Dark green stool

[Kilroy]

If you have diarrhea, it's short passage time through the bowels that's causing it. It's kind of silly to suggest "if you eat green veggies, you might get green stool". Most people would have already made that association.

If there's pain, and unusual odor, then an inflammation might be at work. See a doctor. It might also be a bacterial or even fungal problem in the bowells. See a doctor.

Also don't discount the possibility of a deviation in the intestines casue some materials to collect for a longer period before being eliminated. Loaded wiht bacteria and residing in the bowels for days..or longer...might give you this color. Do you have bad chair posture? Then consider improving it.

[Southern Lady]

Never had this before, but have had muscus some. I haven't eaten anything green or purple, My stomach is bloated and hurting and my poop is a Dark Green.. last 2 days...I poop 2-4 times a day, its not runnie its not hard, i guess you could say its a happy medium. But the pain is at the upper part just below my breasts. Done some research online has listed anything from poss, Crones to E-Coli to cancer, So I guess if I'm no better by say Tuesday, Then I will be going to the Doctor.

[Mandy]

could be that there is too much iron in ur body that hasnt been absorbed properly.

[Marty]

The liver constantly a bright green fluid called bile that is secreted into the small intestine or stored in the gallbladder.

Bile is needed to absorb fats and fat soluble vitamins. It also helps to soften stools and is responsible for giving stools their characteristic brown color.

As bile makes its way through the intestines, it progressively changes color from green to yellow to brown, due to the action of bacteria in the large intestine on the bile salts.

Green stool often indicates that food has passed through the intestines faster than normal (called decreased bowel transit time), before it could be changed from green to brown.

Diarrhea decreases bowel transit time, so any condition that causes diarrhea can result in green stool.

Other causes of green stool include:

* Laxative use
* Antibiotic use
* Medication side effects
* Food poisoning
* Celiac disease
* Ulcerative colitis
* Crohn's disease
* Malabsorption
* Irritable bowel syndrome
* Bacterial overgrowth
* Infectious diarrhea - especially salmonella and giardia
* Traveler's diarrhea
* Cancer

Foods and supplements that can cause green stool include:
# Chlorophyll
# Iron supplements
# Algae

Note: Speak with your doctor about any change in bowel movements.

[Christopher M]

Maybe you have candida (yeast) overgrowth.
http://www.causeof.org

[purple pop]

I just experienced this green turd and one thing i drank that i dont usually drink was purple pop so im thinking that did it cuz i drank about 2 litres b4 bed and woke up with the greener.

[Linda]

Your are right about grape koolaid. I drink purple crystal light(a quart a day). I read it one time because I was having the same problem. Still drink it not green all the time anymore

[Sherry]

I have a friend who does alternative medicine and when I asked her what causes the stool to be green she said it usually has to do with the bile. I went to About.com :Alternative Medicine and it said "As bile makes its way through the intestines, it progressively changes from green to yellow to brown due to the action of bacteria in the large intestine on the bile salts. Green stool often indicates that food has passed through the intestines faster than normal (called decreased bowel transit time) before it could be changed from green to brown."

[Sherry]

(con't)The same website, About.com :Alternative Medicine also listed several other reasons for green stools including Irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, and medication side effects. This website also has links to other unusual bowel colors.
Hope this has helped somebody.

[Sherry]

Sorry, that website is Altmedicine.about.com

[Sohail]

Well I am no doctor but I have hyperthyrodism which effects my metabolism. I read somewhere that I when someone has hyperthyrodism the food passes so fast that bile which is produced by our body (which is in green color turns to brown) is never goes to its full cycle of changing color. What does that mean to me? It means my food is passing faster then it should which I already knew that beacuase thats one of the sysmtoms of hyperthyrodism. so.. get your thyroids checked guys.. if its a little green then its just veg. I am just speaking from the info I gathered.

[confused]

So is anyone going to answer or just ask more questions... this is ridiculous lol

[a few links]

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/gettingdiagno...
http://www.greenstool.com/
http://www.cureresearch.com/sym/green_stool.h...

[A REAL ANSWER]

If you have the occasional green stool—don't panic! Most likely it is normal, and there is a perfectly reasonable explanation. Think about the foods you ate, any vitamins or supplements you took—even if they're not green in color.
There can be many reasons why stool appears to be green. The first and most obvious reason is eating green foods. Green, leafy vegetables contain chlorophyll which could be coloring the stool green. Foods with dark purple coloring like Kool-Aid, popsicles, and gelatin (Jell-O) can also result in rainbow-colored stools. Iron supplements or even foods that are rich in iron can also give stool a green tinge.
Stool can also appear green for physical reasons, and not just from what you've been eating. We think of a healthy stool as being brown. Bile that is secreted in the first part of the small intestine is actually green. As stool is digested and passed through the large intestine it is turned into a darker brown color.
If stool is still green by the time it is excreted, it could mean that it went through the large intestine too fast to be changed in color. This is often called "rapid transit" or "decreased colonic transit time" and diarrhea that is green in color could be the result.
In breast-fed babies, green stool is a normal occurrence, especially right after delivery. In older children, the reason could be food-related as described above, or even from non-food items. Eating or sucking on colored non-food items such as crayons might also turn stools different colors.
If green stool continues, or your bowel habits have changed in other ways, you may want to call your doctor. This is especially true if you are experiencing diarrhea which can be an indication of other problems or could lead to dehydration.
Suggested Reading
What is Diarrhea?
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies in IBD - Iron and Folic Acid
Normal Bowel Movements

[jmnurse1]

Nikki wrote:

I wanted to know... My stool is very dark in color sometimes black sometimes green. The mucus around the stool is also yellowish in color. I dont have reg. movements? Please advise!!

E-Coli is a bacteria in evderyones stool, it also gives it the odor of each persons stool, it is normal for that to be in your stool

[Yomama]

Oh did I mention that large amounts of fresh fruit can also cause this??? I eat blueberries by the bowlful when they're in season... a cup of fresh blueberries mixed with vanilla yoghurt.. mmmmmmmmmm! And guess what.. dark green poo! they are high is natural colorants and they are high in fiber.. so they pass through the colon faster and add a touch of the irish... it's okay... green is my favorite color.

[Yomama]

Try eating a bunch of canned beets... it makes your pee red and your poo red too.. the toilet bowl turns a really pretty shade of pink.. very cool!
beta carotine will make your pee orange or yellow... oh man it can be a blast to play with your pee and poo.. oh wait.. the color of it.. not the actual pee or poo itself... ehw!.. where is your mind!!

[Linus]

I have had dark green stools now for at least 2 weeks. No pain or change in diet. Just concerned!

[Mom of 3]

Any time I have an infection, it leaves my body as green poop. I've done it my entire life, and I'm 40 now. My kids do it too, when my oldest had her first ear infection my mom told me to watch her poop, when she started pooping green, the infection was leaving her body. I watched, and she did.

So, while I've not seen anyone say that it's just your body getting rid of a nasty, I believe that's the easiest explanation for occasionally having green stools, especially after being sick.

[Green Poop]

And abdominal/pelvic pain. Went to the ER and they did a cat scan and said I have diverticulitis.