I have an embarrassing question about bowel movements

[Gandonile]

I promise I’m not the poo troll for those of you who’ve been around long enough to remember him 😣

Ive recently been having some symptoms and the GP ordered a FIT test for me. It came back positive with a number in the hundreds. Clearly a worrying time but taking comfort that most of the time it turns out to be something benign

However the GP and the triage nurse at the hospital were both asking me about bowel movements / any changes etc and now I feel like what I think is normal isn’t normal for everyone.

I don’t have a regular time of the day when I go to the loo. From one day to the next it could change from a bit loose to firm to thin to hard to soft again (god it’s embarrassing just writing this). But is that not normal? People’s bowel movements do change depending on what they’ve eaten the day before etc? If not then I feel really silly for not knowing this. I grew up in a house where it was absolutely not the done thing to talk about going to the loo!

I go through periods where they're consistent then periods where they're not (both timing & consistency). Due to medication im
o. They're terribly inconsistent at the moment. Very Annoying!

🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼for your test results & getting everything sorted 🤗

I’m not consistent. I usually go once a day but certainly not at the same time each day and sometimes I won’t go for a few days or will go two or more times in the same day. The consistency/ colour/ smell etc is all very variable, I assumed this was normal as what I eat and drink in a day is very variable too, including the time of day I eat, how many meals I eat, how much fruit and veg I eat in a day etc, it’s not unusual for me to have days where I eat nothing but toast or only eat one meal and then on other days I might eat really well and have loads of fruit and veg. Maybe if my eating habits were more consistent my BMs would be too!

I think most people are fairly regular but many people with digestive issues like crohn’s or coeliac disease or IBS or UC are not.

I have no idea what's normal - and I'm not sure there is any normal. My husband goes every morning, like clockwork. Some for my brother and my father.

My (11 year old) daughter had a visit to A&E this week and when asked about her bowel movements the doctor looked concerned when I said it had been more than 24 hours since her last poo, so I explained that she usually goes every two to three days. The doctor looked horrified. I explained that I've always been the same and so is my other daughter. Texture fine, consistent etc. That's just our pattern. When she wrote up the report for my daughter it stated that she suffers from constipation. Is this really constipation? A lifelong pattern that doesn't include any stomach ache, difficulty in passing movements, inconsistent texture etc. That's not what I understand to be constipation.

Does the rest of the world really go every single day, consistently?

There is no consistency to my bowel movements either but I am diagnosed with IBS.

My friends and I talk about poo a lot! Your normal is going to be different to someone else’s.

I’m one of those ‘clockwork’ people - first thing in the morning every day without fail, and usually last thing at night too. One of my friends, however, goes once every three weeks. 😐

I'm the same as you OP.

You are being investigated and that is why inconsistent bowel movements are being explored. It may be normal for you or it may indicate an underlying issue like IBS. That’s what you will find out so try not to worry. As I understand it a change in bowel habits might indicate cancer so if yours have always been this way maybe that’s normal for you.

My calprotectin was 5 - it isn’t IBS

I know why they are asking questions, I’m asking if it is unusual not to have consistency

I go every morning at c6am and then will go again later in the day if I’m eating a very veg heavy diet. I do eat meat but find lots of it causes constipation. No dairy

I always eat lots of fruit and vegetables, and a wide range too.

Very little UPF.

yes, the consistency will change based on what I’m eating, but only if for example I’ve had a day of travel and we end up having a bacon sandwich in the morning and then something like steak and chips at lunch because my normal fruit and veg aren’t available.

Me too. I try not to think too much about it!

I became more random at times during the day and frequency after the age of 53, around menopause really kicking in.

I have one friend who goes once a day and nothing has changed with menopause, another with IBD goes up to six times a day sometimes and I can go anywhere from not going at all to several times in the day.

It's annoying, I'd like to still go just the once and in the morning preferably, but my bowels dictate otherwise. It's just how it is now. 🙄

I am with most of you! I am sure my bowels have ADHD and they try to rule my life and have done for many years!

Apologies my message may have been a little unclear. What I was trying to say is that you may have all your life had an underlying issue like IBS without realising it or it may just have been your normal - it’s almost impossible to say. However hopefully the current investigations will identify whether you have previously had a chronic issue that may or may not be linked to your current issues. I am sorry you are going through this and hope you get some answers soon.

Like others have said, everyones normal is different. Perhaps you need to start the really fun "poo diaries " to figure out your normal. I did... Yes it's stupid sounding but actually showed I did have a norm, it was just a bit more frequent then the average.

Nurses tend to use the Bristol Stool Chart to classify types of poo, so for my poo diary I used that too, along with the time.

High Calprotectin doesn’t indicate IBS!!! It’s indicates IBD / Crohn’s which whilst may have similar symptoms is a very different illness.

That doctor is an idiot and you should query that comment on her medical notes and ask for it to be removed. Of course some people’s normal is every 2nd day or so. And no, that’s not enough for a diagnosis of constipation.

(I am also a healthcare peep).

Does your diet vary much from day to day?
As others say everyone is different. I don't think it's healthy to go days between but maybe that's because I would hate it.
I take several drugs which have constipation as a side effect. I manage it by diet but very occasionally need a laxative. Loads of fruit, veg and fibre and water. I had a colonoscopy so I know that I have a very long and twisted bowel. Don't know what impact that has.
If I don't go properly every morning I consider myself constipated.
DS isn't happy unless he goes 3 times a day..

Normal varies. I go several times a day which again is normal for me, but would be a concern for someone who goes once a day or every couple of days.

Consistency reflects diet but that might be more or less obvious depending on how often you go.

Editing to clarify - going every few days is just as normal. What’s concerning is changing that pattern.