im glad that someone was brave enough to post about this, lol. my dr always told me that things are probably fine as long as you're not in any pain/discomfort. im only "going" every 3 or 4 days tho so im feeling concerned...
Everybody is different. It can be normal for some to go a couple times a day and perfectly normal to go once every 4 days or so. That being said if it's been 5 days or more I would consult with your doc to see what they recommend. At the 5 day mark with our patients if they are eating a diet and they haven't had a bowel movement that's when we start other interventions to get things moving along if you know what I mean.
Man I love talking about poop! I never met a nurse who didn't love a good poop discussion
Everybody is different and everyone has their own "normals" but going once every couple days is not okay! You need to try to incorporate more fiber in your diet and WATER! Most likely you are dehydrated. Fiber does not equal diarrhea either. Think of is this way, your stool is WASTE it is full of toxins that your body is going to get rid of, the longer it stays in your body, the more time it has to reabsorb those toxins. Evaluate what you're eating and try drinking more water. Add more bulk forming foods in your diet like fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
I am a nurse and I have lots of dis-impaction stories for you!
Depending on my fiber intake, I'm every 1-2 days. Usually when I travel to a foreign country I get stopped up though. This is especially true for Taiwan...I'm lucky to go once a week. I try to eat an apple every day when I travel.
I agree with fatgiraffe. Try upping your fiber intake (fruits, veggies, whole grains) and making sure you're getting the amount of water you need. You didn't comment on this so it's totally possible you are getting enough water, but if you have trouble with it try keeping a liter bottle with you at all times. It's convenient and gives you an easy way to track your water intake for the day.
As I mentioned, I like an apple a day when on travel (when I'm more likely to have issues), and also prunes help too! I love their taste but have to be careful how many I eat...
I use to be constantly constipated -a lifetime problem- until I discovered Dr. Millers Holy Tea and now I go several times every day. You can find it at amazon-I have no connection to it- my naturalpath doc recommended it.
I'm every morning like clockwork. Sometimes up to 3 times a day (depending on what and how much I eat). But I have two daughters...one is every day, one is every other day and their doctors say they are both normal. Yeah....I agree everyone's body is different.
I've never had to resort to teas, but use Magnesium supplements to deal with constipation, instead. Not only that, but it helps with migraines and muscle cramps, too, which I have to watch for when pregnant. This is the second pregnancy I have supplemented magnesium and can't recall having any leg or foot cramps since beginning, where it was previously a once-a-week-or-more issue!
As far as bowel movements, normal depends on your body, but I generally fall in the once per day group, with a few more or less frequent bouts here and there. Dehydration is a big culprit for me, as is a lack of exercise. Both water and moving around make me much more regular. TMI enough?
Man, bowel movements are an event in my world. I only go two (usually) or three (if I'm lucky) times a week. I don't know why, really. I drink tons of water and get plenty of fiber. I might be lacking a wee bit in natural fats, but that's the only thing I can think that might make a difference. As I'm not experiencing any discomfort and certainly no pain I've decided to stop worrying about it.
I recognize that's probably not much help to you, but I just wanted to chip in and let you know you're not alone.
Last edited by Thistleberry; 10-17-2012 at 09:39 PM.
Generally needing stool softeners regularly is not a good thing, and I'd check in with a doctor about that. Infrequent bowel movements are fine, but if your stool is consistently painful or pellet-shaped/hard, something is amiss in your diet or gastrointestinal tract. Getting enough dietary fat AND fiber, as well as fluids, should eliminate the need for such medications most of the time.
I'd go talk with a GP or ANP about that before resorting to regular Colace use. Of the medicines to deal with this it is quite safe, but still not ideal
Once a day. In the morning. About 30 minutes after waking up. Yeah my body runs on a schedule apparently. However, if traveling my body refuses to go for the first 4 days. It is somewhat nice when traveling with friends and sharing a hotel room! I am very predictable in that department.
Right now I'm maintaining my weight and I generally go once a day, sometime in the morning. When I'm in weight loss mode I only go once every couple of days, and when I'm overeating I go twice or more per day.