Yellow bowel movement

Normally the chair is brown in color. The color is caused by decomposed bile dyes, e.g. bilirubin (yellow), which is later converted to stercobilin (brown). If the intestinal passage is accelerated, as is the case with diarrhea, less stercobilin is produced and the stool becomes lighter/yellowish.

Another cause of yellow stool is a bile flow disorder. If the bile cannot drain off, a bile stasis occurs. The bile pigment bilirubin is excreted less and is deposited in the body, the stool becomes increasingly lighter.

In addition, the urine turns dark and the skin and eyes turn yellow. Bile stasis can occur after removal of the gallbladder due to adhesions or narrowing of the bile ducts leading out of the liver. In addition, gallstones may reappear in the bile ducts of the liver, which also hinders the flow of bile.

Black bowel movement

The longer the food is in the intestine, the darker the stool becomes. However, if the stool is really black, a doctor must be consulted. The black color develops when blood comes into contact with stomach acid.

There is therefore a strong suspicion of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (bleeding in the upper digestive tract). Bleeding can occur, for example, due to a stomach ulcer or as a complication of an operation on the stomach or surrounding structures such as the gallbladder. Large amounts of blood can be lost through the gastrointestinal tract, leading to life-threatening anaemia.

Causes for the change

The causes of the changes are not always entirely clear. Constipation or diarrhea can have both organic and psychological causes. After an operation, digestive problems can be painful or aggravate existing problems.

A good pain therapy is therefore very important. However, painkillers, such as opiates, which are administered during and after the operation can also be the cause of constipation. Therefore, an individual dosage must be chosen and possibly substances that increase intestinal movement must be administered.People can usually live well without a gall bladder, but in some cases there are problems (inhibition or increase) in the release of bile, which can lead to diarrhoea. In addition, the stool can turn yellow due to a lack of bile dyes or undigested fat. Active bleeding causes the stool to turn black, which is an emergency that must be clarified.