Help me sort my bowels
06-24-18, 08:51 PM
#1
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Help me sort my bowels
I have an issue that requires a solution.
On days I work, I'm up at 5:30 and usually take 3 good large loose dumps in the 45 minutes before I head to work. I am good to go after that and my day is fine. Annoying but not hard to deal with.
On days I don't work, I sleep in until 7, take one big poo and am fine. Of course this is not a problem either.
The problem is on days like today, I wake up early to ride so I can beat the rain and heat. You guess it, in my morning prep, I didn't get all of it out. This just sits and stews for 40 miles or so and then, major emergency.
So aside from getting up at 4am, is there any way to ride early considering my innards?
Fwiw, I don't have IBS, Crohn's, or Celiac.
On days I work, I'm up at 5:30 and usually take 3 good large loose dumps in the 45 minutes before I head to work. I am good to go after that and my day is fine. Annoying but not hard to deal with.
On days I don't work, I sleep in until 7, take one big poo and am fine. Of course this is not a problem either.
The problem is on days like today, I wake up early to ride so I can beat the rain and heat. You guess it, in my morning prep, I didn't get all of it out. This just sits and stews for 40 miles or so and then, major emergency.
So aside from getting up at 4am, is there any way to ride early considering my innards?
Fwiw, I don't have IBS, Crohn's, or Celiac.
06-24-18, 09:26 PM
#3
Senior Member
Increase hydration. Reduce or eliminate coffee.
Eat less for dinners.
Big breakfast *after* your ride and a shower.
Have a great day.
$0.02 please.
Eat less for dinners.
Big breakfast *after* your ride and a shower.
Have a great day.
$0.02 please.
06-24-18, 10:04 PM
#5
Senior Member
Pop a couple imodium. That'll hold you up til the next morning, I bet.
06-24-18, 10:06 PM
#6
Senior Member
Ever tried probiotics? Might be exactly what you're looking for. After a round of antibiotics I felt BLAAHH for months. These practically changed my life -- I've tried a few different brands since but these are still the most potent ones.
https://www.amazon.com/Nutrition-Now...probiotics+pb8
https://www.amazon.com/Nutrition-Now...probiotics+pb8
06-25-18, 04:39 AM
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I prefer to handle my bathroom time as natural as possible. I have loose bm's when I eat too much fatty foods, hard to predict when and where. What works for me is a to eat a smaller portion less fat meal around 6pm { baked chicken and veggies is a favorite** . Also I like light exercise after, like walking seems to help.
06-25-18, 05:01 AM
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Always funny to read something like this, but I'm in the same boat as well. Honestly you've answered your own question - wakeup early. I wakeup at 4:30 everyday so have a good rhythm in place - but I still struggle to leave earlier then 6am. It's hard to convince myself to wakeup earlier, even at the usual time on weekends.If I'm on a long ride or know I will need to I pack a lock cable, plan the route past a friendly area with a restroom, and bring some moist wipes in a Ziploc to stay fresh.
Well you're all welcome for this Monday morning tmi
06-25-18, 05:09 AM
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06-25-18, 06:28 AM
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Actually I have relied on this for years. I have very rapid transit of food through my intestines (high motility) and poor dewatering of fibrous food so that my stool is rarely compact and firm without some help from Imodium. Most commonly it is pasty. Not only does that increase frequency of bowel movements way beyond what most folks would consider normal but also the risk of emergencies. And getting clean after a bowel movement is a very difficult and long process often leading to irritation of the anus and minor bleeding. I take a couple of Imdium about every 36 hours and keep the situation under control. Someone not accustomed to Imodium may require a lot smaller dose. You shouldn’t do this without approval by your physician. And you need to be extremely cautious not to overdo it and become bound up. But I have it pretty well figured out for myself and am quite satisfied with the results. I do moderate the dose amount and frequency based on what I am eating. Fruit and beans, for example increase the need for the medication. Best advice: consult your physician with this idea to get their response. Best of luck.
06-25-18, 07:25 AM
#11
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Actually I have relied on this for years. I have very rapid transit of food through my intestines (high motility) and poor dewatering of fibrous food so that my stool is rarely compact and firm without some help from Imodium. Most commonly it is pasty. Not only does that increase frequency of bowel movements way beyond what most folks would consider normal but also the risk of emergencies. And getting clean after a bowel movement is a very difficult and long process often leading to irritation of the anus and minor bleeding. I take a couple of Imdium about every 36 hours and keep the situation under control. Someone not accustomed to Imodium may require a lot smaller dose. You shouldn’t do this without approval by your physician. And you need to be extremely cautious not to overdo it and become bound up. But I have it pretty well figured out for myself and am quite satisfied with the results. I do moderate the dose amount and frequency based on what I am eating. Fruit and beans, for example increase the need for the medication. Best advice: consult your physician with this idea to get their response. Best of luck.
I didn't make the comment to the OP in jest, btw. 2-4 imodium on those days where he has to get up early and has the problems described wouldn't be harmful or dangerous for him. It would probably solve his issue entirely, and the pills would have worn off by the next day.
Imodium is pretty much all that allows me to function normally in the world. I'm highly habituated and have to take A LOT. (So, of course, the kids have found a way to get high off of it, so they're starting to make it more difficult to get the supply I need.) All the prescription drug that are supposed to have the same effect turned out to, paradoxically, make things much, much worse for me. (Paradoxical responses to medications is very common in chronic lyme.) I even keep a supply of imodium in my top tube bag for those long rides.
Have you tried probiotics for your issues, rpenman? Did it have any positive effect at all? I recommend the PB8 as mentioned above just as a matter of intestinal health, not unlike a multivitamin. Have you tried taking enzymes with food? I have found both of those to be quite helpful in moderating my problems. (If I don't take the enzymes, especially with oily foods, the results can be ugly, and I have to take lactaid with the above-mentioned pizza.)
06-25-18, 08:23 AM
#12
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Guys, thanks for the ideas.
I do have the fortune fo no public bathrooms or even buildings one I'm 10 minutes from my house. That means lots of trees, weeds, and sagebrush to foul.
My biggest concern with immodium would be keeping something in that ought to be out. Of course it's mostly water, so it may actually be a huge help hydration wise.
I've used it mountaineering. I don't have any reason not to try.
I've worked with parapalegic folks who have been put on a bowel program. Bowels are trainable. My life isn't that routine and I'm not going to start cramming suppositories so I probably won't do that for myself.
I do have the fortune fo no public bathrooms or even buildings one I'm 10 minutes from my house. That means lots of trees, weeds, and sagebrush to foul.
My biggest concern with immodium would be keeping something in that ought to be out. Of course it's mostly water, so it may actually be a huge help hydration wise.
I've used it mountaineering. I don't have any reason not to try.
I've worked with parapalegic folks who have been put on a bowel program. Bowels are trainable. My life isn't that routine and I'm not going to start cramming suppositories so I probably won't do that for myself.
06-25-18, 09:00 AM
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06-25-18, 09:10 AM
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06-25-18, 09:13 AM
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It's great to see everyone come together for a communal information dump like this. 
A couple questions?
What's the different between soluble and insoluble fiber?
How soon does Imodium take effect?
A couple questions?
What's the different between soluble and insoluble fiber?
How soon does Imodium take effect?
06-25-18, 09:19 AM
#18
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There are these professionals that have been to lots of schools... they are called doctors... I'd suggest asking them instead of some random strangers on a cycling thread
06-25-18, 09:27 AM
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The former is soluble in water. The latter is not.
What's the Difference Between Soluble and Insoluble Fiber? - Health
What's the Difference Between Soluble and Insoluble Fiber? - Health
06-25-18, 09:37 AM
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Exactly that opposite of what MANY marathoners, triathletes and professionals do before their event. https://www.menshealth.com/health/a1...akes-you-poop/
06-25-18, 09:49 AM
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Learning about one's digestive system can be very helpful ---- https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-inf...m-how-it-works
Testing one's digestive health is possible and can help to improve one's diet ---- https://www.gdx.net/product/gi-effec...ive-stool-test
Testing one's digestive health is possible and can help to improve one's diet ---- https://www.gdx.net/product/gi-effec...ive-stool-test
06-25-18, 10:07 AM
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I have a fiber supplement I add to my whey protein each day. The 3 loose dumps part sounds to me like you need more fiber or roughage in your diet. I'm far from a nutrition expert though.
Fiber gives me more solid, big dumps. That or the fact that sometimes I'll sit down and eat half a loaf of wheat bread pb&j
Fiber gives me more solid, big dumps. That or the fact that sometimes I'll sit down and eat half a loaf of wheat bread pb&j
06-25-18, 11:16 AM
#23
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Imodium works at different speeds for different people, but generally it takes less than an hour to kick in. (For me, specifically, about 20 minutes.)
Last edited by Wheever; 06-25-18 at 11:25 AM.
06-25-18, 11:19 AM
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For me, 1.5 teaspoons a day is just right, firms me up, prevents emergencies. (There's a pun in there, trying to get out.) 2 teaspoons or more is too much, and everything grinds to a halt.
To the OP: you should also be aware of peristalsis and mass movements. Eating a meal causes your body to speed things up and move previous meals more quickly through the intestine. You may be able to control the timing of when you need to poop by controlling when you eat or don't eat before a ride, or possibly with the size of your meal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perist...arge_intestine
Last edited by rseeker; 07-03-18 at 09:54 AM.
06-25-18, 11:24 AM
#25
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As to your worries about "keeping something in..." all you're doing is delaying it so it comes out when it's more convenient. Imodium is pretty benign, which is why it's available OTC, it's not addictive, and you'll only be taking it intermittently, anyway. Give it a shot. It won't hurt you, and could well be a huge improvement in enjoying early morning rides!
