How to mitigate laxative effects of coffee?
August 20, 2011 12:23 PM Subscribe
Is there any way to mitigate or delay the laxative effects of drinking coffee? Asking for a friend whose workplace only has portable toilets.
Coffee first thing in the morning, poorly maintained portable toilets, temperatures this week predicted to get up to 94F/34C.
Priority #1 is to avoid the porta-potties.
Other bathroom options are limited to lunchtime (off site) or after work, so the best case scenario is a cheap, safe, effective trick to delay the laxative effects of coffee for 5 to 10 hours.
There are anti-diarrhea drugs, of course, but this is a long-term job situation and it seems like a very bad idea to plan to take them every day for weeks/months.
Would a different caffeine content or brewing style (or other variables . . . neither of us knows very much about coffee or about GI stuff) make a difference? Is there some magical food combination that might have an effect?
Data, personal anecdotes, and speculation are all welcome. Thank you in advance!
Coffee first thing in the morning, poorly maintained portable toilets, temperatures this week predicted to get up to 94F/34C.
Priority #1 is to avoid the porta-potties.
Other bathroom options are limited to lunchtime (off site) or after work, so the best case scenario is a cheap, safe, effective trick to delay the laxative effects of coffee for 5 to 10 hours.
There are anti-diarrhea drugs, of course, but this is a long-term job situation and it seems like a very bad idea to plan to take them every day for weeks/months.
Would a different caffeine content or brewing style (or other variables . . . neither of us knows very much about coffee or about GI stuff) make a difference? Is there some magical food combination that might have an effect?
Data, personal anecdotes, and speculation are all welcome. Thank you in advance!
Has your friend tried to stop drinking coffee? I can't imagine keeping up a daily habit that gives you daily shits. If he needs it to wake up, maybe a switch to tea, a caffeine pill, soda, or energy drink would give him the pep without the poops.
I say this as someone who cannot drink coffee in the morning without...ahem...feedback.
posted by phunniemee at 12:27 PM on August 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I say this as someone who cannot drink coffee in the morning without...ahem...feedback.
posted by phunniemee at 12:27 PM on August 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I get up an hour and a half earlier than I need to and have a large breakfast with plenty of fiber.
I drink a large cup of coffee and wait for 15 minutes to half an hour and make a deposit in the bathroom. I then go about my day without having to worry about it as I keep drinking coffee throughout the day.
posted by ayc200 at 12:32 PM on August 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
I drink a large cup of coffee and wait for 15 minutes to half an hour and make a deposit in the bathroom. I then go about my day without having to worry about it as I keep drinking coffee throughout the day.
posted by ayc200 at 12:32 PM on August 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'd drink tea or decaf coffee.
Or, just steel themselves for the porta potty. I'd much rather have to crap in a plastic shell than take unnecessary medication. But then again, I've used some hideous bathrooms in my life.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:36 PM on August 20, 2011
Or, just steel themselves for the porta potty. I'd much rather have to crap in a plastic shell than take unnecessary medication. But then again, I've used some hideous bathrooms in my life.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:36 PM on August 20, 2011
I've heard several friends mention that they've "trained" their body to go at the same time every day, and they were coffee drinkers. So, I wouldn't take medicine; I'd just try to hold it until the same time every day, until your body gets the hang of it (maybe hold it until lunch for a while, then start holding it until after work?). You might also consider what else is going on in your diet. Having a few drinks the evening before is not going to help this transition.
posted by salvia at 1:01 PM on August 20, 2011
posted by salvia at 1:01 PM on August 20, 2011
Get up early, drink a large cup of hot coffee on an empty stomach at home. That should take care of it.
posted by insectosaurus at 1:08 PM on August 20, 2011
posted by insectosaurus at 1:08 PM on August 20, 2011
I've heard several friends mention that they've "trained" their body to go at the same time every day, and they were coffee drinkers.
Yeah, this could be something. I gave up coffee for a while and had to make dietary adjustments to make up for it, but when I started again my body didn't fall back into old habits. Before that I did the wake up an hour early so I could enjoy my coffee thing.
posted by Lorin at 1:45 PM on August 20, 2011
Yeah, this could be something. I gave up coffee for a while and had to make dietary adjustments to make up for it, but when I started again my body didn't fall back into old habits. Before that I did the wake up an hour early so I could enjoy my coffee thing.
posted by Lorin at 1:45 PM on August 20, 2011
There are anti-diarrhea drugs, of course, but this is a long-term job situation and it seems like a very bad idea to plan to take them every day for weeks/months.
I was told by my GI doctor that taking Imodium every day really isn't an issue if you're taking the recommended dose, you have no other issues, and things are still "moving along." IANAD and I would check with yours before you do this.
posted by desjardins at 1:57 PM on August 20, 2011
I was told by my GI doctor that taking Imodium every day really isn't an issue if you're taking the recommended dose, you have no other issues, and things are still "moving along." IANAD and I would check with yours before you do this.
posted by desjardins at 1:57 PM on August 20, 2011
iron supplements (even OTC) famously make you constipated and might counteract the caffeine. if the person in question is a menstruating female, or a vegetarian they're probably borderline anemic...so you might be able to kill two birds with one stone.
posted by genmonster at 2:11 PM on August 20, 2011
posted by genmonster at 2:11 PM on August 20, 2011
As genmonster says, iron is constipating. Alternately, use coconut milk or a coconut coffee creamer, such as So Delicious.
posted by MexicanYenta at 5:29 PM on August 20, 2011
posted by MexicanYenta at 5:29 PM on August 20, 2011
I've adapted to black coffee. Coffee with cream made me hit the toilet an hour after, but I don't find black coffee to have the same effect.
posted by DetriusXii at 6:12 PM on August 20, 2011
posted by DetriusXii at 6:12 PM on August 20, 2011
Eat a banana along with the coffee.
posted by John Cohen at 7:52 PM on August 20, 2011
posted by John Cohen at 7:52 PM on August 20, 2011
What about cold-brew coffee? It is less acidic and as a bonus for hot weather, it comes pre-iced. Might be worth a spin.
posted by en forme de poire at 12:08 PM on August 21, 2011
posted by en forme de poire at 12:08 PM on August 21, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by desjardins at 12:26 PM on August 20, 2011 [5 favorites]