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Have you ever had the experience of flushing a toilet and watching the water start to rise? It is a scary sight. If the water overflows the toilet and floods the bathroom, it is a total mess. Cleaning up can be gross. Sometimes the problem is faulty plumbing. Other times it is caused by large bowel movements. If there is no plunger, it can be terribly embarrassing, especially if it happens at a friend’s house. That is this reader’s greatest fear!
Big Bowel Movements:
Q. I have bowel movements that are so large they clog the toilet. I am not constipated and eat my share of fruits and vegetables. This is not a big deal at home, since I have a plunger in the bathroom to deal with the plumbing problem.
My great fear is having to use the facilities elsewhere. One time I stopped up a friend’s toilet and there was no plunger in sight. It was extremely embarrassing.
Short of carrying a plunger with me, which is of course ridiculous, what can I do?
A. We have heard from many readers who face a similar challenge.
Debra writes about her grandchildren:
“I am very concerned with my two grandsons, ages 7 and 9. Their BMs are huge and painful for them. My daughter has taken them to the pediatrician, but nothing has been done for them.
“I am sure they have learned to hold it until they get home. They both are clogging the toilet constantly. The 7-year-old looks gaunt. He has horrible eating habits and eats very little and still has these humongous BMs.”
Another reader suggests that magnesium might help. The dose should be determined by a physician!
“My grandson has this problem despite lots of fiber and fruit. His physician said that because our water is very high in calcium, my grandson might be low on magnesium.
“Since magnesium is a vital nutrient, it made sense to try a supplement. This works like a charm!”
Another visitor to this site offers a different kind of solution:
“I’ve had this very same issue for my 70 years of life. I Googled the problem. This solution has actually worked at several different homes of friends and family. It is so embarrassing!
“Directions:
- Pour a healthy amount of liquid soap into your toilet bowl, about half a cup. (We use Dawn.) The soap is denser and heavier than water and should drop to the bottom of the bowl.
- Let the liquid dish soap sit in the bowl for 20-30 minutes. After about 20 minutes fill up a container with hot water and pour it into the bowl.
- Flush.
- So far, this has worked every time. Good luck.”
Our Guides to Digestive Disorders and Constipation have other suggestions and a list of medications that may contribute to this problem. Other ideas include chewing sugarless gum or sipping flaxseed broth.
One woman who developed this problem during her pregnancy was advised to take milk of magnesia on alternate days. On the other days, she took a stool softener like Colace and daily fish oil.
Here are several other comments. As you will see, this is a problem that affects a great many people:
Fiber Is NOT Always the Answer
B.L.B. consumes huge amounts of fiber with no benefit:
“It’s not constipation. Honestly I have it too. I go every day.
“I would like to consider myself a delicate lady otherwise but, no. Things I have tried over the counter cause my stool to swell up, which is not the desired goal.
“Fiber is also a lost cause. My diet consists mostly of kale, spinach and other vegetables and fruits, tofu and whole grains.
“The doctors don’t seem to think it’s a problem and they always dismiss it. I have been very persistent. I’ve heard “modern plumbing is just not designed to accommodate a healthy bowel movement.” A. it’s not healthy and B. shut up!
“It’s painful, it’s awful and it has little to do with diet. I’ve been diagnosed with IBS but the more I look into it the less I believe that’s really what’s going on. It doesn’t fluctuate back and forth – it’s always huge and painful.
“I’ve read that it has to do with something stripping the bacteria from the walls of your colon. I suspect it might be related to gluten- that’s the only thing I haven’t tried eliminating. I suspect a low starch diet might help and that’s my next course of action.
“My daughter has this problem too and it’s heart wrenching. I honestly have no words for what it’s like – it’s ridiculous. One thing I know for sure though, is that nobody can tell me to add more fiber to my diet. That’s been done and laxatives might be a step in the completely wrong direction.”
Kids That Hold It In
You would be surprised to learn how many children suffer from this problem.
Here is a message from Melanie. She is fed up and frustrated:
“My son has had this problem since he was 4. He is almost 9 now. A teacher told him that he was taking too long in the bathroom. From that point on, he has been holding it in. He even holds it in at home now.
“His stools are HUGE. They clog the toilet, too, which is very embarrassing for him. He usually comes home from school with a small stain on his underwear from holding it in.
“Encopresis is the only ‘diagnosis’ that fit our situation, and it is not one that will go away any time soon. We have tried all of the stool softeners, fiber etc… none of which has helped.
“Now we just try to cope and help keep him stay clean. I worry more about the pain of the large bowel movements. He won’t say whether they hurt or not.
“It just breaks my heart to see him go through this and feel so helpless. Kids dealing with this need a lot of patience and understanding….and maybe some dietary changes.”
Dr. Alan Greene Deals with the D-D-D cycle:
We consulted Dr. Alan Greene’s website to get an answer. Dr. Greene is one of the country’s leading pediatricians and his website is fabulous!
First, Dr. Greene warns about the nasty DDD cycle: “Discomfort-Dread-Delay.” The longer a child (or adult) holds in a bowel movement, the “bigger” the problem eventually. Dr. Greene suggests trying mineral oil to break the cycle (4 teaspoons a day to start for a 4-year-old).
He recommends adjusting the dose until the stool is soft every day. That dose is used for about two weeks. Then the mineral oil is tapered and eventually discontinued. Using mineral oil too long can affect nutritional status, so this must be considered a temporary approach.
One last suggestion from Dr. Greene: try avoiding white food, ie, white bread, white rice and white flour in all its guises. That means less standard pizza and fewer cookies and cakes. If the child can tolerate prune or pear juice, that may also help.
Other Suggestions for Dealing with Big Bowel Movements:
We heard from plumber Mark Harrison who offered this link to ways to unplug blocked toilets: https://www.mrblueplumbing.com/every-way-to-unclog-a-toilet/
Jeb in Montana has had some childhood trauma:
“I grew up in a household where we got a spanking if we plugged the toilet with large bowel movements. It was an unspoken rule that we had to pinch them out regardless of how big they were. I know I hated it. It was even worse when we moved into a new house with some water-saving toilets with a small opening at the bottom of the bowl.
“As for clearing plugged toilets, there are a couple things that can be done. Get a large bucket (like a 5 gallon bucket) and fill it full with the hottest water you can get from the bath tub and pour it down the toilet. If that doesn’t work, pour a large amount of liquid dish soap into the toilet and let it sit for about 5 minutes and then repeat with another 5 gallon bucket of the hottest water from the bath tub. That should do the trick between the lubrication the soap has and the hot water to get things moving along and on down the drain.”
Diane has a different solution to big bowel movements:
“I sprinkle baking soda followed by vinegar into the bowl so it will fizz. Let it set for about fifteen minutes before flushing. I always lay a ratty towel down and have the plunger ready just in case but so far I haven’t had any clogs since doing this.”
Rob in New York says the brand of toilet matters:
“I have had the problem of large stools since I was a child. When I finally lived in a home where I could install a toilet, I did plenty of research. The result was the Toto Drake with SanaGloss. The SanaGloss is a super-smooth pipe that is incredibly slippery. Now using a plunger is a rare occurrence. And I’ve urged my friends in town to get the same toilet, so my kids have other ‘friendly’ toilets to use.”
We checked the Amazon ratings on several Toto Drake SanaGloss toilets and most people agree that they flush better than average toilets. Whether it will work for very big bowel movements remains to be seen. Let us know your experience. Share your own story or solutions below in the comment section.
Eileen
Toto Drake toilets are the best!
Ruti
I flush in the middle and before wiping.
Another tip: After wiping, I wipe again with a little hand lotion on three pieces of toilet paper, then clean with baby wipe, and dry again with toilet paper. The tush comes clean as a whistle.
Another subject: I have Morton neuroma. Got cortisone shots. Alcohol shots, did not help. I bought NEOZ flip-flops on Amazon for cheap. Now I wear NEOZ flip flops and Crocks like clogs. I buy a bit larger clogs, and put an insole made from yoga mat to create a soft sole. The neuroma disappeared, and I do not have any problems with my feet.
Bud
I always flush, as a precaution, before wiping, if it’s a “big load,” so as not to plug-up the plumbing. Sometimes I even triple flush, as a preventative. If worse comes to worse, and things clog-up, like others have stated before, I’ll squirt in some dish soap and wait a few minutes before checking to see if things have slid down, then flush again as a chaser. Good luck.
Cindy
Well, I simply must comment because this subject is never far from my mind, lol.
I, too, have “big poops” that often threaten to clog my toilet but never do, because I too have a plunger close at all times. More interesting than that, though, is the fact that I have AT LEAST 4 large BMs per day plus at least 2 or 3 smaller ones. They are perfect in every way… it’s just that there are SO many of them. I eat lots of fiber, but I don’t eat much food, often only one smallish meal a day. So WHERE the heck does it all come from?! I should have completely disappeared by now. Seriously.
Also they are insistent! I’d better be less than 5 minutes from a bathroom once the first stirrings occur. Strange, isn’t it?
HOWEVER, I have a 2nd comment, a more practical one. There are many comments about “slow flushing,” ostensibly due to the size of the poop, also a couple references to the age/condition of the toilet itself. Actually, I think the toilet does play a big role.
I have an older toilet, over 30 years old. I recently noticed a little whitish stuff in the bottom of the toilet and decided to feel around and see what it was. Well! There’re 2 different “holes” in the bottom of the toilet. If you reach all the way down into those holes (yes, with your hands), you may find a very thick crust in there (on the walls), made out of, like, limestone or something. It’s mineral, kind of greenish-white, and is all bristle-y like a cave with stalagtites/mites. Well, I got a few tools and started chipping away at this stuff, and soon big chunks of it were falling into the bottom of the toilet! I kept at it, and I got a whole lot of it off.. NOW, when I flush the toilet it goes so much faster and with much more vigor!
SO, you mega-poopers out there, one answer (to your clogged toilets) may be that there’s buildup in your toilet pipes causing a weak flush!
Sorry this was so long, but there we have it. Cheers!
Kay
I often flush the toilet with my elbow WHILE I am producing the occasional large bowel movement. – And certainly before adding toilet paper to the bowl. I endorse the post-hoc remedy of adding liquid dish soap or laundry soap and waiting a while before flushing.
Johnnye
This sounds gross, but it works: I keep nitrile gloves in the bathroom and break up my hard or large stools. The gloves do an excellent job and they rinse off clean, to be disposed of in the trash. Works at a friend’s house too. Just carry a few in your purse or pocket.
JAS
Solution! I carry 2-3 plastic throw-away knives. Because “Slice/Dice/Flush/Trash” is better than “Flush/Exploding Geyser/Flood/OMG!” :) It works for me since I also carry my own utensils to restaurants (even long before the Covid pandemic hit); I attribute both my sense of humor & flaming germ-a-phobia to being a college dropout. I majored in “Lab Tech/Veterinary Science” back in 1979… Ran straight out of the zoonotic diseases lab & never looked back! Until Covid came! LOL!
Susan
I sometimes have bowel movements that would have clogged my old toilet. Absolutely no problem since I replaced it with a newer style. It’s a popular brand, but there must be other brands that work this way. I don’t know the model number. The key appears to be that, while some of the holding tank water flushed into the top of the bowl, a majority seems to empty into the curved pipe area below the bowl, “pulling” from the bottom during the flush. It typically makes a short “Splurp” noise, and then it’s done.
Tony
In 2015, a syncope and fall left me with c-4,5,6 and 7 neck vertebrae fused. Was told I now had a neurogenic bowel and bladder, and the VA provided me with a caregiver. After 2 years of using suppositories and stimulation for bowel movements, I realized I had more sensation than they thought and decided to try having BMs when I felt I needed to go. Still works after 5 years, but I also experience the problems reported in this article. My solution is different. I have clear plastic gloves. I insert the handle of a wooden spoon in the middle finger. Holding the wide base while gripping the wrist portion of the glove to keep it in place, I break up my usually firm and marbled stools into flushable-size pieces. Works every time, and the used glove, after being sloshed in the fresh water in the commode, goes in the waste can, not down the toilet where it can cause blockages in our town’s sewer system.
Nina
My brother had this problem when we were growing up. My mom insisted that he not flush the toilet until she could slice his BMs into smaller pieces with a knife from the kitchen drawers.
When word about that got out — I can’t imagine *who* would have let that info slip — my best friend started calling my mom “the Ol’ Poo Slicer.”
Robert
One solution is to have two bowel movements per day, such as two hours or so after breakfast or lunch and the second about two hours after dinner. It will take a few days to get into the best working habit, but it is worth it.
Marty
Are you serious? As someone who has this problem it’s not a matter of “OH, I think I’ll go have a poop”! Sometimes it can be DAYS before you even have the sense that you might need to go. I’ve tried to make myself go, all it does is waste untold minutes and cause HORRIBLY irritated, bleeding hemorrhoids.
Lisa
My daughter had this problem as a young child. We tried everything Eastern and Western Medicine could offer. Nothing worked. I even took her to a psychologist to work through why she was holding it. Eventually she grew out of it. Though I’ve never stopped the toilet, I could go days without a BM but no pain of constipation.
I found that a teaspoon of molasses 3x day has worked for me.
Daniel B
The suggestion to pour hot water into the toilet bowl is a VERY bad one. Hot water, especially boiling hot water, should NEVER be poured into the toilet bowl. Doing so can quickly cause the toilet bowl to crack! The ceramic/porcelain material from which the toilet is made is NOT tempered to withstand sudden changes of temperature, like pouring hot water into a cold toilet bowl.
Sometimes, the crack might be obvious. Other times, it may only cause a hairline crack that occurs under the toilet bowl, out of sight. The fracture will allow water to slowly leak underneath the toilet bowl, out of view of the homeowner, causing the floor beneath the toilet to rot. It only gets worse from there, and over time.
I learned all of this the hard way, and I post this to help other avoid the same mistake.
Barbara
Supplements: magnesium and vitamin C
Foods: prunes and apricots
I have the opposite problem and can no longer consume these supplements or have to severely limit eating these foods.
I had to give up my favorite electrolyte supplement because I didn’t realize it had waaaaay too much magnesium in it.
Lulu
I was taught, and taught my kids to “double flush”. Flush the BM first, then wipe and flush the TP. Yeah, I think it would help if you could flush while you’re going that would be helpful too, so then it might be a “triple flush”!
Robert
For a little humor on this topic I recommend David Sedaris’ short story “Big Boy.”
Mac
The problem of large-diameter feces is physiological, and sounds terrible, painful, and difficult to overcome. However, there is one very simple thing that those afflicted – in fact everyone – can do to lessen the chance of toilet blockage. It is this:
Flush Twice.
First, deposit the solids, then flush. NO PAPER!
After that, do the paperwork, and second-flush that away.
The reason is simple:the soft, water-soaked paper clings easily and tightly to the mucusy fecal material, making a super-blob of sticky goo. But feces by itself usually has a slippery coating, so slides easily down the pipe. And the paper, if just paper, has nothing to cling to, so flushes easily. And please, flush police, don’t be concerned about wasting water. Done!
Barbara
For the children with this problem, please consider lactose intolerance. As a child, I suffered from this until I went away to college. Then I realized I didn’t have stomach problems or have to sit in the bathroom anymore. I realized it was because I was not drinking milk. My parents had no clue about lactose intolerance. In later years, I tried lactose free milk which worked for a while but then I started noticing problems with that also. I stay as dairy free now as possible and take supplements that work for me.
Mickey
I’ve had large bowel movements since I was a kid (I’m in my 70s now) and it has been a source of anxiety and embarrassment all my life. Holding in BMs contributed to permanently enlarging the colon, allowing more stool material to accumulate before signaling “it’s time to GO.” So there’s not much you can do to prevent large stools accumulating in your gut except to soften them with mineral oil or Miralax supplements and regular bowel movements.
That being said, I use two techniques that usually help. The first is to not allow large, long stools to slip out intact. Using your anal sphincter muscle, squeeze hard when the stool has exited about 3 or 4 inches. This will require some difficult, repeating squeezes, while at the same time consciously relaxing your colon from continuing the stool exit. Depending on your sphincter strength, this can be a daunting process, but repeating this process every time will strengthen the muscle. After the first “squeeze-off”, continue the process every 3-4” until finished. While you will still have the same total amount of fecal material in the toilet bowl, it will be in small segments, which can easily adjust and jiggle during the flush, eliminating the dreaded clog.
The second item may be used alone or in conjunction with the first: adding a small amount of dish detergent before flushing. This lubricates the process and helps eliminate clogs. I don’t think putting large quantities of detergent into the bowl is a good idea because massive quantities of suds could cause problems downstream. The tight 180-degree turns in toilet plumbing simply cannot accommodate large, long stools, and that causes clogs. Small stool segments and a squirt of dish detergent should do the trick.
Daniel
When we moved into our new home, we had low flush toilets. These were never designed to accept huge bowl movements.
So, I did some research on better toilets. Several major toilet manufacturers came out with newer models that solved the problem of clogged toilets. We now have two of these better toilets in our home. There is one holdover, and we’ll be replacing it with the same newer models we now have. In most cases, these toilets have been more convenient and are also water savers too.
I was repulsed by the thought of visitors or relatives having to use a plunger, or helping them with clogged toilets. So, we don’t fight with the toilet problem any longer.
The newer toilets are not as expensive as one may think. The plumber who installed our latest model was less than an hour’s job. And the labor fee was less than the cost of the new toilet.
Jeff
One solution is to flush while the stool is still coming out. If you time it just right so the peak of the flush is when the stool leaves your bottom it will go right down.
Joan
Dish liquid in the toilet works well. I have never been constipated, but am very embarrassed by both the frequency and the volume. I can’t eat less. I have a weird metabolism. I am hungry all the time (weigh 135). Been tested for diabetes and thyroid issues. When I was little, my mom had me checked for both and tapeworm!
But, I carry Dawn in my purse and am terrified of clogging a toilet in someone’s house. Sometimes I flush 2,3 times but that feels embarrassing, too. I had a friend who is a surgeon. He suggested that I had a very large stomach. No belly, but the organ itself. Any one hear of such a thing?
Sophie
Daily water enemas help me. I got my enema bag online. I’ve had constipation all my life. My mom used suppositories on me. I went through a laxative phase and then through a natural phase of raw veganism and psyllium husk. High fiber diets help soften the stool but makes the clog 10 times worse. I wouldn’t suggest it. It doesn’t help me to use the bathroom daily either.
Prunes and prune juice don’t work on me. Magnesium helps soften the stool. I took 600 mg per day. It didn’t help me use the bathroom daily though, so still clogged toilets.
I have clogged toilets everywhere and it’s a pain to deal with. Chronic constipation is no joke. If you have chronic constipation that vitamins c, magnesium, prunes, or coffee cannot fix, try the water enemas. It’s not habit forming and can be done for the rest of your life.
As for the toilet, breaking the stool with a stick, hot water with soap, or baking soda and vinegar helps but…not quickly if you have abnormally large stools. You may have to do the hot water and soap several times. I quit psyllium husk after the toilet got clogged for two days. It was a sludge (imagine congealed mud), so breaking it up wasn’t an option. It took a lot of soap, hot water, vinegar, and baking soda, plus plunging. Peroxide breaks up the stool better but it’s more expensive. I’ve used food grade peroxide, and it’s the best at breaking apart the stool.
I grew up flushing multiple times, which sometimes help but doesn’t most times because I have one very large bowel movement. A strong toilet helps, so if you can get a better toilet, then do it. Hopefully, this post can help someone.
HTE
South Florida
I too have suffered with constipation my entire life, even though I grew up with healthy home- cooked meals & was very athletic (still am). I also live in the tropics & drink water all day long. After my 1st colonoscopy at 50, the Dr. told me & my husband, as I was coming out of anesthesia, that I had an extremely long colon, as if that was important. Under the influence, I looked at my husband & could barely contain my laughter. However, upon reflection much later, I thought maybe THAT’S why I have had constipation problems! It makes sense that the stool would take longer to pass through and get drier & harder until it got to the end of the line. I have an extremely long torso. So the cause could be simply the way we are designed by nature.
I have found that a bowl of bran flakes with fruit for breakfast helps a lot, as well as cantaloupe and apples (fruit juice doesn’t work – ya gotta eat the apple) for snacks. Also a hot beverage (coffee, tea, or even hot water). I avoid chocolate or eat in small amounts! It’s like eating cork. Halloween & Easter candy always made me miserable the next day!
I urge you, especially, to share this advice with children. And for God’s sake, have a talk with the principal & school nurse & get a note to the teachers saying hat your child does not need a hall pass or permission to go to the bathroom! They can create a special permanent pass for your child to carry at all times. I would suggest a discussion with your child about not abusing the privilege. My daughter would not have gotten through 10th grade without it. So embarrassing!
And for the home, I have heard that Toto toilets are worth every penny & looking to install one soon. Indeed, I came across this article after googling “best toilets for constipation”.
Bob
Wisconson
I use an American Standard Toilet with a 3″ flapper (more flush power) and never have a problem. My old toilet had a 2″ flapper and clogged a lot.
Katrina
San Diego
In may experience, people who have Ehlers Danlos, Marfan’s and Loey’s-Dietz syndromes or any of the connective tissue syndromes, have this problem, as their bowels have a tendency, of course, to stretch due to the elasticity of their connective tissue, meaning that they tend to have continual issues of clogging toilets, regardless of what they do.
Daphne
VA
A few prunes may work if you like prunes. At least they are healthy.
Sabrina
San Diego
My mom is on peritoneal dialysis and takes Renvela, a phosphorus binder that impacts her stool and constipates her. We tried all the stool softeners and finally found a solution: 2 Tbsp of mineral oil (washed down with a little juice) every night before bed. Now she goes regularly, no more impaction or large stools to clog the toilet. She also takes senokot twice a day.
tricia
NY
This is for Melanie regarding her son or really anyone else out there with encopresis. I can’t believe how common this problem is! I feel so relieved to know that there are so many others out there with this problem. (I knew there were some but the more I’m reading the more I’m seeing just how many). What’s helped for use is a stool softener every day, taken with food! It’s made a large (no pun intended) difference. If we skip just one day, he’s back with issues. If he doesn’t take it “with” food it doesn’t work. I am going to try the magnesium too! Anyone know how much is recommended for these issues?
THANK you everyone!
Anna
Canada
My grandson has this same problem. I told him not to wait with flushing until the end, but to flush once the first feces have dropped, and then flush again after the next drop. This way there is not too much to be flushed away at one time. It works just fine for us. Poop and flush, poop and flush, etc. Don’t wait until it builds up. No problems now. lol
Jerry
AZ
As a kid, I remembering my mother telling me to flush often if I had a large BM, and so I did. I don’t ever remember plugging the toilet, then or afterwards.
Liz
Pennsylvania
I have this problem. My parents used to get angry. I can’t believe the size. It will not go down and clogs the bowel.
michael
Ireland
Our toilet got blocked recently. I blamed my son who had been at home the previous night. Long story short: I tried everything including buckets of water and strong toilet cleaning solution. I checked the pipes at the rear of our house, and all was clear. Went back again to Google and got the suggestion of washing up liquid and hot water; poured 2 pints of wash-up liquid down the toilet bowl followed by a bucket of hot water. (I should say at this point that we have only one bathroom in our house.)
The water began moving a little faster than before but not completely. Poured in more water and decided to have another look at the pipe coming out from the toilet. Could not see anything. Got a stick and pushed it towards the toilet bowl. I then knew something was blocking the outlet pipe. Got a torch and looked into the pipe and could see something hairy?? More buckets of hot water. Eventually, I could see the hairy thing moving very slowly from the toilet so got a pair of coal tongs and pulled it out. Guess what it was: A HEDGEHOG. It was dead at this point from all the toilet cleaners and hot water.
Our sewage pipes are connected to a treatment plant about 200 yards from our house, so he must have entered the pipe there.
AMP
Morrisville,NC
For those clogged toilets….as things begin….do a courtesy flush…that helps!
ROBERT W.
AZ
The simple solution to the large Bowel Movement is the “double flush method” – start to flush the toilet as the bowel movement emerges so the bowl water is moving down the feces, which allows it to flush the bowel movement with it. Then flush again when you have finished wiping – works every time and keeps the plumbing clear.
Bob
SC
Some of the newer toilet designs create a strong swirling water action that so far in our house has never caused an overflow condition. I have two of these toilets and aside from never clogging they also keep the bowl very clean.
You can easily lift the cover off of the tank and push the large flapper valve down/closed at the bottom of the tank. This will immediately stop the water flow and the possibility of overflow. If you think there may be a problem take the lid off first, then flush the toilet and watch. If the water keeps rising shut down the flapper valve. Then do what you normally do to soften the problem. The water in the tank is clean so don’t worry about it being germmy.:):)
Jean
CT
Just a suggestion that works if you carry a purse (or a man bag). I carry a couple of the narrow wooden skewers sold in grocery stores by the package. Break off the sharp point. Always have 1 or 2 in my purse and can use them to break up stool before flushing. Then can be tossed (large public wastebasket) or (ugh) rinsed and wrapped to discard at home.
Teresa
PA
My daughter had this problem when she was very young. She was probably holding, and then we were told by a pediatric gastrointestinal doctor that because she held her bowels her rectum got enlarged, and that was why she had large bowel movements. He had a great solution to her problem Kondramil (Irish moss and mineral oil and then also barley malt that tastes like chocolate milk). These worked great. I still buy the malt at a health food store and keep it handy.
Sandra
Lansing, KS
My husband has Parkinson’s Disease which is causing his constipation. A high fiber diet helps (besides fresh fruit & vegetables and whole grains he sometimes eats a couple Spanish Chufa Nuts (Tigernuts), but still the toilet gets clogged from time to time. He has been using vegetable oil in the toilet to help unclog it.
Rick
Olympia WA
One solution might be to flush the toilet as soon as your bowels start to move. Do not let the BM sit in the toilet while you wipe. I have this problem, but it’s because the toilet bowl itself is designed to save water. Flushing twice does use more water but we don’t typically have to flush very many times throughout the day. Even though flushing twice uses more water but it will save embarrassment. I also let my guests know this so they are not embarrassed by a clogged toilet.
Eleanor
California
Years ago I read a “household hints” column that suggested pouring a little dishwashing soap into the toilet. With the plunger I then create a soapy foam and let it sit for 15 minutes. It almost always flushes after that. On the rare occasion when it doesn’t I add more soap and repeat the procedure. It’s been probably 30 years since I’ve had to call the plumber, and I’ve been waiting to share this “hint” with someone.
Roy
Chicago
I have found that flushing the toilet just a second or two before “dropping the load” will swirl and orient the “load” straight down the drain. The only drawback is that studies have found that any flushing of a toilet causes a slight mist to rise from the bowl.
Leigh Ann
Florida
Also, take probiotics.
Leigh Ann
Florida
Also, flush before you wipe.
Leigh Ann
FL
magnesium, stool softeners if you need them, and drink water.
Ken
Washington
Install a Caroma toilet with their larger diameter trapway.
Cami
Seattle, WA
Mineral oil helped my son who was holding and had painful BMs. It makes everything slippery so it slides out and slides down the toilet.
Sharon
AZ
My daughter had humongous painful toilet clogging stools when young. A Pediatric GI doctor told us to give her one tablespoon of food grade mineral oil daily (from the drug store). We mixed it in a bowl with a tablespoon of softened ice cream. Stir vigorously to combine then pop in the freezer for about a half hour to harden. No oily taste or texture. She would leak an orange spot about the size of a dime in her underwear the next day, but I figured it was worth it just so she could go painlessly and forego the overflowing toilet. Fortunately, she’s outgrown the issue, but needs to drink plenty of water every day to avoid constipation.
judy
Glenwood springs CO
As much as I am trying to use fewer plastic items, I keep a box of cheap disposable plastic silverware in the bathroom. I use that to break up a large and hard stool, wipe it on toilet paper, flush the tp, wrap the used spoon (or whatever) in a tissue and put it in the wastebasket. Easy to carry this silverware with you, too.
Ellen
Upstate NY
I found that the baking soda and vinegar solution works if the mass is not huge and hard-packed. I found a more simple solution. I buy a package of sturdy wood or bamboo skewers at the grocery store, and I keep a few of them in a jar behind the toilet. If the fecal mass appears too large to flush, I break it up with the pointed end of a skewer before I flush the toilet. I use the skewer to hold back some of the mass and let it go as soon as the bowl begins to empty. Swish the skewer in the clean water and put it in the trash. If anyone needs a plunger that works well with any toilet design, I recommend the one by OXO. It saved me from a huge plumber bill when the usual plumbers’ helper didn’t work and neither did any other method of clearing a huge clog of toilet paper precipitated by the worst case of diarrhea ever after eating too much quinoa. That toilet was completely out of commission for a few days until the OXO was delivered. Thankfully, I have a second bathroom. Now each bathroom has an OXO plunger. It comes with a base that automatically covers and conceals the black rubber business end. OXO found a way to make a toilet plunger discreet and attractive as well as effective.
Britt
Charleston
My solution is very simple and easy to follow:
I keep one finger on the flush lever and press it as soon as the first movement starts and repeat it throughout the “Session.” Uses more water but smells less and no clog! Voila!!
Connie
CA
Mineral oil is not a good long term solution. Magnesium comes in capsule form (no need for Milk of Magnesia) and works well. Finding the right dose was through a program from my Integrative Med, PCP. The goal was at least one easy to pass BM per day. Worked like a charm!
Kaye
Texas
I have that problem occasionally. If visiting someone and feel the urge, get a clothes hanger and take in with you. Afterward, chop it up into smaller pieces. Works every time. Then discard the hanger. No one knows. Lol
Bev D.
AR
I have found the solution to prevent clogged toilets. First, flush a couple of times during the process so the toilet doesnt get over-burdened with toilet paper. Second, understand how modern toilets work (especially when using “soft tissue”): hold down the flush lever and don’t let go with the first emptying sound. Wait till the second gurgle or sound of emptying. Then let go of the lever. You will likely never have a problem again.
Mack
New Jersey
I’ve had this problem all my life, and of course, I felt I was the only one with it! When I was a kid I used to hold it in as much as I could (classic anal retentive kid), leading to large, painful stools, which, over many years, also stretched the rectum, allowing even more fecal material to accumulate each day. This was the perfect storm for embarrassing incidents for most of my life.
But in the past few years, I have adopted a strategy that seems to work. First, I take a daily evening ½ capful of MiraLax — I don’t take a full cap since I don’t want my bowels totally dependent on this laxative. Then, in the morning, I have coffee (stimulates contractions) and wait and encourage a bowel movement before doing anything else. On the toilet, I have learned to squeeze off the fecal material into smaller “portions”, trying for 3-4” each. These get jostled down the pipe during flushing and so far haven’t cause a clog.
But (and this is important), I do not use toilet paper during the first bowel movement, and try to keep from passing the final portion of the fecal material. So I flush the toilet, which exits easily because of the small feces, and after the first flush, I finish voiding the remainder and clean up with toilet tissue and then quickly do a second flush, which flushes easily. This technique breaks the huge, long BMs into easily flushed pellets, and puts the toilet paper (a common cause of clogs since it blocks the flow) plus a smaller amount of feces in the second flush. While a double flush may sound odd to those who may be listening outside the bathroom, they might think it’s because I had a second urge — which is far more preferable than the embarrassment of a full scale clog and overflow, especially at work or in someone else’s home! This procedure may require straining to squeeze off the smaller sections of stool, and I frequently have an irritation there after a hard defecation, but I use a small amount of A&D ointment back there and after several minutes, the pain goes away. Adding dish detergent also can help flushing large quantities of stool and paper.
dd
canada
a big help:’Slippery elm inner Bark’s Lubricating Qualities Soothe and Support Normal Bowel Function. When slippery elm mixes with stomach digestive juices, it forms a viscus or “slippery” gel that coats and soothes mucus membranes lining the gastrointestinal tract.
Dried powder extracts with their tannins and oily mucilage components offer the best lubrication.
It helps normal bowel and GI function and occasional constipation or loose stools.’
LynnB
NY
A note of caution for those who would use hot water for flushing. Be aware that wax seals are used when connecting to the home’s waste pipe. After mixing with whatever cold water may remain in the toilet, the water temperature may still be sufficiently hot to melt the wax creating a serious leak. Repair amounts to removing the toilet, itself, for access to the seal beneath needing replacement.
Vera
Toronto
My son suffered from encopresis as a child. He started holding it in after a bout of diarrhea. We had him on Lansoyl -a product that looked like red jelly that was mainly mineral oil. We purchased it at the pharmacy as he wouldn’t have mineral oil on its own. He was on it for years. Lots of stains in the underwear. He also had to see a child psychologist to help with the underlying issues of “holding back.” It was a very frustrating time. We also started him on Magnesium supplements which seemed to work better than the mineral oil. I also used Clensmore – a natural laxative product that I purchased in a health food store. That eventually did the trick although he was taking it for several months. It worked to loosen the stool better than the mineral oil products. He eventually outgrew the encopresis.
ronert
olney, md
i, too; have some history as a “brick layer” ! my father also made this traumatic for me! (about age 8) as i aged, i learned and utilized the chopping techique , i also learned how to turn off the water using the valve underneath (MOST toilets have them!) i thought i was weird for years for chopping my waste.
these ‘skills’ were learned a bit too late however, to help me when at a friends house, where the toilet overflowed all over the floor, ruining some freshly and dumbly installed floor covering. in later years, i rarely brick up a bowl, and have a ‘pet’ plunger (toilaflex brand) close. i NEVER have stopped up a commercial “power” toilet
and use these confidently while traveling ; e.t.c. occasionally, i can stop up a ‘foreign’ (non home) toilet, but usually can locate a plunger. chopsticks to use while traveling is a BRILLIANT idea!
Geno
I have had large bowel movements since I was a teenager. With 6 kids and our parents and one bathroom my Dad would get mad when I plugged the toilet. “For goodness sake, use a stick,” he said. So I began doing that and it solved the problem. Now in later years if I am staying at someone’s house for several days, I go to a home center where the flush is like a tsunami and that works. But when that is not convenient I always carry a cut piece of coat hanger and chop the stool up, then wipe the hanger clean with toilet paper. So it is customary for me to have a coat hanger and a plunger in my bathroom at all times. And I generally go daily. We are not freaks, we just have large BMs.
Greenie
anonymous
For two or three days, I soaked a cinnamon stick in my black coffee to add cinamon taste to it. Shortly thereafter I had so much stool it clogged the toilet. I realized that the only thing I had done diferently was the cinnamon stick and that this spice must have caused the loose stools — I “filed it away” for drinking the next time I’m constipated. HTH
(btw, it raised the toilet bowl water level almost to the seat, but after letting it sit a few minutes, enough of it had sunk down into the pipes or whatever , that the next flush or two took care of everything)
Cindy
Seattle
I should stop myself but can’t help chiming in. I am never constipated and, luckily, I’ve never had any GI distress of any kind. No cramps, no diarrhea, no heartburn, no indigestion, no nausea… I do have large stools, but the more amazing thing is the number of them per day! I crap about 6-8 times every single day. 3 to 4 in the first couple hours of the day — even if I fasted the day before and had almost nothing to eat! And they are smooth brown logs, totally normal.
I’m thinking: “Good grief, can a person really crap more than they eat? And if so, why wouldn’t they shrink?” I do eat mainly fruit and veggies, but I don’t eat that much overall. I’m not complaining, but I do find it darn interesting!
carole
I, too, have always had this problem and have used many of the mentioned solutions with varying amounts of success. Now, I am old ( almost 80 ) and have Parkinson’s, so nothing in my body it seems works the way it should. I accidentally came upon a solution that seems to work for me with the large b.m.s.Because of my PD, I often have trouble with reflux and also with incontinence…I have used some remedies found in the Peoples Pharmacy for these and they seem to work ( I swear ) ;-0 for my difficulty with bowel movements.
Before I go to bed, I will have a few (around 10 to 20 ) raw almonds mixed with some golden raisins and I always then by the next day have a normal BM. I mixed the raisins in only because they seem to make the almonds go down without a choke reflex, that people with PD frequently have trouble with. So the core of this is, that, I don’t know why, but this combo works for several things. AMEN
Susan
Winston Salem
If I am constipated and feel the urge to have a bowel movement I lie down and insert a glycerin suppository.
It works very quickly for me and relieves a lot of pain and discomfort on the toilet. I don’t use a suppository until I feel the urge to go. I eat a lot of fiber but that often does not keep constipation at bay.
For me, too much fiber can cause really painful cramps and diarrhea or loose stools.
Sue
Worth repeating: three previous comments… Prunes, 400mg Magnesium daily, and flush as you go. Hold the handle down for a few seconds on the water-saver toilets. I paid a plumber $150 for that advice. Also install a shut-off valve to the toilet to prevent overflow.
Shirley
Florida
I just happened upon this article. If you can buy a good quality olive oil,use two or three teaspoons depending on your weight,put on tomatoes, and sprinkle on bread, like brochetta, I add mozzarella, sprinkle oil on all, and that seems to keep everything flowing for days, before needing more.
Or just make a habit of getting good olive oil in you daily, to see what happens. It’s like a lube job on your body. Works, so why not try it.
I bought Carbonel, from Italy, about $8 for small can, as any large amts of oil will go rancet on you.
Buy small, in tin can. Not taste, just smooth. This is the answer to lubing the intestine so everything slides easily down. Good luck, I have IB and this helps that also.Some meds constitute you, so oil will help that.
Jerry
La Habra, CA
I eat five prunes every day, and this solves the problem.
Jane
CO
When traveling, I pack a few plastic knives in my toiletry kit for easy access when I am in the bathroom. For hard stools that are not necessarily large, I cut them up. I wipe the knife on the spent toilet paper in the bowl and then wrap it up for disposal. No, not elegant but effective.
BETTYLU
MI
I have constipation problems so I am familiar with clogged toilets. This may gross some out, but I carry a pair of rubber disposal gloves in a zip lock bag with me. If that rare occasion occurs when you are at someone else’s house, and you find you have to go, go. However, if it looks like a clogger, put on the gloves, and break the clogger up into a smaller size then flush again. Bag the gloves, and dispose of when you can. It does prevent the embarrassment of informing your host that you need a plunger.
Mary C. C.
Newark, Calif.
Was having problems with large bm’s caused by our son. When I had the bathroom remodeled two years ago, bought the American Standard toilet as I had seen their advertisement on tv, where they flushed 16 golf balls with one flush.
Works like magic, haven’t had a problem since the change. Quick flush for small load, hold longer for bigger one. Works great. Model #2988.101.020.
Hope this helps someone.
PAM
Mn.
My grandson is always constipated and says it hurts to go. He used take a long time in bathroom. Now he says there is blood in it so a commercial fiber product seems to help a little if he takes it, but black (only) licorice helps. But his mom doesnt want him to depend on it, so now his poo is hard as rocks. At least he’s not as uncomfortable, thank God.
Ella
Canada
My son has had this problem since childhood. Bowel movements the thickness of a coke can are normal for him. He had an xRay once, and they said he had mega colon.
He moved to Australia for a year after college and lived with friends. I asked him if he had any problems there, as most people in Australia don’t even own a plunger.
He said their toilets flushed amazingly. I looked into it, and the brand Caroma flushes through a four inch trap, not the 2.125 inch opening of the American toilet. It can flush a baseball for goodness sake. Check YouTube!
They are available here in Canada from Lowe’s and I will buy one since my son came home!
Hope this helps someone.
Robbie
Texas
I always flush before wiping. At least that way, the toilet paper isn’t adding to the issue with the toilet stopping up.
Roy L.
Chicago
How can I put this delicately? I have found that flushing the toilet just at the “bombs away” point allows the swirling water to keep the result pointed towards the drain, allowing the result to exit smoothly and without impediment.
Maree
Melbourne, Australia
I developed this problem after I suffered a stroke, so assumed it was just another symptom that I had been cursed with, and yes, it likely is a relic from the stroke, but I have noticed that the problem comes after I have eaten a large amount of broccoli for dinner the evening before. I do not know if it is the fibre, or that gas is causing the stool to float and not flush. I can resolve the problem in my own home (I break a stick off the tree outside, and break the stool into smaller pieces) but if I am out it is not an easy thing to resolve. I am likely to hold on until I can get home or to a public toilet.
stan b.
NJ
I added a small step stool in front of the toilet. Put my feet on the stool – which lowered my
butt, and relaxed. At the beginning, I waited up to 10 minutes. If nothing happened, I gave up.
I’ve been doing this for almost one month since my doctor advised that this may help me.
Now when I feel any urge to make a bowel movement, I walk to the bathroom, put up my legs on the step stool (which I covered with a heavy towel for comfort of my bare feet),make sure my butt is lower than my feet.
Now, if I have to go, it takes less that 2 minutes for me to pass the bowel movements. As added insurance, I time the flush so that when my stool is about to drop, I flush. That
guarantees me that it will be carried away.
I went through 6 months of using a six foot “snake” before learning this balancing act. The last part assures me that when I visit friends’ homes I won’t be embarrassed.
LiLi
Florida
I flooded my bathroom twice two years ago. Since then I just keep a dollar store plastic spatula or long cooking spoon on hand. I use it to cut up the big pieces, then flush everything down with an extra small bucket of water. It works every time. I also rinse the spatula with another new flush. No more incidents anymore. When going out, I just keep a pair of those chopsticks from the restaurant, use one to cut them up against the toilet bowl, flush, rinse and just throw it away, and keep the other one for next time. They are so easy to keep in the purse, they even come in paper wrappers. Try these great solutions out for yourself. I think you will agree.
stan
What sort of mineral oil are they suggesting taking for this problem? Surely not the same stuff you use to clean paint brushes?
Donna
Paint brushes are cleaned with mineral spirits, not mineral oil. Very different items!
Lea
Tx
You’re thinking of mineral spirits (for cleaning paintbrushes), which is a completely different thing.
Tammy
Portland
Stan, I think you are thinking mineral spirits to clean paint brushes, not mineral oil. They are completely different products!
Ella
Canada
Food grade mineral oil that you buy in a drug store. It can be mixed into natural peanut butter if your child is allowed to eat that.
B
Mooresville, NC
You are confusing mineral spirits with mineral oil. Certainly you do not want to use mineral spirits!
Rick
Portland OR
You are maybe thinking of mineral spirits, not mineral oil, to clean paint brushes. Also there is linseed oil that is used in paints. But food grade mineral oil has long been used to treat constipation. It is available in most grocery stores.
Nancy
Probable solution: Acidophilus. A probiotic. In an effort to help the many commenters, please buy a probiotic. Costco sells one by Trunature for $18 for a 3-month supply. Each capsule contains 10 billion active cultures. I take an type of acidophilus capsule at each meal of 1 billion active cultures each. Now I take a bedtime capsule too by Trunature and am finding that I feel even better. Commenters need more help internally. Here’s hoping you get relief.
And I agree that these low-energy flush toilets are a real problem.
DAVID
North Carolina
Thank you for this wonderful article and comments. The leading comments by the lady were absolutely dead on for me. It is very difficult to explain to relatives, etc., or even your spouse, why you don`t visit,…. Or insist on staying in a hotel if you do. I now take a plunger in my car trunk when i travel, concealed in something inconspicuous, and take it in with my luggage.
This article should be shared everywhere…such an embarrassing topic that ruins normal life for so many of us.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you.
Pat
home
Add several glasses of hot water to the bowl! It will go down!
Judy
NW
If you are constipated, take one of the many stool softeners available like Miralax and senna. However, if you are like me, you will have large bowel movements even when you are not constipated. I have a Toto toilet with a power-aided flush and the toilet will still block up unless I take steps to prevent it. I have finally accepted that there is only one sure-fire way to prevent an embarrassing blockage, and that is to use a tool to break up the large bowel movement into smaller pieces that will flush easily. I have an old dinner knife which I keep in a custom-made “sleeve” which I sewed using a terry washcloth. I take it with me whenever I go to the bathroom and can put it in my purse if I leave the house (better pack it in a suitcase if you have to go through a metal detector in the airport and don’t want to have to explain what it’s for). I feel bad for kids who have the problem, but still think the solution is to find an unobtrusive tool they can take to the bathroom. A pencil would work. So would a cheap chopstick, but would be hard for a child to carry a chopstick without a lot of embarrassing questions. The tool needs to be (1) long enough to do the job while keeping hands clean, (2) firm enough not to break apart in use, (3) made of a material that can be properly cleaned—metal or hard plastic, or (4) readily disposable. Ideally, the tool would be one that a child could take into the bathroom without raising questions. Once you find a tool that works for you, you can relax and stop worrying about a clogged toilet. I hope some ingenious reader of this post will come up with some ideas for kids.
Ken
Washington
Consider installing a new toilet with a large diameter trapway. They’re considered (by the makers) to be uncloggable. Caroma is one brand.
Mark
Wisconsin
Some fibers and fibrous foods can have an inverse effect on regularity and proper stool consistency – e.g., psyllium, chia and some grains. Try adding rice bran and freshly ground flax seeds to the diet. Make sure you are getting enough fermented food, tea, water, Magnesium, and Vitamin C (take upon rising). Try an elimination diet periodically to seek out food allergies and sensitivities which are often silent, yet can disturb your gut and general health in large ways. I would avoid mineral oil for lots of reasons which you can research on your own. Mineral oil and Petroleum jelly products should probably never be used internally (including the nose) for also this reason: Paediatr Child Health. 2001 Mar; 6(3): 129–131 ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804525/ )
Barb
Irving, TX
This is for Melanie who’s 9 year old son has bowel movement problems. Have you considered that he might be lactose intolerant? Try a lactose intolerant milk for him and see if that helps.
Oron
Greensboro NC
As one reader stated, flushing the beginning and during can prevent stopped up toilets. My brother has always had this problem and still refuses to flush more than once. He has had to call professional plumbers too many times to count. Yes, adding a dish soap mixture to the bowl before going helps to lubricate the flush and move the solid material through the pipes. Also mentioned was milk of magnesia. Doses mixed with water, milk, or juice help and are less like to cause a laxative effect. Putting toilet paper in the trash instead flushing is another help. Use toilet paper approved for for septic tanks or boats. Some of the thick, soft, cushiony toilet tissue is just too thick. Konsyl Original Formula psyllium fiber has no sugar or artificial flavoring and improves regularity.
Dick
Florida
The secret to a “Good Toilet” is to only consider those that have the porcelain coating ALL THE WAY DOWN THE THROAT! The cheap ones have rough throats which contribute to the problem. Especially the new water saving toilets are even worse without a nice smooth throat.
Nancy
New Jersey
I am totally shocked at the recommendation of mineral oil!!! Learned years ago that mineral oil can absorb vital nutrients or vitamins from the body. Better to use olive oil. I can’t imagine all the damage done by using mineral oil.
Lynn
Magnesium cured this for me and also helped me sleep better. I take one 400 mg capsule per day.
My mother suffers from both of these problems but refuses to take magnesium because her doctor has not recommended it.
MARILYN
NJ
THE HOT WATER WORKS GREAT, BEEN USING IT FOR YEARS. MY SHOWER IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE TOILET, I HAVE A HAND-HELD SHOWER, REACHES RIGHT TO THE OLD NASTY.
P J Travis
Magnesium works wonders !!
Edward
New Jersey
The best working solution I’ve found is to pass HALF of what you think is the total stool, flush the toilet (which can be done while you are sitting on it, which may also quiet the flushing noise), then proceed to pass the remaining stool and flush again. If you are in a business rest room setting and there are others about, they may hear the two flushes, but they probably will think you didn’t realize you had more to pass and thus had to flush a second time. It’s the least potentially embarrassing solution I’ve found, and you only have to clean yourself once, lessening the chance of a clog due to excess toilet paper. You may need to peek during the first flush to make sure it’s all going down the pipe, before you add to the bowl contents. My gastroenterologist suspects that compulsively holding stool in for many hours (and even days!) before voiding had created this situation while I was growing up. This may have permanently stretched the colon and this jives with other problems I’ve encountered all my life, such as recurring minor pains in the lower left quadrant, constipation due to excess stool, gas, bloating, diverticulitis, etc. Thanks for posting all this — it’s the first time I’ve seen anything published on this problem.
Joan
Wisconsin
Try more than one flush as you are going. Don’t need to do it all in one at the end
Cindy
When my grandson was a toddler he developed a phobia of having a bowel movement. It got to be a huge problem because he would be found sitting in a closet trying to hold it in. It would then require an enema to pass it.
On one visit to my family I suggested we go to a health food store and see if they had some fish oil that was for children. They had a lemon-flavored fish oil that was delicious. One dose changed everything. Not only that but my daughter-in-law said he seemed not to get as many colds as he did before he started taking a daily dose of children’s fish oil.
Janie
New York
Coconut oil changed my life and regulated my bowel movements to perfection. It is the perfect panacea for constipation and softer stools.
It’s easy to use in food. Just be sure to get appx 3 tablespoons a day. Use it to cook,put it on toast or pancakes, in salad dressing, in smoothies , on oatmeal etc.
It tastes great but best of all keeps your body working perfectly, has zero cholesterol and doesn’t have any of the problems that mineral oil presents. You barely need to use toilet paper.
Joy
Plumbers on YouTube have said not to pour “boiling” water down the toilet as it can crack the porcelain. Hot water from the sink or tub is better and add dishwashing liquid for lubricant.
Patricia
Wisconsin
I have had this problem for over 45 years and came up with a simple solution that works every time for me. I flush the toilet shortly after the stool “begins” to emerge (not after it fills the bowl). I usually have to flush a second time to remove any remaining stool.
Lynn
Seattle
The house needed a new “side sewer” from house to street. Get the largest diameter possible. With a “clean out” vertical pipe outside the house for plumber access. And it helps to flush with a big bucket of water poured as fast as possible into the toilet bowl instead of using the standard flushing mechanism of the toilet. If the toilet is getting plugged up you can always stop pouring but you cannot stop the flush mechanism.
Vera
Our son was on mineral oil for encoporesis as a child. It didn’t work well. I switched him to a product called Clensmore which has a high magnesium content. This eventually solved the problem. Now he takes a Magnesium supplement and is regular.
Tammi
WA
A few years ago I had an episode where I was stuck on the toilet for about 2 hours because I was so impacted that nothing would come out. Or at least not all the way, and that’s not how you wanna leave things. Then this past month, it’s happened to me twice. I don’t really want to describe to you how ginormous they both were, but I actually had to remove them from the toilet to dispose of them. Twice. In less than a month. I can’t walk for forever afterwards, and sitting isn’t much of an option either. I’m trying Miralax. It’s been a day or so for me before anything’s happened at all yet, so I’m trying everything in my arsenal to prevent another “event.”
Jen
MI
I spent all of my adult life complaining to my doctors about my chronic constipation even to the point of having a colonoscopy early on. Eat more fiber and drink more water is the only solution the would give me despite the fact that neither ever helped. I also spent twenty years complaining about symptoms of hypothyroidism, constipation being my biggest complaint.
My doctor would periodically order a TSH and T4 test but they came back in the “normal” laboratory ranges. Long story short, I finally discovered I could order my own lab work without a doctors orders on the Internet for 70% less than the doctors labs, so I ordered a comprehensive panel of 7 or 8 thyroid tests. Low and behold, they revealed I had thyroid antibodies suggesting autoimmune hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s.
It’s taken a year and a half of looking for the root cause of my condition and finding the right therapy but we’re finally on the right track and even though most of my other symptoms have not resolved, this is the first time in my life my digestive system has functioned. Don’t let your doctor brush it off like it’s not a big deal.
There’s a reason for both constipation and large stool. Fire your doctor if they don’t think it’s a problem and find a good functional medical practice. Wish I had done so twenty years ago. Also for the person who mentioned Miralax, look up what polyethylene glycol is. It is not something you want to put in your body on a regular basis.
It does not address the source of your problem. I was on it for over a year and developed a thick, disgusting orange coating on my tongue that you could scrape off. Shortly after I stopped taking Miralax, it went away. If you think you might be hypothyroid, read Hashimoto’s Root Cause by Isabel Wentz. If you think it might be something else, find a good doctor specializing in functional medicine.
Also, look up Dr. Thomas Levy’s information on nutrition, vitamin C, magnesium, iron enrichment of foods, and dental infections as the source of many other systemic conditions. Also look up Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome; low body temperature can be an indication of things not functioning correctly in the body and conventional medical practitioners will rarely consider low temperature to be a sign of anything being wrong.
Some of the suggestions listed in this article and comments are good, however, most address symptoms not the source of the problem; they are bandaid solutions.
Shari
One word. Linzess. Also, mineral oil.
Jordy
UK
Also you might want to try a couple of tablespoons of Chia seeds (inexpensive & readily available in most stores or Health food retailers). Add these to a glass of water with a tablespoon of lemon juice & drink it down. The seeds form a sort of gel once they are diluted and lubricate the ‘passageway’.
Joan
I’ve started carrying disposable knives in my purse. I use it to cut up my mega stools. The chopped poop flushes and I can either wash the knife or wrap it in toilet paper and throw it in the trash.
Danny
Texa s
I think this has to do with these,so called, new low flow commodes. They do fine on ping balls (I’ve seen this demonstrated) —-but not on 7 inch long, 2 in around “torpedo” logs that I produce. I flush throughout the process cussing these water saving (ha) devices.
Linda
Tennessee
I too have one large BM and I know it will not flush, therefore I use the handle of the plunger to break-up the stool before flushing. Then I wash the handle of the plunger.
Jody
Seattle
How about something easy: Flush after each poop comes out. Or if it’s one continuous poop, flush as it starts it’s way into the water. See what happens.
Kat
I agree with Jody in Seattle. Flush often. For impaction I use external pressure in the anal area.
Amy
Canada
This article has really made me feel better. I thought I was alone. Thank you for all the great ideas. I have had this problem for decades (I am 43 years old). I have become a pro with toilet augers (drain snake) and always having a “tool” to break up poo. Chop sticks and the wooden paint stirring sticks are life savers.
It’s a project each time but it beats that dreadful feeling when you flush and the bowl starts filling to the top with water =(
Paula
beverly ma
My son had this issue at 9 years old. He started holding it in to prevent his friends from leaving while he came inside to go. He was eventually seen at a Boston hospital due to all the “accidents”.
After diagnostic testing, it showed how backed up he had become. Dr. started him on a mineral oil regime which cause leaky oil staining. Eventually his primary Dr, had me give him 1 or 2 doses of Milk of magnesia. Over night success and no more issues.
Aj
Put a rubber glove on and as you flush push it through the bend…it will go away immediately…otherwise, boil your kettle and pour the hot water down and flush…either works…
Michelle
Pennsylvania
Mom has this problem with super sized poo’s…just found out her solution during a recent visit…she brought her “poo pack ” with her:
Plastic gloves
Single sheets of tinfoil
Large plastic baggie
I think the actual procedure is , gloves in hands, tin foil in hand and as she is releasing bowels grabs poo with foil snaps it off and rolls the foil around poo places in bag and on and on until done…never hits the water…everything is sealed and gloves placed in bag in trash.
I had no idea she had to do this and for years.
She takes pain medicine and eats whatever
James L
Dorset
HAVING HAD THIS PROBLEM MANY YEARS I HAVE HAD TO DEVISE A SOLUTION BECAUSE OF BLOCKED TOILETS.SORRY IT isnt pleasant but I simply have several pieces of toilet paper at the ready and often break the stool into sections as it emerges from the rectum.It does not solve why it happens but it does save a lot of much embarrasement
Courtney
My son is 10. This has been happening for about 5 or 6 years. I took him to the ER with abdominal pain at some point, and the CT literally showed he was full of poo. I have tried all the normal remedies- stool softeners, laxatives, fruit, juice, etc but can find no relief for my poor kiddo!
shawn
Greenbank
Hello. This helps me a little: make the diameter of the stool smaller by pushing a little then squeezing the stool with your anal muscles. Do this repeatedly and usually the stool will cop a clue and come out on its own with less straining. This process also helps in the toilet back-up department.
Paul
To stop the toilet clogging, reach around and flush as the poo begins to fall. The running water will stop the poo from sticking. You may have to flush again after if not completely flushed away.
Jeb
Montana
I grew up in a household where we got a spanking if we plugged the toilet with a large movement. It was an unspoken rule that we had to pinch them out regardless of how big they were. I know I hated it, and even worse when we moved into a new house with some water-saving toilets with a small opening at the bottom of the bowl.
As for clearing plugged toilets, there are a couple things that can be done. Get a large bucket like a 5 gallon bucket and fill it full with the hottest water you can get from the bath tub and pour it down the toilet. If that doesn’t work, pour a large amount of liquid dish soap into the toilet and let it sit for about 5 minutes and then repeat with another 5 gallon bucket of the hottest water from the bath tub. That should do the trick between the lubrication the soap has and the hot water to get things moving along and on down the drain.
Tina
Pennsylvania
I googled and got here….I thought My Hubby was alone! His stools are so long, big and hard…He is handicapped and so I help him in and out of the bathroom to the toilet…
I have spent alot on this toilet ordeal. Finally got a new plumbing system and one of those SUPER FLUSH toilets …but it helps a little as it flushes and does not OVERFLOW at least but takes awhile to go down.
I was using this stuff called FIRE a chemical, Bleach, even tried and don’t laugh but a can of coke a cola as that is supposed to dissolve things…That is not the root of the problem, but thought there has to be something to help him that they are not so large and hard.
I thought it was his medications he takes, which are not opioids or such ….I hate to give him anything to have him having bowel Incontinence as even with taking two stool softners a day they still happen to be large and hard.
I feel less alone reading this blog…Tonight I did get it going with buckets of hot water and plunging. But only because there was yesterday’s still making it go slow I was getting desperate.
I am lucky to have two bathrooms and each on it’s own sewer system so myself and others can use another bathroom but he can’t use the other one due to not being wheel chair easy to get to. I am going to try to see about Prune Juice or maybe magnesium try…Thanks So glad I found it here.
Jon
Alaska
Wear a glove or just break it up with your hand and flush a lil bit at a time. Wash your hands after, it works for me when I think I’m gonna clog the toilet.
Tina
Yes, I do break it up with a disposable object but still that is tough to go down as makes more of the matter.
Jess
Texas
Warm water and 30 minutes to 2 hours of cardio should make it slide right out.
-thank me later.
me
new york city
Okay, here’s the thing.
I want to know what can be done to prevent or at least abet toilet clogging.
I’m sorry for everyone’s digestive/gi problems. I understand they are at best a nuisance and at worst life-interfering/threatening.
But this is the first entry when you google “stool clogs toilet” and should really have the scope of that, not painful poops or incontinence or adolescent mental health issues.
Amirite?
So, any advice on how to make the toilet work would be greatly appreciated.
Diane
usa
I sprinkle baking soda followed by vinegar into the bowl so it will fizz. Let it set for about fifteen minutes before flushing. I always lay a ratty towel down and have the plunger ready just in case but so far I haven’t had any clogs since doing this.
Ed
Maine
No, you’re not ‘right’. Your response is unkind, rude and insensitive. People are dealing with serious health issues here. If you can’t be more compassionate go somewhere else.
Madison
Massachusetts
I’m madison. I’m 14 I’ve had bathroom problems since I was born. When I was little I would hold them in for almost 2 weeks it was terrible. Then when it came the time it was almost out of my bottom it was so painful and very firm. I still have the problem now but they are much much bigger and painful. Sometimes I’m on the toilet for 4 hours and they are so big. I do drink lost if water and take vitamins to try and help but not even laxatives help. What can I do to go everyday but also make them smaller and way less painful. Help!!
Korry
Canada
My Son has had large bowel movements from when he was a baby. Sometimes I don’t even know how he gets them out they are so massive. He often gets terrible stomachaches, but seldom complains and seems to take in in stride like a trooper. The closest diagnosis was Mega-Colon.
I spend a fortune on fruit and he eats a lot everyday, fortunately he loves fruit. Strawberries, grapes and honeydew seem to work best. We keep a wooden spoon in a container under the toilet and he chops them up and uses the toilet brush to clean up. We have tried all sorts of laxatives and diets, none seem to work, but hopefully we will finally figure out what the actual issue is?
Jondell
ESSEX
I have been diagnosed with ibs and I go from one end of the spectrum to the other and then I’ll feel like I want to go but can’t and have learned that there’s no point trying till I get the right signals to but then no word of a lie it’s like trying to poop out a tennis ball and even end as ripping me a little if I’m not careful but now I’ve had to move back home with dad coz of fibromyalgia has left me needing someone to look after me but the large toilet clogging poo or worse the sticky poo has become a problem and I am not one to sit there and discus bowl movements with anyone it took me 30 something years to even talk to the doctor about it but the other day I think was the worse as when I woke up and went downstairs dad started having a go about have to use 10 bowel of water to get “my friend” to flush away so he could go. And it’s beginning to course me problems like the fact I didn’t go for almost a week after that insistent but short of taking laxatives for the rest of my life and having constant diarrhea I don’t know what to do
Grace
NY
I have had huge bowel movements since I was a child. I am almost 20 now and I still get poop so big it clogs the toilet every single time. I poop every other day and no matter what I do, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, drinking a lot of water, they are still huge.
I’ve tried the laxative Milk of Magnesia and it helps loosen my stool quite a bit but then I’m running to the toilet all day, so I don’t go diarrhea in my pants. So that’s out. I hate it! I am always deathly afraid of if I have to poop really bad at a friend’s house or in a public place because I know it will clog the toilet and it is so embarrassing.
Literally, every time I have to poop I tell my friends that I have to grab something from my house real quick and I’ll come right back, just so I can go take a dump. Also, more than once I knew I wasn’t going to be able to make it home to my toilet in time and there was no way I’d poop in someone else’s house I went into the woods and pooped there and wiped myself with leaves. I can’t take it anymore, everywhere I go for a weekend or a vacation my first thought is about my big poop clogging the toilet and I’m horrified.
LS
central US
Hi Grace! Your symptoms, including fibromyalgia, sound exactly like me. I have clogged toilets in every restaurant I’ve went poo in, and have had to hurry out when the toilet starts overflowing onto the floor on more than one occasion. I have also had to disimpact myself on a weekly basis because I sometimes get extremely constipated, and NOTHING will make it come out.
Until I started taking magnesium about a month ago. My IBS, constipation, impactions all stopped. It’s great to have daily soft stools, but unfortunately, they are so huge that it’s hard to get them started sometimes. But I’m so happy to be moving things, I’m willing to put up with it. I have to stand and watch to make sure everything goes out of the toilet bowl in case I have to reach into the tank and stop the water.
Anyway, you might try magnesium if you need help going every day, but as far as the size, I have no idea. I have such huge BMs, it’s hard to believe that was actually inside of my intestines. Hope this helps! You are not alone!
Travis
I seriously thought I was alone , was depressed and I’m getting better thanks to this blog
Jean
Virginia
You definitely are not alone! I have lived with this problem 68 years. Hopefully, there will be solutions before you get as old as I am. I have tried everything and have found the the best solutions: magnesium, CALM (has magnesium in it), fresh fruits like peaches (prunes do not work for me), a combination of Miralax and Mucinex, etc. I wish you the best and enjoy your life in spite of this problem! P.S. I went with my sister to a friends in Maine and on the last day (#7), I had a tremendous movement that sent water into their living room from upstairs. I apologized but was mortified at the same time. Now my sister won’t let me go with her anymore. You know, that is HER problem.
me
new york city
I suggest. Punctuation.
Travis
THANK GOD! I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE! NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF??
guppy
california
Yes I recently clogged the toilet and I seriously can not unclog it. My mom actually grounded me because I did not fix it before going out to the movies. But I physically could not unclog it. I am going to try several home remedies. I have had the problem of big bowels since I was 4. It has made my life pretty miserable but it has gotten better in my teen years. I usually now have no problem with flushing but some toilets are so damn useless. The job of a toilet is to flush stuff. I cannot control what comes out of my body Mom!!!!!!
Dennis
Welcome to the huge poop club. I thought I was the only member. I go almost every day and have to plunge every time. I get a throbbing in my lower back and glutes so bad it is almost unbearable.
I eat bran muffins, drink hi-fiber shakes, only Ezekiel-type bread and have a really great diet. Nothing changes. Prunes don’t work, and softeners don’t either. I take a magnesium supplement daily.
Maybe I’m a lifetime member.
DL
Wi
I have experienced hard, long, non flushable stools a lot lately. I discovered that I have a better chance of getting it to go down is to fill up a large bucket I use for washing floors with HOT water in the bathtub, and dumping it FAST into toilet instead of flushing, which does not provide enough pressure to get it to go down. Sometimes it takes multiple filling of toilet before it brakes through and finally clears…. NOT fun !
me
I have a 9-yr-old that has very large stools (without pain or constipation!) and thus why I am looking for potential causes on web. I know it would only work in the privacy of your own home, but we let his BM sit a while so it will break down easier when flushed.
Sandra
Pennsylvania
I’ve had this very same problem for my 70 years of life and recently was desperate enough to ask for help at a big box home store, and googled the concern also. THIS HAS ACTUALLY WORKED AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT HOMES OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY!! SO EMBARRASSING!!!
Directions:
Pour a healthy amount of liquid soap into your toilet bowl, about half a cup. (We used Dawn, remembering that commercial cleaning the thick oil for little duckies?!!) The soap is denser and heavier than water and should drop to the bottom of the bowl.
Let the liquid dish soap sit in the bowl for 20-30 minutes. …
After 20 minutes fill up a container with hot water and pour it into the bowl.
So far, this has worked every time. Good Luck.
Sandra
IT REALLY WORKS!! USED THIS METHOD AT A COUPLE OF MY SIBLINGS HOMES!!! THE FIRST TIME, IT ACTUALLY CLEARED BEFORE THE HOT WATER WAS ADDED!! HAPPY TO KNOW I AM NOT ALONE WITH THIS PROBLEM!!
Jean
Hear, hear, mom!
Joanna
NJ
I’m 60 and never had a problem with the exception of occasional constipation. Two weeks ago, it took me 2 1/2 hours of pushing to complete my BM. When I looked, it appeared I had given birth to twins! I could not see the first one as it was buried by the second one, which was about 10″ long and at least 6″ in circumference! I was exhausted, sweated through and my whole body ached for several days. I have NO idea what caused this but have an appt with a gastro next month. Has this suddenly ever happened to anyone and what was the outcome?
Joe
MA
I have severe constipation from a Suboxone prescription, all opiates/opiods can cause it really bad.
The Polyethylene Glycol powder softens everything up and causes a movement but I still have to wait several days. This does result in large BM, more than one, so I try to flush in between if possible. Usually a plunger is required and yes it’s overall a hassle.
Taking a dose everyday just makes me gassy, I found it’s best to wait until the day comes where I start to feel like I’m going to need to go to the bathroom then take the full dose. About 12 hours later it hits.
DH
OH
Joanna, We are the same age, this happened to me yesterday. OH my word, talk about pain. Still today have pain.Doc recommended 2 stool softness at night. I am wondering, from other posts about the magnesium? Good luck, trusting we both get relief.
Peggy C
Mississippi
Magnesium and miralax daily helps me. I use a cup of hot water to flush. Pour several cups before flushing. I was scared but I don take lots of medicine.
Rob
NY
I have the problem of large stools since I was a child. When I finally lived in a home where I could install a toilet, I did plenty of research. The result was the Toto Drake with Sana-gloss. The sana-gloss is a super-smooth pipe that is incredibly slippery. Now using a plunger is a rare occurrence. And I’ve urged my friends in town to get the same toilet, so my kids have other “friendly” toilets to use.
whocares
sumwer
i think that toilets should be better designed and have stronger flushes that actually do the job they are meant to do.. i know the world isn’t perfect; but let’s get better than victorian drains and plumbing – meantime; it’seating foods that help the stools flush easier.. life and it’s big challenges eh..
cm
Virginia
Having issues through college, I used a tip of a hanger once so I didn’t have to get close to cut it, also once the toilet bowl cleaner. If in a public bathroom, I just say screw it and run out!
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Warren
San Diego
This was a total waste of time. Plenty of complaints. Plenty of problems, but almost no advice, and no solutions.The title of this article should be, “QUESTIONS about large stools,” because no SOLUTIONS were offered. It should be deleted, as it offers false hope and delivers NOTHING
Patrick
Philadelphia
I find an old paint stirrer works beautifully to break up the logjam of my (frequently difficult to flush) bowel movements…the long stick keeps my hand at a safe remove from the water etc. The coating of paint also makes the stirrer easier to clean.
What a relief to find a forum like this! Lots of good tips. Thanks to all.
Pamela
NC
My 7 year old daughter has a metabolic syndrome that causes her to form large bowl movements (the size of my forearm and larger). According to her doctor’s at UNC regardless of what caused the poop to become so large, when it does, it stretches out the intestinal walls which means as the new poop is forming for the next bowel movement it will form just as large or larger than the last did. The Dr. prescribed her a laxative to mix daily in her drinks and the instruction she gave us were to give her double doses until she was actually having diarrhea, then slowly start backing off on the dose until a “normal” bowl movent was achieved in size and consistentcy and then take normal doses based on weight every other day to maintain. It was a long and very stressing remedy but it did work. Good luck all.
tome
Oregon
Add your thoughts to the the solution to poop blockages in friends toilets is to always always always carry a couple of those cheap latex disposable gloves. easy. when the log blocks up the pan you can literally free the turd squeezing it free with your gloved fingers.
throw the glove in the waste bin
jondell
You mean you can’t flush the glove??
Seriously though, that only works if the stool is in the bowl. What about when it’s sucked down and in and the bowl fills with water??
Even elbow-length latex gloves aren’t going to help you much there.
Rebecca
Arizona
My son had encoprisis and the doctor had him on miralax 2 a day, let me tell you I felt so bad for him he had an accident cause of it at school and I had to change schools for him not to be embarrassed. No he is better and takes 2 fiber gummies, 2 probiotics and 2 vitamins after dinner. He is doing amazing. He is 8 1/2 years old
Andy
Cardfiff
Mine are definitely not painful in any way. Their consistency is pretty good. It just all comes out in one go as a huge long snake. It would make going to the loo really quick if it weren’t for the extra time spent flushing etc. It doesn’t happen every time. I don’t hold in poo for any significant length of time. My diet is pretty good with fresh produce and fibre. I don’t think I have any food intolerance. It’s a mystery.
C
New Jersey
My son has Cerebral Palsy. His bowel movement is the size of a small football. It only happens every 3–4 days but it is so difficult to flush. His Dr. has always called it “Intestinal Dumping” with the lower end of the intestine being wider than the rest so the poop comes down and collects there in a large mass before the feeling to go to the bathroom reaches the brain. We have tried many products but most give him diarrhea which is a worse problem. Surgery to tighten up this area was suggested but my son said no. It is very difficult and not a guarantee.
Lacy
Texas
I have had huge bowel movements my whole life, and it is very embarrassing so I wait to go where nobody knows me. I carry plastic knives, a pencil, or some other sort of disposable utensil. It works, but it’s gross, and it makes me gag every time I have to do it which requires wrapping the utensil with toilet paper and shoving it to the bottom of the trash can. Does anyone have BM’s 14-16″ in length and 4″ in circumference???? They’re not hard just firm.
The other kind are large round “rocks,” and those are painful, sometimes bloody. I can hear them go down the pipes sounding like heavy rocks! My diet is normal. I try and drink more water but don’t always succeed. I just had a colonoscopy, and it was all normal. What gives?
JL
Indiana
In my case, I tend to blame the low-flush toilet installed in my apartment complex. When I moved in, I immediately began having trouble with the flush. My bowel movements clogged the toilet more often than not. Often the stool is outlandishly large, in which case I first try an early flush. If that doesn’t work, a strenuous plunging usually does. I am reluctant to look at what my body has produced, but when I can feel fissures opening, I know I will need to take extra action once the BM is complete. From this site, I have learned of this happening in public places or a friend/relative’s home. Fortunately this has never happened, my guess being that other toilets are more effective than mine. As a child I suffered from urethral stricture, which taught me to hold back as long as needed. This trick has come in handy in my adulthood. Good health to all; may your problems be solved soon.
Bob Corelli
Poopville
I take plastic bags with me wherever I go. I bagged one that was 17 inches long by 3 inches in diameter.
Usually I leave the bag on my hosts table then remember to take it when I leave
Travis
During my last physical I inquired about a colonopsy and they told me it was unnecessary , your thoughts? Are they right?
Miriam
NYC
I’ve got the large bowel problem. I have had colonoscopies and all is clear. Does not seem to be related.
d
d
Use a plastic knife and cut the bowel before you flush. Wa la! no clogged toilet.
Kerry
California
That’s exactly what I have to do to my sons BM’s is cut it up with a plastic knife.
Armando
Spain
Hello, I have a concern with my 8 years old kid, he’s a normal kid with no illness or problem at all, but he makes too big poop, really big, I mean much bigger than an adult since he was 3-4 years old aprox, he goes to the toilet everyday with no problems or pain. He eats very healthy, lots of fiber fruits and vegetables. His maternal half brother, who I met when he was 10 yrs old, had exactly the same thing, and he’s now 21 yr with no problem at all. As an aditional info, his mother died of a methastasis caused by a colon cancer at 44 yr. Thanks in advance for your help. Rgds.
Pix
Illinois
My daughter had the problem since she was small to her teens. We tried the fruits, veggies, water etc without resolve. I would have to give her a lot of stool softeners laxatives and I didn’t like doing that. Only one thing seems to work for her, probiotics. I never tried it because I thought probiotics were more for yeast infections but they absolutely worked. she went from cantaloupe sized movements to regular size and she started going every morning. It will probably take a couple of weeks to get the movements to be small enough to flush though. I don’t know if the brand matters, but I do know that it is important to only buy the bottles that are kept refrigerated in the store. The room temperature probiotics kept on the store shelves don’t work at all for her. The kind I get are called ultimate flora and I get the 50 billion or when I can afford it the 90 billion. They are a bit pricey at about a dollar a pill but if you just want to try they have a 15 pill bottle. After a little while of her being regular I ran out and didn’t replace the bottle, and within a week or two she was right back to her cantaloupe clogs so I started her back and don’t let her go without them now. I know its really embarrassing and she was always worried about sleepovers and we always called maintenance at hotels. She and I actually had a serious discussion about taking paint sticks to college. For those of you that are nervous to visit others while you have this problem just keep a couple of paint stir sticks and a Ziploc in a bag or purse. Ziploc it and throw it away when you get home. Hopefully the probiotics work for you all too and you will have one less worry.
Kristina
Staten Island, NY
My brother (18) has a problem. When he goes #2, he stinks up the whole house, even with an open window and spray. He tends to clog the toilet too, flushing a half dozen times. The stench of the poop, when I’m forced to take whiff, has been making me feel nauseated. I can’t breathe or go near the area. My bedroom is close to the bathroom too. Only a closet separate the two. I suggested that he sees a gastroenterologist. My mother said he might need a colonoscopy. When he needs to poop, he never goes anywhere but at home. I can’t say he eats too healthy. Half the time he does, the other half he pigs out (ie: half large pizzeria pie). What can I do to make this go away? Should he see the specialist?
jondell
Seriously?
You can’t get poisoned from poop stench. So. Hold your nose (or block your nostrils with tissue or whatever) and breathe through your mouth.
Men, especially 18 year old men, pride themselves on a really rank bowel movement. Unless they move to fresh air and back into the stench, they don’t even realize how bad it is. One single courtesy flush should cut down on the smell greatly, but good luck getting him to comply as he probably gets a good laugh about grossing you out so much. A “half-dozen flushes” sounds like an exaggeration unless he is sick, prepping for a colonoscopy, or taking serious laxitives for some other reason. A second courtesy flush may occasionally be needed.
Bottom line is, unless this happens with EVERY bowel movement, it’s normal. You’ll need to kick him out of the house if he just wants to make life miserable for everyone.
Buy candles. And good luck.
Kathy
Try using a toilet bowl spray product. There are many available now. You spray the water in the toilet bowl before a bowel movement, then “go” as usual and flush as usual. It doesn’t improve any clogging issues but it does help eliminate the accompanying odor.
Richard
United States
Another solution for the clogged toilets, that leaves Mother Nature alone, is to buy what is called a ‘specimen collection unit,’ which is basically a half-moon shaped object that fits within the toilet bowl ( costs a couple dollars and is readily available on Amazon or in any medical supply store). The receptacle fits within a plastic grocery bag and then is placed in the toilet where it collects the BM. You then simply remove the bag with its contents and use a plastic tie to seal it for disposal. This eliminates the plugged toilets and all the mess of unplugging it.
Hopes this helps.
mara
Australia
about time this is an open subject we all share.
Jen
PACIFIC NW
My daughter has had this issue for years and was so embarrassed by it that she took to using plastic grocery bags.. She is not constipated and has no trouble going. It isn’t an issue of flushing twice or three times. The issue is the poo itself is so large in diameter it will not go down the toilet. It makes my heart break for her.
d
CA
Every human being from time to time will deal with large hard to flush bowel movements. Every bathroom in our home has a plastic cup with a plastic knife kept under the sink for easy use. It may sound repulsive to most readers but cutting up a large BM is far better and cheaper than a plumber. Reading all comments I will also try the liquid detergent. Am I to assume the liquid detergent would be like using liquid dish washing liquid? Dawn, Ivory or Palmolive to name a few.
Jean
Wisconsin
Did you ever find an answer? I remember having this problem since I was a child,Dad thought I used too much paper! I plug up the toilet at the pool,school whereverSometimes it was the opposite and runny,only after terrible cramping and sweats. My childhood Dr. Had me on Tonic for low iron,said I had intestinal problems.Just a way of life until I turned fifty five,I had what I thought was a head cold,pounding in my head very tired,etc. I went to walk in,he took tests sent me to hospital,my blood was 3.4 it should be at least 12.could have had a stroke.Test showed I had Celeac disease.Go figure a child disease,my grand daughter also got tested,she has it,it is hereditary. Now with no gluten I am fine,at age 60, calcium magnesium is a life saver!
Jean
Having Celeac I found that the calcium magnesium made me immediately feel stronger,the energy or strength I needed to walk to the garden or shopping without feeling out of energy. Without gluten I can think better,my life is so much better,I know it was listed as a childhood disease,I just wish my Dr. Would have known more about it! I could have concentrated better,and suffered less..I just thought everyone felt like this.five and a half bags of blood and iron every day for a year,brought me to a better world.
Calista R.
Dorothy NJ
We have a mentally challenged child who had potty issues for a long time & we got sent to a pediatric gastroenterologist in Philly. After going over the history he asked me what I thought was the problem & I told him that I didn’t think the message from the intestines needing to evacuate didn’t get through to her brain & his reply that that was the whole thing in a nutshell.
She would hold back for days at a time & then when she went in her panties, it meant a change of clothing & considerable clean up. She attended a special needs school all her schooling years & they would change her if needed, but finally this Dr. suggested the mineral oil route as that would keep her from holding back.
Wonder of wonders, it worked & that Dr. had done extensive work with children & he never found there were nutritional problems from the mineral oil as it goes through as a unit & just sits at the base of the rectum & keeps the individual from holding back & having huge bowel movements.
We have had both ends of the spectrum with our kids & potty training–the oldest was potty trained at 20 mos. & it was not the parents who did it–he was ready & did it on his own & then we had this mentally challenged kid who took years to get potty trained; so we understand what some parents go through. The Dr. told us he felt our daughter would have been a 4-5 yr. old potty trainer if she had been “normal” & sure enough checking into the family background we found that was the case. These are learned processes & some little people pick it up quickly & others it requires patience & time on the parents part.
PeterV
Charlotte, NC
We keep a supply of liquid detergent in the bathroom, a small amount works better than a plunger in flushing the occasional large stools. We purchase the cheapest brand we see in the grocery store, they all work. Discovered this when we had a clogged toilet and did the resulting internet search for solutions. Haven’t used a plunger in years, nasty things they are.
Redward
North Jersey
Have long had this problem, which seems coupled with my taking Miralax laxative daily. Taking Miralax at bedtime works well and takes care of former constipation problems, but results in very large stools every morning, usually accompanied by strong odors, a bit of fluid, and a lot of urgency, all of which are socially restricting, especially when I’m at work. Cutting down on Miralax (to a half dose) to try and normalize the stool results in abdominal bloating, which is visually obvious and can be very painful. Passing the long stool is usually accompanied by a very irritated anus, seemingly from some sort of chemical reaction since the stools are very soft and unlikely to cause tears.
From the comments here, it seems possible that a magnesium deficiency might be at work, so I will try 300mg daily tablet and see if it helps. I don’t want to cut out the Miralax since my former constipation problems were painful and resulted in clogged toilet bowls, despite repeated flushings, etc. My gastroenterologist listens to my complaints, shrugs it off and moves quickly on to a different conversation. Xray, CT and ultrasound scans have all shown no physical problems.
Redward
North Jersey
I said in my comment above that I would try taking Magnesium tablets as a supplement for my bowel problem. After three days of taking 300mg I can only offer this advice: DON’T DO IT! Magnesium caused me seriously loose bowels! Even though I looked at major health websites before taking it, none of them listed this problem, so I went ahead and took one tablet every evening. Really messed me up with watery, explosive bowel movements. So I asked Google if this was a magnesium side effect and came up with a number of entries saying it is a DEFINITE side effect for many people. Don’t take magnesium unless you really need a powerful laxative. Just wanted to get the record straight for People’s Pharmacy subscribers! Supplements are not harmless or without side effects.
Addy
“Supplements are not harmless or without side effects.” Very true! But the dosage amount and preparation of it matters, too. If it’s causing problems, it might be anything from the fillers used in preparation, to the quality of the supplement used, to a too-high dosage. I’ve learned that trying different brands and smaller dosages (or even taking things less frequently than “recommended”) with vitamins/supplements can make a huge difference in as far as side-effects go.
Magnesium in particular, though – from what I’ve read/heard – isn’t easily absorbed in tablet/pill form, however. Getting it topically seems to be the popular choice – I personally take epsom salt baths occasionally for the extra magnesium with no side effects from it at all (and bonus!relaxation lol) – but if it works at all for you (and appears to work too well!) you might be able to find a brand/dosage that doesn’t cause as many side effects (ie: if you can’t find a lower dosage; taking half a tablet instead, or even half every other day rather than daily).
Also – though I’m certainly no expert – Magnesium is an electrolyte, and those usually need to be balanced to work best (ie: calcium, potassium, sodium, etc); so, if you suspect a deficiency, you might also want to make sure your diet is balancing them well (ie: something else may be overwhelming one or another, rather than a true deficiency).
(PS – TMI perhaps, but you mentioned irritation when cutting down with Miralax. Hypoallergenic personal lubricants may help… not just with helping things move along, but giving a bit of a protective layer over the skin. Just dabbing some on the area [and yes, slightly in..] before going can help with irritation from acidity and/or wiping no matter the consistency).
Diane
Virginia
When my daughter was around three she began to hold in her poops and when they did come out they were large and painful, which made her hold in longer. The mineral oil worked beautifully. I believe I used about one tablespoon daily, mixed with a little Hershey Syrup to make her willing to take it. It didn’t make the poops softer, but it made her have them, and after a while she no longer tried holding it in anymore.
cp
CA
Why not use the old fashioned 1 cup of bran flakes mixed with 2/3 cup prune juice and 1 cup applesauce. I use my own homemade applesauce & my husband loves it!
Cindy
Mundelein, IL
We built a home 20 yrs. ago. Toilets had to be the ‘new’ low gal. flush.
I told my kids, “flush early, flush often!”
Thanks for interesting article!
cpmt
I think Peoples pharmacy has a good recipe for people who are constipated. I don’t have the recipe but you probably check previous home remedies.
Julie713
United States
Why not use a technical solution? Start the flush when you start to go and at the same time hold down the handle until all water is dispensed. That will take care of quite a bit in an efficient way. The second (or third) flush should take care of the rest.
Jeff
United States
Julie123 is definitely on to something. If you have one of those visits that is sure to clog before you use any paper flush the toilet and hold the handle down. Newer toilets are designed to close the flapper very quickly leaving a lot of water in the tank. If you hold the handle down you’ll get more water and hopefully move that movement on down the drain.
Toilet paper is not your friend in trying to clear the bowl. Go, flush, hold the handle down, wipe, flush again. This will generally work.
jondell
That isn’t what she said.
Essentially her suggestion is to go & flush simultaneously. At least that’s how i read it because I’ve had the idea myself. Unfortunately it is not always effective and has the added nuisance of having a toilet bowl full of water up to my butt cheeks when my bm has just commenced.
If it was reliable, I’d do it every time, but imagine hovering with a dirty hiney trying to unclog just to be able to sit back down.
Yes, sadly, a skill I’ve developed.
oldetimer
maryland
As far as the immediate problem of the blocked up toilet is concerned, unless I’m missing something, the solution, which I apply almost every day, is to begin the first flush early, before too much accumulates, then flush again as needed.
Jon
RDU
Thanks for the interesting article with some practical suggestions.
Jon
Chapel Hill
The virtually 100 percent solution, as somewhat described above but not completely clearly: Finish your solids evacuation, THEN FLUSH. NO PAPER at this point. Then do the paperwork and finish the task with a second flush.
A supplementary idea when visiting out would be to carry a tongue depressor or other stiff, short disposable (in a trash can) device to break up the solids if necessary.
But always flush before paper.
If you travel by auto much, staying in motels, esp. with kids who may not follow these instructions, keep a plunger in your car trunk.
jondell
Do you know how many eyes rolled as you obviously have no understanding of the problem. Fecal matter clogging pipes. Not a combination of things.
Maybe your suggestion enlightened some, but not those of us who have a problem with soley bm clogs.
Paul
Melbourne, FL
I sometimes have this problem and have a hard getting thru a bowel movement.
My doctor suggessted good old fashion PRUNE JUICE. I usually drink about 8oz before I go to bed or 8 oz when I get up, and like the other posters said it wise to flush 1/2 way through and sometimes after every wipe.
Good luck
Tammy
Northwest
One of my young children had this problem. If you consume dairy immediately remove all dairy, milk, cheese, butter, ice cream. If this doesn’t help, remove all gluten for a month and see if this has the desired effect. Both gluten and dairy can cause constipation. Magnesium will soften a stool, but won’t cure the problem. It’s something you’re eating. It’s true, you are what you eat. Good health to you!
MJW
NYC
Might it be that many people consume food in enormous quantities? I often see plates piled to unbelievable heights in restaurants, and I wonder about the toll it takes on both systems (one’s own body and the toilet).
CE
evanston, Il
Medication causes my constipation. I use the soluble fiber and stool softeners but then was having clogged toilet problem. I bought a 6pack of prune juice and now take 2 tablespoons each morning. Stool is softer and toilet can flush it all down.
Colleen R.
I replaced my toilets 2 years ago and the plumber insisted upon Toto brand toilets. “They never clog”. I am very happy with them! Also, I knew a child with stool holding problems and giant stools. The regular Pediatrician was not helpful enough, but the nearest Children’s hospital had a special clinic for this problem which helped immensely. There they said that the younger you bring your child or toddler in, the better! Hope this helps.
DGF
Plano, Tx.
We had this problem and was calling the plumber often. On one visit he told us how to remove calcium deposits with Muriatic Acid….this is a dangerous chemical don’t use it without good instructions……we have old toilets, not low flow. It really dissolved a lot of gunk and the gunk turned black, I thought the toilet would clog with all the stuff it dissolved, but it didn’t. And one time the plumber saw the stools and said it was possibly due to medications, just to keep a plunger handy. And I started buying thin (Scott) toilet tissue to flush easier. Thanks so much for writing about this problem.
Barbara K.
WA
My problem with IBS, having struggled with it for 40 years, is just the opposite – chronic diarrhea. I finally found a Gastroenterologist who told me about FODMAP and recommended I get the book “IBS – Free At Last” written by Patsy Catsos who is a Dietician. I’m waiting for my book to arrive and have met with a dietician. There is an elimination diet for two weeks and the first two days of third week I add Lactose and then back to the elimination diet the rest of the week. The next week I add Fructose for three days, back to the elimination diet. The fifth week I add Fructan for two days, back to the elimination diet. The sixth week, two days of Polyols, back to the elimination diet, and the last week, two days of Galactan and then finish with the elimination diet. I have to keep a diary of the responses my body has to each of the added stimuli. So this might be something to look at for people with chronic IBS…and find a Gastroenterologist familiar with FODMAP.
Ellen Hanson
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FL. 32433
I have been a fan for yrs and yrs, maybe even before the 90s and into the eighties, before the stats. When I moved here could not find you. My kindle found you. On “W.P.R.” Thank God for them. My friends want to get you too, any suggestions?
THANKS AGAIN
ELLEN H.
M C
Greensboro
This is a delicate and embarrassing situation. Thank you for asking about it. I am sometimes constipated despite fiber, stool softeners, probiotics and magnesium (pills or milk of magnesia). Those items are a great help most of the time and so is multiple flushing. I keep a cat litter scoop with a long handle to scoop out the movements that are too large and too hard to flush easily. I dispose of it with the cat litter. I work in retail and I know there are plenty of people that have this same problem but leave the evidence in the public bathrooms.
O.G.
SC
Re: the huge BMs, how about multiple flushes DURING the movements?
Larry K.
Salem Va.
When this happens to me I’ll just flush after the first half of my bowl movement and then finish after the toilet refills. If you have so much that it still stops up, try three separate flushes.
JLA
Michigan
This practice is NOT advised for women as it is too easy for minute amounts of fecal matter to rise in the spray and land on the vulva and work it’s way up to the bladder, often causing repeated urinary tract infections.
cp
CA
Thank you for your comment….I agree….definitely not advised for women…health wise or other wise.
LMM
Los Angeles
Definitely an important warning for women, speaking as a victim of it. Be wary of contaminated water splashing up, whether from flushing or from a forceful bowel movement discharge. Be sure to wash the area if contacted.
Penny H.
United States
Come now ladies, most toilets don’t have enough power to splash and you’ll get as much splash from dropping feces and/or standing up to pee.
Addy
It’s not a huge splash that’s the concern, despite the wording chosen – it’s the “fine mist” that inevitably carries with it bacteria that can cause infections if not cleaned well that is the problem. Even just enough to form, collectively, a single drop of water can be host to any number of thousands of micro-organisms; and, they don’t necessarily have to be aggressively “bad” ones, either – all that’s needed is an imbalance to cause problems.
LMM’s comment of “Be wary of contaminated water splashing up, whether from flushing or from a forceful bowel movement discharge. Be sure to wash the area if contacted,” is absolutely good advice (but I would honestly hope most would, anyway).
Penny H.
Makes sense. Also my plumber told me to use the “right” TP, either Angel Soft or Scott’s because they disintegrate better. And to never, never try to flush a wet-wipe type product despite what the package says.
Karin C.
Harrisburg NC
Just a crazy thought. We have that issue here from time to time. A lot of is that newer toilets only use 1.5 gallons of water. We refer to these moments as “double flushers.” As in, you go, flush, wipe flush. Helps here and on the go!
Phil M.
Dallas, Texas
On the subject of toilet clogging bowel movements, it is important to realize that all toilets vary in their ability to manage bowel movements. The variables include toilet design, flush release design, flush release setting, tank volume, and channel flow restrictions including calcification. Investigation and maximization/repair of any one of these variables can have a substantial influence on the problem. Another often overlooked solution is user familiarity with the toilet, especially activating the flush mechanism during defecation rather than at the conclusion. This author believes that attending to the physics of the process will be far more successful than any fix involving medication or dietary alteration. Some new toilet designs use a vacuum system that appears so powerful that it could flush a brick.