Digestive Health Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms Stool Color Changes and IBS What's Normal and What's Not By Barbara Bolen, PhD twitter Barbara Bolen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and health coach. She has written multiple books focused on living with irritable bowel syndrome. Learn about our editorial process Barbara Bolen, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on March 23, 2020 linkedin Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH, is board-certified in gastroentrology. He is the vice chair for ambulatory services for the department of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Learn about our Medical Review Board Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on March 23, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Typical Stool Colors Colors of Concern IBS and Stool Changes Don't Check Too Often It can be easy to become concerned about the various shapes, colors, and sizes that you see in your bowel movements. This is particularly true if it takes a dramatic or sudden change. The cause can be simple—your toddler got into a stash of grape-flavored treats that turned his stool purple—or it may indicate a medical issue. It's important to remember that stools can change dramatically without necessarily signaling serious illness. Yet it can be hard to know when to worry and when you can breathe easy. People dealing with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a unique challenge in this matter. By definition, the disorder involves a change in the appearance of bowel movements. This can leave you with very understandable concerns about the color of the stool. Typical Stool Colors The normal stool can be a variety of different colors without indicating the presence of serious disease. The most common stool colors include: Dark brownLight brownOrangeTanYellow What Different Stool Colors and Shapes Mean Colors to Be Concerned About The following colors are not typical and should immediately be brought to the attention of your physician: Bright redDark redBlack or tar-colored Verywell / Jessica Olah If you have stools that are this color, contact your doctor but do not overreact. Although it is true that red- or black-colored stools suggest bleeding and may indicate the presence of something like colon cancer, there are many other possibilities that are not as scary. Causes of bright red, dark red, or black stools include an acute infection, a tear in the tissue of the anus (anal fissure), hemorrhoids, or non-cancerous polyps. IBS and Stool Changes As stated above, IBS by definition involves a change in stool appearance. So, yes, your stool may look abnormal to you. Just remember that abnormal does not necessarily mean that your doctors have missed a more serious disease. Typical IBS stools can be: Filled with mucusThin and pencil-likeHard, lumpy, and difficult to passSoft, loose, and watery Don't Check Too Often A person dealing with an eating disorder will cause himself unnecessary anguish by constantly checking the scale. If the numbers are up, they become upset. The problem is that scales are not precise instruments and fluctuations in scale measurements are not necessarily indicative of weight gain. This same principle applies to the daily examination of your bowel movements. Therefore, a much better strategy is to check it weekly. That way, you can be confident that you are monitoring your health and at the same time not exposing yourself to unnecessary emotional distress. The advice to not check the appearance of stools too often is especially relevant for people with IBS. The psychology of IBS can be similar to that of post-traumatic stress disorder. When you have been traumatized by severe symptoms, your brain automatically wants to search for signs related to your disorder. This can result in hypervigilance, a constant state of anxious watching and worrying. The problem with IBS is that an anxious state can trigger or exacerbate the very symptoms that you are worried about. Due to all of this, it is important that you try to work actively on reducing your anxiety whenever you can. One way to do so is to reduce your focus on the way that your stool looks. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! One of the most challenging aspects of having IBS is trying to figure out what's safe to eat. Our recipe guide makes it easier. Sign up and get yours now! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Cleveland Clinic. Stool changes and what they mean. Updated June 24, 2019. UpToDate. Patient education: blood in the stool (rectal bleeding) in adults (beyond the basics). Updated September 6, 2018. Saha L. Irritable bowel syndrome: pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and evidence-based medicine. World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(22):6759-73. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i22.6759 Additional Reading Longstreth G, Thompson W, Chey W, Houghton L, Mearin F, Spiller R. Functional Bowel Disorders. Gastroenterology. 2006;130:1480-1491. Thompson W. Alarm Symptoms: A Cause for Alarm? International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. 2015.