IF YOUR REGULAR pooping schedule suddenly goes on overdrive and you start pooping far more times in a day than usual, you might wonder where all of this is coming from, and is there something wrong? Here’s what to know.
There’s a wide variety of reasons as to why one might be pooping so much, and what’s normal for one person can be abnormal for another, says Christine Lee, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic.
“The rule of thumb is that anything not “normal to you” may be a sign to see a doctor,” she says. Especially if it’s not attributable to something obvious, like a big change in your eating habits. “Classic signs to seek medical attention are unexplainable weight loss, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, anemia (low red blood counts), fevers, rashes, fevers, persistent abdominal pains, and changes in your bowel functions,” Dr. Lee says.
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Changes in consistency and volume may also signal that something is amiss, though these factors largely depend on what foods you’ve consumed and under what conditions—like whether you had them during stress, travel, are taking medications or have changed your level of physical activity, Dr. Lee adds. A change in bowel habits may also be signs of lots of other things, like digestive diseases such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatic disorders, biliary disorders, lactose intolerance, small bowel bacterial overgrowth, irritable bowel syndrome, so it definitely wouldn’t hurt to bring them up with your doc, she says.
It’s not all that unusual to experience short-term changes in bowel frequency, says Princeton gastroenterologist Anish Sheth, M.D., author of What’s Your Poo Telling You? But don’t just blow them off. Here, experts break down what to watch for and when to bring up your bathroom issues with your doctor.
How many times a day should I be pooping?
Everyone is different, and one person’s potentially unusual number of daily poops could be someone else’s normal. There’s no hard-and-fast number for your number two, but most people average between three a week to three a day, says Jordan Karlitz, M.D., FACG, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at Tulane University.
Absolute numbers are less important than changes in your regular pooping pattern. “If you’ve gone once a day your entire life, but you’ve now started going three or four times a day for the past couple weeks—even if it’s not explosive diarrhea—that warrants medical attention,” Dr. Sheth says.
Before panicking, though, take a look at your diet. Common short-term culprits of loose, frequent stool include alcohol, caffeine, fructose, and artificial sweeteners like sorbitol, says gastroenterologist Dr. Karlitz. (All the stuff it’s good to consume in moderation.)
Other foods can soften and add bulk to the stool, which can make you have to poop more often. Think foods with insoluble fiber, like vegetables or meals containing wheat bran and whole grains, explains Dr. Lee.
Taking new medications can affect your poop, too. Any type of antibiotic can upset the normal balance of good and bad bacteria in your GI tract, Dr. Karlitz says.
But if you haven’t changed your diet or started taking new meds, it’s possible you are sick with a stomach bug like gastroenteritis, or a bout of food poisoning which will pass if you stay hydrated and are patient.
If your poop pattern doesn’t return to normal after two weeks—or shifts every few weeks or months—and you start experiencing blood, mucus, abdominal pain, fever, and nausea, see your doc, says Dr. Sheth.
What will my doctor do?
Your doctor should first ask you to run through your symptoms. If there’s blood in your stool, your doctor should order a colonoscopy, which searches your large intestine for colorectal cancer, which is becoming more prevalent in young men, as well as other inflammatory bowel disorders such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
If your exams don’t turn up anything unusual and you’ve ruled out these conditions, you might have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which causes abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation.
So how do I stop pooping so much?
Keep a food journal—log what you eat plus any symptoms you experience, Dr. Karlitz advises. Then cut back on or cut out potential diet culprits. In addition:
• If insoluble fiber is to blame, eat more soluble fiber, which is fiber that hard to see and dissolves into liquid/gel that attracts water, thereby softening the stool allowing easier passage explains Dr. Lee. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, some fruits, and the common fiber supplements psyllium (found in Metamucil) or wheat dextrin (found in Benefiber). Consuming more soluble fiber will result in firmer, less frequent poops. Generally speaking, men should aim for about 38 grams or more of fiber per day.
“Both types of fiber are important for health, digestion, and important in staying healthy,” says Dr. Lee. “You can take it whenever is most convenient for you; however, I would recommend taking fiber at least six hours apart from medications.”
• If antibiotics are the culprit for your frequent pooping, you might try taking probiotics to restore your gut’s balance of good and bad bacteria. A 2016 study concluded that taking probiotics can reduce the duration of diarrhea by about a day.
• For run-of-the-mill stomach viruses, stick to an all-liquid diet until things are back to normal in the bathroom. Eating solid food too soon can spark more diarrhea and worsen dehydration.
• If you end up with an IBS diagnosis, you may have to experiment with your diet. Pay closer attention to what you eat every day, and note the foods that seem to aggravate your condition. Common trigger foods can include dairy, cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and leafy greens, and artificial sweeteners, but this is highly individual. A 2018 study showed that increasing physical activity can also improve IBS patients’ symptoms.
The bottom line: Frequent poops could end up being completely normal, but if you do have accompanying symptoms that cause concern, bring them up with your doctor to help you return to your regular schedule.
Emilia Benton is a Houston-based freelance writer and editor. In addition to Women’s Health, she has contributed health, fitness and wellness content to Runner’s World, SELF, Prevention, Healthline, and POPSUGAR, among other publications. She is also a 10-time marathoner, frequent traveler and avid amateur baker.
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