Yellow diarrhea happens when stool moves too quickly through the intestines, preventing the body from absorbing fat and other nutrients. This can lead to pale, greasy, or watery stools that may be accompanied by cramps or bloating.
Several conditions can cause yellow diarrhea, including stress, intestinal infections, gallbladder or pancreatic problems, and celiac disease. Certain medications, like antibiotics or orlistat, and recent surgeries, such as gallbladder removal, may also contribute to this symptom.
Most cases improve within a few days, but persistent yellow diarrhea can signal underlying health issues. Understanding the possible causes and when to seek medical attention is important to prevent complications like dehydration.
Summary table: Causes and treatment for yellow diarrhea
Why is my diarrhea yellow?
The most common causes of yellow diarrhea are:
1. Anxiety or stress
Anxiety or stress are the most common causes of diarrhea. Both of these will trigger increased bowel movements, which makes it difficult for the intestines to absorb nutrients and water. This results in softer or watery stools.
In addition, anxiety attacks can increase blood flow to the legs and decrease blood flow to the intestinal tract. This will make digestion more difficult and result in increased fat content in the stools (which will make them yellow). It is common to have yellow diarrhea when you are anxious or stressed, but it typically resolves within a day or two.
How to treat: It is important to identify the source of your stress or anxiety so that you can prevent it in the future. It may also be beneficial to adopt habits or behaviors that will help you cope and relax, like exercising, reading or meditating. Check out herbs for anxiety that can be used to make soothing, sedative teas.
Also recommended: What to Eat When You Have Diarrhea: Top Foods & Meal Plan tuasaude.com/en/what-to-eat-when-you-have-diarrhea2. Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome is also a frequent cause of diarrhea. Although diarrhea may not always be yellow, irritated bowels may interfere with fat absorption in the intestine, resulting in more yellow stools.
Also recommended: IBS Diet (for Symptom Relief): Food Lists, Meal Plan and Expert Tips tuasaude.com/en/ibs-dietOther symptoms associated with this condition include abdominal pain, excess gas and alternating periods of constipation and diarrhea.
How to treat: To relieve intestinal symptoms and yellow diarrhea, you should identify the foods that trigger your intestinal flare-ups. In general, you should avoid dark leafy greens, alcohol and coffee. A FODMAP diet is often recommended for patients with chronic intestinal symptoms. In some cases, your doctor or gastroenterologist may prescribe medication to help treat your symptoms.
Read more about IBS treatment your doctor may discuss with you.
3. Decrease in bile levels
Bile is a substance that is important for digestion. It metabolizes fat and helps it to be better absorbed in the intestines. When bile levels become decreased, fat will remain in the intestines, resulting in yellower, more liquid stools. Other common symptoms associated with decreased bile include dark urine, fatigue, weight loss and a low-grade fever.
In addition, bile also gives the normal brown color you usually see in stools, and therefore it is expected for low bile levels to result in yellow stools. Problems that can cause low bile levels include gallstones or liver abnormalities, like inflammation, cirrhosis and cancer.
How to treat: You should see your doctor or gastroenterologist for assessment. He or she may order testing to determine why your levels are low, and from there, indicate treatment as necessary.
4. Bile acid malabsorption
In some cases, bile is produced in adequate amounts, but is not properly reabsorbed in the intestine. This condition is called bile acid malabsorption (BAM), and it can lead to chronic yellow diarrhea due to irritation of the colon and reduced water absorption. BAM is especially common after gallbladder removal, occurring in up to 70% of cases.
How to treat: Doctors may prescribe bile acid sequestrants such as cholestyramine, which bind excess bile acids in the intestine. Dietary changes, like reducing fat intake, may also help.
5. Pancreatic problems
When the pancreas is not functioning properly due to inflammation (from an infection, a tumor, cystic fibrosis or a blocked duct, for example), it is unable to produce sufficient pancreatic enzymes. Without sufficient enzymes, the body is unable to adequately break down fats and other nutrients, which can result in yellow diarrhea.
In addition to diarrhea, you may also experience symptoms like a full stomach sensation after eating, excess gas, frequent urge to poop, and weight loss.
How to treat: If you suspect any pancreatic abnormalities, you should proceed to the hospital immediately for assessment and treatment. Medications may be prescribed, like analgesics or anti-inflammatories, and pancreatic enzyme supplements may also be advised. In some cases, diet changes may be necessary. If pancreatic issues are cancer-related, surgery following chemotherapy and radiotherapy may be recommended.
Also recommended: 17 Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms (In Early & End-Stages) tuasaude.com/en/symptoms-of-pancreatic-cancer6. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)
EPI occurs when the pancreas produces too little digestive enzyme, which prevents proper breakdown of fats. This leads to steatorrhea—pale, greasy, foul-smelling stools that may be yellow and float.
How to treat: Treatment usually includes prescription pancreatic enzyme supplements and dietary adjustments. Patients may also benefit from fat-soluble vitamin supplements and ongoing monitoring of nutritional status.
7. Intestinal infection
An intestinal infection can occur as a result of contaminated food or water. Infections can cause inflammation in the intestinal lining, which will impede with absorption of water, fat and other nutrients. This can cause yellow diarrhea. Intestinal infections can also lead to other symptoms like frequent vomiting, headache, loss of appetite and fever.
Read more about the symptoms of an intestinal infection.
How to treat: It is important to rest and maintain hydration when you have an intestinal infection. Meals should be light and should consist of easily digestible food to help to speed-up recovery. See the home remedies for an intestinal infection that you can try to manage mild symptoms.
8. Giardiasis
Giardiasis is a parasitic infection that causes inflammation and damage to the intestinal lining, leading to poor absorption of fat and water. It is characterized by explosive, watery, greasy, foul-smelling yellow diarrhea, often with bloating and abdominal cramps.
How to treat: Treatment typically involves antiparasitic medications like metronidazole or tinidazole. Good hygiene and safe food/water practices can help prevent reinfection.
9. C. difficile infection
Clostridioides difficile is a bacterial infection that can occur after antibiotic use and cause yellow or greenish diarrhea. The stools may have a strong odor, and symptoms can include abdominal pain and fever.
How to treat: Treatment may include stopping the antibiotic, taking specific anti-C. difficile medications like vancomycin, and supportive hydration therapy.
10. Liver disease
Illnesses in the liver, like cirrhosis, hepatitis or cancer, can cause yellow diarrhea, as these conditions interfere with the production of bile. This can lead to decreased fat absorption in the body, which changes stool color and makes them lighter in color and more liquid.
Depending on the disease, the yellow diarrhea may occur with other symptoms, such as general malaise, abdominal pain, bloating, yellow skin, red rashes, vomiting and weight loss. Learn more about the symptoms of liver disease that you should not ignore, and assess your risk for liver disease using our online quiz.
How to treat: You should consult a family doctor or liver specialist for assessment. The doctor may order testing to confirm a diagnosis. Treatment depends on the illness at hand, and may involve medication, diet changes, rest, surgery or even a liver transplant.
Also recommended: 13 Foods That Are Good For the Liver tuasaude.com/en/foods-that-are-good-for-the-liver11. Using orlistat
Orlistat, also known as Xenical, is a medication that works by inhibiting fat absorption in the intestines, which can lead to yellow, more liquid bowels. It can also cause fecal urgency, excess gas, as well as an increased in total bowel movements per day.
This medication should be used for weight loss, cholesterol management and diabetes management as prescribed by a doctor.
How to treat: It is important to use this medication solely as directed by your doctor, as it can significantly reduce the absorption of fat and liposoluble vitamins in the gut. This medication should be taken alongside a low fat diet to reduce the chances of yellow diarrhea.
12. Dietary choices
There are certain foods that can cause or worsen diarrhea, like those that are high in carbohydrates, dairy and high fructose foods. These foods may stimulate more intestinal contractions and be harder to break down in the gut, leading to diarrhea. Fatty pieces of meat, processed foods and spicy foods can also worsen diarrhea and lead to watery stools.
How to treat: You should avoid or significantly reduce foods that are high in fat (like milk, cheese, and creams), legumes (like beans and chickpeas), and tough or leafy greens (like broccoli, spinach and radish). Check out a more extensive list of foods to avoid with diarrhea so that you can help to recover more quickly.
13. Antibiotic use
Up to 30% of people who take antibiotics can experience diarrhea during treatment or after 2 months of finishing treatment. This is because antibiotics, which are meant to eliminate harmful bacteria in the body, can also attack the normal, healthy bacteria in the intestines. Healthy levels of gut bacteria, or flora, are essential for maintaining regular bowel movements and adding bulk to the stool.
Other symptoms of antibiotic-associated diarrhea include watery stools, fever, weight loss, dehydration and low white blood cell count, which can lead to an increased risk for other infections.
How to treat: If you start to have diarrhea after starting a new prescription for antibiotics, you should inform your prescriber. The doctor may consider suspending treatment, swapping for another medication or reevaluating the dose. Diarrhea that persists after finishing antibiotics should also be assessed by your doctor.
Many people may benefit from incorporating probiotic foods into their diet to restore normal gut flora. Read more about probiotic foods and the benefits of consuming them.
14. Celiac disease
Celiac disease is a condition in which the body is unable to process gluten. This can lead to inflammation and damage of the intestinal lining, reducing the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and fat. As a result, stools may become pale, greasy, foul-smelling and yellow.
Due to increased fat content in the stools and hyperstimulation of the intestines, patients may experience yellow diarrhea (which may also be pale in color) as well as abdominal bloating, cramps and loss of appetite.
How to treat: It is important to avoid foods that contain gluten, like bread, pasta and alcoholic drinks, to prevent symptoms. You are advised to see a registered dietitian in order to formulate a diet plan that does not lead to nutritional deficiencies. Be sure to check out the celiac disease diet that is recommended for this condition.
Diarrhea tends to be more watery in consistency. Learn more about what causes more solid yellow poop and what you can do to treat it.
Yellow diarrhea in babies
Soft and even liquid stools in babies are normal, especially in the first 6 months of an exclusively breastfed baby. Breast milk is composed of high quantities of water, which can contribute to more liquid stools. However, stool should not regularly seep out of diapers, as this can be a sign of diarrhea and requires assessment by the pediatrician.
In addition, yellow stools are common because a baby’s intestines function much quicker than an adult’s, which will make fat absorption more difficult. This is especially true in breastfed babies, as human breast milk contains a high concentration of fat.
Generally, baby stools are only concerning if all poops are excessive in quantity, or if stools have a pink, red, white or black color.