very pale stools

[fiercefun]

Any idea about the reason for very pale stools... i have a dull pain in my right side which my doctor has pushed on and determined to be my bowel..  the pain worsens slightly for a day and then i have a very pale stool for a day or so and then back to nowmal... the stools are perfectly formed but very pale ranging from green to yellow to white in color. any help would be appreciated..

[Sunny602]

I was thinking the same as Jaybay...perhaps something that is associated with the liver or gallbladder. Bile does give stool its color, if something is preventing bile from going into the intestine, that would explain very pale stools. Definitely check it out with your doctor, especially since you do have some pain. I hope you find answers...Sunny

[Jaybay]

If dietary changes aren't an issue, then you need to consider other things.  Light colored stools occur from lack of bile in the stool.  Bile is what gives poo its normal brown color.  Bile comes from the liver and aids in digesting fats.  Have you noticed any trouble after eating a rich, fatty meal?  The problem may be more in the area of your gallbladder, which stores a bit of extra bile for use when you go overboard with eating fat.   If you can't digest fats, you'll have loose, light colored stools that tend to float because of the undigested fat content.

[breeze530]

Your stools change with what you are eating. If I'm eating a lot of carbohydrates like cereal, bread, etc. my stools become very light.