Gallbladder Issues and Ileostomy - Does It Affect Output Color?

Okay, so here it is. One of my doctors told me a messed-up gallbladder will make you have really lightly colored poop. So is that the same for a person with an ileostomy? Is output then a lighter color? I have been watching my bag to see if that happens, and then today, for the first time, it did come out that way. But on occasion in the past, it's been that way too. But I don't know how long my gallbladder has been bad, only that they want to take it out. Anyone else have a view of this "symptom" of gallbladder trouble and ostomies? I was also told when I started iron, which was this week, that I would have black or dark green stools, which I have not.

Lee

My question, and I'm not sure why I do this to myself, but here it goes... If you know your gallbladder is bad and it's going to be removed, why worry about whether or not your output will turn colors from it? I don't know how it is for ileostomies, but iron supplements did turn my output darker and much thicker. Thankfully, I only had to take them for about a month.

I take a daily iron supplement and have not experienced thicker stool. It's pretty normal for an ileostomy, I think. Sometimes like oatmeal and sometimes more liquid, depending on diet.

Daniel

I had my gallbladder taken out just before my ileostomy and YES it's multiple colors... from normal to yellow... light green and dark green. I was told yellow is if you eat fatty foods that your body has a hard time breaking down and green is from bile that helps digest your food. When you no longer have your gallbladder, at times the bile just sits in your duct because it has nowhere to go. AND of course, it can change with what you eat sometimes. As far as the iron goes... Alex is right, it can make it dark even if you're a normal bottom pooper. With IV injections of iron, which is what I had done because I was anemic and have other stomach issues that normal oral iron would make worse... I didn't have any changes other than bruised arms from 6 weeks of treatments. IF the oral iron doesn't seem to work or makes you sick (everyone will react differently), I'd ask your doctor about IV treatments. NOW with your gallbladder, PLEASE, and anyone reading this, if you have problems and the doctor knows... GET it done ASAP!!!! I didn't get the chance to just watch and see what happens... I went in and it was bad and long story short... one stone ripped my colon and that's why I have my ostomy and multiple health issues ever since. That was 3.5 years ago. My spirit animal must be a cat because everything that's happened most people don't survive. It's a long list and let's just keep it short unless anyone is interested... I went into septic shock... my kidneys went down to 9% function and a third of my pancreas died along with a collapsed lung... YES all this is rare BUT can happen. (Multiple issues in the hospital happened as well in the last 3 years.) IF I can save anyone from going through it, I would be extremely happy if taking care of it ASAP saves you from all this. And hopefully, it doesn't scare you to have it done... I had no idea mine was bad until I had an attack and went to the ER and didn't go back home for 6 months. Anyways, I hope you have the best possible outcome and anyone else that also reads this. I find that most people that are close to us try and understand but can't relate to what we all go through day to day. At least we have this site as a way to connect to other cool people with stomach issues and the Front Butts 🤭

TAKE CARE 🫂 ❤️

(Ileostomy here) I still own my gallbladder - at least so far - who knows what surprises tomorrow may bring? Just sharing with you my input about my output and its consistency… It has been almost every color of the rainbow in the last 3 years with the exception of blue, but then again, I have never drunk the blue Gatorade…
I know many things come out in many different colors. For example, even though I know coffee is a diuretic and I should abstain, I MUST have my morning cup. I savor it first thing in the a.m. and drink it as a beautiful fall deer color… it is almost fully bagged within 1/2 hour and will be either black, dark brown, or many times green - I think it's a roasted bean thing. Consistency of output is usually watery, which I have read is not unusual with ileos. However, I do recall the surgeon saying it should be the consistency of oatmeal - good luck with that unless I only eat well-chewed nuts, potatoes, and oatmeal… ewe, using the word oatmeal for both input and output is a bit disgusting.
Anyway - PLEASE dear God or universe or doctors - leave my gallbladder alone as long as it's pain-free, as well as the rest of my body parts and functions - amen. jb

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Wow, you have been through so much. I'm very glad you made it! I had my gallbladder out in 2019 (long before all this ostomy stuff happened). I didn't really know what was wrong for several years, but I kept having intermittent pain and would go to the ER (it always happened on a weekend or holiday). Looking back, I realize it was times when I was overindulging with food or if I ate spicy food! I blamed it on a bad diet. I didn't have any odd-colored stool or anything, so I figured I just needed to clean up my act with my diet. The ER would just treat the symptoms and check to see if I had a heart attack (the pain/pressure was always in my chest for some reason) and send me home. I finally asked my doc to order further testing because I couldn't take the pain anymore, and it seemed to be happening more and more frequently. The ER was getting expensive. Once they determined with ultrasound that it was my gallbladder, I didn't wait to take it out. I'd heard a story from a friend where something bad had happened to her brother from a stone; she encouraged me not to wait. I'm glad I followed that advice! I know some people have issues after their gallbladder is removed, but I'm lucky in that regard—no issues, and I don't miss the pain! Take care, Rose Bud, and thanks for sharing.

It's not that I am worried per se, I am just curious. I have had all shades of output, and I usually find it interesting. Since I have been taking the iron, I actually get swirled output, like different colors swirled together. Three or more different colors. Very odd.

Lee