Why is my poop orange?

Orange stool may be alarming but is not typically a cause for concern

By SingleCare Team | Mar. 7, 2024

Key takeaways

Orange poop is a common symptom that may be caused by foods, supplements, medications, or digestive system conditions.
Orange poop generally does not require treatment unless it persists or is accompanied by other symptoms. It typically resolves within a day without treatment.
Orange poop can be managed with dietary changes.

The consistency, color, and other characteristics of bowel movements are always changing. These changes provide snapshots of what one is eating and the health of the digestive system. However, stool changes aren’t very specific. They might mean nothing, or they might be warning signs of a health issue. Although it can be alarming to have orange stool, it’s typically nothing to worry about if it goes back to its normal color, and you can sometimes chalk it up to something you ate. However, if the poop smells particularly bad, floats, is loose, or is accompanied by oil slicks, that cluster of changes needs to be taken seriously.

It’s not just stool changes that matter. Other symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting are also good signs that the problem is more than just eating the wrong foods.

What does orange poop mean?

Orange poop is usually caused by food, food dyes, or supplements. In these cases, orange poop is nothing to be concerned about and will go away in a short time. Sometimes, medications can cause orange stool as a harmless side effect.

In other cases, orange poop results from digestive system issues caused by bile acid problems. Either the small intestines are unable to absorb bile and the fats they are attached to, or there’s a lack of bile. In those cases, there usually will be other stool changes and symptoms.

Foods

The most common causes of orange poop are foods. These are typically foods high in beta-carotene, a nutrient in high quantities in orange foods or leafy greens. Eating too many of these foods can add an orange pigment to the stools. Foods high in beta-carotene include:

Carrots and carrot juice
Sweet potatoes
Orange-colored squash
Pumpkin
Apricots
Mangoes
Thyme
Turnip greens
Collard greens
Cilantro

Foods that are dyed with yellow or orange food coloring may also turn poop orange. These include foods like packaged orange juice, orange soda, orange drinks, and orange candies. After eating beta-carotene-rich or orange-dyed foods, bowel movements may have a distinctly orange color a few times before poop returns to normal.

Supplements

Another temporary and harmless cause of orange poop involves supplements containing beta carotene or vitamin A.

Medicines

Some over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications can cause orange poop as a temporary and harmless side effect. These include:

Antacids containing aluminum hydroxide
The tuberculosis medication rifampin

Bile acid deficiency

Bile acid is produced by the liver and secreted into the digestive system to help the intestines absorb fats. If there’s a problem producing bile acid or bile is blocked in some way, then poop can change color. Problems with bile acid production or bile acid blockage usually turn poop pale, clay-colored, or yellow, but orange poop is possible. The color change is largely caused by unabsorbed fats in the stools, a condition called steatorrhea (stee-ah-tuh-ree-uh). Problems with bile acid production or blockage usually require treatment, and some of these problems may be chronic or lifelong.

Bile acid problems that are usually associated with orange poop include:

Bile duct blockages
Gallstones
Pancreatitis
Cysts

Deficient bile acid absorption

Some intestinal problems interfere with the body’s ability to absorb bile acid and any attached fats. In addition to making poop orange or yellow, bile acid malabsorption could make stools oily, smelly, or loose. Orange poop is not the most common sign of bile acid absorption problems—stools are more commonly pale, clay-colored, or yellow because of excess fat in the stool. The most common symptom of bile acid malabsorption is diarrhea because the bile acid irritates the lining of the large intestine. Urgency, stomach cramps, gas, and indigestion are other common symptoms.

When orange poop is due to bile acid malabsorption, the most commonly cited causes are:

Chronic pancreatitis
Short bowel syndrome
Crohn’s disease
Celiac disease

Indigestible fats

An uncommon cause of orange stool is eating certain types of oily fish, like escolar. These fish contain indigestible fats called wax esters that only serve to keep fish buoyant—they have no metabolic purpose. These fats accumulate in the rectum and cause either orange stools or an oily, orange discharge from the anus, a condition called keriorrhea.

Should I be worried about orange poop?

Although startling, orange poop is usually nothing to be concerned about if it’s the only problem. It’s likely due to something you ate and will pass in a short time. If it doesn’t and there are other symptoms, call a healthcare provider for medical advice.

Other symptoms are more reliable guides to what’s going on. You should see a healthcare provider if, in addition to orange stool, you experience symptoms like:

Nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue
Upper or lower abdominal pain
Flatulence
Fever
Abdominal swelling
Increased heart rate
Weight loss
Persistent diarrhea
Back pain
Yellowing of the skin or eyes

Orange poop is usually not a reason to go to an emergency room or urgent care. Some symptoms that may be associated with causes of orange poop may require immediate medical care, including:

Severe pain
Severe nausea or vomiting
Symptoms of severe dehydration

In babies, finding orange, yellow, or green stools in their diapers is normal. The color is usually due to digestive enzymes, bile salts, and healthy gut bacteria, but it could also be caused by food dyes or excess beta-carotene intake. If there are other symptoms, such as diarrhea or abdominal pain, parents or caregivers should call a pediatrician.

How is the cause of orange poop diagnosed?

If the principal complaint is orange poop, a healthcare provider may start by reviewing symptoms, getting a medical history, and inquiring about diet and any medicines or supplements being taken.

If your healthcare provider suspects a digestive system disorder, they may want to discuss your symptoms in more detail, including when they started, how severe they are, and what seems to trigger them. They may also ask for a fairly detailed description of bowel movements: color changes, consistency, and frequency. A physical exam will help them identify any issues with biliary obstruction, such as jaundice. At some point in the diagnostic process, your healthcare provider may refer the case to a gastroenterologist, a specialist in digestive system diseases.

To discover an underlying gastrointestinal explanation for the symptoms, a healthcare provider may need:

Blood tests to measure antibodies, bilirubin, liver enzymes, and blood cell counts
A stool test to check for infections, blood in the stool, excess fat in the stool, or markers of inflammatory bowel disease
An ultrasound or CT scan to identify possible problems in the liver, pancreas, or gallbladder
An endoscopic exam of the upper gastrointestinal tract or the large intestine
Removal of a tissue sample for biopsy

Treatment options for orange poop

In most cases, orange poop does not require treatment if it’s the only symptom and goes away after a few days. In those cases, it’s usually due to something you’ve eaten, and eliminating those foods or supplements will quickly resolve the problem.

In less common cases, orange poop may be due to medication side effects. Again, the problem will resolve quickly if the medications are stopped. However, orange poop due to medication is typically harmless.

Treatments for biliary obstruction or bile acid absorption problems will vary widely depending on the underlying cause, such as gallstones, cancer, pancreatitis, infections, cysts, hepatitis, alcohol abuse, and exposure to toxins.

Most importantly, don’t worry

Orange poop is typically harmless and easily fixed by avoiding the foods or supplements that cause it. While popular medical sites give several possible digestive problems that cause orange stools, diagnostic guidelines rarely mention orange stools in relation to these medical conditions. Although orange-colored stools are possible, digestive system disorders that are associated with orange poop usually cause pale, clay-colored, or yellow stools. Instead of worrying about the color of your poop, pay attention to any other symptoms you may be experiencing. Share your symptoms with your healthcare provider, who can provide an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.