Poop Decoder
Why is my poop white, pale or clay-colored?
After a barium test, that's expected. Otherwise, get it checked. White poop for a few days after a barium X-ray is normal. Without that, pale or clay-colored stool can mean bile isn't reaching your gut. If it lasts several days, see a doctor.
See a doctor right away if
- Black, tarry stool, especially with a foul smell
- Red blood in your stool, or maroon-colored stool
- You vomit blood, or feel dizzy or lightheaded
- Pale or clay-colored stool for several days, or with yellow skin or dark urine
- Bloody stools with weight loss, dizziness or fever
Call 911 for an emergency. When to see a doctor
Harmless or not?
After a barium test
Barium is the chalky white liquid used for some X-rays of the gut. Your poop can look white for several days while it passes. Drink plenty, and tell your provider if it hasn't passed after 2 to 3 days or you get constipated.
Bile is what makes poop brown
Your liver sends bile into your gut, and that's what turns stool brown. If the liver makes less bile, or the ducts that carry it are blocked, stool comes out pale, gray or clay-colored.
What can block it
MedlinePlus's list includes gallstones, hepatitis (viral or alcohol-related), narrowed or cystic bile ducts, tumors of the liver, bile ducts or pancreas (cancerous or not) and some medicines. Yellow skin and dark urine often come with it, because bile chemicals build up in the body.
Sources: MedlinePlus, Stools: pale or clay-colored; MedlinePlus, Barium swallow; MedlinePlus, Upper GI and small bowel series.