indicate the presence of other health problems. Causes of floating stools include dietary and medical disorders such as malabsorption and certain gastrointestinal conditions.

Stool is usually easier to flush when it is firm and sinks to the bottom of the toilet. Floating stools often feel large and may appear frothy in some people.

Feces do not sink – causes

There are a number of potential causes of floating stools, which include excess fat, gas in the stool that makes it more floating:

• Increased fat content. If the body does not absorb fat properly, it may be present in a person’s stool as oily droplets, making it more buoyant.
• Too much air. Excess air in the digestive tract can cause the stool to feel light and float as the air pockets provide buoyancy, making it easier for the stool to float.
• Foam chair. Floating stools can also have a frothy consistency, which is caused by the presence of gas in the stool and the inability of the digestive system to absorb it.
• Eating certain foods. Eating certain types of foods, such as high-fiber foods or drinking too many carbonated drinks, can cause a person’s stool to float in the toilet.

In some cases, floating stools can be caused by a change in diet or a medical condition. While dietary changes or infection may cause floating stools, the following may be the cause:

• Malabsorption. Malabsorption is a condition in which the body cannot fully absorb nutrients from food. This can cause fat to be present in the stool, making it buoyant. Malabsorption has many potential causes, including celiac disease and Crohn’s disease.
• Gastrointestinal infections. Respiratory, intestinal, and parasitic infections can cause floating stools. Bacterial infections such as bacterial gastroenteritis or food poisoning can also cause floating stools.
• Problems with the gallbladder. Gallstones or certain gallbladder conditions can cause the stool to float due to the presence of fat.

Symptoms of non-sinking stools

Floating stools may occur in combination with other symptoms. Depending on the cause, other symptoms may include:

• Abdominal pain
• Bloating
• Gas
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Jaundice

When to call a health care provider

If a person notices that their stool is constantly floating in the toilet, they should contact to the doctor.

Some symptoms may indicate more serious illness and require immediate medical attention. In these cases, the person should seek help as soon as possible. These symptoms include:

• Severe abdominal pain
• Blood in stool
• High fever
• Unexplained weight loss
• Inability to digest food
• Vomiting

900 58 Questions your doctor may ask

ask a few questions, including:

• How long ago did you notice that the feces do not sink?
• Do you have other accompanying symptoms?
• Have you made any recent dietary changes?
• Do you eat a lot of high fiber foods?
• Do you drink a lot of carbonated drinks?
• Have you recently traveled or eaten foreign food?

Diagnosis of non-sinking stools

After asking the above questions, the doctor may order some tests to determine the cause of floating stools. These tests may include:

• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Stool analysis and sample culture
• Abdominal x-ray
• Colonoscopy
• Abdominal CT scan
• Blood tests to determine fat malabsorption.

The doctor may also ask the person to keep a food diary. This will allow them to evaluate the patient’s recent diet and make any necessary adjustments, eliminating any foods that may be causing floating stools.

Kal does not sink – treatment

Treatment for floating stools will depend on the underlying cause. Dietary changes are usually recommended for floating stools caused by dietary factors and may include avoiding certain foods that may be causing the problem.

If malabsorption is the underlying cause, medications such as laxatives, calcium supplements, and antacids may be prescribed. If the cause is a digestive disorder such as Crohn’s disease or celiac disease, a doctor may recommend medications to treat the condition.

In the case of a gastrointestinal infection, such as salmonellosis or bacterial gastroenteritis, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection.

Home Treatment

In addition to any treatment or medication prescribed by a physician, a person may also try the following home remedies for floating stools:

• Eat a balanced diet. Reduce processed foods and replace them with fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. Cutting out foods that cause gas, such as beans and cruciferous vegetables, can also help.
• Avoid excessive consumption of carbonated drinks. Carbonated drinks can introduce extra air into the digestive tract, making the stool more buoyant.
• Reduce your fiber intake. Fiber from foods increases stool volume, making it more buoyant.
• Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water can help increase the amount of water in the stool, making it thicker.
• Take probiotics. Taking probiotics may help reduce symptoms caused by malabsorption, such as floating stools.
• Need to reduce stress . Stress can affect digestion and cause symptoms such as loose stools.

Prevention

Floating stools can be prevented by diet and lifestyle changes.

To reduce the risk of floating stools, the following tips may be helpful:

• Minimize your intake of processed foods and replace them with fresh foods.
• Avoid excessive consumption of carbonated drinks.
• Reduce your intake of high fiber foods.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Minimize stress.
• Take probiotics to improve digestive health.
• Eat more often and in smaller portions.
• Exercise regularly to keep your digestive system in good working order.

Floating stools may indicate certain health conditions such as malabsorption or certain gastrointestinal conditions. If a person notices that their stool is floating, they should see a doctor as soon as possible. A doctor can help determine the cause and recommend the best course of treatment. In many cases, diet and lifestyle changes may be enough to reduce the appearance of floating stools.

References and literature

Höegenauer C, Hammer HF. Maldigestion and malabsorption. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease.