Many people report experiencing more yellow stools as a symptom of anxiety.
Stress can cause changes in the release and action of the neurotransmitters in the bowel. These stress-related changes can directly affect your bowel function. This can result in constipation or loose stools.
But if your stool is discolored for a few days, or you have other symptoms, it could be a sign of something more serious. Black, tarry stool or bright red stool could be a sign of blood in the stool. Pale, clay-colored stool can be a sign of a blockage of your bile duct.
Stress. Believe it or not, stress and anxiety can be a cause of yellow stool. Usually, high stress levels cause digestion to speed up, meaning foods move through your system too quickly.
If your liver or gallbladder are having trouble making bile or if the bile is blocked from getting out, your stool may have a pale or yellowish color and your poop may be diarrhea at times. Possible causes for liver or gallbladder problems are: Hepatitis caused by alcohol, virus, or infection.
Lack of bile in the stool can cause it to be light-colored or yellow. Liver disorders – If there is a problem with your liver, the bile canals inside of it become narrowed and bile production is decreased. Some liver conditions that cause yellow stool include cirrhosis and hepatitis.
Things to look out for include: Black looking poo, which may appear like coffee granules. This could indicate bleeding in the intestines and needs checking out. It's important to speak to a doctor if you have blood or significant mucus in your poo.
Yellow Poop
Poop can be yellow when fat isn't absorbed from the stool. Fat absorption can be disrupted by parasites, illnesses or congenital diseases causing inflammation in the pancreas. Yellow poop is usually a sign of a medical problem that needs attention.
A queasy stomach is a common experience for people experiencing anxiety, but anxiety may also contribute to other GI issues as well. Gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances commonly include symptoms of stomach pain, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and vomiting.
Stress causes increased intestinal permeability. This permeability allows inflammatory compounds to come into the intestines, which can lead to a feeling of abdominal fullness — a common complaint among people who struggle with constipation. Stress may affect the normal healthy bacteria in the gut.
Gastrointestinal function is particularly influenced by stress. Common gastrointestinal symptoms due to stress are heartburn, indigestion, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and associated lower abdominal pain. These symptoms and the alterations in intestinal function that cause them are becoming understood.
Diarrhea from stress doesn't last more than a few days. It usually goes away once the stress is gone. Sometimes, diarrhea can be a symptom of a more serious medical condition.
Poop anxiety, or parcopresis, is the difficulty or inability to have a bowel movement in a public setting. The condition is likely underdiagnosed because of the embarrassment and stigma people suffering from parcopresis feel, but it may be more common than we realize.
IBS-C (IBS with constipation) – likely to have a darker brown stool colour. IBS-D (IBS with diarrhoea) – likely to have a yellow stool colour.
If you have IBS with diarrhea, you will have frequent, loose, watery stools. You may have an urgent need to have a bowel movement, which may be hard to control. If you have IBS with constipation, you will have a hard time passing stool, as well as fewer bowel movements.
Anxiety does not specifically affect the color of stool, but it can affect how food moves through the digestive tract.
Bottom line: To sum up, peanut butter-colored poop is normal. However, if you feel discomfort while passing the stool, this is the time to consult your doctor.
Stools that are pale, clay, or putty-colored may be due to problems in the biliary system. The biliary system is the drainage system of the gallbladder, liver, and pancreas. Food passes from the stomach into the small intestine.
People with diabetes may experience frequent diarrhea — loose, watery stools that happen at least three times a day. You may have fecal incontinence as well, especially at night. Diarrhea can also be due to metformin, a diabetes medication.
Liver-related causes of yellow stool
Chronic liver diseases including alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, viral, hepatitis, and other diseases impact liver function. These diseases can impair bile production and delivery (excretion).