Odd Findings In Toilet (Help?! - Warning, Gross)

[Waitingindreams]

(I'm sorry this is so gross, guys! I just am desperate for answers.I'm trying to be descriptive without being 'too detailed' if you know what I mean.)

 

I've tried googling this already, but I can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for. This is very confusing and a bit unsettling. Note, I do have an appointment to see my doctor at the end of the month (5/30) and I do plan to ask him about this - but I want to see if anyone else has experienced this or has any clue what could possibly be going on. 

 

I believe this started yesterday morning... or the day before, I can't remember for sure - but it's a very new occurrence. I have not seen this before at all. 

 

I went to the bathroom and I believed I had a very small bowel movement. I felt it, everything felt normal enough, etc. When I looked in the toilet, there was a small, completely white blob/ball. It almost looked like a wadded up piece of toilet paper. There was no blood or stool in it. It didn't hurt or anything, but still..what? 

 

I've had about 2-3 bowel movements since, and every time...there is a white blob with my stool, but not in my stool. Meaning...it's not mixed into the stool, it's not long or threaded into it...it's just...there along with it. There is never any blood or stool mixed into it. It does not come out when I only urinate, it only comes out when I have a bowel movement. Each time, it is about the size of my thumb nail. It definitely is not just white poop...but it also looks more solid than mucus. It looks white enough to be toilet paper or maybe even white seaweed. I have NEVER seen anything like this throughout my diagnosis. I have not introduced any new foods, I'm not on any medications (besides Allegra for allergies which I've been taking for years) Though I have cut out some foods...corn being the main one I'm trying to avoid. 

 

I've considered the possibility that it is candida passing through? Maybe? I've googled pictures and I haven't found anything that looks close to what I am trying to describe. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? Thanks in advance! 

 

[kareng]

I don't want to see it but maybe you should take a picture for your doctor?

[Waitingindreams]

HAHA! I don't want to see it either :'(  I don't think I'd be comfortable posting it online even if people did ask, haha.

 

Blech..it's gross, but taking a photo for him might be a good idea though. I'm hoping it's just the candida passing through but I have no idea

[IrishHeart]

oh man, I wanted to see what it was..!! I thought there would be pictures! what? don't look at me like that K.....lol

 

I am like BONES. Forensic stuff is cool. lol

 

Could be mucus. This is not a bad thing, but it does warrant a mention to the doc. 

 

He may have you do a stool sample testing so the lab can take a look at it.

 

Unless it is crawling, I would not get too worried about it. (sorry, I had to say that before anyone else did....)

[Waitingindreams]

Bwahaha. Well, it wasn't crawling but it was swimming like a fish. I didn't think that was worth mentioning though?

 

Lol.

 

It's so confusing, I wish I could explain it better. Like...it doesn't look like the actual consistency of mucus....it looks more like balled up (white) seaweed. So strange. I've read that yeast is usually white, so it could be just the candida coming out...I do tend to stick to a low sugar diet (apart from organic berries) and I just gave up corn...but I still eat brown rice.

 

I feel like my body is a science experiment sometimes  E-nough already!

[1desperateladysaved]

Once or twice I saw a white swimming creature in the toilet he was 1/2 inch long with a tail.    I looked it up on the internet and there was such a thing!  I was taking a supplement made with the herb thyme  My suggestion is do a stool test to check for yeast/parasites.  The form of treatment depends on if you have them and what kind.  After the test is done, and before the test come back, enjoy some Thyme tea.

 

I also have seen somewhat melted capsules come through at times.  Often they were still full of white powder.

 

Dee

[LauraTX]

Overall, if you have a bowel change that lasts for more than a few days, you should go see your doctor.  Taking a picture will definitely help the doctor know what you are talking about.

[Waitingindreams]

Thanks guys! I agree about the photo, but I've been bringing my phone into the bathroom and I haven't seen it! It's like it's camera shy. Arruuggh. I plan on mentioning it to him regardless, even if it doesn't happen again. 

[KCG91]

I think a photo could save yourself and the Dr the embarrassment of describing it verbally! If it gets over the camera-shyness It sounds a little like the mucus I noticed before diagnosis which I think signifies fat malabsorption? Doesn't make much sense if you've been gluten-free since July? 

[Waitingindreams]

I'd love to get a photo of it! URRGH! It's very difficult to explain, and I looked up photos to try to see if I found anything that looked similar, but nothing matched what I saw. And now that I'm trying to take a photo of it, it's stopped. Of course! 

 

Could I still have malabsorption if I am eating other foods that I have an intolerance to, besides gluten? I am currently doing elimination diets to try to pinpoint trigger foods..for example I found that yeast and beans are both issues..and I am trying to avoid soy and corn as well. I might even have a legume issue, but I don't want to give up my hummus! One thing at a time. 

 

I do believe soy and yeast were both huge triggers, so is it possible that my issues (assuming it is malabsorption) are now caused by other foods, and not gluten?

 

Also, if it were something like that - would I see this in the toilet all the time? I've only seen it maybe 3 times total, and it was just in this past few days. I haven't seen it since yesterday morning. Very, very strange..

[Waitingindreams]

WHOA! KCG91 - you might have hit the nail on the head! I googled 'fat malabsorption' and came up with the name "steatorrhea"..and then did a google image search. Not going to post an image here (Sorry Irishheart - LOL) but the very first image that comes up closely resembles what I was seeing in the toilet! That is the first photo I saw that even remotely looks like what I was seeing. Okay, so I will definitely mention all of that to my doctor next week. Now I'm just concerned why I am just now, after nearly a year gluten free, seeing this kind of reaction. I'm wondering/hoping it was from the soy (I was increasing my intake of soy for awhile - eating a lot of Sabra hummus, Progresso Lentil soup, and brown/wild minute rice - all contain soy.) I'll take it as a good sign if/when it stops for good, so far it hasn't come back...yikes! I wonder if it's related to my gall bladder? I do have gall stones...

 

Time to start keeping a food diary!

[Waitingindreams]

I got a photo of it! (No, I won't post it - lol. Though I guess anyone that's curious/might be able to help me figure it out can PM me to see it.) but I feel better knowing that I actually got it on camera. What a relief.

[mommyto2kids]

I can't eat cheese and I can't absorb a lot of fats, frys, red meats, processed gluten-free stuff. Sends me to the bathroom. Maybe you should lay off anything fatty and see it it goes away.

[NatureChick]

I used to get this occasionally. The first few times I saw it it was a little freaky and I worried. But then I realized that I could trace it back directly to a food that I had eaten - ice cream. 

That makes perfect sense considering that before going gluten-free, my body's ability to digest food was pretty minimal. But it also happened a few times months after going gluten-free when my digestion had returned to normal. Again, it seemed to be directly related to eating ice cream. (Granted, this was all so long ago that I can't really remember if other dairy products also seemed to cause it, but I don't think so.)

I don't seem to have problems with dairy in any other forms, but I also quit eating ice cream entirely because I finally admitted to myself that the ice creams available to me are not gluten-free due to cross contamination and I gave up on them entirely. 

I would definitely keep track of the foods that you are eating to see if you can trace it back to a source. Sorry that I don't know if it was the lactose or the gluten that was the problem.

 

[KCG91]

Glad it helped you! Mine cleared up very quickly after going gluten-free so I'm afraid that's as much as I can help let me know what the Dr says though, I'd be interested to hear (God that sounds weird/gross, haha!)

[Waitingindreams]

Haha! Thanks for the comments, everyone! If it is a fat related issue, then since I'm not eating dairy, I would have to guess it's due to the sunflower seed butter I've been eating lately, or the coconut oil/coconut products. I've been eating a lot of coconut for months and never had an issue, so my guess would be the sunflower seed butter. Not sure if it's just sunflower seed butter, or if it's also sunflower seeds in general - but I am addicted to a brand of crackers that contains sunflower seeds...and most of my gluten free kettle cooked chips that I've been snacking on (to bring to picnics and stuff) are cooked in sunflower oil. Looks like sunflower seeds/oil/butter might be an issue :\

 

My allergies and skin issues have been really acting up lately, too...my eyes have been watering up a lot more than they used to, it's pretty bad. It's just weird because usually with food allergies I get the itchy/scratchy tight throat feeling. Wow. I guess I'll be asking him about this on Friday!

[Austin Guy]

Have you heard of steatorrhea?  It is excessive fat in the stool.  I experienced a lot of that before going gluten free.

[Waitingindreams]

I did, actually! I hadn't heard of it until I posted this forum and did some research on fat malasbsorption. When I did a google image search, the pictures that came up closely resembled what I was seeing in the toilet. I haven't seen it since. I showed my doctor the photos I took, but he couldn't tell from them, unfortunately. He told me to just keep an eye on it.

 

It scares me that you say you saw a lot of it before going gluten free. I've been gluten free (apart from a few mistakes) for almost a year now! Not sure what to make of that :\

[beth01]

If you are still seeing "it" ( have to call "it" that since still not sure what "it" is lol), I would suggest asking for a potty hat from your doctor's nurse so you can catch "it" and take "it" to them for examination.  If "it" only comes out occasionally, it might be a good idea.  That way they can examine "it".  I know it sucks having to dig through your poo and then sticking your little friend in a cup and keeping "it" in the refrigerator, but it might be the best way of figuring out what "it" is for sure.

[Waitingindreams]

Haha! Well, I am not seeing "it" anymore, fortunately. I really do think it was related to the sunflower butter somehow. 

 

And the worst part is that I only saw it when I went to the bathroom at work. I definitely wouldn't be able to scoop my poop there! Uuughh! It could also just be related to the candida? I am currently trying to kill it (it being the candida, not the mystery poop) so hopefully everything gets sorted out soon. Would love to be candida free...auughh. 

 

My doctor did make a list of things he wanted to have tested..food sensitivites (check), thyroid levels, adrenal levels, and a stool test. I would have to pay for all of these tests out of pocket, though, and the stool test was the most expensive. For now, though, he's decided to just concentrate on clearing up the candida, which I think is a good idea. I had no idea it was so serious...I've had it for years and doctors just kept shrugging it off and throwing anti fungal creams at me. I had no idea how bad it could get.