Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bowel

Diet changes after bowel/colo-rectal cancer, and what to do about it.

curious nu — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 13:05:54 -0800

Looking for info from colo-rectal cancer survivors on what you've done to fix/deal with the diet change issues. This is for my mom, who's mid/late 50s.

Ten years ago, she had surgery for colo-rectal cancer. The discovery + treatment was very fast: blood in stool on the weekend, diagnosis by the end of that week, surgery by the end of the week after that. The surgery involved taking out the tumorous part of the intestines and then linking the two halves back up. There was at-home chemo (the wearable pump kind) for awhile after that.

The short version of the aftermath is that she can't eat healthy, and she can't exercise without needing to know where a bathroom is at all times and being really sure about how long its been since she's eaten and had a BM, and even then knowing that there's going to be a problem despite all precautions.

* No raw fruits or vegetables except in one- or two-bite quantities. Cooked vegetables are slightly better, but not a lot.
* No legumes
* No nuts

Eating any of the aforementioned foods results in a lot of indigestion issues and then (sometimes sudden) diarrhea. Food IN GENERAL causes problems - there's nothing she can eat and NOT have issues - but the above are the worst. And when I say exercise, I mean even walking the dog is a problem.

Looking for info online throws a lot of talk about diet changes to avoid cancer, and some woo-woo nonsense about magic diets to cure it. There are also some helpful tips like "eat healthy and exercise", which she'd love to do but that is expressly the problem!

So the question is: have you or someone you know had colo-rectal cancer? The diet is the biggest issue, so something that could get her to the point where she could enjoy a salad once a month without worrying about the consequences would be pretty fantastic. Mom copes alright - both she and her doctors just shrug, at this point (it's better than dying, is the sentiment) - but if there's some weird or new or old thing that you know about that might be worth trying, I'd love to know.

I can get an A, but can I do it without a trip to the bathroom?

ocherdraco — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:52:12 -0800

[TMIfilter] Test anxiety and bodily functions. Help me keep it together. This semester, during exams, I've developed a very nervous stomach. Twice during exams I have had to be escorted by a proctor to the restroom so that I can vomit and/or deal with diarrhea. What's weird is that I'm not actually that nervous. I have been well prepared for all six of the exams I have taken so far, and have gotten good grades. Last semester (my first back in school after five years working) I did not have these problems.

For my exam this morning, I thought I had prepared; I ate an early dinner the night before, did not eat or drink before the exam this morning, and visited the bathroom several times beforehand. But still, as soon as the papers were handed out, my bowel rebelled. I tried to deal with it, breathing deeply and telling myself that it was just nerves, but about an hour into the exam I had to ask for an escort to the bathroom.

This has got to stop. For one thing, it's miserable, and for another, I've got the MCAT coming up in a little over a year, and I can't be a slave to my bowel for that. Also, it seems highly unlikely that future exams will all be proctored by people who will be okay with escorting me to the bathroom. How can I keep my digestive tract from sabotaging me?

Shit or get off the pot can't mean 20 minutes, right?

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:15:24 -0800

How long does it take you or a loved one to poop? It takes Hubby around 20 minutes to poop...once in the morning before work and once when he gets home from work (doesn't matter what time of day). 20 minutes a poop seemed really excessive to me so I asked if he was spending a bunch of that time reading or enjoying alone time, but he insists that he needs the entire time to get the deed done and that he is healthy. He absolutely denies having any other issues (i.e. constipation) that would require extra time. I do not go the same time every day but when I have to go, it seriously takes no more than a minute or two from sitting to flushing and fully dressed again.

I think 20 minutes is an absurd amount of time on the crapper absent some digestive problem. So now we are curious...what is the norm in this department? Do not include time spent reading or whatever else might be going on in there. Just the average time really needed to get deed done.

I know this is a super weird question but since our son has been born 3 years ago, I find it slightly annoying having to accommodate an adult human's pooping schedule to the degree I do. Seriously, Hubby spends 40 minutes of home/quality time per day pooping! I know this is my Price of Admission and that the Price is cheap. Hubby is super awesome and this is not an argument or point of contention between us. We have laughed about it for years and last night we finally decided to take the plunge and seek "The Truth" on the Green--Grab Bag category, not Human Relations.

Everybody poops…

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:25:46 -0800

Should I be concerned at the (in)frequency of my bowel movements? I can often go for a week or more without pooping and i have started wondering if this is abnormal and/or unhealthy because it seems like people should go more regularly and/or more often than that. This has pretty much been the case my whole life (I am a 37 year old woman). When I do have a bowel movement, everything is fine.

I eat pretty healthily (although I could stand to eat a bit more fruits and veggies) and am at a healthy weight for my height. I exercise fairly regularly (3-6 mile runs followed by weights) a few times a week and notice that when I exercise for more than 4-5 times a week, then I tend to poop more often, but still only every several days. Should I be worried?

Empty My Bowel but Not My Tum

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:33:36 -0800

I'm having abdominal surgery on Tuesday of next week. And you are not my doctor or, in fact a doctor at all. Although it's not bowel surgery, my bowel is notoriously difficult and always seizes up for a few days after anyone has been in there having a fiddle. What can I eat in advance to reduce the "residue" so I enter surgery with a pretty empty bowel? Extremely important is that I have diet controlled diabetes and have asked my doctor and he just said to eat normally till the morning of the surgery, fast before the surgery and then take it slow eating at the other end (so to speak).

I have done it his way in the past, and it has still resulted in a sluggish bowel with extreme pain and discomfort. So I'd like to help myself as much as possible and eat a low residue, low glycaemic index diet in the next few days.

Anecdotal advice welcome, doctors feel free to gnash your teeth and ignore, or contribute and any other advice or warnings are also welcome.

I've had enemas in the past, and they haven't really helped in case you were going to suggest that. Sorry if this is gross and far too much information.

If you've got any more questions, I'll email jessamyn.

Staying "regular" when traveling

seekingsimplicity — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:48:39 -0800

What is your recommendation for staying regular when traveling? I traveled internationally this past fall and on the last few days of the trip my digestion had really slowed. I was gone 8 days and was in a couple or three different time zones. I feel there is an emotional component to this too where I am worried that when sightseeing there won't be a toilet or something like that so maybe I slow the process because of fear? Have any of you perfected this for yourselves? Prune juice does not work for me but I do prefer tackling this naturally. Any insight is appreciated!

a shitty question

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:46:03 -0800

Poop question about normalcy and bowel movements [possibly disgusting] First, I realize this is sensitive issue, but any feedback would be appreciated (although that might be difficult since responses can't be anonymous).

First, some background. I lived the first 27 years of my life assuming that pooping would take 20-30 minutes and afterwards my butt would be dirty. We're talking really dirty. It would take maybe 1-3 minutes of wiping to clean things up. This might not sound terrible, but the point was that I could _always_ wipe more. There was no point at which the toilet paper would be completely clean. I hated this situation, but I assumed everyone lived like this and I was too embarrassed to mention it to anyone. However, I was more open with my second girlfriend .The subject was broached when I asked her eating habits after noticing (what I thought were) incredibly short bathroom trips. This led to me watching my diet more carefully and finally realizing that I was lactose intolerant. I also discovered the wonders of psyllium husk. Since then pooping has gone from something I dreaded to something I look forward to and actually enjoy. I feel "empty" when I'm done. And I usually wipe completely cleanly (I mean I wipe once to make sure, but most of the time it's completely clean). I'm also usually in the bathroom for less than five minutes, as opposed to a half hour. Occasionally things won't work this well, but that's an abberation.

Now there seem to be two possibilities. One is that this story is unique and most people are not walking around with mudbutt, assuming they don't shower immediately after a dirty poop. I hope this is the case. The other is that many people are living how I used to live. I realize there are obviously personal variations, but I wonder what you experience personally or what you believe is normal or common.

To clarify: When I say a poop is "complete", I mean I feel "empty" and done afterwards and I rarely have to wipe more than once or twice.
When I say a poop is "incomplete", I mean I could keep wiping forever and the toilet paper would still be dirty (from the anus, not the cheeks). Wiping at this point is mainly to get poop off your ass while acknowledging that nothing can really be done about the poop that keeps coming out. I suppose showering would be one solution to this.

I've noticed a few things that have led me to believe a large amount of people are walking around with mudbutt.

1) The prevalence of bathroom reading materials. In movies and on TV people are always reading in the bathroom. I can't imagine having the time to read anything these days, although before my poop habits changed I could probably have read a novel in a sitting. Assuming length of time sitting corresponds with dirty/"incomplete" poops (does it?), this seems to suggest that people who find reading in the bathroom normal are more likely to have dirty butts.

2) Sheryl Crow recently said that one or two squares of toilet paper should be sufficient. This led to a wave of ridicule (ie, Jay Leno: "Remind me not to shake her hand!"). But ridiculing her seems to suggest that people use way more than one or two squares, which should not be the case if their poops are "complete".

3) I've spoken to women (obviously I don't think all women are the same) who have talked about being mortified about farting in public bathrooms. Men's bathrooms seem to smell much more and women seem to not take as long when pooping. These are gross generalizations, but I wonder if length of time in the bathroom and smell correspond with "incomplete" shits and on average, men have mudbutt more often than women.

4) I recently mentioned an "invisible shit" I had to a friend since it was such a rare occurance. By "invisible shit" I meant that I had taken a poop, but it has disappeared into the bowl and when I looked down, I could see nothing in the toilet. He thought I was talking about not having to wipe, where an "invisible shit" meant that nothing was on the toilet paper after pooping. Since he found this to be an extremely rare occurance, that suggests that he often has "incomplete" poops.

I'd be interested if complete/incomplete was actually something other people experienced or just something I made up, and what other people's normal habits are.

How many times a day does the normal 2 year old poop?

trbrts — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:32:58 -0800

How many times a day does the normal 2 year old poop? My kid will be two years old in January and on average he has a bowel movement 3 - 4 times a day. 2 of which are generally very large. Is this normal? I don't really have another point of reference.

Teach Myself to Hit The Toilet at the Appointed Time

jimmyjimjim — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:51:03 -0800

I want to practice yoga early in the mornings. But it's got to be after bowel movement. Problem is, my bowel movements, though quite regular in terms of daily-ness, occur at odd times. Sometimes I have to wait 2 or 3 hours after waking, and that throws off the whole sched. I also need to do yoga on an empty stomach, so eating something to stimulate the bowel movement isn't a solution. And I don't like coffee or cigarettes. I do try to keep a regular sched, waking/sleeping at approximately the same time each day. So....do I have any other options for teaching my body to do its bizness first thing upon waking?

IBS help, PLEASE!

Anonymous — Fri, 18 May 2007 08:43:05 -0800

What's the best way to deal with a terrible disease called IBS? ( Irritable bowel syndrome) In the middle of a flare up, I suffer constant abdominal pain, diarrhea and nausea. I lose a lot of weight and feel so terrible I have thoughts of having to go to hospital for IV treatment because I feel so dehydrated. Any help, advice from other sufferers out there would be greatly appreciated.

potatos and.....?

stray — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 01:12:35 -0800

I'm looking for a simple menu of foods that fill nutritional requirements, are easy to make, and that won't bother my fussy unhappy gut while I'm on a crazy schedule for the next while. Lately I've been bloated and gassy and kind of miserable ALL the time. I know I have to go see a doctor, but right now I do not have the time. In fact, I don't really have the time for anything--I'm at school from 10 to 10 most days, with an hour or two for lunch and dinner.

So, what I'm looking for are foods that traditionally don't bother the gut, but that will fill my nutritional needs (espcially fiber and protein) while I'm on this madcap schedule.

Ideally, this diet would be really basic and easy to obtain/make (i'm not averse to eating the same thing every day) and after this hecticness is over, I could start adding other things to figure out what's causing this gastrointestinal distress.

So, hivemind--what should I eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day? I'm avoiding dairy and wheat in the hopes that that will solve my ills, but it's not really helping so far. Next I think I'll cut out fruit juices and apples--but I think I'm going about this the wrong way. I'd rather start with a basic menu and add things rather than cut things from my diet.

maybe this is a good thing

randomstriker — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 22:13:43 -0800

Haven't done a #2 in a few days now. No pain or discomfort whatsoever...anything to worry about? For most of my life I've been pretty regular. The only issues I've had with bowel movements have been when I've been obviously ill.

In the last couple months however I haven't been so regular, and in the last week I've almost stopped shitting altogether. I don't feel any bloating, pain or discomfort at all, just the occasional smelly fart. Certainly I could have some more fibre in my diet but I wouldn't say it's especially unhealthy as of late. I phoned my doctor and he said doesn't sound like anything worth going to see him for.

Should I worry?

Smooth moves

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 13:10:04 -0800

What lubricates bowel movements on the way out, and what makes it happen? Sometimes bowel movements leave smoothly, as if they're coated in some sort of gel, requiring little hygiene effort. Other times they don't, and require more cleaning. In both cases the movements seem normal, not hard and not loose. What's the difference? What can i do to have more of the slippery kind?

Mudbutt: What causes it and how can I get rid of it?

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 09:11:41 -0800

Mudbutt: What causes it and how can I get rid of it? The symptoms include: Having a small bowel movement 5-6 times a day, but never feeling 'finished'. Never being able to wipe completely clean. This problem is reoccurring and can last for days if not weeks, with sometimes bouts of diarrhea in-between.

I have seen a doctor and there is no sign of IBS or any other digestive problems, however, I have been diagnosed with GERD and take OTC acid reducers to control the GERD symptoms. I also take OTC allergy medicine (Claritin) and prescription anxiety medicine (BuSpar).

Is diet the key? I do not eat red meat, chicken, or pork. I occasionally eat fish or shellfish, but not often, and it's usually fried. I try to stay away from eating a lot of cheese because of the fat content but I do drink light soy milk and eat light yoghurt. I also try to stay away from caffeine as it upsets my stomach.

I use a lot of meatless protein and black bean burgers and crumbles in cooking. I also am a fan of pasta, vegetarian mexican food, spinach, onions, tomatoes, etc. I don't eat a lot of straight salad or plain vegetables. It's difficult to get fresh produce and fruit where I live because of our poor growing season. I do drink 2-3 liters of water a day and am not dehydrated.

What about fiber therapy? Can I use OTC fiber capsules to help get on a schedule of once a day? Will I ever stop being a walking joke from Chappelle's Show?