Poop irregular: Why do I poop thrice a day... - IBS Network

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Poop irregular

mondlee6248 profile image
33 Replies

Why do I poop thrice a day sometimes and once a day sometimes and after poop I always don’t feel good, in March I had poop with blood and discomfort in the tummy so I went for colonoscopy and MRI and everything is good, did removed two small polyps and after all this the poop becomes irregular again. So stress

If I poop thrice a day, the first one will be solid, second will be lesser and the third time will be abit liquid. Why? I’m not like that in the past. What happen? This poop thing really bothers me. After the colonoscopy, I become paranoid, making me looking at the poop whenever I had one, Anyone having the same issue? Can you guys share the experience with me? I’m so stress

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mondlee6248
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33 Replies
Maureen1958 profile image
Maureen1958

Hi, I have had IBS for 35 years. Regarding your comment about your poo getting more runny each time you go. It's what happens with IBS because each time you go the poo comes from further up and has not had time to harden. Hope that makes some sense to you. Having said that I have no idea how to stop it happening!

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to Maureen1958

Thank you Maureen, so do you have any symptoms like mine? What medicine do u eat then? It’s really troubling me. Initially in March I had poo with blood and discomfort in the tummy, so I went for colonoscopy and had 2 small polyps removed, after that till now, sometimes I don’t feel 100% and sometimes I poo more and sometimes once a day. Do you think eating probiotics help? This gut thing really play with my mind

Maureen1958 profile image
Maureen1958 in reply to mondlee6248

Basically I always feel like I want to go, as soon as I go I just want to carry on going so I have to force a stop and hope. I don't take any medication because they don't work for me. I don't take probiotics either as they don't work for me either, although they do for others. IBS is very individual and you have to just try things and she how you get on with them. What are you anxious about, is it coping with the IBS or do you think you have something more serious?

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to Maureen1958

Anxious because I had this thing like in March and basically I’m not like not prepare for anything and I think it’s not something more because I went thru the colonoscopy and the MRI, it’s just if it’s really IBS, I search online there’s nothing to cure so how am I able to handle it throughout, that worries me

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to Maureen1958

Yeah the force a stop and hope, just on this, don’t you feel stress?

Maureen1958 profile image
Maureen1958 in reply to mondlee6248

Okay, I understand now that you are anxious about dealing with it, not that it is something else. Sometimes when people first have this, although they have had tests, they still think it's something sinister like cancer. Yes, I get stressed about it but I try to tell myself it will be okay. You could try taking imodium if you think you are going to have an accident.

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to Maureen1958

Do you skip certain food or did you try the Low fodmap food which is recommended online and the Imodium you mentioned will it become constipated?

Maureen1958 profile image
Maureen1958 in reply to mondlee6248

I don't do low fodmap as I can eat things they say not to and visa versa. But I do avoid certain foods that I think effect me. For instance I had something with chickpeas the other day and decided I would do eat them again (they are high fodmap though). But I have to be careful with most vegetables as they tend to rush through me. I try not to eat a lot, just small portions and I have found recently that not eating till after 4pm helps. I just have a small lunch and small evening meal which is usually sometime between 8pm and 10pm sometimes later. At present this is working as good as anything else I have tried over the years but we are all different and have to find what is best for us by trial and error, quite a lot of errors, in my case :). I have also changed what I do over the years because it is always changing!

You do have to be careful with imodium, it can make you feel constipated the next day. I would only take one, although I try to just hold it most of the time. I use imodium instants as you don't need to have a drink with them. Sometimes just a drink can set me off.

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to Maureen1958

Thank you Maureen for your reply, I had started following you cos you wrote a lot and a lot of replies and feedback, I think we need a lot of support and a lot of try and errors to see which one suits us the most. I can read from your post and feedbacks from there too, thank yo u very much

nieldy profile image
nieldy

stress can make your present symptoms worst.

can i ask was the blood in your poo a fresh blood???

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to nieldy

Hi Nieldy, the bleeding stops after the colonoscopy and removal of two small polyps

nieldy profile image
nieldy in reply to mondlee6248

try not to worry it will make your present symptoms worst.

can i ask if you ever had a blood that was like a jelly?? or mucusy blood?

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to nieldy

Shld be mucusy blood but luckily it’s gone but the on/ off irregular pooping is there

nieldy profile image
nieldy in reply to mondlee6248

i have read a post somewhere here that they got diarrhea after colonoscopy maybe due to the prep that was done

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to nieldy

My scope was done in March, so I don’t think it’s the scope prep, till now my bowels are irregular, couple is days okay then suddenly discomfort and poop more, definitely it worries me so I think and believe it’s the IBS, that’s why I join the IBS network to know more and hopefully to find something that helps me.

How about your mum, had she went for the colonoscopy?

mrhealthanxiety profile image
mrhealthanxiety

Hi - my stomach issues started Oct 2018.....first with a constant cramp lower left side and the feeling of being full and constipated yet still having a BM. It didn’t go away and some days I was totally constipated first thing too then had big BM later in the day.

I Therefore had - scan / various blood tests / stool tests / endo x 2 / colonoscopy / allergy tests / seen dietician / seen my gp so many times / have seen 3 different private specialists twice each / tried all the usual tablets etc......all results came back basically normal and not even a polop.

However I now (and have for months) been having the follow daily symptoms with just the odd day free :

Wake up stomach feels irritated / feel constipated but still have BM / as day progresses cramps start and mild pain / afternoon wind starts / Dinner time feel full and feel need another BM yet feel constipated / real bad wind which gets worse in evening / burping at times too. I never have servers pain it’s always more “uncomfortable pain” as such.

I have never had blood, but randomly I’m worried I had a bit a few days ago, but it sounds silly it could have been a small bit of red bell pepper skin (sorry for the too much info here) rather than blood - the water is never bloody etc.

I worry what it is I have - I eat well, don’t drink and maintain regular fitness - i just can’t get my head around this is just IBS despite all the above mentioned tests and private specialist visits.

I have serious Health Anxiety so this is made worse as my symptoms just don’t go away hence I start fearing and worrying about the worse case etc.

Hope the above shows you are not alone.

Wish you well.

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to mrhealthanxiety

Thank you so much, I just don’t know how to deal with the certain days of discomfort, certain days of pooping irregularly, it’s like not normal at all, yet as you mentioned, my scope, my MRI all came back nothing, at least good thing but dealing with IBS( if really is) which had no medicine at all

asbayford profile image
asbayford

Please do try the low fodmap diet with a dietitian, it helps up to 70% of IBS sufferers :) it was a miracle for me! Best of luck x

Whippetwoo profile image
Whippetwoo

Hi I have suffered with IBS for several years now about 10 years ago I had both a Colonoscopy & Endoscopy as both my daughters have Coeliac disease . I was clear of that but the doctor said it must be IBS

I know that stress makes mine worse and certain foods some days I can go to to toilet

5/6 times I feel nauseous as well .

If I know I’m going somewhere out for the day I take Imodium so I feel safe !

Have you been tested for Coeliac?

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to Whippetwoo

Nope, I didn’t been tested for coeliac, so basically what are the symptoms for IBS? Can doc really diagnose IBS? Because I think different people have different feelings for IBS

xjrs profile image
xjrs

Irregular bowel movements is a common symptom in IBS. However in terms of frequency up to 3 times a day is still considered 'normal'.

Here is some information about IBS I have provided to others in this group:

IBS can be due to a number or combination of factors - these can be stress (including stress from early life experiences) which impacts the communication between the brain and the digestive system. There are lots of free webinars online at the moment regarding mindfulness meditation which might help. Plus you can ask to be referred for CBT or something similar to reduce your anxiety - I would have thought online appointments are available. Exercise can play a major role in IBS in terms of reducing stress, helping your gut microbiome and regulating bowel movements.

There is also not absorbing certain types of carbohydrates called FODMAPs very well, the residue ending up in the colon and bacteria feeding off them causing symptoms. Ordinarily feeding gut bacteria is a really good thing - when you feed good gut bacteria these produce by-products that have great health effects in the gut and throughout the body. However, in some people with IBS bad bugs might have the upper hand over good - these bad bugs may cause symptoms such as pain or disordered bowel movements. This is why it’s worth trying probiotics such as Alflorex (which has been scientifically studied for IBS) or Symprove to crowd out the bad bugs and make their numbers die down. If that doesn't work you can try the FODMAP elimination and reintroduction diet. This is normally under the guidance of a nutritionist via GP referral - this may not be possible at the moment so you can read about it online. If you download the Monash University FODMAP app it will tell you which foods contain FODMAPs and in what quantities. You can eliminate all FODMAPs for 2 weeks and then introduce each type of FODMAP one at a time starting in small quantities, increasing over a 3 day period and wait up to 4 days for symptoms. I go much slower than this - only introducing a small amount (1/4 to 1/3 or a normal portion size) of the same food for 3 days and then increase if tolerable or no symptoms and cut back to the previous amount if symptoms for longer and then try to increment again . I've read your microbiome can adapt to handling a new food if introduced very slowly. Ideally you want to eat as many FODMAPs as you can since they are good for your health. Many people with IBS don't have diverse gut bacteria - it has been found that people who lack a diverse microbiome are more prone to diseases in general. In the long run, if you can get your symptoms under control, the ideal situation is to have a very varied diet - lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables, a variety of protein and carbohydrate sources including cereal fibres. This may seem a long way off, but with the right treatment all of this is possible. Last year all I could consume to control my IBS was white rice, protein and limited low fodmap veg. Using the approach above (particularly introducing Alflorex) I am now able to consume far more foods - more than I've ever dreamed of including wholewheat bread which is unheard of for me.

I see that you are also suffering from pain. You may be suffering from visceral hypersensitivity (functional abdominal pain) - there is info about it here:

iffgd.org/lower-gi-disorder...

It is where the brain interprets the normal activity of the bowel as pain - this is due to a wearing down of neurons in pain control centres of the brain which can be caused by PTSD, neglect or abuse in childhood, extreme stressful events etc. The first line treatment is nerve pain agents such as low dose amitriptyline. There is a theory that being on something like amitriptyline for 6-12 months can help the pain control centre neurons to regenerate. Note that amitriptyline can cause constipation, but this can be helpful in people who are diarrhea dominant. Unfortunately I couldn't tolerate these. Linaclotide for IBS-C (which you don't have) & Alflorex have helped me with this intestinal pain.

You may also find assistance with anti-spasmodic medication such as mebeverine (Colofac) or enteric coated peppermint.

You can find some info on self management here:

theibsnetwork.org/the-self-...

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to xjrs

Do you know the symptoms for IBS, it’s not only irregular frequency, I felt discomfort in tummy, feeling shit at rectum maybe as well

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to mondlee6248

IBS symptoms vary from person to person. Discomfort and rectum issues can be included in this.

mondlee6248 profile image
mondlee6248 in reply to xjrs

So usually what do you guys do to eliminate that feeling or reduce that feeling

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to mondlee6248

It is difficult to tell from what you are writing what you mean by 'feeling'. Please read my post about general advice about IBS. Sometimes we can focus our minds too much on a specific symptom and get anxiety about it. Sometimes it can be worth trying to distract yourself with other activities in addition to taking action in general terms to help your IBS knowing that you should see improvements in future.

Jenny3267 profile image
Jenny3267 in reply to xjrs

I had my ibs under reasonable control and deteriorated badly after taking symprove. It has destroyed my life as I think it gave me SIBO. A few nutritionists agreed symprove can be a real problem

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to Jenny3267

Sorry to hear that. I haven't tried Symprove myself. I just know it is one that has had clinical studies and known to reach the gut. I won't mention it again since I don't have personal experience of it. I take Alflorex - it is one specific strong & low dose strain - it have been specifically studied for IBS and I have received a lot of benefit from it.

Jenny3267 profile image
Jenny3267 in reply to xjrs

I’m glad it’s worked for you. I did well with probiotics before symprove but afterwards I found I couldn’t tolerate them.

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to Jenny3267

Sorry to hear that. Hope you manage to get sorted in time.

Jenny3267 profile image
Jenny3267 in reply to xjrs

Thank you. I’m in a bad way. Lost a lot of weight which I can’t regain no matter how much I eat. No one seems able to help me.

TaraqMahmood profile image
TaraqMahmood

Hi

I know how hard it is to not worry about IBS but the best thing is make a diary of foods you eat and when you need to go ( the runny stuff ) as that will give you an indicator of what causes it.

Are you stressing or trying too hard to push causing anal fissures( blood)

I had it for 7 years and medication doesn’t really work for it. I have gotten used to the fact that I have to go first thing in morning and then maybe later in afternoon each day ( plus making sure I’m always within running/driving distance of somewhere that has a toilet )

Jenny3267 profile image
Jenny3267

I had my ibs under reasonable control and deteriorated badly after taking symprove. It has destroyed my life as I think it gave me SIBO. A few nutritionists agreed symprove can be a real problem

Linedanceing profile image
Linedanceing

I can be the same the first one is normal and you think that's great your done then I take 1 Imodium instant after my BM and I can still go again a half hour later and again in evening I'm not a big eater I often wonder where it all comes from, this IBS it takes over your life you can sometimes bleed from going to much as well as constipation so not to worry to much there🙂

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