A Question About Poop (Tmi)

[birdie22]

2 Questions actually. What's a few questions about poop among friends

Since starting a gluten-free diet I've been more acutely aware of and interested in my bowel habits. Typical for me (both before and after going gluten-free...so my bowel habits haven't changed as a result of diet changes) has been a daily BM that's looser (sometimes many pieces). About once a week I'll have a day where I go 2-3x's in the a.m. with the first time being a pretty normal, formed BM, and the other 1-2 getting looser. This will happen over a say 3hr time frame. No cramping or other symptoms accompany this. So my questions...

1. When I get one of the 3 poop episodes I'll notice a slight shiny film on top of the water. It isn't much. No droplets of oil or fat. No mucus. Just a swirling sheen. Sometimes when this occurs I also have a burning sensation from passing the stool. I'm guessing this is fat malabsorption. Could it be normal to have small amounts of that on occasion or would it always be a sign of a problem?

2. I also on occasion notice tiny white flakes (best I can describe) floating on the water. They aren't uniform in size or shape. I can only describe it as flakes, dust like, fiber particles. Could this just be digested food particles?

Thanks for any insight!

[bartfull]

Wow, that three times a morning part describes me perfectly - but that was before I went gluten free. Now I'm pretty darned normal unless I get into something I shouldn't. I didn't see white flakes though - I saw the food I ate the day before, looking pretty much the same as it did when I ate it. I wasn't digesting anything.

I don't really have any answers for you. I'm still trying to figure it out myself. What has happened to me is either there was SO much damage that I haven't healed yet after almost nine months, or else it is as my nutritionist said, my system is hypersensitive right now. So foods that shouldn't bother me at all give me "emergency" D. I never had "emergencies" until AFTER I went gluten free.

Maybe that is what is happenning to you, or it could be that other intolerances are rearing their ugly heads. I bet you'll get much better answers and advice from some of the other folks here. They have helped me and so many others, I'm sure they can point you in the right direction too.

[cavernio]

How long have you been gluten-free?

I certainly was seeing the sheen on top of the water before being diagnosed, still see it occasionally now too, but only been 2 months for me.

Stimulants can make you go more often. Do you find those mornings when you're going a lot you've had a coffee, or alcohol the previous day, or a lot of sugar?

The white flecks could be undigested food yes. Pills can often leave you in small white pieces too. Taking any new meds or vitamins?

I always see pieces of nuts in my stool if I've had nuts, and coconut, and they look white.

Before being diagnosed with celiac, I was near convinced I had a parasitic infection due to docs not finding anything, (and never testing for parasites) and because I'd get pain always on the left of my abdomen, often a very similar place. It doesn't at all feel like diarheal pain or anything though. Anyways, I took a herbal thing called Paragone (there's a ton of these types of things online) to hopefully kill any parasites in me. The first time I took it, a couple weeks into the month long cleanse, I did see more white pieces than I'd ever seen before come out of me. But of course, the pain didn't go away. I did it a few more times in the year(s)? to come, saw a few more white pieces, but most recent time I noticed nothing. Heh, maybe it was lumps of gluten I was seeing, it's white afterall, and the stuff does include things to help you move your bowels/clear the lining of your gut.

[Bubba's Mom]

This may just be a part of the healing process? I wouldn't be too overly concerned.

Keep a log of everything you eat, along with any symptoms you have. It's possible you are reacting to something else in your diet? It's pretty common, especially while you are healing. Many food reactions are delayed, so having a log helps you go back and note anything that seems to be a trigger.

Remove anything that isn't agreeing with you. Sometimes you can add that food back once you've healed.

[birdie22]

Thanks all. Ive been gluten-free for 4 mos although I did have about 4 days of gluten about a month ago on docs advice. I do take vitamins and the magnesium is white but I don't notice the white flakes all the time. I drink 1/2-1 cup of coffee a day everyday and only rarely have alcohol so I don't think that is the cause. I am keeping a food and symptom log.

[birdie22]

Had a follow up with my PCP today and I mentioned the stool issues. She didn't have a comment on the flakes. She confirmed that the sheen was fat malabsorption and thought that digestive enzymes might help. She didn't suggest what kind and she didn't indicate that she considered the fat malabsorption to be problematic (didn't ask me questions about it or my diet, etc). That has me scratching my head.

[Kryptonite]

Had a follow up with my PCP today and I mentioned the stool issues. She didn't have a comment on the flakes. She confirmed that the sheen was fat malabsorption and thought that digestive enzymes might help. She didn't suggest what kind and she didn't indicate that she considered the fat malabsorption to be problematic (didn't ask me questions about it or my diet, etc). That has me scratching my head.

hey this might help ,i have had always problematic stools,btwn the color and the floating stools,loose, etc .before i was diagnosed with celiac in 2008.still to this day i still have those issues. i have tried digestive enzymes,for awhile those made my stomach upset. i am a big fiber person to flush out the bowel,you might want to have your enzymes checked out liver,pancreas.i did any they were low. i take a probiotic once a day and that seems to help a little.anyway try not to worry to much just make sure you dot all of your i's.

food for thought kryptonite