What conditions interrupt bile ouput?

Question

I've some stomach abdomen issue that produces bloating distention various cramps and stabbing pains etc. I

have had an ultrasound blood tests and there doesn't seen to be any problems.

The movements are clay/tan colored which seems to indicate bile output decrease I wondered if anyone had insight.

I do take a sulfer drug (sulfasalazine)

Answer 1

Mike-  It sounds as though you may be on continuous treatment for one of the inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's or ulcerative colitis.

Stools that look like clay or putty may be caused by a problem in the biliary system. The biliary system is the drainage system of the gallbladder, liver, and pancreas. This condition is also known as acholic stools.

The inability of the digestive system to absorb fat properly may result in stools that are light in color (yellow to gray) and appear greasy.

Causes

Bile is created in the liver and stored in the gallbladder and released into the first section of the small intestine (the duodenum) while food is passing through. Bile gives stool its brown color, so if bile is not being produced or if the bile ducts are blocked, perhaps by a gallbladder cholesterol stone which does not show on routine X-rays, the result could be stool that is pale.

Common causes of stool that is pale or clay colored include:

Alcoholic hepatitis

Biliary cirrhosis

Cysts

Gallstones

Hepatitis A,B, or C

Infection

Sclerosing cholangitis

Side effects from medication

Strictures

Tumor

Associated Symptoms

Clay colored stool may be accompanied by a yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (jaundice) or darkened urine. If these symptoms occur, a physician should be consulted immediately.

Diagnosis

In order to treat pale stools, the underlying cause must be diagnosed. In addition to a complete medical history, some of the tests that might be used to make a diagnosis are:

Abdominal ultrasound

Blood work to test for an infection

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Liver function tests

Surgery to find defects in the biliary tract

Treatment

Treatment will depend on the underlying cause. If the cause is the malabsorption of fats, a change in diet and vitamin supplements may be prescribed. In the case of blocked bile ducts, surgery may be required to open the ducts. If the acholic stools are a symptom of another condition, such as hepatitis, the underlying cause should be treated.

I know this is a long answer, but I hope it helps.

Answer 2

It sounds like you have been subjected to modern medicine and therefore been diagnosed with a problem and the symptoms treated with a drug.

Not only are their side effects of drugs, but it sounds like you have not addressed the "ROOT CAUSE" of your problem, so you are chronically ill and making the drug companies wealthier without a good resolve.  I know this may be hard to believe but you are in the company of over 53% of ALL Americans, according to the CDC report of 2005.

Of course, this is an approach many Americans choose to follow because we are told it is the right thing to do.  The stabbing pain issue sounds suspicious of a gallbladder issue, however, you didn't say where the pain was coming from exactly.  If it is on the right side of your torso, inside the rib cage, this is very common problem in America today.  

Since you are taking Sulfasalazine, this indicates to me you may be suffering from a problem in your colon.  Treating the symptoms will most likely make you feel better (sometimes), but not get rid of the problem and make you dependent upon those drugs, while your body remains sick.

Bile is made in your liver and is sent to the gallbladder for storage until you need the bile to break down fats you eat.  If you are eating bad fats, like hydrogenated oils, trans fats, Vegetable Oils, etc., you will NOT be making good bile that can cause problems for your gallbladder.  Additionally, if you are following the so called "food experts" that are nothing more than "hired guns" of the food industry that are recommending LOW FAT, LOW SALT diets, your gallbladder is going to suffer greatly.  Additionally, the bloating distention is most likely due to LOW STOMACH ACID, causing your food to rot and ferment in your stomach, releasing methane gas that builds pressure in your stomach.  Antacids are NOT the answer to this issue.  In fact, it is just the opposite of what should be done.  Please, please do NOT ask nutritional advice from your doctor.  They are very ignorant of what you should eat and not eat or how the body works in regard to nutrition.

Just because your ultrasound did not show any problems only indicates that they did not see significant gallstones from those tests.  This does not indicate whether you have viscous bile from eating bad oils and fats that can cause many problems like the ones you have described.

I strongly suggest you see a Certified Nutritional Therapist that can test you to find what specific nutritional deficiencies you may have and to test your organs to see if any are weak and make dietary suggestions that will put you on the road to health, not drugs.

good luck

Answer 3

Have you ever heard of a condition called C-Deff? Its is caused by some of the penicillin's being prescribed by doctors today! If you were infected ten years ago it stays with you forever until treated! I for one had it for seven years once and complained to a family doctor about the condition and he set me up to have a upper GI and after I had passed the barium they make you drink I was alright and then I was prescribed some more penicillin and now its back and this time I have been infected for about fourteen years now and the dumba*s doctors won't even fix me and what a pain they are! I now know now that doctors are the most head strong dumba*s's alive! Never trust a doctor because there still practicing on people!