[CuriousMike]

Hi there... thanks for letting me barge in with my problem.I'm a 33 year old male, and for the past 6 months the frequency of my bowel movements has changed.I used to be an every other day kinda guy.But now, I'm down to maybe once every 5 days.And when I go, it's not fun.Basically, I'll do a nice BM... followed up within 30-60 minutes by another ( moderately strained/painful), followed by another in about 30-60 minutes. Sometimes I'll have 3-4 BM's within 3 hours.This is easily 5 days worth of ... uh... stuff.The pain associated with the last couple of BM's isn't bad; it's just a bit strained and sometimes some cramping in my gut mid-BM.A couple of things to note:Historically, I've shy'd away from doing a BM in public places ( and work ) and have usually "held it in" until I got home.Also, the past year has been moderately stressful due to uncertainty with job security.Am I a freak ? Should I just end it all now ?

Thanks,CM

 

[eric]

Hi curious Mike welcome, Well first of all have you had any testing done and if not that is your first priority.Also, stress does effect the bowels just so you know.You are defineatly not a freak, that is a fact, you just have something going on with your digestive tract. Testing is crucial to try to find out what that may be.

 

[Lesley Taylor]

One's pattern of defecation can certainly change when they are under stress. It's not surprising if you only have a BM every 5 days that there is a lot of 'unloading' needing to be done - hence the going several times in a day. I can understand your reluctance to have a BM anywhere but home, but the habit of holding it in can lead to trouble. Better a comfortable BM in a public or work bathroom, than a miserable one at home. Just do the "courtesy flush!" thingy and go for it! It's just a fact of life! Cheers!