light colored stool

[kristinelorraine]

hello everyone,
this morning i had a very light, pale colored stool. i searched the internet and it says pancreatic cancer.
i have some stomach issues since September. Acid reflux, gas, bloating, burping, intermittent stabbing pain under the ribs, on the side of torso and back.
and i also noticed my stools have turned to yellowish color. but today my stool is different, it is very light almost pale.
i'm trying to search if anxiety can cause the stool to turn pale but i couldn't find any. i'm so scared it could be serious like pancreatic cancer.
I am so sad and worried. does anyone have the same experience with light pale stools? Please help.

 

[SallyHart]

Hi there. When I am going through an anxiety flare up this also happens to me. With health anxiety all sorts of pains aches and unusual happenings occur with our bodies, yet we don't believe that anxiety is the cause. Numerous trips to ER and CTs and colonoscopy was all that put this issue to sleep for me. If this has been going on since September though, have you visited your doctor, I say this not because I think there is something wrong but just so you can get some assurances and hopefully move on.

 

[kristinelorraine]

Hi there. When I am going through an anxiety flare up this also happens to me. With health anxiety all sorts of pains aches and unusual happenings occur with our bodies, yet we don't believe that anxiety is the cause. Numerous trips to ER and CTs and colonoscopy was all that put this issue to sleep for me. If this has been going on since September though, have you visited your doctor, I say this not because I think there is something wrong but just so you can get some assurances and hopefully move on.

thanks so much for your reply, SallyHart. Yes, I've been to the gastroenterologist. Did some bloodwork, ultrasound, stool occult test. all are good. But the doctor doesn't want to give any diagnosis until I do an endoscopy which is scheduled on December.
Right now, I'm worried about the weird stabbing pain that goes on my sides of ribs and back.
Then this pale, colored stool which i read is a bad sign.

Have you experienced a pale, colored stool?

 

[SallyHart]

Yes I have many times especially during flare ups. I have been diagnosed with colon spasms.

 

[kristinelorraine]

your message ease my mind. i hope mine is also mild and nothing serious.
my stomach problem has completely took control of my life and also my family. i've isolated myself from everyone, always crying, barely sleeping and eating. i've lost weight and the stabbing pain keeps getting worse. the stabbing first started with only the left side and now i can also feel it on my right side and back. and adding now is the pale stool. if i google my symptoms it points out to pancreatic. i'm very, very depressed about this.

 

[SallyHart]

your message ease my mind. i hope mine is also mild and nothing serious.
my stomach problem has completely took control of my life and also my family. i've isolated myself from everyone, always crying, barely sleeping and eating. i've lost weight and the stabbing pain keeps getting worse. the stabbing first started with only the left side and now i can also feel it on my right side and back. and adding now is the pale stool. if i google my symptoms it points out to pancreatic. i'm very, very depressed about this.

The pain gets worse as we are focused on that area of concern. Well concern for us anyway. I am exactly the same when I worry about anything. Don't want to eat weight loss, crying,pain gets worse. If you read threads on here you will see that anxiety causes all these problems and more. I hope your next test goes well for you. You seem to have had a great work up so far and nothing bad going on. I feel this next test will help you move on. Stay strong and try to be positive about the test results you have already had.

 

[Bearcat999]

The color of your stool have far more to do with transit time and the foods you have eaten than anything else. The faster food travels, the lighter it will be. It picks up bile as it goes through the intestines, giving it color. I have had very pale stools, been to the doc for it. Doc said "You Googled it, didn't you". What you are worried about presents in a pretty unmistakable way. To have the kind of stool that shows up with PC,(white, not pale) you need a tumor big enough to close off a bile duct. That's not hard to see on an ultrasound. And with the bile duct closed off, your bloodwork would be very wonky. It is hard to be logical with HA, but logically, your thinking is wrong on that.

 

[kristinelorraine]

The color of your stool have far more to do with transit time and the foods you have eaten than anything else. The faster food travels, the lighter it will be. It picks up bile as it goes through the intestines, giving it color. I have had very pale stools, been to the doc for it. Doc said "You Googled it, didn't you". What you are worried about presents in a pretty unmistakable way. To have the kind of stool that shows up with PC,(white, not pale) you need a tumor big enough to close off a bile duct. That's not hard to see on an ultrasound. And with the bile duct closed off, your bloodwork would be very wonky. It is hard to be logical with HA, but logically, your thinking is wrong on that.

thank you for easing my mind Bearcat. my stool today is a bit darker than yesterday but it's still yellow and lighter color than normal. and i also noticed my stool is full of gas and some of it floats but eventually sinks. it's just hard to shake the PC feeling when you have other symptoms. i also feel fullness/ pressure on the middle part of my ribs (sternum) and the intemittent stabbing/poking on my sides and back. i dont know if it's just trapped gas. could gas/air get trapped in the back?

 

[Bearcat999]

Kristine,
I coach baseball teams. One day I had a 14 year old come in from the outfield crying that his back hurt so bad. His parents took him to the hospital and it was........trapped gas.

 

[kristinelorraine]

Kristine,
I coach baseball teams. One day I had a 14 year old come in from the outfield crying that his back hurt so bad. His parents took him to the hospital and it was........trapped gas.

omg, so gas could really get trapped in the back. i've been googling crazy about it but nothing mentioned that gas could get trapped in the back. thank you for telling me this! it puts some peace of my mind.

 

[Cuchculan]

Gas can get trapped in the back and the sides. I used to be in a lot of pain with such things. I always said it felt like trapped wind. That was all it was come the end of the day.

 

[kristinelorraine]

Gas can get trapped in the back and the sides. I used to be in a lot of pain with such things. I always said it felt like trapped wind. That was all it was come the end of the day.

hi cuchculan,
what does your trapped air feel like? i have sharp, stabbing, poking like pain on my sides and back. it started on my upper left rib area and now it also happens on my right side. it feels like sharp poking. it comes and goes but i feel it everyday especially at night time.

does trapped air feel like a sharp, stabbing pain?

 

[BrightPhoenix]

Hey kristine, thanks for posting this thread, as I've been experiencing somewhat similar symptoms. You're not alone.

I got an upper endoscopy 2 or 3 weeks ago and it came out I have GERD, but I'm already taking medications to treat it. They didn't find anything else. However, the past couple of weeks I had some stressful things happening - my dad just moved in with me after divorcing my now ex-stepmother (my biological mother passed away a long time ago). It resulted in me sometimes skipping my medications and taking them 12-16 hours after I'm supposed to.

I've been taking Benefiber but it kept making me bloated for a couple weeks, so I tapered off of it.

Then last weekend I started getting major runs, stomach gurgles, some pressure like what you feel when you're about to use the bathroom. Diarrhea, etc. It's almost like a sense of hunger - it's that same gurgling but you're not hungry.

Then a few days later I start feeling kinda weak in the arms so I get a panic attack and go to the ER, twice. Everything cleared out except for my liver tests (I have fatty liver so it's expected I have raised levels, so don't think too much about that)

I saw my PCP on Friday and she's convinced it's all anxiety causing it. My stool's been on the light colored side and it's been kinda... loose and flaky? Like the stool can't keep its shape, and I still get that gurgling sensation, so I'm in the same boat as you. I'm scared off my rockers and I don't know who to talk to about it. Sometimes it's greenish-brown, sometimes it's light brownish-yellow (but more towards brown) but it's fairly soft and mud-like, so I don't know if the fauna in my guts are missed up and I need to take something else, or if this anxiety is just messing up my mood.

I haven't had any strange weight loss or anything to that aspect, so I'm not sure if I should contact my GI again... hope trading notes reassure you that you're not alone.

 

[Bearcat999]

A lot of people who have colonoscopies have trapped air pain for awhile. Mine was painful off and on for a week.

 

[kristinelorraine]

Hey kristine, thanks for posting this thread, as I've been experiencing somewhat similar symptoms. You're not alone.

I got an upper endoscopy 2 or 3 weeks ago and it came out I have GERD, but I'm already taking medications to treat it. They didn't find anything else. However, the past couple of weeks I had some stressful things happening - my dad just moved in with me after divorcing my now ex-stepmother (my biological mother passed away a long time ago). It resulted in me sometimes skipping my medications and taking them 12-16 hours after I'm supposed to.

I've been taking Benefiber but it kept making me bloated for a couple weeks, so I tapered off of it.

Then last weekend I started getting major runs, stomach gurgles, some pressure like what you feel when you're about to use the bathroom. Diarrhea, etc. It's almost like a sense of hunger - it's that same gurgling but you're not hungry.

Then a few days later I start feeling kinda weak in the arms so I get a panic attack and go to the ER, twice. Everything cleared out except for my liver tests (I have fatty liver so it's expected I have raised levels, so don't think too much about that)

I saw my PCP on Friday and she's convinced it's all anxiety causing it. My stool's been on the light colored side and it's been kinda... loose and flaky? Like the stool can't keep its shape, and I still get that gurgling sensation, so I'm in the same boat as you. I'm scared off my rockers and I don't know who to talk to about it. Sometimes it's greenish-brown, sometimes it's light brownish-yellow (but more towards brown) but it's fairly soft and mud-like, so I don't know if the fauna in my guts are missed up and I need to take something else, or if this anxiety is just messing up my mood.

I haven't had any strange weight loss or anything to that aspect, so I'm not sure if I should contact my GI again... hope trading notes reassure you that you're not alone.

hi BrightPhoenix,
we almost have the same symptoms. my stool is also the same as yours. it's not diarrhea because it's formed but you know it's soft and very easy to pass. sometimes it floats and breaks apart and sink. my stool is like fibrous that's why it break down easily. but what worries me the most is the color. since this ordeal started, my stool looks like yellowish-brown. and lately pale yellowish brown. if you google it it says pancreatic or liver or gallstone problems.

i am having chronic stress and anxiety before this all started. i tend to always skip meals and sleep only for few hours a day. when i finally eat, i binged eat to make up for my skipped meals. i've been torturing my body like this for months.

then Sept came and my stomach suddenly went crazy. it made nonstop gurling sounds, gas and acid. i would burp and pass gas nonstop. when i said non stop, they never really stop! just constant burping and passing gas. i'm also bloated, it's scary. then the next day, i passed a mucus in my stool. the bloating, non-stop burping and passing gas continues and then i also get heartburn and acid coming up my throat. i guess i must have stomach ulcer or gerd so i went to the pharmacy and bought Nexium and used it for two weeks. the acid somehow settled but i still get occasional burning sensation in my throat and dry cough. the heartburn lessens. but then i started to feel pain on my left side of the stomach just below my ribs. the pain also went to my left side of the torso and back. it's like a sharp, stabbing pain that comes and goes. i also feel so bloated after eating and have dull pain after eating. i cant wear tight clothes on my waist. the gas pressure is too much. i lose interest in eating and i lost weight.

my gastroenterologist did a comprehensive blood count, abdominal ultrasound, and occult stool test. all came back good. i also requested for h pylori breath testing which came back negative. He wants me to do endoscopy and i'm scheduled this Dec.
lately, the stabbing pain also moves on the right side. when i googled my symptoms it says pancreatic cancer and it's scaring a heck out of me.

A lot of people who have colonoscopies have trapped air pain for awhile. Mine was painful off and on for a week.

if you don't mind me asking, how would you describe your pain? was it stabbing or sharp poking?

 

[Bearcat999]

It was not as intense as tabbing, but a bit sharper than poking. Like someone was poking from inside my rib cage.

 

[BrightPhoenix]

i decided i need to see a doctor. my gastroenterologist did a comprehensive blood count, abdominal ultrasound, and occult stool test. all came back good. i also requested for h pylori breath testing which came back negative. He wants me to do endoscopy and i'm scheduled this Dec.
lately, the stabbing pain also moves on the right side. when i googled my symptoms it says pancreatic cancer and it's scaring a heck out of me.


if you don't mind me asking, how would you describe your pain? was it stabbing or sharp poking?

You probably know this but Google is not useful for people like us. Put it this way, if your bloodwork is coming out clean, and a bunch of tests are coming out clean (they even did a test on your stool), that usually means there isn't something else systemic going on. If your pancreas was giving you problems, you would KNOW it - it happens very quickly, so you've been saying since September and have been ok so you shouldn't be too worried. I'm sure the GI is doing an endoscopy for your sake too.

Funny thing is, I was tested going in the other way first because I actually DO have GERD (diagnosed and treating it with Prilosec). A colonoscopy is much more intrusive than an endoscopy and there is way more prep, so you got the "hard part" done.

On occasion I do get sharp pains - like a stabbing/sharp poking, yeah. Only started happening today, actually, but it only happens if I'm at work at my chair - my chair makes me sit in a funny position - if I sit straight up I have no problems.

Like someone else said, it sounds like your digestive system is out of whack from your anxiety. Hopefully your endoscopy confirms that then you can do your best to address your other issues. I am going to talk to my GI too because just like you it's affecting my quality of life. It just feels *weird* and I don't know how to explain it.

When I had my movement today it actually burned a little coming out, and I usually get that type of "burning" whenever I get really bad spouts of diarrhea where my body didn't agree with something extremely spicy. It's a new symptom, but I already wrote a long email to the gastro about it so I'm going to ask him about it. On your end the major stuff was ruled out it looks like. Are you having problems with a feeling of "weakness" too? It's not fatigue or physical weakness, you can still do stuff, but that feeling when if you were to use the bathroom and you push too hard, like your blood pressure fell or something? Because I have that weird feeling once in awhile too.

 

[kristinelorraine]

the problem with my anxiety is i keep on doubting. what if my doctor missed something? what if the blood testing machine malfunctions or they switched my medical records with another person by mistake. i know this is almost impossible but i'm this crazy i'm telling you. my husband don't know what to do with me anymore. i barely eat and sleep thus losing weight. my left thigh is also sore but there's no bruising or bump. when i press my left tummy area, i could also feel the pain radiating on my left thigh. i'm not sure if this is connected with my stomach problems.

i dont feel weakness when i use the bathroom. what surprise me is i still have some energy in me even if i only sleep for few hours and eating too little.

 

[Bearcat999]

Bright Phoenix-
What is your fear?

 

[kristinelorraine]

i have another question. does the pancreas show up in endoscopy? can the doctor check the pancreas, liver, gallbladder in endoscopy?

also, would the problem in the pancreas show up in the bloodwork? or is there some special test that you need to do?