Alternate Names: Foul-smelling stools

Considerations: Stool normally has an unpleasant odor but one that is recognized as fairly common. Stools that have an extremely bad, out of the ordinary odor, may be associated with certain medical conditions. Foul-smelling stools also have normal causes, most notably diet.

Foul smelling stools may occur in conjunction with floating stools.

Common Causes:

• cystic fibrosis
• gluten-induced enteropathy (sprue, celiac disease)
• idiopathic steatorrhea (fatty stools with no known cause)
• disaccharidase deficiency (insufficient amounts of the sugar-digesting enzymes lactase, sucrase, or isomaltase)
• short bowel syndrome
• biliary atresia
• Crohns disease
• ulcerative colitis
• infections of the colon (certain types)
• HUS (hemolytic-uremic syndrome)

Home Care: Home care depends on the specific diagnosis. Follow your health care provider’s instructions closely, and adhere strictly to prescribed diets.

Call If:

• foul-smelling stools develop.

What To Expect: Foul-smelling stools are a single symptom of a disease complex. Other symptoms and signs are generally present. Your health care provider will take a family and disease history, then complete a physical examination.

Medical history questions may include:

• When did you first notice that the stools were foul-smelling?
• Are the stools an abnormal color (especially pale or clay-colored stools)?
• Are there floating stools?
• What sort of diet has been eaten recently?
• Does a change in the diet make the smell worse or better?
• What other symptoms are present?