Bathroom issue (tmi warning)
elphie754
Posts: 7,574 Member
Lately when I have been going to the bathroom, my stools have been really hard. This has been recent (past two weeks) only. Nothing in my diet has really changed except a few days with excess sodium, and recently increasing my water intake from 64 to 100 oz (by drs recommendation). I also seem to not be going as often as I would. Prior to this, I actually had a stomach virus that had me in the bathroom after eating the slightest thing. Anyone else experience this? Just normal reset after constant evacuation for 3-4 days? If so, anything you did that made it better? I know people say adding fiber supplements help, but the last time I took them I got really bad bloating and constipation even when drinking enough water.
And yes, I plan to see my MD. I have an apt tomorrow afternoon (was already scheduled for another reason but will bring this up too).
And yes, I plan to see my MD. I have an apt tomorrow afternoon (was already scheduled for another reason but will bring this up too).
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Replies
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hard stools are a sign of constipation
increase your daily intake of fibre to at least 30g day (you can track this on MFP I personally switched out sugar for fibre tracking). Raspberries are great as are vegetables and cereals.
Add some bulking agents, such as wheat bran, to your diet. These will help make your stools softer and easier to pass.
Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water.
Try to get more exercise.0 -
Hard stool can also be due to a significant increase in fibre.
Drinking water helps dilute things. Coffee, prune juice, exercise, and more can all help loosen things up nicely.
Some people seem to have success with increasing oily intake too.0 -
hard stools are a sign of constipation
increase your daily intake of fibre to at least 30g day (you can track this on MFP I personally switched out sugar for fibre tracking). Raspberries are great as are vegetables and cereals.
Add some bulking agents, such as wheat bran, to your diet. These will help make your stools softer and easier to pass.
Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water.
Try to get more exercise.
My fiber seems to be about 7grams or less most days, so should I imediately increase to 30, or go slow and add a few grams each day?
Unfortunately I'm allergic (anaphylaxis) to wheat which is why it is likely so low.0 -
Metamucil can help until you figure out what changes in your diet will help.
If you drink water with it, it won't give you the runs, and won't bind you up. Just get things moving until you work things out with your Dr.0 -
Have you increased your protein considerably recently? When I increase my protein intake it feels like I'm *kitten* out a turtle shell.0
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hard stools are a sign of constipation
increase your daily intake of fibre to at least 30g day (you can track this on MFP I personally switched out sugar for fibre tracking). Raspberries are great as are vegetables and cereals.
Add some bulking agents, such as wheat bran, to your diet. These will help make your stools softer and easier to pass.
Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water.
Try to get more exercise.
My fiber seems to be about 7grams or less most days, so should I imediately increase to 30, or go slow and add a few grams each day?
Unfortunately I'm allergic (anaphylaxis) to wheat which is why it is likely so low.
I'd go immediately up - raspberries are my favourite for boosting fibre, but also you could add dried fruits such as prunes or apricots as they help you go
doc may give you a stool softener like movicol0 -
Could it be the effect of some medication you took when things were opposite recently?
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Dried apricots gave me awful stomach cramps.
More fat helps as well - seems to smooth everything over!0 -
Better than a porcupineAbstraktimus wrote: »Have you increased your protein considerably recently? When I increase my protein intake it feels like I'm *kitten* out a turtle shell.
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7 grams is way to low, and you don't need to take supplements to boost it. Hitting 20 to 25 grams daily is where you should be minimum. Wheat is not an issue if you can't eat it. There are plenty of other ways to hit that mark daily. Eat more fruit and veg. 20 is easy to hit. As someone else mentioned, water also plays a big role in digestion. If you hit your fiber goal without drinking any water, then that fiber will not help much.0
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Someone else mentioned - did you take any medication for the virus symptoms that maybe you're still feeling the effects of?
For me it's fiber, fat and water. If I start getting backed up, I make sure to eat lentils - a couple servings a day with a tsp or so of olive or canola oil mixed in, and drink plenty of water. YMMV of course but lentils are cheap and you can add any flavorings you like.0 -
Your fat consumption plays a part like someone else mentioned. So many of us try to avoid it and don't realize the important role it plays in our body. You don't have to eat a stick of butter, just allow yourself to choose the higher fat versions of some foods. And, for me, watermelon is a natural laxative. Apples are wonderful for helping to "move things along" too. Good luck.
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I'll ditto the comments on adding higher fat content - I find trail mix with extra dried cranberries does wonderful things
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Love this thread. BMs are a bit of an obsession for me. Since starting my journey I don't eliminate as much and they are of the small popcorn variety (yuck, sorry). I eat tons of veggies, take psyllium and benefiber and tons of water. I follow a high protein diet and am pretty sure that's the culprit. That said, I don't feel overly bloated.
FYI, I recently bought the Squatty Potty which I saw on ABC's Shark Tank. It's actually helped a lot. It puts my body in a natural position for eliminating and I go much easier. I will be very happy when I can go everyday and it is bigger than my 7lb papillon's (pictured) poop, though.0 -
Your fat consumption plays a part like someone else mentioned. So many of us try to avoid it and don't realize the important role it plays in our body. You don't have to eat a stick of butter, just allow yourself to choose the higher fat versions of some foods. And, for me, watermelon is a natural laxative. Apples are wonderful for helping to "move things along" too. Good luck.
Cosign. I added a serving of peanuts to my diet and upped my fat from 20% to 30% and it's been getting better.0 -
When I pair a probiotic with a cup of coffee, that is all I typically need. Fresh veggies and fruits have plenty of fiber so if you are only eating about 7g a day, you are obviously not eating enough of those, another reason for constipation.0
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I've heard people using the vitamin magnesium as a laxitive.0
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joaniee2003 wrote: »I've heard people using the vitamin magnesium as a laxitive.
yep! I've never been regular. 2 magnesium complex capsules before bed, on an empty stomach always does the trick. Some people have to take 4 or six a day, but you can reduce once you're going easily every day.
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Chia seeds are great for regulating you. They absorb water so you need to make sure you're drinking enough. They have lots of fiber and fats also. Good fats :-)0
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I'm actually having a similar issues, my fibre, water and fat intake is on point (sometimes a little over, sometimes a little under as would be expected), but if I don't take a laxative I don't go. Very frustrating
it's been like this ever since I had my daughter 2 years ago. Could not enough protein be causing it?
OP I definitely feel for you it's not fun at all 0 -
what time of day do you usually take a dump?0
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hard stools are a sign of constipation
increase your daily intake of fibre to at least 30g day (you can track this on MFP I personally switched out sugar for fibre tracking). Raspberries are great as are vegetables and cereals.
Add some bulking agents, such as wheat bran, to your diet. These will help make your stools softer and easier to pass.
Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water.
Try to get more exercise.
My fiber seems to be about 7grams or less most days, so should I imediately increase to 30, or go slow and add a few grams each day?
Unfortunately I'm allergic (anaphylaxis) to wheat which is why it is likely so low.
Increase gradually.0 -
I went to the doctor today to discuss repeat blood work and brought the bathroom issue up. She told me that it is likely a side effect of being chronically dehydrated from the high dose antihistamines I am taking. She said that if it doesn't get better within a week or so, I may have to consider taking something until I can stop the antihistamines. She did however order a stool sample just to ensure there isn't anything more malicious going on.0
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Okay, so I agree with everybody above that your fiber intake is too low and that is the biggest source of the problem. Why it hasn't affected you before now, I have no idea. But, I will say that increasing my fiber intake has helped me feel fuller, and there are definitely healthy and natural ways to increase your intake. It will probably take some time to figure out what those are for you (what you like, and what works), so in the mean time I have two suggestions. First, I use Benefiber and stir it into water if I am feeling particularly constipated or gassy. Second, I love KeVita's sparkling probiotic drinks, especially the Lemon Cayenne Cleanse. It has 10 calories for the entire bottle, and trust me, it works. I don't drink it everyday, but I do drink it a couple of times a week and it helps me to stay regular. When I wake up and feel "full" and "solid," I drink a bottle, and by the end of the day, I am good. LOL. Good luck!0
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Prune juice0
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lizzie6580 wrote: »Okay, so I agree with everybody above that your fiber intake is too low and that is the biggest source of the problem. Why it hasn't affected you before now, I have no idea. But, I will say that increasing my fiber intake has helped me feel fuller, and there are definitely healthy and natural ways to increase your intake. It will probably take some time to figure out what those are for you (what you like, and what works), so in the mean time I have two suggestions. First, I use Benefiber and stir it into water if I am feeling particularly constipated or gassy. Second, I love KeVita's sparkling probiotic drinks, especially the Lemon Cayenne Cleanse. It has 10 calories for the entire bottle, and trust me, it works. I don't drink it everyday, but I do drink it a couple of times a week and it helps me to stay regular. When I wake up and feel "full" and "solid," I drink a bottle, and by the end of the day, I am good. LOL. Good luck!
Ty, I will look into the drink. Unfortunately I can't take benefiber due to a severe allergy to gluten and it has traces of gluten (under 20ppm so it can be considered "gluten free).0 -
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I'm doing fine in that department since starting back on My Fitness Pal. Must be all the good food now and portion control. The only time I run into a problem is when I go all out on cheese.0
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Probiotics to get the gut bacteria up to speed, perhaps.0
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Coffee imo... strong coffee0
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