Normal Poop Habit Questions

[Allo]

Hi all,
So before I begin, this thread is going to get pretty gross I assume. I come here asking you these questions because obviously this isn't something I want to discuss casually with my friends. I've had a pretty interesting last few months. After suffering for 4 years I was diagnosed with Chrons. Today I found out that was most likely a misdiagnosis and the problem was actually over straining while trying to go to the bathroom and that started a long vicious cycle. Anyhow, to the point of the thread, here are some questions I have. Please answer any you feel comfortable answering. Thanks a ton.
-What feelings do you have that make you know you have to go to the bathroom?
-Is it ever just gas?
-How long do you push for? Wipe?
-After you go, do you feel like you could go again if you tried for 30 minutes? Or do you feel that even if you sat there for a hour, nothing more would come.
-Does rectal tissue "come out" while you are squeezing? Do you wipe while pushing or push, then relax and wipe?
-How often do you go to the bathroom? How regular, such as, consistently every day or just random times every day, etc.


Again, I know these are bizarre questions, but I have no where else to go to ask them. Thank you very much.

 

[CD68]

I have had all sorts of experiences with Crohn's.

I've gone days to a week between normal BMs.

I've gone through episodes of severe constipation, resulting in a nasty fissure (felt like I was giving birth with that stool! It really did rip me open) that took almost a year to heal.

I've had hemorrhoids that pushed out when passing a stool like you describe.

I've had a hemorrhoid that ruptured and filled up the toilet bowl with blood freaking me out.

With this latest flare I have a diseased rectum which I think, due to inflammation, frequently gives me the sensation of pressure as if I need to pass a stool. On some days I can tell when I wipe that the exterior is puckered up and swollen from inflammation as well. This comes and goes from week to week.


I've never heard anyone being diagnosed with Crohn's based on their stool habits. Normally I think they try to corelate your symptoms and history by taking a biopsy of tissue and having a pathologist see if there is a particular kind of cell damage that occurs at the submucousal level that is consistent with Crohn's or cancer, or UC, or any number of diseases that can cause problems, evidently they look different under the microscope.

 

[katiesue1506]

I'm not so sure you asked the right crowd for "normal" poo patterns lol but here I go:

When Flaring:
- I get a burning sensation throughout my tummy that tells me to go
- Sometimes it is
- Depends.... right now I have the big D but I'm pushing for like 30 minutes a trip... sometimes I just give up though after 10. Definitely takes like 4 or 5 sets of wiping (so 4-5 pulls of the TP)
- Sometimes I feel like if I sit there long enough, more will come out
- I don't think I have rectal tissue come out... I bleed if I strain too much
- Usually I go 5-6 times a day when flaring... if its BAD I'll go up to 10 times. Usually a couple in the morning a few during the day and then a lot at night.

When in Remission:
- I feel the poo "ready to evacuate" and "in position"
- Nope
- Push for maybe 30 secs, wipe up twice (with one TP pull)
- Nope, the urge to go is gone after I go
- No rectal tissue
- Maybe once or twice a day (morning and evening)

 

[NatalieMT]

This is my average kind of day, I've never really known what true remission is like. My symptoms started in June of last year and my Crohn's really went undiagnosed and not properly treated until January of this year, when I ended up in hospital for quite a long time having a lot of tests. I'm waiting for my next gastro appointment to go on azathioprine and I'm hoping that will finally provide some longer term relief.

1. The feelings that tell me that I need to go come on with some urgency for me, there is always this really uncomfortable burning feeling and then bam, got to run! After I go, the pain low down gets more uncomfortable too.
2. Not usually gas for me. I do get gas but not often. Sometimes I will pass mucus alone though.
3. I'll be honest I'm usually in the bathroom ages, I don't know where it all comes from because before I hardly ate and now I'm on Elemental liquid feed so again no eating.
4. After I go I always have the feeling of still needing to go, like going was 'incomplete'. I feel that if I sat there though nothing more would come out and that it is just a feeling.
5. It feels like tissue comes out but I couldn't be sure if it actually does or not.
6. Relax and then wipe, using moist wipes, not as irritating as paper.
7. Most days I go about 4 times, it can go up to 8 times I think that's been my max, but 4 is my normal range. Never of normal consistency and usually with lots of fun mucus and dark blood. Happens at random times I can't really predict when I will need the bathroom, I have noticed a slight pattern that it gets worse in the evenings though. Pain is certainly worse mornings and nights! At the moment things are slightly better with the Elemental because I'm not actually eating anything so there's nothing much to pass through.

 

[dayng1016]

My usual day, pretty much the only time I can poop is first thing in the morning. I can sit there what feels like forever, maybe 20-30mins or so, let go of what I can, feel like I'm done, wipe a million times, anywhere from 5-10 times. And by the time I'm out of the shower getting dressed, the urge comes again. So, back to the shitter for another 20-30mins, another poop coming along and exiting, finish up with a ton of wipes. Off to work I go and by the time I get there I have the urge hit again. But, after my two at the house, no matter how bad the urge hits through out the day, nothing. I always have the feeling of not emptying out completely, even when I go in the morning. I have the feeling of being bloated, sometimes neaseated and when I try to go to relieve the feeling, nothing but gas and/or sometimes mucous. The constant stomach pain, that is mostly upper stomach is awful. Even at night, no matter how bad the urge, how much I try, nothing. I use miralax daily and colace, but that doesn't seem to make a difference.

 

[teeny5]

1. Usually I get painful cramping. Unless I have diarrhea, then I have a sudden need to go! (like it will come out any minute)

2. Sometimes it is just gas, but not very often. It is never just gas when I am flaring.

3. If I have D it comes out pretty quick. If not I could be in there for what seems like ages. I have to wipe a lot with either. No more quick, easy poops since having Crohn's.

4. A lot of times I feel like if I stayed there more would come out.

5. I don't think any tissue comes out, but sometimes mucous and rarely blood. I only wipe when done. (when I feel done or I am tired of being on the toilet!)

6. I go at least once a day when in remission. Usually 5-6 times a day when flaring. I go what seems like all times of the day when flaring. When in remission it is usually once mid morning and then at night. Sometimes it depends on what I eat. For instance anything with lettuce usually makes me have to go right away.

Hope this helps you.

 

[kello82]

hey there. ill answer as best i can, but things are changing on me all the time.
1. i get a burning feeling in my lower intestine. i have a lot of urgency, so pretty much i have about a minute from when i first get the sensation to when i need a toilet. sometimes the burning is a lie and it passes though, but i never know until after
2. very rarely its just gas, but like #1, i dont know until after. needless to say i will not assume its gas and try and pass it without a potty near me.
3. hmm, for me i dont really push a lot. it doesnt seem to help anything move to push a lot. but i sit on the pot and wait for just the right feeling and then push. wow this is very hard to explain lol. its like, the peak of the pain and cramping and burning and then the poo will come out. then a few minutes of nothing and the cycle starts again. thats a normal bm for me i guess. i wipe just once or twice.
4. yes i usually feel as if im not empty. but if i go back in a sit, then nothing comes out. i have to wait for thr special feeling i described lol.
5. im not really sure. i do have some skin tags, one was removed surgically. im not sure what caused them though. is that recatal tissue that came out? i dont know
6. i have never not been flaring so ill answer it this way. when i am in a bad flare, about 10-15x a day, including overnight. when im "normal" for me which is still flaring but still leading a normal life its is more like 6x a day or so. consistency varies- extreme diharrea to just kinda loose to slightly formed. all different.

random fact: i always pee a teeny tiny little bit after every bm. i cant get up until i do lol!
hopefully some of these answers help you!

 

[danman]

Can't remember having normal BM's, not in 20 years, not even remission. Sorry.

One thing I've always had (pre-op) was what I called "The second coming" (sacreligious I know, but he gave this to me!!!). It's when I'm getting up and about to finish off my abolition's, and suddenly I need to sit right back down again....!!!!

 

[danman]

random fact: i always pee a teeny tiny little bit after every bm. i cant get up until i do lol!

I don't know why Kello, but I laughed out loud when I read this...:ylol2: :ylol2:

 

[katiesue1506]

Kello! Me too! I have to or I'm not finished. And I always feel like I have to sit there and wait for my bladder to make some up... I've wasted 20 minutes before waiting to pee.

 

[Collette]

I'm with everyone else here...what is normal??? I rarely wake up without cramping and I have to head straight to the bathroom. Most times D but sometimes nothin' so I'll give up only to turn back around. Usually I visit the bathroom 4-6 times a day on average. I must say the worst is being out in public. You pray that you will be the only one there. My husband makes light of it when I have to do the "Immodium Walk"!

 

[kello82]

haha i really dont know what is with the peeing!

lmao katiesue! i thought i was the only one in the world who wasted 20 minutes waiting for pee. as if we didnt spend enough time in the bathroom already geez haha

 

[lala]

Ughh! why did The Almighty and Beautiful God make poop !

Okay so for me.. im 15 and life sucks!!
I truly think i have something like IBS but the fifty doctors ive been to wont touch me! i wish i could get scoped....

I wake up everymorning and try to poop and sometimes i do and sometimes i dont.. but no matter what i feel like i can sit there for the rest of the day bc i ALWAYS have pressure on my anus like i have to go and it gets worse when i sit down... every moring bc im still in school im freaking out bc i always have that uncomfturbul feeling of gas and poop and its no matter what.. no foods make it worse really... the wirdest part about me is this WHEN I HAVE TO PEE REALLY BAD MY SYMPTOMS GO AWAAY! evermorning im drinking like 2 botles of water and an hour later when i have the urge to pee , then im all better until i do pee...then my stomach starts rumbling again and i feel like i gotta fart or doodoo ! ha thiss suckss! does anyone have this issue ...tell me its get ridable bc i wanna die !

 

[Gra]

-What feelings do you have that make you know you have to go to the bathroom?

>> Sometimes I know that I badly need to poop - othertimes I "think" I need to and nothing comes, or else it's just a fart.

-Is it ever just gas?

>>> Yes (see above)

-How long do you push for? Wipe?

>>> I find that it is unproductive / maybe even bad for me to sit there for too long. These days I sit down, wait to see what might be coming. I try to relax and tell myself "Relax, let your body do whatever it needs to do in its own good time" If, after a reasonable amount of time you find that there is nothing happening, and get up, what yourself if you need to, and get on with your business. If your body has the need it will call you again later.

-After you go, do you feel like you could go again if you tried for 30 minutes? Or do you feel that even if you sat there for a hour, nothing more would come.

>>> I find that if I sit there for an hour, I can pretty much guarantee that nothing will come.

-Does rectal tissue "come out" while you are squeezing? Do you wipe while pushing or push, then relax and wipe?

>>> Try not to push so hard and long that this happens. It hasn't happened to me for years (And I hope will never come back!!!)

-How often do you go to the bathroom? How regular, such as, consistently every day or just random times every day, etc.

>>> Pretty much depends on what I have eaten etc.

:stinks:

 

[karen_hastings]

If you are over straining you are probably constipated. Check water intake and diet.

What are you eating on a normal day?

 

[Lisa Marie]

Allo I have had crohnes since 2010 and I must say that I am different then most I am constantly constipated bc eventually u get narrowing of the intestines.. Did u ask your doctor if that has happened to you? I actually need surgery bc of it even though im not flaired up..Its deff possible for a crohnes patient and be constantly constipated : / miralax helps

 

[ZM1019]

I'm the most like CD68. Very similar symptoms. I never have diarrhea unless I get the flu.

I've gone days to a week between normal BMs. Normal is not normal for me.

I've gone through lots of episodes of severe constipation, resulting in a nasty fissure (felt like I was giving birth with that stool! It really did rip me open) that took almost a a week to heal. This unfortunately is pretty frequent.

I've had hemorrhoids that pushed out when passing a stool like you describe.

I've had a hemorrhoid that ruptured and filled up the toilet bowl with blood, sending me to the ER.

I don't have any cramping at all. I just have persistent pain that either feels like my colon is a rubber band pulled too tight or like I've eaten ground up glass that is now cutting its way from my esophagus all the way through over the course of 3-4 days.

Still, they took a lot of biopsies from my esophagus to my colon to figure out what's happening and they've done it twice. That hurt as well.

As for how much water I drink? Over 80 oz a day and I always feel dehydrated and my skin is dry.

What's in my diet? No starch but plate fulls of lettuce, steamed broccoli, organic yogurt with coconut (very high in fiber). I tried psyllium and I almost died it made it so much worse. I've even tried laxatives and if I'm very lucky, it will be normal.

 

[Raleigh]

I'm having trouble understanding how straining too hard can lead to a Crohn's diagnosis. Can you elaborate on how your doctor came to diagnose you with Crohn's, and then decided it was actually due to straining?

 

[nikimazur]

-What feelings do you have that make you know you have to go to the bathroom?
Cramping, but most times it can hit me out of now where..like need bathroom in two seconds

-Is it ever just gas?
Very rarely is it just gas..even when I think it's just gas, it ends up being poo

-How long do you push for? Wipe?
It depends, lately I've been spending a great amount of time on the loo...even 10,15,20 minutes at a time

-After you go, do you feel like you could go again if you tried for 30 minutes? Or do you feel that even if you sat there for a hour, nothing more would come
Most of the time I feel like I could go again, and typically end up coming to the bathroom in multiple episodes

.
-Does rectal tissue "come out" while you are squeezing? Do you wipe while pushing or push, then relax and wipe?
At this time not much pushing is necessary, in fact I have the opposite problem and can't hold it
-How often do you go to the bathroom? How regular, such as, consistently every day or just random times every day, etc.

Lately it's been 10-20 times a day. I've been flaring and it's been absurd. I can count on a bm as soon as I wake up, but besides that totally unpredictable