Does Sucralfate change stool colour?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
Does Sucralfate change stool colour?
Sucralfate does not necessarily change the colour of your stool, but it could make your stool appear a little paler than usual. This is probably because Sucralfate contains aluminium, which can make your poop a shade or two lighter.
This could also be due to the fact that Sucralfate is removed via stool mostly in an unchanged form as the drug doesn’t really get dissolved.
It rather coats the lining of your gastrointestinal tract to help protect it from acid attacks (1,2). So, that coating can also show up as cream or pale-coloured coating around your stool.
Should you be concerned about lighter stool on Sucralfate?
As I explained in the previous section, Sucralfate doesn’t change the colour of your stool as a side effect and the lightened stool colour is not observed in every case. Even if it does, it’s absolutely harmless.
However, if your stool appears darker than usual or has a red hue in it, you should immediately reach out to your healthcare provider. Dark-coloured stool could be a sign of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with ulcers and it should be thoroughly checked.
Potential causes of light-coloured stools
Some potential causes of light-coloured stools which are unrelated to the use of Sucralfate include (3,4):
- Obstruction in the bile ducts can prevent the flow of bile into the intestines, leading to light-coloured stools.
- Liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, or liver cancer can affect the production or secretion of bile, resulting in pale stools.
- Gallbladder problems, such as gallstones or inflammation, can interfere with normal bile release, leading to light-coloured stools.
- Conditions like pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer can affect the production of digestive enzymes, including those that help break down fats, leading to pale stools.
- Certain medications, such as antacids containing aluminium hydroxide, can cause light-coloured stools as a side effect.
- Conditions that interfere with the absorption of fats, such as celiac disease or cystic fibrosis, can result in pale stools.
- Some infections, like viral hepatitis, can affect liver and bile production, resulting in light-coloured stools.
- In some cases, the stools may appear lighter if they pass through the digestive tract too quickly, not giving enough time for the bile to be fully metabolized.
- Consuming foods low in bile pigments, such as a low-fat diet or certain nutritional supplements, can also contribute to lighter stools.
It’s important to note that if you have persistent or unexplained changes in stool colour, it’s recommended to consult with a healthcare professional for a proper evaluation and diagnosis.
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References
1.-
Kudaravalli P, John S. Sucralfate. 2022 Feb 25. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 31855371. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551527
2.-
Brogden RN, Heel RC, Speight TM, Avery GS. Sucralfate. A review of its pharmacodynamic properties and therapeutic use in peptic ulcer disease. Drugs. 1984 Mar;27(3):194-209. doi: 10.2165/00003495-198427030-00002. PMID: 6368184. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6368184/
3.-
Walker TJ. On the Clinical Significance of Colourless or Clay-coloured Stools unaccompanied by Jaundice, and their connection with Disease of the Pancreas; and on the part played by the Pancreas in Eliminating Bile from the Intestines. Med Chir Trans. 1889;72:257-73. doi: 10.1177/095952878907200115. PMID: 20896747; PMCID: PMC2121540. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2121540/
4.-
Guo J, He R, Mao ZQ. Case Report: White Colored Stool: An Early Sign of Cystic Fibrosis in Infants. Front Pediatr. 2021 Apr 14;9:656584. doi: 10.3389/fped.2021.656584. PMID: 33937153; PMCID: PMC8081048. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33937153/
