I dump big.

October 20, 2007 9:58 AM

There's no way to pretty it up, I dump big.

I'm a healthy 29 year old male who works out 4-5 times a week. 6'5", 240 lbs. I'm an avid weightlifter, and eat a healthy balanced diet, if not a little heavy on protein.

There's no way to pretty up the problem, I crap big. It's always been like this.

I seem to have a slow metabolism as far as the fact that I only have a movement 2 or maybe 3 times per week at most. I eat a lot of vegetables, and those low carb tortilla wraps that have 12g of fiber each. My fiber intake is on the order of 50-60g a day. I also drink at least two gallons of water a day, including during workouts.

The problem is that no toilet can contain me. If it's not one of those rocket powered commercial toilets, I can't go, I will clog it.

Whats the workaround? Do I always have to rely on the "homefield advantage" with a plunger close by, or is there something else I can do? I can't imagine I need more fiber or water.

Can I train my body to "go" at a daily rate to minimize things? No food or drink effects my movements. Coffee, nicotine, tea, nothing. Generally I just go when I feel like it. Does anyone have any advice?

"Having to go" for me means really really having to go. I need a workable solution.

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (36 comments total)

If quantity is the problem, try flushing a couple of times in mid-poo, before the output gets to toilet-clogging proportions.
posted by pocams at 10:17 AM on October 20, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

You could try occassional doses of a mild laxative - the OTC stuff
posted by chrisamiller at 10:19 AM on October 20, 2007

Yes, one flush per log. Not one flush per session.
posted by jayder at 10:20 AM on October 20, 2007

What works for me is Sugar Corn Puffs.
posted by drezdn at 10:24 AM on October 20, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I don't think we know enough about your poo. Where does it tend to fall on the Bristol Stool Scale?
posted by mumkin at 10:25 AM on October 20, 2007 [15 favorites has favorites]

Have you tried upping your fiber intake just a bit more? One or two fiber-rich cereal bars as a snack would be a 25% bump in your daily fiber. You're already well over the Fiber RDA, but thats' just a guideline: some people need less, some need more. You need more.

(My work does a lot of business with General Mills and occasionally receive pre-release products; apparently one of my coworkers made the mistake of eating two FiberOne Chewy bars as a snack and spent most of the rest of the day in the bathroom. The phrase he used was, "Shitting like a goose")
posted by nathan_teske at 10:30 AM on October 20, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I also recommend the double flush, although, you have to be careful of splashback. I don't know if I would recommend a laxative, as that just makes you go more often, in sometimes than pleasant ways.

If you think that the problem is related to the PH level (Poop Hardness), you might try some metamucil, although it sounds like you are getting plenty of fiber. It might be worth a shot to see if it would increase you movements to daily.

I'll throw in a word of caution to not force yourself to poop. Mr. Hemorrhoids is not a person you want to meet.
posted by peripatew at 10:33 AM on October 20, 2007

I'm with peripatew. Laxatives are really horrible--Dulcolax and the like can be super-painful, cramp-inducing and your movements feel chemically induced.

If you feel constipated throughout the week, try a Fleet enema every now and then. My doctor recommended them for me and it's a very easy way to make yourself go but not in a stay-home-by-the-toilet-all-day way. Gross to discuss, but actually a lot less upsetting than laxatives (that includes Senna, a "natural" laxative that's just as awful as all the "unnatural" ones).

And speaking of Mr. Hemmorhoids. Whoa. Trust the hive mind. Don't force it.
posted by annabellee at 11:06 AM on October 20, 2007

All these terms - splashback, poop hardness, double flush, mid-poo - totally seinfeld!

Anyways, seconding the mid-poo flush.

Also, perhaps just sitting on the toilet more regularly - you know, "assuming the position" - might encourage you to go (sorry, that's the best I could come up with).

Also, ask your doctor or pharmacist about glycerin suppositories - unlike other laxatives which stimulate peristalsis in your colon, glycerin suppositories attract water into the colon, which could encourage you "to go".

Finally - and I have no scientific or any other kind of evidence to prove this - could it be that fiber is causing the log clog? Kinda like getting soap stuck in the drain? 50-60g is quite a lot!

It is known that fiber is necessary in the diet (I think the RDA is 20-30g daily) but is it possible that you are getting too much? What would happen if you tried to cut down on the fiber?
posted by bitteroldman at 11:14 AM on October 20, 2007

This isn't meant sarcastically, but have you tried speaking to your doctor? Although it's not illness-inducing or death-inducing, it's nevertheless a medical problem, and one I imagine he or she might have more specialized knowledge to apply to; failing that, a gastroenterologist could probably be of more specific, specialized help.
posted by WCityMike at 11:20 AM on October 20, 2007

"2 or 3 times a week for as long as I can remember" is within the limits of normal, according to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine (13th ed.) The reason I refer to that particular article is that it's one of the most humanely and carefully written that I've read on this topic.

It's worth knowing that fiber expands stool volume (largely because of all the water it sequesters from colonic absorption) and fiber also retards transit time. It's very healthy for you, so I'm disinclined to recommend that you cut down on it, but that might be something to think about.

Flour tortillas and other flour products also cause constipation, so I really might rethink the whole 'high-fiber wrap' thing unless it's providing some major benefit to you.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:47 AM on October 20, 2007

Get a pressure-assisted toilet flush. Ecoflush is a popular line. These things can literally cut right through extraordinary quantities of shite.
posted by meehawl at 12:12 PM on October 20, 2007

You could try flax seed oil or figs (sometimes soaked in hot water) help flush the system out naturally. This may seem like an odd suggestion, but if it works, who cares if it's odd or not. Take 5 minutes in the morning and evening, sit on the pot, and imagine the poop coming out easily. Imagine letting go of all the stress, drama that goes in your head, whatever else you picked up from the day, imagine how you'd like your day or night to be. You're basically retraining your body to behave differently. Also, there may be herbs out there to help flush you out. No pun intended!
posted by healthyliving at 12:26 PM on October 20, 2007

How do you do with curry or other spicy foods? How much fruit do you eat?
posted by missmagenta at 12:47 PM on October 20, 2007

You sound exactly like my little bro. EXACTLY. We won't let him poop in our house ever. I thought he was the only one.

Anyway - chronic constipation? megacolon? Talk to a doctor if it bothers you.

As for toilets - industrial.
posted by Sassyfras at 12:49 PM on October 20, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Psyllium. I buy "The Secrets of the Psyllium" at Trader Joe's and take it every morning. It is the first thing I do. I also have a bowel movement every morning about one hour later. It is very rewarding. I no longer use the bathroom as a "library". You may have to experiment to get the right dosage. I take about a tablespoon and a half. If you have a bowel movement everyday your 2 to 3 times a week output will be divided into 7 and therefore be of a smaller volume. I think it is healthier to have daily bowel movements so I think you will feel better and the toilets you use will also be happier. I told my brother about it and he said it was like magic. I look at it this way. I am putting roughage into a low roughage diet.

My sister uses flax seed meal in the same way which is also available at Trader Joe's.

I would love to know if someone thinks either of these ideas is harmful and why.

By the way I have tried other psyllium products but the Trader Joe's variety seems the most natural and provides the most rewarding results.

No I don't own stock in Trader Joe's but only because they are not a publicly traded company!
posted by snowjoe at 12:51 PM on October 20, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I would see a doctor. There's some sort of relationship between how often you go and chance of colon cancer. You don't want that. Other suggestions: Fish oil caplets (good for you anyway), Yoga classes (helps with digestion and builds abdomen muscles that working out doesn't). More healthy oils. Running.
posted by Eringatang at 12:56 PM on October 20, 2007

Psyllium is really great for you. You can also add it to baked goods.
posted by Eringatang at 12:58 PM on October 20, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

All-Bran
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:25 PM on October 20, 2007

Chopsticks are good for much more than eating. Seriously, if you've gotta go and the available toilet isn't going to handle it, use a chopstick to break it up and hold as much of it back as you flush.
posted by NormieP at 1:38 PM on October 20, 2007

Can I train my body to "go" at a daily rate to minimize things?

Yes. I used to just go whenever I felt like it, which was closer to 4-5 times a week, but when I hit my forties I began to have issues and began to crave that watchword we all feel is silly when we're teenagers --- "regular".

I upped my fiber intake (Fiber Choice pills are my go-to) and try to eat fruit at least once a day.

But to get to the point where my visits were not, shall we say, frequently epic, I had to sit on the pot quite a few times without issue before my body began to accept the new regimen.

Now, my overweight niece, unfortunately, is not as clear about how to maintain her body appropriately, and she's had some major constipation episodes including doctor visits and warnings about an overstretched colon. Basically, if you let it pile up down there, the colon grows to accomodate it -- but for obvious reasons, the rectum is not as flexible. So over time, the traffic jam inside can get too large to come out without creating hemorrhoids, broken capillaries, and other things to avoid.

Also, I've learned how the accumulation of liquid and nutrients in the waste itself can trigger the body to start absorbing it back into itself directly through the colon. This is indeed believed to be a factor in colon cancer.

So I'd take this signal as a time to start managing your internals like a middle-aged adult. Trust me -- it's actually less hassle than you're going through!
posted by dhartung at 1:39 PM on October 20, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

If not a pressure-assisted flush, like someone suggested, see if you can find a non-low-flow toilet. Our low-flows clog all the time, never had a problem with the older ones that use more water to flush.

Also, in nursing school we were told the "normal" range is anywhere from 3 times a day to 3 times a week.
posted by IndigoRain at 2:59 PM on October 20, 2007

People seem to be recommending increasing fiber intake which strikes me as counterproductive. More fiber = bigger poo and longer transit times of that poo. It will compound the problem.
posted by Justinian at 3:26 PM on October 20, 2007

Super Cleanse by Nature's Secret - but only take one, before bed.

Don't be put off by "cleanse" - it doesn't have to be all dramatic like that if you only take 1 or maybe 2.

Available at Whole Foods and some natural-type stores as well as online.
posted by KAS at 4:05 PM on October 20, 2007

When things don't come out as quickly as I'd like, I find that curling up in the fetal position seems to move them along. You can do this on your back, knees pulled to your chest; on your knees, bent forward; or on your side. I like to sit on my knees, then put a pillow or three under my chest to lean on while I read a book. It really moves things along.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 4:19 PM on October 20, 2007

I knew someone who kept a butter knife in his bathroom for just such a predicament. You could always plastic cutlery, for when you are, uh, on the go.
posted by pluckysparrow at 4:40 PM on October 20, 2007

I have it on good authority that a major problem is the combination of poop and paper. Try pooping, flushing, wiping, flushing.
posted by anaelith at 5:10 PM on October 20, 2007

Do you have any other hypothyroid symptoms?
posted by trevyn at 7:13 PM on October 20, 2007

Do you have any other hypothyroid symptoms?

Oversized poop is a hypothyroid symptom?!?!
posted by birdlady at 7:35 PM on October 20, 2007

I've found that fiber timing counts, too -- fiber right after waking up is more, um, effective in the short term than the same fiber later in the day.
posted by backupjesus at 6:18 AM on October 21, 2007

Another up for psyllium. Available far cheaper as flea seed husk from shops that serve the Indian community.
posted by Dr.Pill at 6:31 AM on October 21, 2007

I don't think you need more fibre, it sounds like you have heaps- and you don't mention feeling constipated. Some people just don't go as often, and as mentioned upthread, you seem to fall into the "normal frequency" range. It's mostly to do with your natural metabolism and your bowel length. COuld be you have a sluggish metabolism, could be you have a long bowel, perhaps a bit of both. Try doing some aerobic exercise to see if that has any effect (or drinking a lot of coffee, if you're gonna take the slacker's route. It works for me!).

Holding poo back with a chopstick or cutting it seems kind of gross and potentially messy (murphy's law, etc etc). I think the multiple-flush system is the only way to go- even if it comes out as one log, the toilet paper will create "drag" and may prevent the full force of the flush pushing that monster log out of the way, so poo, flush, wipe, flush.
posted by indienial at 12:14 AM on October 23, 2007

I don't own stock in Trader Joe's but only because they are not a publicly traded company!

TJs is the premium brand for the German Albrecht family business conglomerate Aldi, so it's unlikely to go public.
posted by meehawl at 9:24 AM on October 23, 2007

Okay.

Um, possibly the most private thing I've ever shared on MetaFilter.

I have occasionally had problems like yours, but perhaps not quite so bad. But when I was younger (early 20s) this was a pretty frequent problem.

So one thing I discovered is there is a way to coax the stuff out earlier if it's reluctant to come out on its own.

You take a length of toilet paper, several squares, and fold it over. Then, placing this directly on your you know what, you move it in gentle circles. For reasons unknown to me, this always triggered whatever had to happen for things to come out. You might have to "bear down" a bit as well, but you will find after a minute or so of the circular movement that your body will want to let some stuff out. So, using this technique, you can get going on a more frequent basis.

I imagine once you have started going more reguarly your body will get used to it and you will no longer have this problem.
posted by Deathalicious at 2:51 PM on October 24, 2007

Pony: can we have the option to reply anonymously to AskMe's? Please?
posted by Deathalicious at 2:52 PM on October 24, 2007

Magnesium citrate, small quantity taken in tablet form once nightly, available in the health food store. Healthy, non-addictive, excellent for the body. It helps attract water into the colon so the stool is propelled more easily down the colon and out.
posted by nickyskye at 6:06 PM on January 15, 2008