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Q. I read your column about floating poop. When I experienced this about seven years ago I ignored it because there were no other symptoms. Luckily for me, I ended up in the emergency room with a kidney stone. This is likely the first time ever you have heard anybody say he was lucky to have a kidney stone.
When they performed a CT scan to find the stone, they found the cause of my floating poop--pancreatic cancer.
One of the reasons the survival rate for pancreatic cancer is so low is that it is rarely found early. By the time most people are symptomatic, it has metastasized. The tumor had blocked the bile duct just enough to cause the floating poop symptom.
I had a Whipple procedure and am one of the very few survivors of pancreatic cancer. Please tell the person with floating poop to see a doctor.
A. You are not the only reader who made a connection between “floaters” and pancreatic cancer. Several readers remembered a televised interview with the late Randy Pausch, author of "The Last Lecture," in which he talked about this as a symptom of his pancreatic cancer.
There are other causes of floating poop, and many are not serious. Just the same, it makes sense to discuss this symptom with a physician.
A few years ago we were told that floaters were good. Why? Supposedly it meant a lot of fiber was being consumed in our sad American diet. Hence, the more fiber consumed, the more floaters.
Go figure! A few years ago (1980's) people were told that coffee was BAD and so were eggs; both industries suffered. Now, we hear the opposite!
I HAVE SEEN FLOATERS, BUT ONLY WHEN I USE A LOT OF FIBER, SUCH AS FLAX SEED OR FLAX SEED HUSKS ?
We were advised several years ago that if our stools did not float we were not receiving enough fiber in our diet.
After colon cancer surgery, I was having problems with a constriction of the colon at the surgical repair site and "skinny" frequent poops. My surgeon told me he wanted me to have "fat floaters" and to do that I needed to add a lot of both fiber and water to my diet. My surgery was 9 years ago and I'm doing fine. No other problems.
I saw the remarks on "floating poop". I have had that for years, so I reasoned I must not have pancreatic cancer or I would be long gone. I started researching and found that I probably have celiac's disease. Many of the symptoms fit my problems, many of which have been brought to the attention of various doctors to no particular help (and some of which recommended mental help). I haven't had any wheat for several weeks and many of the symptoms are improving.
I too, have been told when your stool floats it is a sign you are getting enough fiber.
Hope this is the case.
It seems that floating poo is a general phenom of all human beings whether ill in good health. I'm sure it can be pinned down to fiber and the methane gas that is produced as a result of it. I get it. Have since I was a kid. Still in good health as of today.