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What Causes Light And Dark Brown Colored Stool?
Question: Hi, This morning i had stool which is a mix of light brown and dark brown colour. I have had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy done in dec 2013 . Im worried about the colour of my stool this morning. What should I do?
Brief Answer:
this color is not normally indicative of any problems
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
It is understandable to be concerned about any changes.
The colonoscopy in 2013 means that any cancer in the bowel is very unlikely. This screening is done every 10 yrs for persons of average risk (no close family history of colonic cancer or no diseases that put them at risk like ulcerative colitis).
It can be done this far apart because this cancer is slow growing . This means that if it was good in 2013, there are no lesions that should have developed so quickly unless you have one of the risk factors mentioned).
Endoscopy looks at the esophagus and stomach and would not have an much of an impact on the color of stool.
Stool color is related to foods/drinks consumed or bile changes in the bowel or disease of bowel itself (your colonoscopy would have detected this if present).
Bile is released into the colon, as it goes through the bowel, it undergoes changes that cause the stool to become brown.
A change to light/dark brown does not normally indicate any problems but you can monitor to see if is continues, monitoring is the first treatment regimen that is suggested.
In the majority of cases, it does not recur or the change is not significant.
If it worsens (stool entirely pale) then your doctor may suggest a stool sample to the lab and possibly bloods such as a liver function test .
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
this color is not normally indicative of any problems
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
It is understandable to be concerned about any changes.
The colonoscopy in 2013 means that any cancer in the bowel is very unlikely. This screening is done every 10 yrs for persons of average risk (no close family history of colonic cancer or no diseases that put them at risk like ulcerative colitis).
It can be done this far apart because this cancer is slow growing . This means that if it was good in 2013, there are no lesions that should have developed so quickly unless you have one of the risk factors mentioned).
Endoscopy looks at the esophagus and stomach and would not have an much of an impact on the color of stool.
Stool color is related to foods/drinks consumed or bile changes in the bowel or disease of bowel itself (your colonoscopy would have detected this if present).
Bile is released into the colon, as it goes through the bowel, it undergoes changes that cause the stool to become brown.
A change to light/dark brown does not normally indicate any problems but you can monitor to see if is continues, monitoring is the first treatment regimen that is suggested.
In the majority of cases, it does not recur or the change is not significant.
If it worsens (stool entirely pale) then your doctor may suggest a stool sample to the lab and possibly bloods such as a liver function test .
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I forgot to tell you that i was Diagnosed with IBS as well, so i get pale color stools in between they go away then come back. So its very common for me to have these color changes but dark brown was what I saw this morning which is not very common with me.
Brief Answer:
the dark brown is the color normally seen in persons with no bowel disease
Detailed Answer:
HI
Dark brown is the normal color of stool of persons with no bowel disease at all (persons with no IBS or other bowel diseases).
The dark color is due to chemical changes in the bile. When it is first released it is greenish, as it passes along the bowel, it changes causing the stool to also change color.
Normally at the end the bowel movement, the stool is brown.
Please feel free to ask any other questions
the dark brown is the color normally seen in persons with no bowel disease
Detailed Answer:
HI
Dark brown is the normal color of stool of persons with no bowel disease at all (persons with no IBS or other bowel diseases).
The dark color is due to chemical changes in the bile. When it is first released it is greenish, as it passes along the bowel, it changes causing the stool to also change color.
Normally at the end the bowel movement, the stool is brown.
Please feel free to ask any other questions
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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