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Question on BMs


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Sorry for the graphic question, but figured I'd ask some experienced poop-ologists. DS started taking 1800mg activated charcoal daily - started last Friday when school ended for the summer (before that it was intermittent). He's also taking TruFiber daily. Over the weekend, his BMs turned dark green - the color of spinach. He's also now having two a day instead of once every day or two, which is great. My question is - is the color change due to toxins or just a result of the charcoal itself? In other words, does the charcoal turn green inside the body or is it due to what's being absorbed? For those who use daily binders, did you see a change, and did that change continue or did things "normalize" after the start-up period?

 

(my DH is laughing - his wife has a place where discussing poop is quite normal and where others will have "expert advice" on the subject. Something we thought we were done with when we bought our last box of diapers).

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;)

Sorry for the graphic question, but figured I'd ask some experienced poop-ologists. DS started taking 1800mg activated charcoal daily - started last Friday when school ended for the summer (before that it was intermittent). He's also taking TruFiber daily. Over the weekend, his BMs turned dark green - the color of spinach. He's also now having two a day instead of once every day or two, which is great. My question is - is the color change due to toxins or just a result of the charcoal itself? In other words, does the charcoal turn green inside the body or is it due to what's being absorbed? For those who use daily binders, did you see a change, and did that change continue or did things "normalize" after the start-up period?

 

(my DH is laughing - his wife has a place where discussing poop is quite normal and where others will have "expert advice" on the subject. Something we thought we were done with when we bought our last box of diapers).

 

 

I don't consider myself a poop-ologist (thankfully- my DS11 has never had gut or bowel issues ;), however, I have given enough charcoal for drug overdoses in the ER and see the ending "results" and yes, it does cause BM's to be dark green to black. It is from the color of the charcoal- not from what is being absorbed is my edumacated guess. Iron will do the same thing. I would expect stools to stay this color as long as they are on the charcoal. It does with iron, for sure. I was on high dose iron for anemia during both pregnancies and had dark green to black stools until I went off it. The same is true for any of my patients that take long term iron. Giving daily charcoal is not something you see in mainstream medicine nor something we have ever done with son. Although, with drug OD's- we commonly give a large 1 time dose and their stools end up the color you describe.

 

HTH

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(my DH is laughing - his wife has a place where discussing poop is quite normal and where others will have "expert advice" on the subject. Something we thought we were done with when we bought our last box of diapers).

 

Your DH isn't alone in is laughter. My dd has had chronic constipation since the age of 3 and I have 5 years of "poop history" in daily planners. Everytime my dd goes she asks me if I wrote in down. My dh just shakes his head & laughs. That history has helped many times at the Docs office!!!!

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I agree.... being a 'poop watcher' myself. Documenting color change along with other potential symptom changes have been extremely helpful for our Dr. and nutritionist.

 

In general terms: Green: bacterial, Yellow: viral, Dark Black/Maroon: blood in upper intestine, Red/Brown: blood in lower intestine, Red not imbedded in poop: internal fisher or tear, Gray: Too much bile. Soft stool might be yeast especially if taking antibiotics 'look for other signs of yeast'.

 

Of course all of this could be impacted by supplements or what you are eating like iron 'green' or beets 'red', etc. Green could also mean its passing too quickly through intestine. Bile is what makes it brown.

 

-Wendy

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I even edited my original post..... but now you've opened the door for me to give more details:

 

A healthy individual with a good gut should have brown, well formed, 1 1/2 inch thick, 6" or longer, twice daily, morning poops that do not float.

 

After two years of dealing with 3 children PANDAS/Lyme I've resorted to becoming a poop expert.... Just crazy how your own anxiety/worry will drive you to read about the oddest stuff.

 

-Wendy

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I am cracking up!!!! This is awesome.

 

My dd9 will call me in to show mewhen it's extra big...I just say, "Oh, good honey! That means you got rid of lots of yucky junk in your body and you're going to have a good day."

 

I even edited my original post..... but now you've opened the door for me to give more details:

 

A healthy individual with a good gut should have brown, well formed, 1 1/2 inch thick, 6" or longer, twice daily, morning poops that do not float.

 

After two years of dealing with 3 children PANDAS/Lyme I've resorted to becoming a poop expert.... Just crazy how your own anxiety/worry will drive you to read about the oddest stuff.

 

-Wendy

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