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Ask the Experts about Opportunistic Infections

 

why do my stools float?
Mar 5, 2001

Hello, I sometimes, maybe once a week have stools that float. is this common in hiv + people? and if not what is it that causes this? Thanks

Response from Dr. Feinberg

Stools usually float because they have fat in them, which makes them lighter than the water. One reason for this is malabsorption, which means that your gut isn't absorbing all the nutrients in your food. There are a number of causes of malabsorption, and in some cases, this has been linked to HIV effects on the gut by a process of elimination, meaning no other cause can be found.



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