Why is there white in my poop?

Table of Contents:

1. Why is there white in my poop?
2. What is Whipple's disease?
3. How do people get Whipple's?
4. How do you test for Whipple's disease?
5. How do you treat Whipple's disease?

Why is there white in my poop?

White stool isn't normal and should be evaluated promptly by a doctor. White or clay-like stool is caused by a lack of bile, which may indicate a serious underlying problem. Bile is a digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder.

What is Whipple's disease?

Whipple disease is a rare bacterial infection that most often affects your joints and digestive system. Whipple disease interferes with normal digestion by impairing the breakdown of foods, and hampering your body's ability to absorb nutrients, such as fats and carbohydrates.

How do people get Whipple's?

A bacterial organism called Tropheryma Whipplei (T. Whipplei) causes Whipple disease by severely infecting the lining of the small intestine. This infection can then spread to the heart, lung, brain, joints, and eyes. Whipple can affect any system of the body but presents most often in the small intestine.

How do you test for Whipple's disease?

Tests to diagnose Whipple disease may include:

1. Complete blood count (CBC)
2. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to check for the bacteria that cause the disease.
3. Small bowel biopsy.
4. Upper GI endoscopy (viewing the intestines with a flexible, lighted tube in a process called enteroscopy)

How do you treat Whipple's disease?

Treatment of Whipple disease is with antibiotics, either alone or in combination, which can destroy the bacteria causing the infection. Treatment is long-term, generally lasting a year or two, with the aim of destroying the bacteria. But symptom relief generally comes much quicker, often within the first week or two.