White stool Should I be concerned - Mayo Clinic
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Products and services What would cause a person to have white stool Should I be concerned
Answer From Elizabeth Rajan, M.D. Multimedia
Gallbladder and bile duct White stool isn't normal and should be evaluated promptly by a doctor. White or clay-like stool is caused by a lack of bile, which may indicate a serious underlying problem. Bile is a digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Stool gets its normal brownish color from bile, which is excreted into the small intestine during the digestive process. If the liver doesn't produce bile or if bile is obstructed from leaving the liver, stool will be light colored or white. Often the problem occurs in the tube (duct) that delivers the bile to the small intestine. This tube can be squeezed shut or blocked - for example, by a tumor or a gallstone - which prevents the bile from entering the small intestine. You may also experience abdominal pain, fever, nausea, itching and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes). Some babies are born with constricted bile ducts, a condition known as biliary atresia. Liver diseases, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, also can sometimes cause white stool. Barium, a white substance used for X-rays of the digestive tract and certain medications that contain aluminum hydroxide, for example antacids, can also turn the stool white. With Elizabeth Rajan, M.D. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox
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Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry ShareTweet Sept. 29, 2021 Show references Saxena R. Liver diseases of childhood. In: Practical Hepatic Pathology: A Diagnostic Approach. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Oct. 17, 2019. Bennett JE, et al., eds. Hepatitis A virus. In: Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Oct. 17, 2019. Neonatal jaundice. American College of Gastroenterology. https://gi.org/topics/neonatal-jaundice/. Accessed Oct. 17, 2019. X-ray (radiography): Upper GI tract. American College of Radiology. https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=uppergi#experience. Accessed Oct. 17, 2019. Feces color finding. IBM Micromedex. https://www.micromedexsolutions.com. Accessed Oct. 17, 2019. See more Expert Answers Products and Services
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