3) Pale stools
Pale stools are an essential symptom of cholestasis. In more advanced stages of the disease, pale stools can be found in conjunction with dark urine. This is because of the body’s inability to break down bilirubin, a yellow-orange pigment found in bile secreted by the liver.
When bile cannot flow normally, bilirubin accumulates in the body tissues and is eventually excreted in the urine, resulting in the darkening of the urine, as mentioned above. The decreased flow of bile also results in the decreased release of bile acids and bile salts into the gut, resulting in pale stools.
