Discoloration, Feces

Updated: Apr 17, 2018
Author: Buck Christensen; Chief Editor: Buck Christensen 

Discoloration, Feces

Black feces

Potential causes may include the following:[1]

  • Digested blood

  • Medications: Acetazolamide, aluminum hydroxide, aminophylline, amphetamine, amphotericin, anticoagulants, aspirin, betamethasone, bismuth, charcoal, chloramphenicol, chlorpropamide, clindamycin, copper, cortisone, corticosteroid, cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, ethacrynic acid, ferrous salts, fluorides, fluorouracil, halothane, heparin, hydralazine, hydrocortisone, ibuprofen, indomethacin, levodopa, melphalan, methylprednisolone, methotrexate, nitrate, phenylephrine, phosphorous, potassium salt, prednisolone, procarbazine, salicylates, sulfonamide, tetracycline, thallium, theophylline, thiotepa, triamcinolone, warfarin

Blue feces

Causative medications may include boric acid, chloramphenicol, or methylene blue.

Clay feces

Causative diseases may include alcoholic hepatitis, biliary cirrhosis, gallstones, sclerosing cholangitis, biliary strictures, or viral hepatitis.[2, 3]

Gray feces

Causative medications may include cocoa or colchicines.

Green feces

Potential causes may include the following:

  • Food: Spinach

  • Medications: Indomethacin, iron, medroxyprogesterone

Yellow feces

Potential causes may include the following:

  • Food: Rhubarb

  • Medication: Senna

Red feces

Potential causes may include the following:

  • Acute blood

  • Food: Blackberries

  • Medications: Aspirin, heparin, barium, lead, oxyphenbutazone, phenolphthalein, phenylbutazone, salicylate, senna, tetracycline syrup, hydroxocobalamin, rifampin[4]

White feces

Causative medications may include aluminum hydroxide or bariums.