People usually pay attention to their bowel movements and may become alarmed by a change in color. Often, even a dramatic shift in stool color is not a serious problem. Anyone who has eaten beet soup and later noticed a pinkish or magenta-colored stool has experienced this. Green food coloring or occasionally even a large serving of green vegetables may impart a greenish tinge. Black poop can signal a serious problem with intestinal bleeding, which needs urgent attention. On the other hand, it could result from taking Pepto-Bismol and not be serious at all. We do think that white poop, like unexplained black poop, deserves medical attention.
What Is the Story on White Poop?
Q. The past weekend I had terrible diarrhea. At first I assumed it was a virus and after three days I started feeling a bit better. But the last two days my stool is almost white, like dried up dog poop.
I have never seen this before and would like to know what could cause eggshell-colored stool. I recently started a new blood pressure medication that seems to be causing constant gas. The drug is something like hydralazine + HCTZ.
A. White poop could be a warning signal and should always be brought promptly to a doctor’s attention. The normal brown color comes from bile, a secretion from the liver that aids in digestion.
A white or light-colored stool suggests there could be a problem with the liver, pancreas, gallbladder (which stores bile) or bile duct that carries it to the small intestine. Sometimes the resulting stool is described as clay-colored. Your new blood pressure medicine can cause diarrhea and liver inflammation. Contact your doctor right away.
