If You Haven't Pooped In Days, Here's What You Should Do

How often you poop is a personal thing, and according to a recent poll of more than 2,000 adults, almost half of respondents said they poop once a day. Going anywhere from three times daily to three times per week can be healthy—more backup than that is not. Feeling stuck? Deborah Fisher, M.D., of the American Gastroenterological Association, shares fixes to flush out your system.

Try: Drinking as much as you can (but not dehydrating booze!)

Fluids make your poop softer and easier to pass. And nosh on high-fiber apples and other fruits (with peels, where half the fiber comes from), since that roughage helps bring H2O into your intestines. Any exercise can also help get things moving.

Try: Over-the-counter meds

Like fiber, "osmotic agents" in milk of magnesia and MiraLax pull fluid from your tissues into your gut. (But since they're expelled with your stool, you still need to stay hydrated while taking them.) Start with the lowest dose, and increase as directed, if necessary.

Try: Over-the-counter meds

Like fiber, "osmotic agents" in milk of magnesia and MiraLax pull fluid from your tissues into your gut. (But since they're expelled with your stool, you still need to stay hydrated while taking them.) Start with the lowest dose, and increase as directed, if necessary.

Try: Stronger meds

You may need a stimulant laxative, like Dulcolax, which spurs movement in your bowel muscles. But your body can become dependent on these, making it harder to go on your own, so don't rely on them for more than a couple of weeks.

Try: Seeing a doc

It's now chronic, and a physician can perform tests, suggest treatments, and ID drugs (like antidepressants or blood pressure meds) or other factors (such as hypothyroidism or neurological conditions) that may be contributing to the problem.

Womens Health Magazine