Gastroenterology

Yes, magnesium often makes you poop by acting as an osmotic laxative that draws water into the intestines; common forms like citrate, hydroxide, sulfate, and oxide can work within about 30 minutes to 12 hours depending on the dose. There are several factors to consider, including starting with the lowest effective dose, potential side effects like diarrhea and cramps, staying hydrated, and special cautions for people with kidney or heart issues, during pregnancy, in children, and older adults; see the complete details and red flags to watch for below.

Most healthy adults digest and pass food in about 24 to 72 hours, though it can be as quick as 12 hours or as slow as several days; typical stage times are roughly 2 to 4 hours in the stomach, 4 to 6 hours in the small intestine, and 12 to 48 hours in the colon. There are several factors to consider, including diet, hydration, activity, medications, and medical conditions, plus warning signs like persistent pain, blood in stool, or unexplained weight loss that may change what you should do next, so see the complete details below.

Normal bowel-movement frequency ranges from three times a day to three times a week, and stool consistency, ease, and predictability matter as much as how often you go. There are several factors to consider, and red flags like blood, severe or persistent pain, black stools, or sudden lasting changes should prompt medical care; see below for details, self-care tips, and guidance on next steps.

After 65, doctors urge you to watch five stool clues: color changes like black tarry or bright red, consistency and frequency shifts, new shape or size such as pencil-thin stools, greasy floating stool that hints at fat malabsorption, and any pain, straining, urgency or leakage. Some signs need prompt care, including blood, black stools, persistent diarrhea or constipation, severe pain, dehydration, or unexplained weight loss; there are several factors and actionable steps that can affect your next move, so see the complete guidance below for important details.

Colon cancer stool can show blood (bright red or dark, tarry), become pencil thin or ribbon-like, be coated in mucus, change color, and come with persistent shifts like alternating constipation and diarrhea or a lingering sense of incomplete emptying. Because these signs can overlap with less serious issues, ongoing bleeding, lasting bowel habit changes, weight loss, or abdominal pain should prompt medical care and screening; there are several important details and next steps to consider, which are outlined below.

Green poop is usually harmless and temporary, most often from eating green foods or dyes, taking iron supplements, or stool moving too quickly during diarrhea; less commonly it can come from infections, antibiotic effects, or absorption problems like celiac or Crohn’s. There are several factors to consider. See below to understand more. If it lasts more than 2 days or comes with abdominal pain, fever, dehydration, blood or black stools, or weight loss, talk to a clinician; key home-care tips and what to expect from medical evaluation are outlined below.

Green stool is usually harmless and most often comes from what you ate, faster gut transit with diarrhea, or medications and supplements like iron; there are several factors to consider, and the fuller explanation below covers how bile, infections, and other gut conditions can change stool color. If it lasts more than a couple of days or comes with severe pain, fever, blood, dehydration, weight loss, or jaundice, seek medical advice; for next steps on self-care, testing, and when to see a doctor, see the complete answer below.

In diverticulitis, stool may become hard and pellet-like or loose and watery, and can show mucus, bright red blood, or occasionally pencil-thin, ribbon-like shapes if the colon is narrowed. There are several factors to consider, especially other symptoms like lower left abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and bloating. Seek urgent care for severe or persistent pain, high fever, ongoing vomiting, significant rectal bleeding, or black tarry stool; see details below to understand more and decide next steps.

The quickest ways to poop now come from your body’s gastrocolic reflex after eating, amplified by triggers like coffee (even decaf), warm liquids, high-fat meals, and fiber; gentle movement, a squat-style position, and abdominal massage can also get things moving. For faster relief, options like magnesium citrate, glycerin suppositories, or enemas may work within minutes to hours, but use sparingly and avoid daily use. There are several factors to consider, including when to call a doctor for red flags like blood, black stools, severe pain, weight loss, or dehydration; see the complete details and next-step guidance below.

Coffee often makes you poop because it activates the gastrocolic reflex and increases colon contractions via caffeine and other coffee compounds, plus hormone releases like gastrin and CCK; warm fluid and stomach stretch add to the effect, and even decaf can trigger it. There are several factors to consider, including individual sensitivity, timing, and diet, as well as red flags that may warrant care. See below for practical tips to manage it and guidance on when to seek medical attention.

Burning with bowel movements is most often due to anal fissures or hemorrhoids, skin irritation or spicy foods, but infections, an abscess or fistula, inflammatory bowel disease, bile acid irritation after gallbladder removal, and pelvic floor disorders can also be causes; there are several factors to consider, and the key details on causes, triggers, and treatments are outlined below. Seek care urgently for severe pain, fever, heavy bleeding, or persistent symptoms, and review the step by step self care, medications, and procedure options below to decide your next steps with a clinician.

Most poop odor comes from gut bacteria digesting what you eat, but very foul smells are often tied to diet, sulfur rich foods, changes in transit, or short term infections. Persistent or new strong odors can also signal malabsorption such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease, pancreatic or biliary problems, medication effects, IBS, or IBD. There are several factors to consider, and warning signs like greasy pale stools, ongoing diarrhea, blood, fever, weight loss, or jaundice should prompt care, see the complete details and next step guidance below.

Black, tarry stool, called melena, can come from harmless causes like iron supplements, bismuth medicines, or dark foods, but it can also signal digested blood from bleeding in the upper digestive tract. There are several factors and warning signs to consider, including dizziness, weakness, severe abdominal pain, or vomiting blood that require urgent care; see the complete details below for how to tell the difference, what to do now, and when to seek medical help.

There are several factors to consider: dark green stool is often from foods or food dyes and faster gut transit, but it can also come from iron supplements or antibiotics, infections, bile acid malabsorption, IBS, celiac disease, or post-surgical changes. See below to understand more, including when to worry about persistent green diarrhea, blood or black stools, severe abdominal pain, high fever, dehydration, jaundice, and which steps, tests, and treatments can guide your next care decisions.

There are several factors to consider. Green stools with stomach pain most often come from rapid transit with diarrhea, foods or coloring, supplements like iron, or infections; they can also signal bile acid diarrhea or, less commonly, gallbladder or liver issues. Most cases improve with hydration, gentle diet changes, and OTC relief, but seek care for severe or persistent pain, high fever, blood in stool, dehydration, jaundice, or weight loss. See below for detailed causes, red flags, and next steps, including when testing or specific treatments are needed.

There are several factors to consider. Most often the color comes from bile moving through the gut too quickly, but hidden food dyes, iron or antibiotics, infections like gastroenteritis or bile acid diarrhea, and rarely gallbladder or liver issues can also do it; see below for details. Seek care if it lasts more than 3 days or with severe pain, fever, blood, or dehydration, and in the meantime hydrate, track your diet, consider a short course of probiotics, or use loperamide as directed; the next steps and tests your doctor might use are outlined below.

Green stool is usually harmless and most often comes from bile moving through the gut too quickly, green foods or dyes, or medications and supplements; sometimes infections or IBS play a role. There are several factors to consider, so see below to understand more. Watch for red flags like fever, severe pain, dehydration, blood or black stools, weight loss, jaundice, or symptoms lasting beyond 48 to 72 hours, and seek care if they occur or if the color persists despite diet changes. For complete details and next steps such as diet adjustments, hydration, probiotics, and when to call a doctor, see below.

Orange stool is usually caused by foods or dyes high in beta carotene, certain medications or supplements, or faster gut transit from diarrhea, but it can occasionally point to bile duct or gallbladder issues, liver disease, or malabsorption. There are several factors to consider; see below to understand more. If the color lasts longer than 48 to 72 hours or comes with pain, weight loss, persistent diarrhea, fever, dehydration, or jaundice, contact a clinician. See below for what to check in your recent diet and medications, specific red flags, and the diagnostic tests and treatments that may guide your next steps.

Yellow stool is usually a temporary change from diet or faster gut transit, but it can also signal malabsorption, infections like Giardia, or reduced bile flow from liver or gallbladder issues. There are several factors to consider, and important warning signs like persistent pale or yellow stools, abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, jaundice, or blood can change your next steps; see below for the full list, tests doctors use, and specific treatments.

Bad-smelling stool after certain meals is usually from how gut bacteria ferment specific foods, with common culprits including sulfur-rich vegetables and eggs, high-protein meats, beans and legumes, dairy if lactose intolerant, high-fat or fried foods, and sometimes spicy seasonings. There are several factors to consider. See below to understand more. Odors can also signal issues like malabsorption, infections such as C. diff or Giardia, medication effects, or bile duct and inflammatory conditions; seek care if smells persist with greasy stools, weight loss, blood, severe pain, or jaundice. For practical fixes and next steps, the complete guidance below covers food diaries, gradual diet changes, hydration, probiotics or enzymes, and when to talk with a clinician.