Call your health care provider if:

Call your health care provider if your stools vary from the normal brown color.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The doctor will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms. Questions may include:

• When did the symptom first occur?
• Does the discoloration affect every stool?
• What medicines do you take?
• What other symptoms do you have?

Tests that may be done include:

• Blood work, including tests to check liver function and for viruses
• Imaging studies such as an abdominal ultrasound or CT scan
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)