Gross Bowel Stuff

[AmandaD]

All right. I have a nasty question, but I've been wondering about this stuff because I'm too embarrassed to ask anyone who doesn't have Celiac, too.

Okay, so I'll have normal stools which are fine in diameter, etc., etc...but then occasionally (and I've been biopsied and sigmoidoscopied up the wazoo...so don't tell me I'm dying of something) I'll get some thin stools that sort of come out with gas, they're solid but smaller.

Anybody else have this occasionally...Like this morning. I had one sort of normally long stool, then had to go back to the toilet and had some of these smaller stools come out.

I'm sick of being obsessed with my poo.

What kinds of things are normal?

Never going to ask these questions, again, I swear!

[CarlaB]

If that's not normal, I'm not normal either.

[AmandaD]

Carla - You're a peach - a hug to a fellow pooper right now...

If that's not normal, I'm not normal either.

[jerseyangel]

Hi Amanda,

That exact thing happens to me occasionaly, too. Actually, in the last 16 months since I've been gluten-free, nothing I see in there surprises me anymore

That wasn't very gross--I was expecting much worse from the thread title!

[emcmaster]

From my experience, that's due to too much fiber.

I have chronic constipation but through careful management of magnesium supplements and Zelnorm every few days, I usually have great poops. However, if I eat too much fiber, I have the exact same poops you are talking about.

They're so unsatisfying! (Did I really just post that? Yes, yes I did)

[AmandaD]

You know - since I was diagnosed last September it's so weird. I have awesome poop days. Then I have days where after every meal I get the sensation to poop and go. Then I have days where I have to wipe my butt three times.

Celiac should be called Confusing Poop Syndrome...or something more appropo...

[eleep]

Actually, could someone describe "normal" to me? Aside from stuff that doesn't break apart, float or generally indicate some kind of gastro-horror D., I'm not sure what "normal" size means!

[AmandaD]

Quite frankly I don't know either...but I swear I read two different things - everything should be formed but can break apart when flushed and then somewhere else I read "toothpaste" -like.

I'm clueless. Can a poop expert help us?

[schuyler]

Celiac should be called Confusing Poop Syndrome...or something more appropo...

Agreed!

[IrishKelly]

All right. I have a nasty question, but I've been wondering about this stuff because I'm too embarrassed to ask anyone who doesn't have Celiac, too.

Okay, so I'll have normal stools which are fine in diameter, etc., etc...but then occasionally (and I've been biopsied and sigmoidoscopied up the wazoo...so don't tell me I'm dying of something) I'll get some thin stools that sort of come out with gas, they're solid but smaller.

Anybody else have this occasionally...Like this morning. I had one sort of normally long stool, then had to go back to the toilet and had some of these smaller stools come out.

I'm sick of being obsessed with my poo.

What kinds of things are normal?

Never going to ask these questions, again, I swear!

Does it come out really skinny at times?? That happens to me and i've been wanting to ask someone on here ...boy am i glad you started this

[Turtle]

You are NOT alone!!!! I concur with everything that's been written here!

I'll leave it at that

[AmandaD]

Yes, guys, it comes out really skinny sometimes - and then it totally stumps me and I'm like wait - I just had a big poop and now I'm pooping a worm. I'm thinking sometimes it follows after I've had too much dairy or like too much coffee or tea...

I give up with my butt!

[Terch]

I heard on Oprah that it should be shaped like an S..... what the heck does that mean?

Terch

[Kaycee]

I agree totally with all the above.

One time it can be normal, then an hour later skinny.

But even if I have had a bout of D, the next time can be normal. Or else, if I've missed the loo visit for a day, the next time it can be loose, but not constipated. It is confusing, but I just try not to sweat over it. To me this all feels normal now. At least it is not D everyday, so that is a positive thing isn't it?

Catherine

[AmandaD]

Catherine -

I was just thinking that today. At least I'm not pooping out humongous amounts of soft poo that looks like...ew...I don't even want to say!!!!!!!!

Sorry for the nasty, nasty graphic.

But we all have to agree - we're a heck of a lot better off now, aren't we?

[BRUMI1968]

For "normal", check out the Bristol Scale. You can google it, or wikipedia. It's pretty funny, really. Then you can rate each poop with a number.

I hate to imagine the "research" that went into making this scale.

[ArtGirl]

Funny - I was just thinking about this.. um... subject... today. Was even going to post a question. But I think it's been covered already.

My conclusion today is: I'm going to stop trying to figure out how my health is (hour by hour and day by day) by how my poop looks. After just a few months on the diet the major D has not been an issue (just the minor D - like maybe a couple times a day, every 4-6 days - not bad considering how it was pre-gluten-free days). I'm going to assume it'll take much more time heal up and am going to stop looking at it everytime and just act like a normal person and check back in a couple months! I tell myself that I have other things to do than watch poop!

[MistressIsis]

I figure as long as it isn't the weird glob stuff & there's no pain, it's normal

"a poo expert' ROTFLMAO!!

[Kaycee]

For "normal", check out the Bristol Scale. You can google it, or wikipedia. It's pretty funny, really. Then you can rate each poop with a number.

I hate to imagine the "research" that went into making this scale.

If Bristol Stools need people for improving the scale or revising it, where would they go? But do we really fit into the rigid scale they have produced as there does not seem to be much room for variations.

I've checked out this Scale before, and I have never got back to a three. When was I last a 3? Still linger in the 4's, but most of the times, it is probably closer to five. Oh for perfect 4's all the time. For me that would be perfection. But I am getting there, and a long way from my 6's earlier this year.

Too much information? I thought so.

Time to go buy a toilet bowl rinse that bubbles so that I don't and can't peer into the bowl to calculate numbers. When I go buy that, I will know I have lost my fixation with numbers.

I tell you since diagnosis I have really gotten to hate numbers. I now have to count calories, check labels which have funny numbers that need deciphering, loo numbers, numbers on the bathroom scales, counting the amount of loo rolls left (I remember as a kid, being told I used too much paper), hours since eating and if there is any relation to the current stomach problems, etc etc.

I'm going to take up reading.

Catherine

[Turtle]

TO MAKE YOU LAUGH:

Larry the Cable guy was talking about his butt issues last night on tv and he said that he was almost certain his butt had a leak in it. I laughed so hard and thought about this post!

Then he went so far as to say that he had to use plumbers caulk to seal off his butth#@e to try to stop the leak. I hope nobody here has resorted to plumbers caulk...that would NOT be good!

[AmandaD]

Funny, funny Turtle!

All right - somebody else out there just please tell me what comes out of you on what you consider a normal day...I'm so utterly curious right now what other Celiacs experience.

I know, I'm being gross...but like I've said before,I've been diagnosed since last September and I feel like this is all such an overwhelming learning process. I read something from Clan Thompson the other day that Smuckers jams can't be guaranteed gluten free now...good lord....sometimes I just feel like screaming!

I think sometimes I'm either accidentally getting glutened or I'm starting to get intolerant to weird things...

[MistressIsis]

my doc told me Anything that sinks to the bottom of the bowl is normal. Loose or tight depends on what you've been eating (notice the difference when you eat alot of nuts?)

I hate when you go and finally get up to leave only to turn around again cause you're not quite done

[Mtndog]

Yes, guys, it comes out really skinny sometimes - and then it totally stumps me and I'm like wait - I just had a big poop and now I'm pooping a worm. I'm thinking sometimes it follows after I've had too much dairy or like too much coffee or tea...

I give up with my butt!

I gave up with my butt a long time ago! I have the EXACT same poops as you.

I think the S thing on Oprh was that your intestines are curved so your poop shou;d be too.

Mine comes out in the shape of every letter in the flippin alphabet!

[AmandaD]

Thanks to all of you. I feel much better about my weird Celiac butt, intestines, so on and so forth...

Hee, Hee!

(You know what really cracks me up: I've seen my husband go to the bathroom sometimes, and I don't want to nag him...but man, that's a Celiac if I ever saw one...stubborn man...)

[luvs2eat]

I've had every shape, color, consistency... that there is no more "normal" in my vocab.

I've had exploding butt acid that requires immediate toilet bowl cleaner, I've had perfectly formed... just like before celiac disease, I've had small pieces that are almost like "sheets" of poop, if you can imagine that. I've had dark brown... sort of dark green... and borderline dark yellow.

Been dieting lately... almost a paleo kind of diet... lean meats, veggies, fruits, very little grain. My bowels are better now than they've been since I was diagnosed w/ celiac disease.