<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thank you once again listmates for being such a wonderful source of
knowledge.

 Before summarising the responses, and for those others who wanted to ask
but were not game, I asked the question because I have had floating stools
all my life (55 years) and did not know that this was not normal, although I
have to state that the stools have never been oily or puffy.

I also had extremely regular bowel habits and no flatulence but since going
GF after diagnosis 4 months ago, I have suffered from constipation and
flatulence.  I realise my healing process will be slow given my age and the
years of abuse my system has suffered due to no diagnosis, so I will use
this information as a barometer to my healing process.

Also any suggestions to relieve the constipation and flatulence would be
appreciated.  I get an anaphylactic reaction to psyllium so cannot use
Metamucil.  At the moment I am having plenty of fruit and vegetables, and
eating prunes daily.

Summary:

19 people responded and floating stools are indeed a cause for concern.

most common cause of "floaters" is gas trapped in the stool.  A common
condition and not indicative of  malabsorption, although it does occur as a
result of  malabsorption or any thing else that causes gas- gas forming
food, indigestion, nerves --- and celiac.

One of the characteristics of steatorrhea. Steatorrhea is the passage of
fatty stools that are pale, bulky, frothy, greasy, malodorous and they
float. They may be liquid or semi-formed. The causes of steatorrhea include:

 celiac disease (gluten intolerance)
 pancreatic disease
 cirrhosis
 other liver diseases
 malabsorption due to other causes
 giardia infection
 vascular disease
 Whipple's disease
 small bowel Crohn's
 and about a 100 other diseases

Floating stools are an indication that fat is not being absorbed.  I had
this problem for several years prior to diagnosis of CD.  I wish I had
better appreciated the significance of that!!!  I was not absorbing calcium,
Vitamin D. etc. --  Vit. D is a fat soluble vitamin, and you need D to
absorb calcium.  At any rate, I ended up with severe osteoporosis (because I
was not absorbing the added calcium or Fosamax, the drug given to improve
bone density).....many other problems before diagnosis.

1. Steatorrhea is when the stool floats and there is an *oily film on the
surface of the water. This is one of the classic signs of celiac disease. It
is caused by intestinal damage to the point that the intestine cannot digest
fats so they pass through in the stools -- which also means that the oil
soluble vitamins are not being absorbed. Problems with the pancreas, among
other things, can also cause this symptom. If it continues it is a problem
that should be checked out.

2. Gassy stools, is when foods, especially dairy, that you are intolerant to
cause gas and this gas permeates the stool so it floats. But there is no
oily film on the water in this case.

Regards,
Sylvia,
Gladstone  Qld Australia