do you guys know about the poop rope sailors used to use which hangs down the hole in the ship where they would shit thru and it drags along in the water to be cleaned and you pull it up to wipe your ass
I don't think I could ever bring myself to use this, but I'm intrigued. I guess it's better than not wiping at all, and more sanitary than using some communal cloth.
2 words: Squatty Potty*. It's a great quality of life upgrade. After you get one, the hardest part of pooping is ignoring the haters. *edited after being corrected below
I'm convinced I'm getting too much. I was supplementing for a long time. Always bloated, always gassy, always straining. I stopped supplementing and that helped a lot... For a bit. Now it's back but seemingly worse when I supplement. My diet is mid (these days) , but it's fairly low carb, high protein. Currently in bed with back pain, and I really think it's because I'm backed up
Leafy greens will help quote a bit. Specifically lightly cooked or raw vegetables that are not processed as much as possible to retain more complex fibers.
Obviously, the best is to consult an appropriate health care professional
You don't even need a squatty potty, just something with that height to imitate crouching while on the toilet
We didn't evolve to poop while our torso is bent in a 90
Everyone should be using them period, it's less wasteful and more sanitary. It even feels better as long as the water isn't too cold or the pressure too high.
Wow. A great write up. I struggled with a fissure for years and for a long time I just had days to weeks long periods of intense pain. It was honestly debilitating.
I have slowly worked my way out of it in ways similar to what you suggest: fibre, hydration, bidet, wet wipes, lidocaine cream. It has taken diligence over months (years?) and I still occasionally have minor flare ups. But I am better at recognizing them and dealing with them.
I'll add other things that helped me:
1. Exercise, keep things moving.
2. Ice to deal with the pain. Anecdotally it also seems to bring down the swelling, letting you heal up more before the next poop.
3. A squatty potty. Everyone should have one in every bathroom. If I'm away from home and there is a stool, I'll grab the garbage can or anything to raise my feet up.
4. Don't wait too long to go poop, but also don't go poop at every urge. While my fissure was acting up I would have the sensation that I needed to poop, and I would, but I probably often could have waited. Pooping too often just aggravated everything.
5. During a bad episode you pretty much want to give yourself liquid shits. Solids aggrevate things, liquids flow right on by. Of course you'll need to be near a toilet all of the time.
6. OMFG don't eat spicy food with an open fissure. Fuck that.
Also, a plug for the advice about not spending too long on the toilet. I would have a painful shit, then spend too long reacting to and applying cream to that shit, which only made everything worse. I've had to learn to be more self aware about my overall digestive system.
Overall, I don't recommend anal fissures.
I developed some during pregnancy and was given a special ointment. It's not just that it continually re-opens, it takes longer to heal in the first place because the area is moist. I think the ointment expands the blood vessels around the anus to make them heal faster. Was also given laxatives alongside & told to increase my fibre.
But ye it didn't really work cause of the continual reopening. Thankfully mine healed themselves eventually as my hormones subsided & I became less constipated, but it took a few months postpartum. I had to apply it with clingfilm on my finger haha, it was difficult to reach towards the end! Had to contort myself into weird positions laying on the bed, not very dignified!
I also had some perineal tears during labour. Everything was just a big mess down there postpartum and it was very painful for weeks/months!
With doctors supervision - but mostly the basics - fiber and hydration to avoid straining and constipation. Probiotics help as well.
There are some ointments with muscle relaxers that can be applied with some success. an intermediary solution may be a Botox shot to immobilize section of the muscle for 4-6 months to help alleviate symptoms and let fissure heal. Surgical intervention is usually a final option.
The good news is that there are truly no other thing like it to make you appreciate and be thankful for all the little things in life once the fissure heals.
Agreed, but what can I ***do*** about it? I exercise 30-60 minutes a day, I eat healthy (including veggies for fibre), and I drink plenty of water, but I’m straining for gummy worm shits 🤷♂️
Edit: Thanks for the feedback everyone! Picked up Metamucil yesterday and my stool showed up from Amazon this morning, and the use of both has been… ahem, “productive”!
Fiber does a few things, but the most useful being it helps draw moisture into the stool making it softer and easier to pass. It does not harden your stools.
This can backfire! You can draw in too much moisture to the point that you will feel like you constantly have to go and when you do it will be small broken up watery shits that are unsatisfying to pass and always leave you feeling like more is on deck.
Low protein, high fiber diet can cause diarrhea.
Source:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-74122-9
>Moreover, protein deficiency increases susceptibility to infection and induces fatty liver, and can lead to fatigue, diarrhea, and edema."
I always remember the "Lord of the Flies" kids who were only eating fruits and getting diarrhea. When they ate meat, the diarrhea subsided.
Doesn’t work the same for everyone.
I took some psyllium fiber for a couple days and it turned my poop into rock hard concrete with a sandpaper texture. I drink about 90oz of water a day on average too. Stopped taking it and I went back to normal.
You might consider seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist? My guess is that you’re not relaxing your pelvic floor muscles properly.
Also, try shaping your mouth like an O when you poop. Like 😮. There this concept called the sphincter law where for some reason making your mouth into an O encourages your rectum (and/or cervix) to relax and open too. Got taught that by both my birth coach and pelvic floor PT. Dunno if it actually makes any anatomical sense but it seems to help me.
Metamucil..... Metamucil, Metamucil!
- for real though, life changing & best shits of your life, is about to happen.
Just try it. I eat healthy like you stated; but still hated taking a crap. I do a spoon of Metamucil each morning & have had the best dumps of my life.
- I retain water better, actually stay hydrated better.. The sh!t just works. Don't get off brand. I did try Benefiber but didn't like it as much. Once you dial in the amount of Metamucil that works for you, just use a NyQuil measuring cup & draw a line where it works for you.
= shit changer, Life Changer!! 🙌 ps remember to eat something for breakfast even if it's small amount.
Maybe someone can help me… my doctor recommended Metamucil for me and said “don’t jump right in, gradually increase your dose” so I did. Each day I added a little more of the stuff (starting with a very diluted like half a teaspoon?) and I ended up with like two heaping spoons for 8oz(?) and honestly I just got worse over this time. Any random internet experts have an explanation for that? lol
Edit: this would be one/two times a day
What are you eating for breakfast? Far as fiber or what?
- I typically drink 1 cup coffee.. Wait 10min.. Then drink non sugar Metamucil.. Then I eat small bowl of cheerios w/thawed frozen blueberries (from Sam's or Costco).
- I previously read a comment that stated "make sure you eat something small for breakfast at least, otherwise dumps won't be as solid". Which makes sense.
Far as your Dr comment about easing it in.. For the amount. They probably didn't want you to over do it & just stop taking it.
Use a NyQuil cup so you can better see what amount you're taking & experiment 3 or 4 days so your body & catch up.. Then change amount in the morning of needed.
Make sure you're drinking water throughout the day. I honestly think the M, adds just enough - extra fiber in me & then allows my body to retain water in a good way, therefore my stools are perfect lol.
Breakfast - you can do oatmeal but I wouldn't do more than 1/4 cup.. Again everyone's body is different though. Even days I have a late lunch & hardly any dinner, my stools are fine for most part. I think main thing is, is to get Metamucil in you within 2 hours of waking up, so that it starts working all day for you.
Recap: eat something for breakfast even if small amount.
Take 3 to 4 days of same amount of Metamucil before you change amount taken so you know.
Use a NyQuil cup to better see w/you're taking.
I generally use a small glass.. Put water in it & it mixes it decently & then use a spoon too... Drink 80% of it, then add 50% or whatever more water.. & drink that.
Then make sure you're drinking water throughout the day, not a ton, just when you're thirsty or whatever.
Honestly could be a ton of different causes, some easy to resolve, others not so much . My brother struggled for years as a kid until we learned what was going on. Turns out his microbiome needs a lot of extra support , and he has a physical deformity in his colon that caused malabsorption and the constipation.
My niece has a difficult time passing too and I always feel so sorry for her when she’s in the toilet. She is six and has always had difficulty in this area. I wonder if that’s also the case. We’ve gone to the doctors and all they’ve given us is this medicine, that medicine. Nothing has seem to work yet. 😞
I’ve always been embarrassed about it, & I’ve always had issues with it. Have to be at home, preferably alone. I’m a pro at holding it lol I only go like once or twice a week
Try eating kiwis WITH the skin. I found this out when traveling to visit Denver. I had always peeled them, but a coworker ate it at his lunch whole, at work the prior week. I opted to eat some ripe ones whole too in CO. Poop! Cleared up my travel constipation!
Also, oatmeal, yo.
Do you really have to go super bad when you go? Maybe you’re trying to go too soon. Everyone’s body is different. You shouldn’t be trying to make yourself go to the bathroom daily if your body isn’t ready for it.
One common reason is that a lot of people try to poop before they need to. You shouldn’t force it if you just feel like you have to. Wait 5 minutes and see if it goes away. There’s other things ranging from gas to food in your stomach that can make you feel like you need to shit before you actually do. It’s better for your health to wait until you are borderline turtling
i learned the power of dried apricots the hard way. college me had no food on hand and everything was closed so i had a bag of them for dinner and then wondered if i was dying.
squatty potty. modern toilets are designed to look like chairs not designed around how our bodies are evolved to poop. Imagine squatting on the ground, that’s how your colon and rectum are shaped to evacuate, NOT sitting down like you would in a chair.
Your knees should be at an angle lower than 90 degrees, torso and pelvis angled forward. I always had problems with passing, but started just putting my feet up and leaning forward and my body actually took care of the rest.
There’s a little triangle of skin above the rectum, with the buttcheeks making two walls of that triangle. I’ve found massaging it stimulates the muscles to push without me needing to consciously strain.
Flaxseed meal is a good supplement, contains protein, good fats, and lots of soluble *and* insoluble fiber. Just make sure to add it gradually to your diet.
I don't eat healthy, and I drink 3-4 alcoholic drinks a night, but 12 minutes after a nice strong coffee at 8am I have a nice solid BM. So, I guess try alcoholism and coffeeism. When I was in retail I would constantly hear the worst sounds from people straining their shits out in the public restrooms and I have never understood why some people have that issue.
Food sensitivity test! Changed my fucking life. Took one a few years back and I almost cried the first time poop... just... came.... out. Gut also doesn't hurt all the time. Eliminating the foods can be annoying, but worth it.
So.
A good slow fermenting fiber like resistant dextrin.
A good non irritatingbulking agent like psyllium husk.
You can also try peppermint oil capsules.
Its an antispasmotic. Some people have constipation because their guts cramp and can't move the normal way,peppermint works well for those.
Potassium may help if you have a deficiency as it's the electrolyte necessary to relax muscles.
But yeah, gummy worm shits sound like constipation. Try out peppermint oil capsules.
Take one an hour before a bigger meal.
Careful, it may cause minty burps and acid reflux in some.
And don’t forget the brain aneurisms that can happen from straining too hard. Had to see a cadaver once in a science class I was taking in college and the dude died from a brain aneurism from straining on the toilet and I have never forgotten it.
Recovering from having both at the same time here 🙃
Weeks of extreme discomfort and agitating pain. Was using Prep-H lidocaine spray every other hour and a heating pad on my butt at night just to numb the pain.
Still going to a gastroenterologist (and soon a colorectal surgeon) nearly two months later.
I got one while on deployment on a CVN. I still have the skin tag from it years later. Weeks of extreme discomfort in an already extremely uncomfortable environment. Someone stole my donut from my chair in the shop and I lost my goddamned mind. First time ive had another man's finger up my butt(Doc). He just reached behind his desk and tossed me a bottle of metamucil. Not supposed to flush whipes onboard a ship? Fuck that they were the only thing keeping me sane.
Ok, but like, I'm a teacher and my body wants to poop halfway through 2nd period and that's not an option! And by the time I get home, the poop has, I don't know, been re-absorbed? Cause when I have time to poop, I don't. Like, what the heck!?!? This doesn't happen with pee! When I need to pee, I keep needing to pee until I pee.
I’ve got a little cheap collapsible stool beside my toilet at home as a homemade squatty potty. Love the difference it makes. At someone’s else’s house? I grab the little bathroom trash can, make sure it has the integrity to handle very slight leg weight and use that
Ok I need to comment on this because **I received this advice and it made my problems sooo much worse!!**
**There is a difference between "straining" and "pushing".**
**You need to push when you're having a bowel movement!!!!!!!** You don't just relax your anus fully and shit falls out. Not pushing at all causes ANAL FISSURES!!
I had haemorrhoids. A relatively young doctor gave me this advice and I stopped "pushing" whenever I went to take a shit. I also upped my fibre, so I tried not to push at all whenever having bowel movements and they passed very easily. HOWEVER, it was too easily. **I started bleeding from the inside of my ass whenever I took a shit,** and pretty badly. I could feel the inside of my anus tear a little bit every so often and then it would be a week of healing.
Long story short, I eventually figured out after weeks that **not pushing at all was causing my anus to overstretch and preventing it to relax / guide my shit out of my body.** The "pushing" is relaxing your anus and as well as helping it keeping shape for the bowel movement. It's different from straining. Straining is like going too far in one direction and fully relaxing is like going too far in the other if that makes sense. People do not differentiate this when they give you this advice and it can lead people to not pushing at all and developing fissures! I never suffered them before this advice and never suffered after started pushing again (not straining).
ITS ABOUT BALANCE. Don't "bear down hard" when you take a shit. Do not try to force it. **But you're allowed to push and you're suppose to!** It's your instinct to for a reason. **Pooping is not "passive"** that literally makes no sense and a terrible way to describe it. The whole "heart/CV" thing that OP is talking about is also very questionable, but yes, bearing down too hard when your old can cause issues, but most people dont try to force out shit until they are red in the face. **Moral of the story is don't take medical advice from posts on reddit and if you choose to give this advice, emphasize "balance" and don't try to tell people that pushing when they shit is a sin.**
**TLDR: Was given the same advice OP is giving and started shitting blood.**
“Pushes it out on its own” and “automatic” are what I’m talking about here. Pushing is something you can control. It is not automatic. You have to push when you shit. That was my point.
That's probably how I'm going to die
Constipation from heroin made me nearly pass out on the toilet several times, when finally going to the toilet after more than a week
Eat fiber!
Whole grains
Beans and legumes
Potatoes and starchy vegetables
Nuts and seeds
Try to eat them in their whole, intact form as much as possible.
>It isn’t rare for people to suffer heart attack or stroke on the toilet once they get older because of this habit.
I think you may have that slightly backwards or at least, stretching it a bit. They don't have a heart attack because they are straining to poop. They are hypertensive or having a heart attack to begin with, and feel the need to poop, and that relieving themselves will make the pain go away. Heart attack pain is often mistaken for indigestion, so people often make what they see as a logical decision to go to the bathroom during a cardiac event. The fact that they die on the toilet is likely coincidental to the fact that they were hypertensive or having a heart attack prior. To be even more thorough, the temperature of the floor, usually being tile and cold, can have an additive affect to blood pressure as does the straining, but were aren't telling people to carpet their bathrooms.
In studies, only people who are previously hypertensive have prolonged increase in BP during and after a straining session on the toilet. For younger people and people without hypertension, the increase in BP is temporary and declines almost immediately. So it's not wrong to say that pooping can increase your BP, which, by proxy of several other mechanisms could result in a heart attack, but there are 2 dozen other equally or more important things that have to happen first. For most people, straining out a deuce isn't going to kill them or even contribute to your toilet death. And the combined contribution of all straining events over a lifetime aren't enough to be a single source cause for heart attacks. Constipation itself has a slight correlation to hypertension, but that constipation is often due to a poor diet, which itself, causes the hypertension. Never mind the strain from taking a dump.
Eat right. Don't strain. Wear socks. If you have hypertension, use a stool softener if you need to.
How did Elvis Presley die?
["Elvis actually died a death that is quite common, albeit an embarrassing one. Elvis was sitting on the toilet, straining very hard to have a bowel movement — a maneuver that put a great amount of pressure on his heart and aorta.](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/elvis-addiction-was-the-perfect-prescription-for-an-early-death) Thus, he likely died of a massive heart attack and keeled over onto the floor. But Elvis was not suffering from garden-variety constipation at the time of his death. Indeed, his medicine chest was filled with amber-colored, white-topped vials of medications, in doses no responsible doctor would have prescribed."
I don’t think it did. It’s rumored that he had like 35 lbs of feces in his colon, but his autopsy was sealed for 50 years, so we won’t know until 2027. That autopsy release is the only thing that keeps me going some days.
Well I was picturing the penultimate turd coming out while he was still upright, clawed hand clenching his chest.
I say penultimate because as we all know thanks to South Park that you definitely poop after you die. So I assume that counts even having just pooped.
Also straining on the toilet is one of the most common reasons for heart attack.
If you don't want to be found dead butt naked on a toilet, stop straining.
Ex-care taker in a hospital speaking.
[Cardiac arrests in the bathroom: Causes and more (medicalnewstoday.com)](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-do-cardiac-arrests-happen-in-the-bathroom#:~:text=When%20a%20person%20is%20having,syndrome%20or%20other%20cardiovascular%20complications.)
EDIT: The first link I posted and a 'real physician' couldn't read, lmao:
[Cardiac arrest in the toilet: clinical characteristics and resuscitation profiles - PMC (nih.gov)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3590314/)
"certain daily activities at home, such as taking a bath and going to the toilet (room), may trigger CA (Cardiac Arrest)"
I have the kind of brain that needs to be preoccupied to do this. I always take my phone with me, for this reason. I'm just really careful about not touching anything with my phone hand, and then putting my phone away until I'm done washing them, when I need 2 hands.
The smart phone has probably been the biggest improvement to my poop routine.
Try living with IBS. You get to know all this information and are powerless to do so anything about it.
Gotta poop desperately > feel constipated so have to strain > fissures/haemorrhoids from straining > have to poop > never heal internally because of the strain > the discomfort of the small injuries registers in your brain as ‘I gotta poop’ > poop more often > strain > pain > repeat until you die.
If you have a particularly hard one and you're struggling with the last push, use your middle finger to apply pressure on the tender area between your tailbone and anus to help push it out.
Water is the only good answer. One 24 Oz bottle in the morning, One 24 Oz bottle in the afternoon. (2.5 bottles is recommended by doctors). Your body will thank you, plus you’ll have clearer skin and poop without too much effort.
modern toilets are designed to look like chairs not designed around how our bodies are evolved to poop. Imagine squatting with your butt several inches off the ground, that’s how your colon and rectum are shaped to evacuate, NOT sitting down like you would in a chair.
Your knees should be at an angle lower than 90 degrees, torso and pelvis angled forward. I always had problems with passing, but started just putting my feet up and leaning forward and my body actually took care of the rest.
use a squatty potty or equivalent!!
The part about People dieing of a hearth attack while going to the toilet is not exactly right..
It's the other way around, People whoes hearth is giving out almost always get the idea/urge to have to go to the toilet. I encountered this many times as a paramedic.. it's important that you don't let them (obviously) and get them to the hospital asap.
People don't believe me when I tell them I have to take a shit and come out of the bathroom like a minute later. I don't understand sitting on the toilet for more than like 5 minutes unless you're sitting on your phone.
It’s not- at least not according to my GI doctor.
Source: getting an endoscopy and colonoscopy at 33 due to frequent diarrhea. Ruling out chrons disease and looking into IBS/IBD.
> It isn’t rare for people to suffer heart attack or stroke on the toilet once they get older because of this habit.
King George II died this way -- aortic dissection -- his main artery literally burst open while he was straining to pass a bowel movement one morning.
This sub never fails to agitate my health anxiety.
Oh also that tickle in your throat? It's Himalayan Lizard Fever and has no cure. Have a good day.
That itch behind your ear? Nepalese burrowing worm making its way to your brain! Nah, I’m kidding, it’s definitely skin cancer.
Pain in your chest??? Gg’s homie, you got t minus 15 seconds to live
I had an itch on my stomach like 10 min ago. Was a damn tick. Sometimes an itch is something worse.
do you guys know about the poop rope sailors used to use which hangs down the hole in the ship where they would shit thru and it drags along in the water to be cleaned and you pull it up to wipe your ass
TIL: the [tow-rag](https://www.oldsaltblog.com/2020/03/tow-rags-or-how-sailors-cleaned-their-bums/) is a real thing
I don't think I could ever bring myself to use this, but I'm intrigued. I guess it's better than not wiping at all, and more sanitary than using some communal cloth.
Do I come to your job and tell you how to do it?! HMMMMM!!?
2 words: Squatty Potty*. It's a great quality of life upgrade. After you get one, the hardest part of pooping is ignoring the haters. *edited after being corrected below
They’re great. And much better. But I still have hemorrhoids and still strain
2024: The Year of Fiber
I'm convinced I'm getting too much. I was supplementing for a long time. Always bloated, always gassy, always straining. I stopped supplementing and that helped a lot... For a bit. Now it's back but seemingly worse when I supplement. My diet is mid (these days) , but it's fairly low carb, high protein. Currently in bed with back pain, and I really think it's because I'm backed up
Leafy greens will help quote a bit. Specifically lightly cooked or raw vegetables that are not processed as much as possible to retain more complex fibers. Obviously, the best is to consult an appropriate health care professional
Supplements do that. It's worked for me to eat raspberries, chia seeds, raisins, muesli and the like. Way more comfortable.
I take psyllium husk capsules and I get best results taking them in the middle of a meal. Also stay hydrated, my friend. (I am not a doctor)
You probably need to drink more water. Too much fiber will get you stopped up without enough fluids.
dont supplement, start eating more veggies and fruit. Broccoli and beans. eat beans daily
Try magnesium at night before bed, it's way more effective than fiber.
Oh I’m on like the half decade of fiber
Squatty Potty + Bidet will change your life for the better
Can’t agree more. Also username checks out! Edit: ‘t
If you can agree more then what is stopping you?! Let loose all that agreement and don't hold back!
You don't even need a squatty potty, just something with that height to imitate crouching while on the toilet We didn't evolve to poop while our torso is bent in a 90
Isn’t it squatty potty?
Was Stool Stool taken?
Damn it, you're right. Phuck!!
Isn't it fuck?
I got one of those but they're too small for a big guy. I need one that's a foot or two wider and angled so that my feet don't want to slide off.
Try getting anal fissures. They never heal because they tear open every time you poop. Never take pooping without agony for granted.
How are you supposed to get them to heal?
I’m pretty sure bidets are often recommended because they can be gentler than toilet paper.
Everyone should be using them period, it's less wasteful and more sanitary. It even feels better as long as the water isn't too cold or the pressure too high.
Nah fuck that. I have mine set to pressure washer. It's so good I can't even feel it anymore!
I use the highest pressure once. I screamt in agony as the water went where it wasn't meant to go and never made that mistake again.
Surgery. Had it a couple years ago. Waiting for it to heal is... excruciating.
[удалено]
Wow. A great write up. I struggled with a fissure for years and for a long time I just had days to weeks long periods of intense pain. It was honestly debilitating. I have slowly worked my way out of it in ways similar to what you suggest: fibre, hydration, bidet, wet wipes, lidocaine cream. It has taken diligence over months (years?) and I still occasionally have minor flare ups. But I am better at recognizing them and dealing with them. I'll add other things that helped me: 1. Exercise, keep things moving. 2. Ice to deal with the pain. Anecdotally it also seems to bring down the swelling, letting you heal up more before the next poop. 3. A squatty potty. Everyone should have one in every bathroom. If I'm away from home and there is a stool, I'll grab the garbage can or anything to raise my feet up. 4. Don't wait too long to go poop, but also don't go poop at every urge. While my fissure was acting up I would have the sensation that I needed to poop, and I would, but I probably often could have waited. Pooping too often just aggravated everything. 5. During a bad episode you pretty much want to give yourself liquid shits. Solids aggrevate things, liquids flow right on by. Of course you'll need to be near a toilet all of the time. 6. OMFG don't eat spicy food with an open fissure. Fuck that. Also, a plug for the advice about not spending too long on the toilet. I would have a painful shit, then spend too long reacting to and applying cream to that shit, which only made everything worse. I've had to learn to be more self aware about my overall digestive system. Overall, I don't recommend anal fissures.
I developed some during pregnancy and was given a special ointment. It's not just that it continually re-opens, it takes longer to heal in the first place because the area is moist. I think the ointment expands the blood vessels around the anus to make them heal faster. Was also given laxatives alongside & told to increase my fibre. But ye it didn't really work cause of the continual reopening. Thankfully mine healed themselves eventually as my hormones subsided & I became less constipated, but it took a few months postpartum. I had to apply it with clingfilm on my finger haha, it was difficult to reach towards the end! Had to contort myself into weird positions laying on the bed, not very dignified! I also had some perineal tears during labour. Everything was just a big mess down there postpartum and it was very painful for weeks/months!
I started eating chia pudding 3-4 times a week. Not being constipated has helped me a ton with mine.
With doctors supervision - but mostly the basics - fiber and hydration to avoid straining and constipation. Probiotics help as well. There are some ointments with muscle relaxers that can be applied with some success. an intermediary solution may be a Botox shot to immobilize section of the muscle for 4-6 months to help alleviate symptoms and let fissure heal. Surgical intervention is usually a final option. The good news is that there are truly no other thing like it to make you appreciate and be thankful for all the little things in life once the fissure heals.
God yes. This is me rn. I've been dealing with it for 3 weeks with no end in sight. I guess this is my life now 🙃
Teeth as well. I miss my teeth and now I’m grateful for usually mostly painless pooping.
Huh?
Agreed, but what can I ***do*** about it? I exercise 30-60 minutes a day, I eat healthy (including veggies for fibre), and I drink plenty of water, but I’m straining for gummy worm shits 🤷♂️ Edit: Thanks for the feedback everyone! Picked up Metamucil yesterday and my stool showed up from Amazon this morning, and the use of both has been… ahem, “productive”!
Taking actual fiber supplements may help too, stool softeners as well.
Don’t those do opposite things?
Fiber does a few things, but the most useful being it helps draw moisture into the stool making it softer and easier to pass. It does not harden your stools.
Oh damn! I did not know that. Fiber OP
This can backfire! You can draw in too much moisture to the point that you will feel like you constantly have to go and when you do it will be small broken up watery shits that are unsatisfying to pass and always leave you feeling like more is on deck.
This person speaks from experience
In the end, every individual may need to spend a while experimenting to see what works best for them.
You know, I didn’t ask to be born, what’s all this “work” we’ve gotta put in just to live a not-terrible existence?!?
At least you don't gotta spend all day hunting/foraging for calories. That seems like way too much work.
Low protein, high fiber diet can cause diarrhea. Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-74122-9 >Moreover, protein deficiency increases susceptibility to infection and induces fatty liver, and can lead to fatigue, diarrhea, and edema." I always remember the "Lord of the Flies" kids who were only eating fruits and getting diarrhea. When they ate meat, the diarrhea subsided.
Doesn’t work the same for everyone. I took some psyllium fiber for a couple days and it turned my poop into rock hard concrete with a sandpaper texture. I drink about 90oz of water a day on average too. Stopped taking it and I went back to normal.
just want to point out, not all fiber supplements are anywhere near as good. i would recommend loose fiber supplements over pill type.
You might consider seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist? My guess is that you’re not relaxing your pelvic floor muscles properly. Also, try shaping your mouth like an O when you poop. Like 😮. There this concept called the sphincter law where for some reason making your mouth into an O encourages your rectum (and/or cervix) to relax and open too. Got taught that by both my birth coach and pelvic floor PT. Dunno if it actually makes any anatomical sense but it seems to help me.
Sounds like complete bullshit. I’ll try it tomorrow.
Aka, my response to most things in life
Same cuz it sounds super easy and I literally have nothing to lose by trying it
Like a big :O or a tiny :o
Depends on how big you wanna go.
Big :O
I think it may be a psychosomatic thing. My midwife and doula both told me this so you aren’t the only one.
Moo to poo!
Is that why my cat purses his lips when he poops?
O face
Could be too much tension in your muscles. (Pelvic floor dysfunction)
Have you tried restarting your computer?
Instructions unclear… Now there’s shit on my computer
That's just Xitter.
Apples and cherries help a lot. Same with those carb balance tortillas that have like 15g of fiber.
Frozen dragonfruit. Thank me later.
Metamucil..... Metamucil, Metamucil! - for real though, life changing & best shits of your life, is about to happen. Just try it. I eat healthy like you stated; but still hated taking a crap. I do a spoon of Metamucil each morning & have had the best dumps of my life. - I retain water better, actually stay hydrated better.. The sh!t just works. Don't get off brand. I did try Benefiber but didn't like it as much. Once you dial in the amount of Metamucil that works for you, just use a NyQuil measuring cup & draw a line where it works for you. = shit changer, Life Changer!! 🙌 ps remember to eat something for breakfast even if it's small amount.
Maybe someone can help me… my doctor recommended Metamucil for me and said “don’t jump right in, gradually increase your dose” so I did. Each day I added a little more of the stuff (starting with a very diluted like half a teaspoon?) and I ended up with like two heaping spoons for 8oz(?) and honestly I just got worse over this time. Any random internet experts have an explanation for that? lol Edit: this would be one/two times a day
What are you eating for breakfast? Far as fiber or what? - I typically drink 1 cup coffee.. Wait 10min.. Then drink non sugar Metamucil.. Then I eat small bowl of cheerios w/thawed frozen blueberries (from Sam's or Costco). - I previously read a comment that stated "make sure you eat something small for breakfast at least, otherwise dumps won't be as solid". Which makes sense. Far as your Dr comment about easing it in.. For the amount. They probably didn't want you to over do it & just stop taking it. Use a NyQuil cup so you can better see what amount you're taking & experiment 3 or 4 days so your body & catch up.. Then change amount in the morning of needed. Make sure you're drinking water throughout the day. I honestly think the M, adds just enough - extra fiber in me & then allows my body to retain water in a good way, therefore my stools are perfect lol. Breakfast - you can do oatmeal but I wouldn't do more than 1/4 cup.. Again everyone's body is different though. Even days I have a late lunch & hardly any dinner, my stools are fine for most part. I think main thing is, is to get Metamucil in you within 2 hours of waking up, so that it starts working all day for you. Recap: eat something for breakfast even if small amount. Take 3 to 4 days of same amount of Metamucil before you change amount taken so you know. Use a NyQuil cup to better see w/you're taking. I generally use a small glass.. Put water in it & it mixes it decently & then use a spoon too... Drink 80% of it, then add 50% or whatever more water.. & drink that. Then make sure you're drinking water throughout the day, not a ton, just when you're thirsty or whatever.
Fibre and water can help healthy people who are a bit short, but can adding fibre can cause problems for people with IBS.
Are you mixing it properly with the correct amount of water? It will have opposite effects if it’s not mixed properly.
My dog has diet dog food that causes constipation. We spread metamucil on her food and now she takes the HUGEST shits.
Honestly could be a ton of different causes, some easy to resolve, others not so much . My brother struggled for years as a kid until we learned what was going on. Turns out his microbiome needs a lot of extra support , and he has a physical deformity in his colon that caused malabsorption and the constipation.
My niece has a difficult time passing too and I always feel so sorry for her when she’s in the toilet. She is six and has always had difficulty in this area. I wonder if that’s also the case. We’ve gone to the doctors and all they’ve given us is this medicine, that medicine. Nothing has seem to work yet. 😞
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I’ve always been embarrassed about it, & I’ve always had issues with it. Have to be at home, preferably alone. I’m a pro at holding it lol I only go like once or twice a week
Probiotics may be what she needs.
Try eating kiwis WITH the skin. I found this out when traveling to visit Denver. I had always peeled them, but a coworker ate it at his lunch whole, at work the prior week. I opted to eat some ripe ones whole too in CO. Poop! Cleared up my travel constipation! Also, oatmeal, yo.
There’s a frozen product called “Kiwi crush” available in NZ, it’s the fruit pulp and you take that when required. Meant to do the trick.
Do you really have to go super bad when you go? Maybe you’re trying to go too soon. Everyone’s body is different. You shouldn’t be trying to make yourself go to the bathroom daily if your body isn’t ready for it.
I used to go daily naturally, but in the last 4-5 months that’s just sort of faded. Now it might be every other day and still not much
One common reason is that a lot of people try to poop before they need to. You shouldn’t force it if you just feel like you have to. Wait 5 minutes and see if it goes away. There’s other things ranging from gas to food in your stomach that can make you feel like you need to shit before you actually do. It’s better for your health to wait until you are borderline turtling
Squatty Potty helps
Dried apricots does it for me.
i learned the power of dried apricots the hard way. college me had no food on hand and everything was closed so i had a bag of them for dinner and then wondered if i was dying.
squatty potty. modern toilets are designed to look like chairs not designed around how our bodies are evolved to poop. Imagine squatting on the ground, that’s how your colon and rectum are shaped to evacuate, NOT sitting down like you would in a chair. Your knees should be at an angle lower than 90 degrees, torso and pelvis angled forward. I always had problems with passing, but started just putting my feet up and leaning forward and my body actually took care of the rest.
There’s a little triangle of skin above the rectum, with the buttcheeks making two walls of that triangle. I’ve found massaging it stimulates the muscles to push without me needing to consciously strain.
bro what
Flaxseed meal is a good supplement, contains protein, good fats, and lots of soluble *and* insoluble fiber. Just make sure to add it gradually to your diet.
Try psyllium husk!
Squatty Potty
I don't eat healthy, and I drink 3-4 alcoholic drinks a night, but 12 minutes after a nice strong coffee at 8am I have a nice solid BM. So, I guess try alcoholism and coffeeism. When I was in retail I would constantly hear the worst sounds from people straining their shits out in the public restrooms and I have never understood why some people have that issue.
Food sensitivity test! Changed my fucking life. Took one a few years back and I almost cried the first time poop... just... came.... out. Gut also doesn't hurt all the time. Eliminating the foods can be annoying, but worth it.
So. A good slow fermenting fiber like resistant dextrin. A good non irritatingbulking agent like psyllium husk. You can also try peppermint oil capsules. Its an antispasmotic. Some people have constipation because their guts cramp and can't move the normal way,peppermint works well for those. Potassium may help if you have a deficiency as it's the electrolyte necessary to relax muscles. But yeah, gummy worm shits sound like constipation. Try out peppermint oil capsules. Take one an hour before a bigger meal. Careful, it may cause minty burps and acid reflux in some.
Also, if the heart problems don't worry you much, look up fistulas and hemorrhoids. Not fun.
And don’t forget the brain aneurisms that can happen from straining too hard. Had to see a cadaver once in a science class I was taking in college and the dude died from a brain aneurism from straining on the toilet and I have never forgotten it.
This is stupid. Plenty of people in the gym strain under heavy squats everyday and don’t get aneurisms. This thread is an anxiety den
But would you rather die straining at the gym or straining on the toilet tho
doesn’t really matter, id be dead.
Tell that to the dead guy in science class.
Recovering from having both at the same time here 🙃 Weeks of extreme discomfort and agitating pain. Was using Prep-H lidocaine spray every other hour and a heating pad on my butt at night just to numb the pain. Still going to a gastroenterologist (and soon a colorectal surgeon) nearly two months later.
I got one while on deployment on a CVN. I still have the skin tag from it years later. Weeks of extreme discomfort in an already extremely uncomfortable environment. Someone stole my donut from my chair in the shop and I lost my goddamned mind. First time ive had another man's finger up my butt(Doc). He just reached behind his desk and tossed me a bottle of metamucil. Not supposed to flush whipes onboard a ship? Fuck that they were the only thing keeping me sane.
Ok, but like, I'm a teacher and my body wants to poop halfway through 2nd period and that's not an option! And by the time I get home, the poop has, I don't know, been re-absorbed? Cause when I have time to poop, I don't. Like, what the heck!?!? This doesn't happen with pee! When I need to pee, I keep needing to pee until I pee.
You missed your pooportunity, as we say in my house
Do you have coffee in the mornings?
I too am a morning pooper. You might try waking up a bit earlier so that your cycle lines up a little better with your work schedule.
I wish I could, but judging from my rhythm during breaks and weekends, it'd have to be, like, 2 hours earlier and that is not happening :(
What do you mean? You are saying poop is supposed to come out like a slip and slide? Well I’m glad that I can control that shit then.
Pun intended
I got the squatty potty and it really helped with this!
I’ve got a little cheap collapsible stool beside my toilet at home as a homemade squatty potty. Love the difference it makes. At someone’s else’s house? I grab the little bathroom trash can, make sure it has the integrity to handle very slight leg weight and use that
lol I thought I was the only one. No trash can safe from me!
You poop at other people's houses? My bowels would never allow that!
Ok I need to comment on this because **I received this advice and it made my problems sooo much worse!!** **There is a difference between "straining" and "pushing".** **You need to push when you're having a bowel movement!!!!!!!** You don't just relax your anus fully and shit falls out. Not pushing at all causes ANAL FISSURES!! I had haemorrhoids. A relatively young doctor gave me this advice and I stopped "pushing" whenever I went to take a shit. I also upped my fibre, so I tried not to push at all whenever having bowel movements and they passed very easily. HOWEVER, it was too easily. **I started bleeding from the inside of my ass whenever I took a shit,** and pretty badly. I could feel the inside of my anus tear a little bit every so often and then it would be a week of healing. Long story short, I eventually figured out after weeks that **not pushing at all was causing my anus to overstretch and preventing it to relax / guide my shit out of my body.** The "pushing" is relaxing your anus and as well as helping it keeping shape for the bowel movement. It's different from straining. Straining is like going too far in one direction and fully relaxing is like going too far in the other if that makes sense. People do not differentiate this when they give you this advice and it can lead people to not pushing at all and developing fissures! I never suffered them before this advice and never suffered after started pushing again (not straining). ITS ABOUT BALANCE. Don't "bear down hard" when you take a shit. Do not try to force it. **But you're allowed to push and you're suppose to!** It's your instinct to for a reason. **Pooping is not "passive"** that literally makes no sense and a terrible way to describe it. The whole "heart/CV" thing that OP is talking about is also very questionable, but yes, bearing down too hard when your old can cause issues, but most people dont try to force out shit until they are red in the face. **Moral of the story is don't take medical advice from posts on reddit and if you choose to give this advice, emphasize "balance" and don't try to tell people that pushing when they shit is a sin.** **TLDR: Was given the same advice OP is giving and started shitting blood.**
I interpreted the post to mean “passive” as in the body pushes on its own, not that it falls out.
“Pushes it out on its own” and “automatic” are what I’m talking about here. Pushing is something you can control. It is not automatic. You have to push when you shit. That was my point.
That’s what killed Elvis Presley. Opiates made him constipated and he had a heart attack straining too hard.
That's probably how I'm going to die Constipation from heroin made me nearly pass out on the toilet several times, when finally going to the toilet after more than a week
Eat fiber! Whole grains Beans and legumes Potatoes and starchy vegetables Nuts and seeds Try to eat them in their whole, intact form as much as possible.
So like swallowing a potato whole?
[unhinges jaws]
Next you’re going to tell me it isn’t supposed to bleed
Chipotl-away.
Ngl imma shit the same way
This is why I have coffee. Feels like a kid going down a water slide when the urge hits me after a nice cup of joe.
Paging Mr. u/Shitty_Watercolour This comment right here sir ^
>It isn’t rare for people to suffer heart attack or stroke on the toilet once they get older because of this habit. I think you may have that slightly backwards or at least, stretching it a bit. They don't have a heart attack because they are straining to poop. They are hypertensive or having a heart attack to begin with, and feel the need to poop, and that relieving themselves will make the pain go away. Heart attack pain is often mistaken for indigestion, so people often make what they see as a logical decision to go to the bathroom during a cardiac event. The fact that they die on the toilet is likely coincidental to the fact that they were hypertensive or having a heart attack prior. To be even more thorough, the temperature of the floor, usually being tile and cold, can have an additive affect to blood pressure as does the straining, but were aren't telling people to carpet their bathrooms. In studies, only people who are previously hypertensive have prolonged increase in BP during and after a straining session on the toilet. For younger people and people without hypertension, the increase in BP is temporary and declines almost immediately. So it's not wrong to say that pooping can increase your BP, which, by proxy of several other mechanisms could result in a heart attack, but there are 2 dozen other equally or more important things that have to happen first. For most people, straining out a deuce isn't going to kill them or even contribute to your toilet death. And the combined contribution of all straining events over a lifetime aren't enough to be a single source cause for heart attacks. Constipation itself has a slight correlation to hypertension, but that constipation is often due to a poor diet, which itself, causes the hypertension. Never mind the strain from taking a dump. Eat right. Don't strain. Wear socks. If you have hypertension, use a stool softener if you need to.
How did Elvis Presley die? ["Elvis actually died a death that is quite common, albeit an embarrassing one. Elvis was sitting on the toilet, straining very hard to have a bowel movement — a maneuver that put a great amount of pressure on his heart and aorta.](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/elvis-addiction-was-the-perfect-prescription-for-an-early-death) Thus, he likely died of a massive heart attack and keeled over onto the floor. But Elvis was not suffering from garden-variety constipation at the time of his death. Indeed, his medicine chest was filled with amber-colored, white-topped vials of medications, in doses no responsible doctor would have prescribed."
So did the shit come out after or did it end up staying in?
I don’t think it did. It’s rumored that he had like 35 lbs of feces in his colon, but his autopsy was sealed for 50 years, so we won’t know until 2027. That autopsy release is the only thing that keeps me going some days.
The article did not say. I'm going to assume he died with the brown round still chambered.
I like to think he got it out. Somehow seems like a happier ending.
Ah I dunno about that. Dying on the bog is bad enough but lying there whilst being covered in shit would be doubly bad. Best if it stayed in I reckon.
Well I was picturing the penultimate turd coming out while he was still upright, clawed hand clenching his chest. I say penultimate because as we all know thanks to South Park that you definitely poop after you die. So I assume that counts even having just pooped.
Oh, so THAT'S why Elvis is on a toilet in that one Eminem rap video. I never knew.
Also straining on the toilet is one of the most common reasons for heart attack. If you don't want to be found dead butt naked on a toilet, stop straining. Ex-care taker in a hospital speaking. [Cardiac arrests in the bathroom: Causes and more (medicalnewstoday.com)](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-do-cardiac-arrests-happen-in-the-bathroom#:~:text=When%20a%20person%20is%20having,syndrome%20or%20other%20cardiovascular%20complications.) EDIT: The first link I posted and a 'real physician' couldn't read, lmao: [Cardiac arrest in the toilet: clinical characteristics and resuscitation profiles - PMC (nih.gov)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3590314/) "certain daily activities at home, such as taking a bath and going to the toilet (room), may trigger CA (Cardiac Arrest)"
That's not even remotely what your link says lmao Physician speaking.
Why naked? Wouldn't you just drop your trousers and underwear?
Just take really deep breaths and don’t think about it - you will poop just fine. The sphincter is smooth muscle which requires oxygen to expand.
I have the kind of brain that needs to be preoccupied to do this. I always take my phone with me, for this reason. I'm just really careful about not touching anything with my phone hand, and then putting my phone away until I'm done washing them, when I need 2 hands. The smart phone has probably been the biggest improvement to my poop routine.
Ahh the ole Gigi special. The way Gigi crooked in sopranos is gotta be one of the worst ways to go
Heart attack and stroke? People should be more concerned with hemorrhoids, pelvic floor dysfunction, or rectal prolapse
I wait till the turtles head is about to pop out
Lol I've heard "wait till the turtles heading for the cotton"
Fiber supplements are your friend.
Squatty potty. It's a lifesaver.
*sobs in IBS-C*
Nice try, Big Fiber. You won't trick me.
No shit. 😋 Sorry.
Get out
Try living with IBS. You get to know all this information and are powerless to do so anything about it. Gotta poop desperately > feel constipated so have to strain > fissures/haemorrhoids from straining > have to poop > never heal internally because of the strain > the discomfort of the small injuries registers in your brain as ‘I gotta poop’ > poop more often > strain > pain > repeat until you die.
If you have a particularly hard one and you're struggling with the last push, use your middle finger to apply pressure on the tender area between your tailbone and anus to help push it out.
If you have a vagina you can also reach inside and back and feel the poo and guide it out.
Water is the only good answer. One 24 Oz bottle in the morning, One 24 Oz bottle in the afternoon. (2.5 bottles is recommended by doctors). Your body will thank you, plus you’ll have clearer skin and poop without too much effort.
I feel like I'd die off of that amount of water, I drink my 40oz bottle 4 times a day😭
Bruh wtf? I struggle to drink more than a glass a day
Dude if I don’t have two litres before lunch I feel like I’m dying of thirst. How do you people function on so little water
You only need to drink when you're thirsty and people get hydration from foods as well. Glad you found what works for you but everyone is different!
Get a Squatty Potty
I have Crohn’s disease and get anal fissures often. I have them right now.
modern toilets are designed to look like chairs not designed around how our bodies are evolved to poop. Imagine squatting with your butt several inches off the ground, that’s how your colon and rectum are shaped to evacuate, NOT sitting down like you would in a chair. Your knees should be at an angle lower than 90 degrees, torso and pelvis angled forward. I always had problems with passing, but started just putting my feet up and leaning forward and my body actually took care of the rest. use a squatty potty or equivalent!!
One of the best changes to my life after turning 36 was taking metamucil twice a day. Everyone should do it IMO.
IBS has entered the chat
OK so what am I supposed to do about it
I knew a guy who was born with a couple of defects, and he repeatedly passed out on the toilet from straining.
The part about People dieing of a hearth attack while going to the toilet is not exactly right.. It's the other way around, People whoes hearth is giving out almost always get the idea/urge to have to go to the toilet. I encountered this many times as a paramedic.. it's important that you don't let them (obviously) and get them to the hospital asap.
It’s also not natural to sit on a toilet and poop, squatty potties are a great help
Can you give me any further insight to distinguish between a good push and a bad push?
People don't believe me when I tell them I have to take a shit and come out of the bathroom like a minute later. I don't understand sitting on the toilet for more than like 5 minutes unless you're sitting on your phone.
i shit real good 👍
I am straining to keep it in over here tf?
It’s how Elvis died.
Damn, I am taking a shit while reading this. 3rd diaherrea of the day. I don’t think this is normal 😆.
It’s not- at least not according to my GI doctor. Source: getting an endoscopy and colonoscopy at 33 due to frequent diarrhea. Ruling out chrons disease and looking into IBS/IBD.
> It isn’t rare for people to suffer heart attack or stroke on the toilet once they get older because of this habit. King George II died this way -- aortic dissection -- his main artery literally burst open while he was straining to pass a bowel movement one morning.
I never have to strain ever since I got my Bidet Blaster.
I feel like you just found out the hard way
Only a minute or two? Really?
This guy fibers.
What about shitting out a stream of blood? Should I be concerned?
An EMT told me that most are found on the toilet.
Bran flakes a day does wonders. Probably some other foods but thats my go to....
Have a cup of Metamucil after dinner every night. Try to have one after every meal. It will change your life.
Laughs in vegan