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Floating Stools after Quitting PPI's -- Related?

The Question:
Can quitting PPI's after 5 years of use cause floating stools for someone without a gallbladder?

Background:
I had been taking PPIs for nearly 5 years. A month ago I stopped taking them (and the rebound was, thankfully, shortlived). about 2 weeks ago I noticed my stools started to float, and have done so pretty consistently since. No change in color and consistency varies, between a 2 and 4 on the Bristol Stool Consistency scale. No other symptoms have been present (other than a persistent sore throat with clicking noise that is already being investigated by a doctor). No other change in my diet other than less bread than before (it causes heartburn). I have also felt gassier than normal. Additional info:

- Male, 33, 225lbs (+-5)
- Never smoked, infrequent drinker
- Gallbladder removal 3 years ago.
- Dx'd with IBS, but no recent symptoms (such as pain, noticeable mucus in stool).
- Milk allergy, so I don't drink any dairy.

I suspect that having quit the PPI's after so long may be causing some havoc on my intestinal flora. Has anyone heard of this happening before? I haven't been able to find anything online that makes this association. I've made an appointment to see my GP, but I won't be able to for at least 2 weeks.

I have had a bit more gas than before, but I've gone through episodes such as these without this happening. I'm not a vegetarian, although I'm not much of a meat eater, either. My fiber ingestion is usually pretty high (above 40g/day, normally).

The research I find online says the following:
1) Gas in the stool (hence my mentioning the possible PPI/intestinal flora link)
2) Infection
3) Fat in the stool. (Possible due to the gallbladder, but why would it start now and not before? Could it be that the acid is neutralizing the little bile there is?)
4) Other, more serious issues. (Mentions of this being among the first symptoms of Pancreatic cancer keep cropping up, but at my age the chances are low.)

Thank you.
6 Responses
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Avatar universal
I should clear up: "Greasy" in my case = not really. They're kind of shiny, not overtly, but I always figured that was either the mucus that's produced by the colon when passing it or just wetness from the water.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hmm... Floating, yes. Smell... not more than usual. And they look about as "greasy" as they've always looked whenever they've floated. (I've had floaters before, lots of times, but never consistently for a week or more, at least not that I remember.) I'm thinking it has to be something causing increased gas because I recently tried taking Gas-X and the next day some of the stool I passed sank. (Of course, maybe I have increased gas DUE TO malabsorption, an irony considering I now have more acid to digest with.)

I doubt, too, that it's a stone, as I'm not feeling any pain. I've had the pain of passing small stones after my gallbladder surgery (not many, and not since a year or so after the surgery), and my sister was unlucky enough to have a stone lodged in her bile duct after her gallbladder removal, and there was a very definite, long-lasting (12hrs) pain with that. Still, this is something I'm sure my doctor will consider when I see him.

Good luck with your son's life. I wish you all the best.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for the response, Paulalex. However, this doesn't address the main question. I suppose I should break the questions down further, for more detail:

1) Has anyone else experienced increased gas after quitting PPIs?

2) Can the process of quitting PPI's change the intestinal flora such that there is more gas?

3) Will having or not having a gallbladder make a difference in whether a stool floats or not? (For example, now that I'm not on PPI's, could the extra acid be messing around with the enzymes, so that fat or other nutrients are not as well absorbed?)

Again, thank you for your answers and time.
Helpful - 0
3150328 tn?1349627121
Nick you replied to the wrong person.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Floating stools are an indication of the pancrease not processing enzymes needed to help function. I didn't read your entire page as I am trying to save my sons life and time is running out. I just happen to know a lot about floating stools and if they smell foul or greasy as well, it is the pancrease unable to asorb fat which you may thingk is great but it isn't. If you had gallbladder trouble, possible a stone is stuck in a duck to the pancrease or many other scenerios, I would see a GOOD GI doctor and wish the best as really in this world, their are no good doctors. You must diagnosis yourself and find the place best known. Though often if ranked in the top 10, you may find that they aren't good at all. God Bless
Helpful - 0
3150328 tn?1349627121
Most causes of floating stools are harmless. Usually, floating stools will go away without treatment.Floating stools alone are not a sign of an illness or other health problem.Many things can cause floating stools. Most of the time, floating stools are due to what you eat. A change in your diet may cause an increase in gas. Increased gas in the stool allows it to float.

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