could this be a sign of fatty stools? plz help!

Hi,

i'm HCV positive, VL 13,000 IU/ml.  blood enzymes normal as of one month ago. i'm 25 years old.

i havent cleaned my toilet for a month now.

i see a strange deposit in the toilet bowl...

its a centimetre thick reddish-orangish line all around the toilet bowl, just above the water line.  

i'm wondering if it is fat deposit, and could i have fatty stools?  i read that fatty stools are a sign of cirrhosis?

i'm really worried...plz help!

[jmjm530]

Ah..."fatty stools" not fatty liver. Guess I got to put on my reading glasses before bkfast:)  A quick google reveals that fatty stools may indeed be associated with liver disease, however, as stated by our resident plumber, rings on the toilet don't necessarily mean your stools are fatty, and again, a liver biopsy should tell you more definitively all you need to know about any liver damage.  Here' a little more on dx fatty stools.  Stool analysis is quite common for blood, parasites, etc, and maybe you should ask your doctor to do one.
http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C634635.html

[friole]

great thread - needed a laugh.  don't know any answers but glad to have hepcd aboard with new insights on plumbing!  Usually when I see those rings it is because the flush didn't work and stuff stayed in the toilet all day.  Must be an all male household, huh, nice?  May i suggest you and your dad pool your resources and hire a maid?
friole

[cuteus]

I have seen the same ring in my commode and not only is it deposits from minerals but tis the season for larger variety of mildew/molds.

get a biopsy soon, so that you can stop seeing the boogeyman at every tur...n

my bx showed no fatty deposits, so it is either what the plumber said, or too much cheesecake.

[niceguy2007]

i tried scrubbing the reddish ring off....it came off easily!

i peered closely into the toilet bowl to see if the scrubbing resulted in any floating fat...

upon examination, i found that the scubbing resulted in flakes of the reddish material loosening and sinking to the bottom of the toilet bowl...they weren't floating...so does that mean it was not fat?

the other thing is, it wasn't a "stubborn stain"...it came off instantly upon rubbing...thats whats scaring me...

[hepcD]

Hi ....Sorry to hear of your problem. I am a plumber and we see this problem alot . There are iron and minerals in your water and that is what is making your  toilet have a reddish orange ring. You can add a water softner to your home or simple put a tidy bowl tablet in the tank. It has nothing to do with your health. You will be just fine.

[niceguy2007]

oh yeah? if thats the problem, then how come my dad's toilet doesnst have that stain?  

both me, and my dad, who live in the same house and use 2 separate rooms, have not washed our toilets for 1 month!

[hepcD]

It is what it is. That is normal also. You could have fifty toilets in your home and for no rime or reason twenty five have rings and twenty five don't. Why don't you use the one without stains and your father use the one with for a month and see what happens

[niceguy2007]

ok 2 more questions...

1) why did it come off so easily? i just used a sponge-like wiper/cleaner, and it came off with one wipe!

2) that toilet ring was very thick in one place about 3 inch long... that same one place also had an adjacent, little blackish mold-like sediment stuck to the surface, in the corresponding area, further deep, just below the ring.  

in other words, there was some grayish grime in the toilet near the spot where the ring was thickest.  how do u explain that grayish stuff?

[jmjm530]

Not trying to be cute here, but I think a liver biopsy would be definitive for fatty liver than a toilet biopsy. OK so I was a little cute. Sorry.

But seriously, most here diagnosed with HCV have had liver biopsies, especially if we're genotype 1. Liver biopsy is the only definitive test for fatty liver although a doctor may suspect it for other reasons based on certain blood tests, patient history, and possibly an ultrasound.

So probably best to talk to your doctor, not your plumber. Sorry, there I go again :)

-- Jim

[niceguy2007]

cuteus,

what was the result of ur biopsy, what stage was ur liver in?

note that we're talking about fatty stool, not fatty liver or fat in liver.

fatty stool is one of the symptoms of cirrhosis.

[cuteus]

stage one, grade two.

are they scheduling biopsy of fibro test  of any sort yet?

maybe the Primary dr can do a stool test while waiting for the bx?
I don't think anyone can dx anything by residue in toilet bowl.
what are the plans for further testing for you?

[ohgreat]

"i havent cleaned my toilet for a month now.
i see a strange deposit in the toilet bowl..."


aLL RIGHT !  that's like one of my lump moments!

I have fatty liver.  mild stetosis to be exact.  Its not that bad a thing and common in geno 3's.  doc said it should actually start to go away when i start to clear on tx.

[Bill1954]

Whoa!

If your Dad is concerned about infections and complications, tell him to clean the toilets a little more often, lol!! The risk of complications from percutaneous liver biopsy is minimal, especially if performed with ultrasound guidance; the benefits far out way the risk and help immensely with treatment related decisions. That said, however, although the potential for liver damage exists, it

[OnAPrettyPoison]

A lot of single/bachelor men have scary bathrooms...hey, Niceguy, what does your bathtub/shower look like?

[niceguy2007]

yeah bill my VL is 13000 IU/ml.  

i'm currently using homeopathic milk thistle in an attempt to reduce or eliminate it in case i have an acute infection.  

my ALT reduced from 216 to 24 within 15 days of starting homeopathic treatment.  'ive been on homeopathic milk thistle for 50 days now, new blood tests results coming up in a few dayz.  

i'm trying to see all the easier options before i go in for the interferon treatment.  

my dad discourages the interferon too.  he's really into homeopathy and herbs :)

[niceguy2007]

prettypoison,

i'm young but i'm not a bachelor :)

my wife, kids, and my mom, are out of the country for a coupel fo months :)

actgually, i'm vising my dad, and my mom is visiting my wife n kids lol :)  so actually me n my dad live in different countries :)

right now i'm in japan.

[OnAPrettyPoison]

Hey, if it's just you and your dad, your "bach-ing" it!  Hope you feel well soon, and tests come out good!

[cuteus]

it might be easier, but it won't do anything for hep c elimination. not one documented case of hep c erradication by alternative therapy yet.
if you are going to wait, the list you can do is find out if you can actually wait. get a biopsy, ultrasound guidance makes it a very easy experience. I can't see waiting without knowing how bad the liver is.

[cuteus]

the least you can do...not list...grrr

[ladybug52]

What do your stools look like? You really don't have to describe them to me, but has there been a change in your stools lately?  The appearance of your stools and whether or not they appear "normal" should be more of a sign than a dirty toilet bowl. I can sympathize with your paranoia re: symptoms, I have posted myself about scratching my thigh and leaving a bruise, and I have read many other posts asking if others are having certain signs or symptoms that could be related to this disease.
We just have so much to deal with once we're diagnosed, it's like every thing becomes major because we're scared. I agree with the others that tell you talk to your doctor.  If you don't want a biopsy at least you can get a stool sample so you know if you have a reason to worry or not.  Also, obese people can have fatty stools,(I think) is your weight within normal limits?

[niceguy2007]

yeah i was considering a biopsy... but my dad is against it cuz he says it can cause infection and other complications...

i'm completely sure i got the virus within 4 years go...and there is a good probabliity i got it within 2 years ago.

so...i dunno if signifcant damange is a possibility?  

haven't been treated yet.

[niceguy2007]

ladybug,

yes my weight is within normal limits, in fact i'm kinda skinny.

my stools look normal most of the time. they don't appear to match the definition of "fatty stools" that we see on the internet.

but today, i saw some mucous in them.  i'm pretty sure it was mucus and not fat.

however at first i did fear it was fat, and i panicked.

but then i analyzed it very closely myself, and reached the conclusion it was mucus.

[ohgreat]

something i learned was that I can have any symptom in the world if I google it and over analyize.

[ladybug52]

sounds like irritable bowel syndrome which I have at times. The stools have mucus but that is also a symptom of another disorder C-Diff. (Ohio nurse and other health professionals will know what I'm talking about.)When I wasn't aware of my hep c I was worried about my mucusy stools and was tested for c-diff, and it was negative. I had a patient with c-diff spit in my mouth so it wasn't just random testing because of the symptoms! Try not to worry!