What color should my poop be after colonoscopy prep?

So, you’ve just had a colonoscopy prep and now you’re wondering what color your poop should be. Well, my friend, look no further! Here’s everything you need to know about the colors of your stool after a colonoscopy prep.

Why Does Colonoscopy Prep Affect Your Stool Color?

First things first- why does the color of your stools change after a colonoscopy prep? It all has to do with what goes into your body during the preparation process. To clean out any fecal matter in your intestines, doctors prescribe patients with special bowel preparation liquid or pills. These liquids contain laxatives that help remove any waste from the body before undergoing examination using an endoscope through the anus down towards the small intestine to detect problems such as polyps, inflammation or bleeding..

Now onto that burning question; What can I expect my poop to look like post-colonoscopy prep?

Green Stools

Green stools are often seen when reducing red meat intake in one’s diet but also experienced by some individuals after ingesting foods containing chlorophyll — like spinach or kale—can cause green-colored diarrhea-like stool in some instances. However,colonoscopies rarely lead it due to preparations taken.

Boring Medical Explanation: When bile passes quickly through your large intestine (also known as intestinium crassum) , it doesn’t have time for digestive enzymes inside it which makes it appear greenish-yellow instead.

Brown Stools

The beautiful normal shade of brown occurs when feces mix with leftover dead blood cells falling off intestinal walls on its way out of our bodies .

This healthy brown color indicates that everything is working perfectly fine.

### Yellow/White
If you notice light yellow(like newborn baby poo😄) white colored poop,it could mean there has been reduced bile in your system which could be an indicar of hepatitis or cirrhosis but taking laxatives a la colonoscopy can discolor stool to a similar yellow shade too.

Boring medical explanation: There’s less bilirubin, the pigment that makes poop brown when it mixes with bacteria during digestion , but that doesn’t necessarily point out to any disease condition

Black

Black coloration of stool could indicate bleeding inside the small intestine especially due to hiatus hernias often found in elderly individuals.Could also mean you’re eating fewer veggies and fruits as these contain important micronutrients required by your GI tracts.

Boring Medical Explanation: Presence of iron content such as present when ingesting large amounts of red meat is one cause for black poop.Its advisable however,to visit a health care provider if suspicions abound regarding internal bleeding conditions

### Red Stools

This color might have alarm bells ringing 💥 since its usually associated with blood,right- most commonly haemorrhoids,piles or more serioulsy hemorrhagic colitis:

Boring Medical Explanation: Bleeding ulcerations at large intestine level due to inflammation from medication,stress levels (we all love this!!),food intolerance etc. Consulting with physicians should be immediate if bloodcontinously appears after days post-colonoscopy.

What Should I Do While Waiting For My Feces To Return To Normal Color?

Ok,trick question!Common sense would dictate there isn’t much someone can do about their poop colour 🤷‍♂️ besides wait it out until it returns back to ´normal´;however,if symptoms persist engaging the aid 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️of healthcare providers for proper diagnosis shouldn’t be delayed.Eating meals high in fiber like whole grains and vegetables help regulate bowel movements.Eventhough the amount of fiber which was reduced during prep, it can be added back in small quantities gradually to help aid digestion.Ingesting fluids incessantly especially water or juice while post-colonoscopy helps restore body hydration levels.Ice cream as well is allowed but shouldnt replace healthy food options altogether😅

Conclusion

In conclusion,colonoscopies offer numerous benefits such as cancer detection earlier on a manageable stage and general peace of mind concerning other digestive ailments like polyps,piles..etc.However,it comes with a fair share ⚖️of unpleasant bowel-prepping experience that might leave folks feeling uneasy about any changes happening subsequently. The colors enumerated above aren’t exhaustive neither are they an assurance anything went wrong during the procedure.We hope this has served as an enlightening resource albeit quite humorous at times!

Remember,as long as you feel better after undergoing a colonoscopy and your poop returns to normal color soon enough, there’s absolutely no reason for concern-Don´t worry your pretty head 😉

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