Why Your Poop Floats: Causes & How to Fix It

Key takeaways:

• Floating stool alone is not usually a sign of a more serious illness.
• Dietary changes and being patient can often help your symptoms.
• If you have other symptoms such as pain or weight loss, tell your doctor.

When we have a bowel movement (poop), the stool usually sinks to the bottom of the toilet bowl. However, sometimes the stool may float instead. It may be that you are suffering from a GI illness that resolves on its own. But what if this floating stool doesn’t go away? When should you be worried, if at all?

Floating poop defined

As odd as it may sound, it is actually important to be very clear about your symptoms. Try to make note of what you are seeing in the toilet. What other characteristics would you use to describe your stool? Does it smell much worse than usual? Make note of the color (is it pale?). Also, try and remember what you had to eat before the bowel movement (have you had a meal heavy in carbohydrates or protein?).

Some patients describe seeing what looks like oil droplets in the toilet. You may also experience abdominal pain, cramping, or bloating. If this is your situation, tell your doctor.

Is it normal for your poop to float?

Most of the time, our poop sinks to the bottom of the toilet bowl. If however your poop is floating for more than one or two bowel movements, it can be a sign there is too much gas in your stool. It is not normally a sign that something is seriously wrong unless there are other symptoms. Gas is less dense than the water in your toilet bowl.

So if too much gas is trapped inside your poop, it will float on the surface. The gas content of your stool is mostly related to your diet. The foods we eat are digested by bacteria in our intestines. These bacteria produce gas as a product of digestion. Different foods cause these bacteria to make different amounts of gas.

Causes of floating poop

Most causes of floating poop are not cause for concern. However, some rare medical conditions can also cause floating poop.

Intestinal infection

Infection of your intestinal tract disrupts the normal function of your intestines. You may experience loose stools that float to the top of the bowl. Other symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, and nausea/vomiting. Most intestinal infections resolve on their own within 24-48 hours. They are usually caused by viruses. As a result of infection, the bacteria in your intestines produce more gas than usual. This gas is trapped in your stool and causes it to float.

Whipple’s disease is a rare infectious cause of persistent floating stools. In Whipple's disease, bacteria disrupt the lining of the intestines. This interferes with our ability to absorb food. This undigested food causes our stools to float. Patients with Whipple’s disease often have other symptoms such as joint pain, weight loss, and abdominal pain.

Celiac disease

In Celiac disease the body makes an inflammatory response to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat. When a patient with celiac disease ingests gluten, the body responds.

Part of this response leads to the destruction of the intestinal lining. When this lining is destroyed, our ability to absorb foods is reduced. When parts of our food go undigested, especially fat, it can lead to floating stools. In this case, there are usually other symptoms such as abdominal pain or cramping.

Your stools may also be greasy or foul-smelling. Furthermore, you will notice these symptoms only after ingesting gluten-containing products.

Pancreatic insufficiency

The pancreas is a gland located in our abdomen, behind the stomach. It has many functions. It is responsible for the regulation of blood sugar. The pancreas is also responsible for producing enzymes that help digest protein, fat, and carbohydrates. If this ability of the pancreas is compromised, we have trouble digesting our food. The presence of undigested food in the stool can cause it to float. There are usually other symptoms such as abdominal pain, increased flatulence (farting), and bloating.

Several conditions can lead to pancreatic insufficiency. Most commonly this results from chronic pancreatitis. This is inflammation of the pancreas due to gallstones, alcohol abuse, or other reasons. Repeated bouts of pancreatitis permanently damage pancreatic cells. These damaged cells can’t produce the enzymes needed to help us digest food. So, floating and foul-smelling stools result. Very rarely this phenomenon is caused by pancreatic tumors.

Read our guides on different types of stool, stool colors, and healthy vs. unhealthy stool for more.

Treatment options for floating poop

Treatment of floating poop depends heavily on the cause. When a disease is present, it is important to understand how that disease is causing the floating stools. The treatment will vary significantly based on that.

Time

Floating stools are usually temporary. Many times waiting 48-72 hours for your symptoms to resolve is all that is needed. This is especially true in the case of viral GI infection. Be sure to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated in this case.

Dietary modification

We all have bacteria that live in our intestines. These bacteria assist in breaking down the food we eat. When they break down our ingested food, they produce gas.

When our stool contains more gas, it is more likely to float. Certain foods are more likely to cause increased gas formation than others. As an example, foods high in fiber can do this. Foods high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, and beans. If you are eating a high-fiber diet, it may be time to temporarily reduce your intake.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are prescribed when a bacterial infection is suspected. A bacterial infection causes floating poop by reducing the intestine’s ability to absorb food. It is important only to take antibiotics when prescribed by your doctor.

If you are prescribed antibiotics, please take them exactly as prescribed. If you feel better, keep taking them. If you stop early, the resistant bacteria will survive and reproduce and you may feel worse again.

Pancreatic enzymes

Sometimes the pancreas cannot produce the enzymes needed to help us digest food.

This is most commonly the result of chronic pancreatitis or surgery to remove the pancreas. In either case, your doctor may prescribe pancreatic enzymes. These are taken with every meal or snack that contains fat.

When you should see a doctor about floating poop

It is not concerning to experience floating stools once or twice. If however your floating stools persist, you should be evaluated. Rarely it's a sign that something more concerning is going on.

You should see a doctor if:

• You have experienced floating stools for more than three days.
• Your stools are foul-smelling or greasy.
• You have a fever or chills.
• You are experiencing joint pain or weight loss.
• You are experiencing abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, or nausea and vomiting.

You should go to the emergency room if:

• You are passing bloody stools.

Questions to ask your doctor about floating poop

• What do you think is causing my poop to float?
• Are there any dietary changes I can make to lessen the symptoms?
• How long do you expect this to last?
• When should I seek further care?

Frequently asked questions: floating poop

It is normal to have questions if you are experiencing floating poop. Please ask your doctor any and all questions you have. It can be embarrassing to discuss these issues, but your doctor wants you to feel better.

Can stress and anxiety cause floating poop?

Stress and anxiety do not usually cause floating poop. These may lead to GI upset and abdominal pain, however.

Is floating poop a sign of cancer?

Only in very rare instances is floating poop a sign of cancer.

What if you’re experiencing floating poop after a period of constipation?

Floating poop after constipation could be a sign of mixed irritable bowel syndrome. In this condition, periods of constipation are followed by periods of diarrhea. Stool produced by diarrhea is not normally formed and may contain more gas. This would lead to floating poop.

Closing thoughts

Floating stool can be a confusing and distressing symptom. Rest assured that most cases will resolve on their own. By itself, it’s usually not a sign that something more serious is going on.

General Medicine follows a strict editorial process, including using real experts to write our articles, vetted primary sources, fact-checking, a secondary medical review, and updates as necessary. This article was medically reviewed and fact checked by Dr. Pallabi Sanyal-Dey, MD.

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