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Stool...Float vs. Not

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Posted 3/29/2009 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
What's the deal with stool floating or not...some say its good while others say its not?

My stool starts off very firm and sinks but toward the end of a BM is gets softer (still formed mostly) and floats...is it from salads???

(I know this is a little nasty but I think it could be important)

Thanks

Posted 3/29/2009 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
It is a common misconception that floating stool indicates high fat content. Actually, the ability of stool to float depends on the air content: the more air in the stool, the less dense it is and the more likely it is to float.

Floating stool is often seen during episodes of diarrhea caused by an acute gastrointestinal infection. The rapid transit of the food through the digestive tract and bacterial metabolism of certain nutrients lead to a higher concentration of gases in the stool. Once the infection resolves, stool characteristics usually return to normal.

Some patients with chronic diarrhea also have floating stools that are greasy and smell very bad. This type of stool is often seen in people suffering from malabsorption, a dysfunction in the digestive tract that impairs the body's ability to digest and absorb fat and other nutrients. The food that is not absorbed will pass through the digestive tract, producing a watery stool with fat droplets in it. Again, bacteria will metabolize some of the nutrients that end up in the colon and lead to increased gas formation. Thus, floating stools are common in malabsorption.


I too have formed stools that are floaters as well but generally it's the smaller formed stools of mine that float, I've never had a large one float.


:)
Posted 3/29/2009 8:58 PM (GMT 0)
Huh. I also wondered about this. But I notice I get floaters when I'm doing better. Go figure.
Posted 3/29/2009 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know much about floating stools, but I have read that they can occur for different reasons--diet, diarrhea, and malabsorption. I have also read that chronic cases of diarrhea with floating stools is often seen in people suffering from malabsorption.

My poo never floats. I do have issues with gas and diarrhea, but I don't have any issues with malabsorption, except for fructose that is.
Posted 3/30/2009 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
Well that's wierd because generally having D means having issues with absorbing nurtients properly (or even at all) which would be malabsorption.
Posted 3/30/2009 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks all.

I'm having my stool tested again and this time I'm going to make sure the specimen I give is a floater so I'll know for sure if I have any issues with fat malabsorption .
Posted 3/30/2009 2:31 AM (GMT 0)

pb4 said...
Well that's wierd because generally having D means having issues with absorbing nurtients properly (or even at all) which would be malabsorption.

Yes. pb4. I'm fructose intolerant. Actually, if you want 100% precision, I have fructose malabsorption and not fructose intolerance. There is actually a difference between the two.

However, I don't eat or drink foods high in fructose, and I don't get floaters. However, I will get diarrhea and gain weight when I'm flaring. I don't have issues with malabsorption though, because I have no problem getting my nutrients and no issues with not being able to gain weight. I never said though that I wasn't absorbing everything when I had diarrhea, only that "I don't have any issues with malabsorption."

Like I said before, not everyone's condition is like yours.
Posted 3/30/2009 4:54 AM (GMT 0)
I used to get floaters before I got UC, but I don't think I've had a single one since I've been diagnosed.
Posted 3/30/2009 5:19 AM (GMT 0)

subdued said...

pb4 said...
Well that's wierd because generally having D means having issues with absorbing nurtients properly (or even at all) which would be malabsorption.


Like I said before, not everyone's condition is like yours.

What I posted had nothing to do with what my condition is like and bottom line is people with D, especially chronic D do infact have malabsorption problems, seems like you don't fit into the norm regarding any situation, at least according to what you believe to be true, which isn't typically facts anyway.
Posted 3/30/2009 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
I cannot do fructose or any type of sweetner/sugar byproduct (sorbitol, manitol etc etc) except for plain sugar and have been that way since I was a child well before I had uc
Posted 3/30/2009 6:31 PM (GMT 0)

pb4 said...

subdued said...



pb4 said...

Well that's wierd because generally having D means having issues with absorbing nurtients properly (or even at all) which would be malabsorption.


Like I said before, not everyone's condition is like yours.

What I posted had nothing to do with what my condition is like and bottom line is people with D, especially chronic D do infact have malabsorption problems, seems like you don't fit into the norm regarding any situation, at least according to what you believe to be true, which isn't typically facts anyway.

Perhaps you are misunderstanding what I'm saying. I'm not saying that I'm absorbing everything when I have diarrhea. I'm saying that I'm not having issues with getting all of my nutrients. I'm healthy, doing fine, and am not having trouble keeping up my weight.

Clearly, your condition is not the same as mine.

You do not feel I follow the norm. But I do for people who have fructose malabsorption and for people who have UC due to having taken too many antibiotics. The low-fructose diet works for me as it should. Fecal transplantation worked for me as it should have. You, on the other hand, stated that you have UC due to genetics and a trigger factor.

Clearly, we have Colitis for different reasons. In fact, I think I even read somewhere that you have Crohn's. Clearly, our conditions are not the same.

You stated, "I too have formed stools that are floaters as well"

Clearly, you have floaters and I don't.

You state that "generally having D means having issues with absorbing nurtients properly (or even at all)"

Clearly, you have malabsorption issues when you have diarrhea, and I don't.

I just saw my PCP about a week ago. She said I looked great. I have both low blood pressure (100/60) and a low resting heart rate (43-52 bpm). She said people like me live to a very old age.

Like I said before, everyone's condition is not like yours:

I'm doing great, using fecal transplantation, Probiotics and diet to treat my condition. Your bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it!
Posted 3/30/2009 8:22 PM (GMT 0)
hey pb4, i mostly have constipation and have floaters the day i eat something i m not supposed to which gives me (increased) gas problem. Last time i had floaters was when i ate really really spicy food!! my tummy grumbled and gave me floaters the next day.
But one thing i know, floaters is not a good sign for me..it tells me something is wrong!
Posted 3/30/2009 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hey saposs, I too have mainly formed stools and those are the ones that sometimes float, but just the little ones never the large ones, I too sometimes lean a little on the constipated side, it can be a lot of work to get them out sometimes and that's pretty much borderline constipation...better then complete constipation which is such a horrible and uncomfortable feeling, but thankfully since adding the fibre supplement daily I don't get extream anymore.

:)
Posted 3/30/2009 10:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hey pb4, did u say " it can be a lot of work to get them out sometimes " --- mine is a daily case, but they are not always floaters, but yes! these lines r my daily struggle. I drink 3 glasses of water early morning & then another 3 glasses after 1/2 hour ..this is how i m able to empty my tummy(that too only if that is my lucky day) cry and sometimes i need to twist my waist -- funny!! Do u also have this problem? Well i think i will post in a separate thread to see if some one could help me - in case u know something that could help let me know.
Regarding floaters, i do not get them regularly, and for me floaters are not restricted to small ones... even the big ones float :-) This disease makes us discuss all this in such details - but thank God we have this forum with people who understand :-)
Posted 3/30/2009 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, it can be alot of work getting them out (lots of pushing) I don't twist my tummy but I will admit that sometimes I spread my cheeks a little (even though there's a big crack in my broken bum I still have to spread my cheeks a bit to help things along). I don't get them regularly either (the floaters)...yes, it's amazing the things we share with total strangers isn't it?

:)
Posted 3/30/2009 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi bbc, i dnt think those floaters can be from salads - as i eat a lot of salad and i do not have floaters regularly. The day i pass more gas, i see floaters the next day. For me floaters are directly proportional to gas.
Do let us know about your stool tests.
Posted 3/30/2009 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
hey pb4, i would suggest not to push, my doc told me - not to push as it will increase the problem - our colon is already injured :(. I keep sitting (without pushing) & if it does not empty out, i leave it there. then after another 3 glass of water and little walk(from one room to another) come back to empty the LEFTOVERS :-))
Posted 3/31/2009 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
Will do saposs and thanks all.

For those that have to push try some citrucel and or Colace...they help me alot.
Posted 3/31/2009 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
I have to push or eles I'd be on the toilet all day and if I didn't push then it would just sit there in my rectom causing discomfort too, I manage alright with the pushing I do, if I didn't push it out then I'd get fully constipated for sure...besides it's not an everyday occurance anyway thank goodness.

:)
Posted 3/31/2009 3:04 AM (GMT 0)
:-) cool! then pushing works for u, but with me if i push... all i get is increased blood :-( Wondering how many variations one disease can have ... we all have such different experiences with one problem :-)
Hope we get well soon :-)
bye!
Posted 3/31/2009 3:41 AM (GMT 0)
It's a very individulaistic disease, (I actually have crohn's colitis, which is crohn's affecting my colon, but it's still just crohn's, it's not having both crohn's and UC), and with IBD being so individualistic generally what works for some doesn't work for all either, which is really too bad, it's way too complex of a disease.

You feel better soon too :)
Posted 4/2/2009 5:24 PM (GMT 0)

saposs said...
Do let us know about your stool tests.

The results came in and there was no fat in my stool and I made sure the sample I submitted was a floater...perhaps its the salad as the first half of my BM sinks and the last part doesn't...???
Posted 4/2/2009 10:36 PM (GMT 0)
ever since a gastroenteritis infection ive seen my stools progress into various different stages haha, are your guy's floaters loose?? my stool is starting to sink now but it was floating for a while and it was very loose it would just break apart if you moved it with ne thing, wut does the looseness mean its not stayin in my system long enuff??
Posted 4/3/2009 3:13 AM (GMT 0)
till my last post i thought it was always related to gas, but after this post i became more alert with floaters - got today while there was no gas yesterday the whole day! so my theory of gas+ floaters is out!
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