Post Punk Kitchen Forum

First, let me just say, thank you PPK, for fostering an environment in which poo-related threads are not only accepted but, well, delighted in? Sometimes. This is actually pretty gross. In the last few months, I've been having quite a bit of undigested food in ma poop, and it has generally been very loose. This is especially noticeable after I eat lots of veggies. The one thing that seems to help is if I eat lots of grains/carbs and less fiber. I really don't think I eat an unusual amount of fiber, though.

I'm a bit concerned about malabsorption (thanks, internet!) I don't know, maybe my belly just has a hard time with lots of fiber. I have two other theories. One is that I drink too much coffee, and it doesn't give food enough time to digest before it kicks it out. The other is that the bacteria in my stomach may not be up to par. I did take a course of antibiotics a few months ago (when this seemed to start.) I'm not quite sure about the innerworkings of bellies, so don't know if that could cause this.

Thoughts or commiserations?

<3

I would start by reducing the caffeine, upping your water intake, and taking probiotics. If that doesn't help after awhile, it might be time for a check up!

Chew more. Chewing your food even to what feels like overkill allows enzymes in your mouth to help break down the food before it heads to the stomach, so the rest of your digestive system ahs an easier time. Plus, if you're concerned about malabsorption, it's easier for your body to get nutrients from smaller particles of food than from larger chunks.

Try chewing each bite of food at least 20 or 30 times, for at least half your food. After a day or two it will just be habit to chew longer than you used to.

If your poo was mostly consistently one way and now all of a sudden it is different for an extended amount of time... well I really hate to sound nine alarms here but, it could be a sign of something more serious than just digestion. I would suggest talking about this with your doctor! However, if it's only been like a week or two of this change I think you can ride it out and start trying to log what exactly is different in your diet/lifestyle between then and now. When there truly is no difference you can draw then that is when I would see the doctor.

Will do!



Thanks for the input! Curious what you meant by 'something more serious than digestion.' It seems likely it is something related to digestion, even if it's something serious related to digestion. I don't have any other symptoms, and have had pretty intense blood tests lately that all looked good. That said, I will most likely be heading to the doctor if chewing more/probiotics/less caffeine don't improve things.

Thanks folks!

Well I will just go ahead and let you know before I type this that I am more than likely a hypochondriac. I said that because, when my grandmother died of cancer, I asked my doctor... how is one supposed to know they have cancer in a super early easily treatable stage? Especially the less obvious kind of cancers where you will never see/feel a lump anywhere... well, my doctor said that with almost any cancer, a consistent negative change in your bowel movements is one of the earliest signs, loose undigested stool etc.

You see now why I was hesitant to post it? I really really don't mean to freak you out. My doctor also said there are lots of other way less freaky reasons for changes in stool like this so don't worry too much!

Haha, I was a textbook hypochondriac for a good 3 years, so that definitely freaks me out, but I did ask! I'm not going to get too alarmed. I spoke to my brother who is an RN, and he kind of reassured me, though did suggest I should see a DR/NP.

have you gone camping recently? or been exposed to some water that maybe wasn't too clean? You could have giardia. Even though you took antibiotics recently, they might not be the right kind to kill giardia.

this happened to a friend of mine after taking antibiotics. taking probiotics for a while solved the problem for her.

This is reassuring! It would be logical too, I mean, your belly needs bacteria to break stuff up, and if you take stuff that is anti that...

Some people with IBS can't handle too much fibre, there's more chance of it being that than anything sinister.

What fezza said.

I've never heard that claim about cancer, and it appears not to be true, unless you're specifically talking colorectal:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20961502

Interesting, good to know. My grandmother had ovarian so that I don't think that was why the doctor would have said that. Hmm.

Ovarian cancer is tricky, since it's notorious for not having specific symptoms. If someone is having persistent issues, it's definitely worth figuring out the cause, but cancer is probably low on the list of possible culprits.

this isn't an official rule, but please don't tell people they might have cancer. even if you're just trying to help.

second, GO TO THE DOCTOR! if something changes in your body and you are concerned about it, go to the doctor, please! or at least call your doctor.

<3!

As I know y'all were on the edge of your seats concerning my morning poo; it was better. I drank less coffee yesterday (and not around meal times), ate less at a time, and chewed more. Honestly, I probably will not go to the doctor if it continues to improve with these small changes.

You know I really knew I shouldn't have. I guess I was just conflicted because the OP asked what was on my mind... I knew it was either lie/ignore/tell truth, I totally see now that ignore would be the right answer! I am quite sorry.

You don't have to do either, if you're concerned by someone's symptoms just tell them that it sounds like something they should really run by their doctor.

i think unless you're chewing 100 times none of us are chewing enough. i know when i go raw everything passes out pretty much identifiable. and fiber, well, suffice it to say that i eat a LOT of fiber, and what goes in must come out.

i had a kid with digestive problems and our pediatrician told us that basically there are only two times to worry with poo: when it's black (indicating bleeding in the GI tract) and if it's white, which is typical of some kind of metabolical something-something. But anyway, see your doctor.

Can we get some kind of image for the "see your doctor" message?
(i just looked around for some "creepy doctor' images and they were so disturbing i decided not to link.)

I wouldn't mind seeing a scaled down version of this every time someone types "see your doctor".

Has anything in your diet changed recently?

I agree with the chewing advice. It's difficult to really get food almost liquified in your mouth before swallowing when you're on the run. And that's another thing, digestion requires a lot of energy. Do not eat on the run. I took a 10 minute lunch break at work one day and noticed the same issue in my poo the next day.

This happened to me after I took antibiotics (tooth extraction when I was 17). I did research and figured I needed probiotics. After a week of high dosage probiotics, everything went back to normal - though I did continue to take them 'til there weren't any capsules left in the bottle just for good measure.

But also, I agree with the chewing thing. CHEW! And if you can't do that, make blended soups. Not only do they taste good, but they're really easy to digest. I know it's not practical for every meal, but it does help even if you do it every other dinner.