How often a day is a person supposed to have a bowel movement?
June 24th, 2009 | 
Author: Sorry to be graphic, but I've had persistent constipation for the last few weeks. I try eating stuff that has a lot of fiber, but it doesn't seem to work well. I take a few different antidepressants, so I'm wondering if it's a side effect from that. Anyway, I'm scared because I heard you're supposed to go twice a day and I'm having trouble going at all, unless I take laxatives (which I heard aren't good for frequent use).
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Normal bowel activity, depending on diet and general health, is one BM at least every 2-3 days. Some go more, some less, but if you are having the sensation that you have to go, and are having difficulty passing the stool, then you may be constipated, especially if you also have symptoms of bloating or abdominal fullness.
Antidepressants can cause constipation. You can try these interventions first:
1) drink more water, increased fluid intake softens stools and makes them easier to pass
2) Increase your intake of fresh fruits and veggies. Dried apricots, raisins, apples and plums are tasty high fiber foods to eat.
3) try walking after a meal 15-30 min, to help stimulate peristaltic activity that moves food through the system.
3) use an over the counter stool softening agent (docusate sodium)
4) drink a cup of warm liquid (coffee, tea or cocoa) in the mornings. It's an old trick that works, because warm water does stimulate the gatro-colic reflex to help you empty your bowels.
See a doctor if the constipation persists, or if you have not had a BM for longer than 3 days.
Good luck
I go on average, once every two or three days.
i usually go once every 2days
Your suppose to use the toilet about 1-2 times per day.
well my bowel movement is pretty irregular but my boyfriend have a bm three times a day
Never it's not clean especially for women.
Normal is at least one poop every three days, or not more than 3 poops in one day.
3 times is the bare minimum !
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a change in bowel habits should be reported to your doctor
i usually go once a day, sometimes twice sometimes none.. but usually one at the same time of the day too :P
Everyone is different, but I would say at least once a day
i dont go at all !!!!!! only joking but i dont count oooooh 2 secs i need the loo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
most people go about every other day but laxitives can make you go more often
I hope it's six times a day.
Go to pharmacy and ask them…if it does not help then it is a best thing to see a doctor…you maybe have IBS
You should be going at least twice a day depending upon how much you eat.
Try exercise and try sitting in a hot bath.
It probably is the antidepressants. Take a fiber laxative, like citrucel or metamucil, drink lots of water and have 1 -2 cups of coffee per day. Also, exercise will help get things moving.
You should go at least once a day.
Usually once a day and the same time every day.
Drink some prune juice. Eat fresh fruits and veggies and drink water.
Like the saying goes, You crap if you eat regularly. Everyday is the answer. You eat, you digest, you evacuate. This is a visious cycle. Drink milk and eat raisins.
men should go twice a day but women/children only have to go once. if youve tried to sort out this problem but you cant, then you should consult a doctor. (by the way, you know that fatty foods like burgers get you constapated smoetimrs?)
Make sure your meals are balanced - lots of fruits and vegetables, fiber, protein etc.
If you're sick, maybe with a cold or fighting off some kind of infection this could also unbalance things.
If you've recently travelled - especially if you flew, I've heard this sometimes messes things up for a day or two.
I'm pretty sure once a day is normal.
twice a day is good. once a day is okay. try eating an all veggie salad once a day, it can get things moving. rather than take laxatives, try prune juice and herbal laxative teas. psylium powder is also good.
eat less meat.
No once a day or even once every other day is considered normal if that is a normal pattern for you, and if it isn't hard or making you bloated, cramped, etc.
Try the Dannon activia yogurt…. you are supposed to eat it every day for 14 days, and it's supposed to regulate you naturally. You could also drink prune juice (or lace a dark drink such as Dr. Pepper or grape juice with some prune juice if you can't deal with it straight). These are natural remedies that will be healthier for you than laxatives and won't cramp you up like artificial fiber.
The Activia really does work–I have had this same problem off and on as a symptom of premenopause hormone imbalance, and I have tried it and had success when nothing else helped!
Try drinking water. Water absorption and lack thereof can mean the difference between constipation and diarrhea.
Don't be scared, this kind of thing happens every once in a while anyway. Especially if you are on meds. Contact a doctor if you persistantly have these issues over say, another 3 days or so.
I stick my finger and usually it helps out. Try it best in the shower with a little bit of soap so you dont hurt your self. If that doesnt work go to walmart and buy yourself some machuran raman noodles and that will stimualte your bowels. If that doesnt work, I would try and get detoxed. If that doesn't work take your bowels to the emergency room because that may be a real serious problem.
Try increasing your fluid intake (drink more). Try going for a brisk walk if you don't get about much - the change of position makes it easier for the stuff inside you to move through the tubes. Try doing squats for the same reason.
Don't be scared and don't force yourself.
it's all about your diet, and the individual. A doctor (my dad) will tell you at least one. My dad says perscriptions will do it for sure, STOP taking laxatives, call your pharmacist, they know what the drug is made of can offer over the counter solutions, or ideas. If you need to go, eat soup, and try spice, drink some strong coffee!
A healthy person rangers from having one 3 times a day to 3 times a week.
Twice a day for me. But then again I do eat a lot :O
The antidepressants can cause constipation. If it doesn't go away ask to change your medication. Try some prune juice or apple juice. I also find that Ensure high protein chocolate flavor drink makes me go just a few minutes after drinking it. Yes, you should go at least once a day but twice is better. And yes it probably is a side effect, in fact you might experience more side effects like I deal with. None of those pills are good for you but that's a whole new subject.
i go 2 times a day, some times more.
Thats whats considered normal, if you go less you may have a bowell obstruction, thats really bad, this can lead to ALL kinds of problems.
OK< lay off the fiber until you are going normally. Eat alot of fruit every day and juices. No bananas - they are binding. Eat yogurt and cottage cheese. Try not to eat things that are dense or heavy. Soups are good but fruit is much better. Don't push or you WILL end up with hemmorhoids and they will be there until you die. Not fun.
There's no schedule that applies to everyone and a person's bowel habits can change over time according to age, health, medications, diet and level of activity. Once or twice a day is "normal" for one person while once every 2 to 3 days is normal for another. Don't judge yourself against anyone else.
You're wise to avoid frequent use of laxatives, you can become dependent on them. I don't know what fiber foods you eat but you can run a search for sources of both soluble and nonsoluble fiber. Increase water intake to 2-3 liters a day and increase exercise/activity to stimulate peristalsis (another word you can look up).
How many antidepressants do you take???? Should be only one at a time. Constipation is a common adverse effects of many antidepressants.