This is really gross but...

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hannah-rose

hannah-rose

Joined
Apr 22, 2011
Messages
500
...what is a normal poo?

I'm asking because for all the time I've been seeing doctors they've been asking me whether my bms are normal, and do you know what, I don't know?

I guess I can't really say what's normal because surely everyone's different, but does anyone have any information about this?

I don't spend every day rushing to the loo every 5 minutes so I cannot say I have D, but I'm not sure my digestive system is entirely functional.

My body tends to swing between 1 to 2 movements a day which are pretty loose and I experience some discomfort or urgency before hand. The bms are sortve loose and fluffy looking, they're not liquid but they're definitely not formed, and I experience a lot of relief when I go. It usually occurs in the morning when I wake up and sometimes again in the evening. I've always suffered from wind pains as well all through my teenage years.

However if it's not like it is above then I get severely impacted to the point where I cannot go at all. It's like it's one or the other - sometimes I can eat absolute crap and still get urgent, loose bms every morning, and other times im impacted even when I'm eating quite well. It's bizarre.

Does this sound normal?
 
Sounds pretty much like me! I don't think it's 'normal' though. I would keep a diary, everytime you go to the bathroom note down the time, consistency, colour, amount, if there's anything visible in the stool (blood, mucous, food) and if there's any urgency, pain, etc. Then you can hand it over to the doctors and let them judge for themselves!
 
Yeah I started to keep a poop diary when I got really badly constipated recently, but then things sorted themselves out again, my digestive system is confusing! It does what it likes regardless of what I put into it lol although I do try and have my daily wheatabix :)

It hopefully shouldn't matter as I'm due to be getting Infliximab and then we'll be able to see effect it has on my body.

But pooping for me has never been easy :(
 
Hannah I want to hug you! I was just having this convo the other day that I've had poo problems for so long I can't remember what it's like to go to the bathroom and not have it be an event. i have D all the time now, but it started with constipation. I would be in the bathroom screaming and my family would make this joke
"she's dropping the kids off at the pool"
"yeah, but they don't want to go!"
they are actually happy that i have D now [well..happy is not the right word] because at least i don't scream when i go to the bathroom anymore. I hope the Remicade works for you. I start it on Wednesday and can't wait. Best wishes <3
 
The Bristol chart has really helped me, as I track my bm's. It lets me look back on my journal and know exactly what was going on and how I felt.

Unfortunetly, the doctors here in the US have never heard of it. :(
 
I am pretty similar to you, as well. On an average day I go about twice. I don't really have D, but my stools are long and thin (not as thin as a pencil, maybe closer to the size of a sausage) and loose and flakey (does that make sense??). Also, ever since diagnosis I usually have mucus, too. I think I can count on one hand the times I have had a "normal" BM since last summer. My GI doesn't seem concerned, so I try not to dwell on it. I guess I'll have to get used to it as my new normal.
 
lookitsjen said:
Hannah I want to hug you! I was just having this convo the other day that I've had poo problems for so long I can't remember what it's like to go to the bathroom and not have it be an event. i have D all the time now, but it started with constipation. I would be in the bathroom screaming and my family would make this joke
"she's dropping the kids off at the pool"
"yeah, but they don't want to go!"
they are actually happy that i have D now [well..happy is not the right word] because at least i don't scream when i go to the bathroom anymore. I hope the Remicade works for you. I start it on Wednesday and can't wait. Best wishes <3
Click to expand...

Feel free to hug me! :hug: I've had digestive 'issues' ever since I was a child - I remember straining so hard my face went red about the age of eight. Haha aww that's a mean but funny joke from your family.

I know what you mean though, constipation is my absolute worst nightmare, it's probably why I'm in the position I'm in now. I hope the Remicade works for you too, good luck for tomorrow!



That diagram is quite helpful thanks, I think I'm about 80% a 6 and then 20% a 1, 2 or 3. Sometimes like this morning, I was quite constipated and in pain for a while after, but about half an hour after I went I had to go again with some urgency and was then a 4. God knows what the hells up with my body.

I've also got terrible mouth/tongue ulcers again - feels like my mouth has been ripped to shreds inside *sigh*

@Jill yeah I know what you mean that pretty much sounds like me too. Sometimes I don't know if my occasional constipation causes my rectum to become painful and inflammed (is it normal for a difficult bm to cause muscular pain all day afterwards) or whether the inflammation causes the constipation and then then pain. My GI 'tested' my sphincter (finger up the bum) and didnt identify any muscle spasms but sometimes it does feel quite spasmy and the pain eminates from my butt.

Goodness knows whats wrong with my backside!
 
Hannah, that sounds very similar to what I experienced before my CD diagnosis. I had 1-2 very loose stools (5-7 on the Bristol chart) per day for about a year. I've been taking pentasa for 2+ years now, and my stools have returned to "normal" -- usually a 4, 1-2x a day.
 
prettykitty said:
Hannah, that sounds very similar to what I experienced before my CD diagnosis. I had 1-2 very loose stools (5-7 on the Bristol chart) per day for about a year. I've been taking pentasa for 2+ years now, and my stools have returned to "normal" -- usually a 4, 1-2x a day.
Click to expand...

You might think I sound crazy but that's actually very reassuring, means the inflix might actually stand a chance of working :) im going through a constipated phase atm :( my poor butt, but no doubt in a day or two it'll regulate itself again. I hope so anyway because ive run out of Laxido.

There's blood every time I go, I never know now whether it's superficial or from inside, who knows.
 
Hi Hannah,

I must admit i am having a little giggle here, not for one second at your illnes and difficulties. Just the topic, isnt it hilarious what we can talk about here, truly brilliant it is !!

At the early stages of my own diagnosis i had every colour under the sun, so when my G.I. asked me he got a very confusing and wide ranged answer.

Is this a dating site ? . . . . . . . imagine logging (no pun intended) onto the wrong site and typing in that question to match.com or one of those type of sites. . . .

HAHAHAHA . . . .

Hope you are keeping well

your first friend Wahooooo !!
 
Hey bruscar, long time no speak :)

It's got to the stage now where the first thing my friends ask when they see me is 'hows your bum?' so I'm totally oblivious to normal politeness when it comes to poop talk now ;)

Haha yes let's hope I don't one day come home drunk and log on to plentyoffish and get confused and make a HIDEOUS ERROR lol, won't be getting many messages after that!!!

I'm well thanks, just waiting for my impending doom atm :) hope you're well too!
 
Yeah its been a while (not my bm, since we were in touch) . . haha

As a friend, and purely as a real friend . . . you can gladly have my remaining bum parts but i promise you this . . . were not talking "one careful owner" . . haha

lots of happiness Hannah

X
 
If you have a smartphone there are two different apps out there that you can log your BM's as well as pain, medications, stress, and food intake. I use GIMonitor, and it even creates graphs and tells you your quality of life depending on symptoms. Its a very easy way to keep track and have a diary!
 
You know, this is funny as I've asked this question of every single one of my doctors. The only one who gave me a real answer was my chiropractor!! It's supposed to be shaped kind of like a banana, smooth without cracks, not ribbon, mild brown color, and mild smell. no slicks on the water, no mucus in the stool or on the TP, it should fall out without effort, and it should not have a pinched look unless you "pinched it off" if you know what I mean.
 
Carrie630 said:
You know, this is funny as I've asked this question of every single one of my doctors. The only one who gave me a real answer was my chiropractor!! It's supposed to be shaped kind of like a banana, smooth without cracks, not ribbon, mild brown color, and mild smell. no slicks on the water, no mucus in the stool or on the TP, it should fall out without effort, and it should not have a pinched look unless you "pinched it off" if you know what I mean.
Click to expand...

Fail on the poop front then for me. Good luck in attaining the optimum poop goal described above though everyone!!
 

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