“Why Am I Pooping So Much?” Expert Doctors List Possible Reasons for Frequent Bowel Movements

Whether you like to talk about it or not, everybody poops. Sometimes though, you feel your usual frequency pattern change up on you a little bit, which can be unsettling…not to mention uncomfortable. That might mean the occasional bout with constipation, or it could have you pooping more than usual.

Fola May, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist at UCLA Health, explains: “Lifestyle and eating habits can cause a range of bowel movements that differ from person to person. If having more than four bowel movements a day is unusual from what you normally experience, that could be an indicator of a problem—but if it’s not out of the ordinary for you, there’s no need for alarm.”

If you do notice that you’re experiencing more frequent pooping, here are some possible causes, as explained by gastroenterologists.

What’s considered “normal” for bowel movements?

When it comes to bowel movement frequency, “normal” can vary widely from one individual to the next, says Harmony Allison, MD, Associate Chief of Gastroenterology at Tufts Medical Center. But in general, the typical amount is three poops per day to three per week—and ease is more important than a specific frequency. “These bowel movements should be formed and pass easily,” she explains.

That means bowel movements should have a consistency that’s neither too hard nor too watery, adds David D. Clarke, MD, President of the Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms and board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.

Common reasons you might be pooping more often

“Most of the time, increased bowel movements will ‘settle out’ over a few days,” Dr. Allison says—especially if the cause itself is transient. According to the Cleveland Clinic, having more frequent bowel movements isn’t usually considered a health problem. 

However, in some cases, you may need to make some dietary or lifestyle changes to get your bowel movement schedule back to your usual norm. Below, experts explain the most common reasons you might be pooping more often. 

1. A change in diet

Bowel movements come from what is left in the colon after your body has absorbed all the nutrients it can from the food and beverages you consume. “There’s a gastrocolic reflex that happens after someone eats a meal, and so often a bowel movement is common after breakfast, lunch, or dinner just because having food hit the stomach is another reflux that causes bowel movements,” explains Jill Carnahan, MD, a Colorado-based functional medicine specialist.

So if you’re eating more food than usual, that alone can trigger more frequent bowel movements. But certain aspects of your diet may also be responsible for extra pooping, according to research:

• Fatty foods: This can stimulate gut activity and bulk and soften stools, encouraging more frequent bowel movements, per 2022 research published in Nutrients. (Though for some people, fatty foods can have the opposite effect, causing constipation.) 
• A high amount of starchy foods: The Nutrients research also says that a high amount of foods like whole grains, veggies like potatoes and pumpkin, legumes, and unripe bananas can trigger more pooping. 
• High sugar intake: Whether it’s from refined sugary foods, fruit, or sugar substitutes, high sugar consumption may draw water into the bowel, accelerating bowel movements, according to 2021 research in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.  
• Fermented or probiotic foods: Other 2022 research published in Nutrients says adding these foods could to your diet cause a spike in poop frequency as they enhance gut function. 
• Lactose malabsorption: Around 65% of the world’s population has lactose malabsorption at varying levels, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Many people don’t experience symptoms (unlike true lactose intolerance)—but if you suddenly eat more dairy, this could explain why you’re pooping more often. 

2. You’re consuming more fiber than usual

Among dietary changes that affect your bowel movements, how much fiber you’re eating plays a big role. “A sudden but brief increase in bowel movements is often due to a greater intake of water or fiber or both,” Dr. Clarke says. 

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in plant foods that our body can’t digest or absorb. Instead, it acts as a digestive aid, adding bulk to stools, softening them, and stimulating the GI tract—which results in more frequent poops, according to a 2022 study published in The American Journal of Nutrition. In fact, the effect is so strong that fiber is considered a first-line treatment for chronic constipation. 

Foods high in fiber include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes. “If you’re consuming more of these foods, like whole grains, for example, higher fiber intake can cause a change in stool,” explains Dr. May.

However, suddenly eating too much fiber (when your GI tract isn’t used to it) can have the opposite effect, causing GI symptoms like gassiness and bloating, per the research. This is especially true if you don’t drink enough water when eating fiber-rich foods. Fiber needs water to do its job—and without it, stools can dry out and back up, causing constipation. 

3. You have a food intolerance

If you have a food allergy or sensitivity, that can cause more frequent bowel movements because your body is trying to rid itself of the offending food, Dr. Clarke explains. 

“[Food intolerances] are not dangerous, but they can be stressful,” says Dr. Allison. The most common food intolerance is to lactose, a type of sugar found in fresh dairy products such as milk and ice cream, she says. 

Other common food intolerances include:

• Histamine intolerance: A naturally-occurring chemical found in foods like pineapples, bananas, chocolate, cheese, and some wines. 
• Gluten intolerance: A protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. (This is not the same as celiac disease, a condition in which gluten damages your GI tract, according to the Cleveland Clinic.) 

If a food intolerance is why you’re pooping more often, that food will cause the same reaction consistently, Dr. Clarke says. “If the reaction to a food is not consistent, then the food is likely not the cause.” 

4. You have food poisoning 

Short-term changes in bowel habits can occur when you have food poisoning caused by consuming food containing viruses or bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria. Like with food intolerances, food poisoning makes you poop more because your body is trying to flush out the toxin. 

If your food poisoning is on the mild side, it might cause more frequent bowel movements without noticeable symptoms. In fact, our bodies are constantly clearing out bacteria and other germs—and aside from a few extra poops for a day or two, we often don’t even notice. 

Sometimes though, food poisoning comes with additional symptoms like abdominal pain, cramps, and nausea. Fortunately, symptoms of food poisoning will go away once the toxin or infection has cleared, says Dr. Clarke. According to the Cleveland Clinic, food poisoning progresses quickly and often clears within 12 to 48 hours. But if your symptoms continue, you might have an infection that requires medical treatment.

5. You started taking a new medication

“Many medications can cause more frequent bowel movements,” Dr. Clarke says. This can occur for a range of reasons. He explains that some medications might make you poop more than usual because they: 

• Increase muscle contractions in the bowel, speeding up bowel movements:  SSRIs, metformin (a diabetes medicine), and colchicine (a gout medication) can cause this effect. 
• Draw extra water into the bowel, which has a laxative-like effect: This is a common symptom of magnesium antacids used to relieve heartburn, indigestion, and upset stomach. 
• Trigger changes in the gut microbiome, which can alter bowel movements: Antibiotics are a common culprit behind gut microbiome imbalances, though Dr. Clarke says that metformin can have this effect, too. 
• Damage the lining of the gut: This is most often associated with chemotherapy. 

Even some supplements are known for causing more frequent bowel movements. “A medication or supplement that is increasing the osmotic gradient, or, in other words, the water content in the bowel, like magnesium, vitamin C, senna, or even aloe, can cause more frequent bowel movements,” says Dr. Carnahan.

Before stopping any medication or supplement, she recommends talking with your doctor to figure out the best course of action.

6. You’re stressed out

“Anxiety and stress can contribute to frequent bowel movements,” Dr. Allison says. This is thanks to the gut-brain axis, the physiological connection between your nervous system and digestive system. 

Dr. Allison explains that during a stressful event, your body releases a number of hormones, including cortisol, adrenaline, and serotonin. In particular, 2022 research published in Molecules says that this influx of serotonin can trigger what’s called peristalsis, or involuntary muscle contractions that move food through your system. This intestinal activity is why you might feel nausea or butterflies in your stomach when you’re stressed or anxious—and it may result in an unexpected bowel movement. 

Then, once your body comes down from a stressful situation, your body works to reset—and that can cause bowel movements, too. “The hormone levels decrease, and then you have a release of your intestine and hence the diarrhea, or at least an increased bowel movement,” Dr. Allison explains. 

7. You’re on your period

Sex hormones play such a big role in bowel movements that one 2020 study published in BMC Women’s Health found that pooping habits can vary day-to-day across a woman’s menstrual cycle—even if you take an oral contraceptive, which tends to reduce hormonal spikes and dips.  

This is because different levels of hormones during different phases of the menstrual cycle alter bowel habits, Dr. Allison explains. “Elevated levels of estrogen tend to slow down the GI system and result in constipation,” and elevated progesterone may result in diarrhea or constipation, she says. “During menstruation, prostaglandins are released which can cause contractions of the uterus but also of the intestines which can result in loose stools.” 

The research breaks it down to two major changes in bowel frequency during a woman’s cycle:

• Pre-menstruation: The higher levels of progesterone slow down the GI tract, possibly causing constipation.
• Day 1 of your period: The drop in estrogen and progesterone and rise in prostaglandins speed up bowel movements, triggering “period poops.” 

8. You’ve upped your physical activity

Exercise works your muscle groups—including the muscles in your GI tract. “Exercise has a beneficial impact of enhancing the muscle contractions of the bowel,” Dr. Clarke explains. 

This effect is so strong that physical activity is one of the top recommendations to prevent constipation. A 2024 review of research published in the Journal of Global Health reviewed 13 studies involving around 120,000 people, finding that higher activity levels significantly reduce constipation risk. 

Tips for managing frequent bowel movements

If you notice an increase in bowel movements, it might just be a normal change without cause for concern. It may even represent a healthy shift, like if your gut is more active thanks to eating enough daily fiber or getting more physical activity. In these cases, bowel movements that fall within the normal range don’t need to be “managed,” Dr. Clarke explains. In other cases, like with food poisoning or period poops, you might just have to wait it out. 

Still, there are some ways to manage frequent bowel movements depending on the cause:

• Make sure to add fiber-rich foods to your diet gradually.
• Drink plenty of water to make sure your stools stay soft and easy to pass, preventing constipation. 
• Avoid foods that can stimulate bowel movements, including sugar (and sugar substitutes), caffeine, fried or fatty foods, alcohol, and spicy foods, according to Harvard Health Publishing. 
• Try stress relief exercises to soothe your gut’s response to stress and heightened physical activity. 
• Eat enough fiber (with plenty of water!) and avoid the trigger foods listed above if you’re dealing with an uptick in period poops.  

But if you suspect that something in your diet is causing more frequent poops, keeping a food diary can help you narrow down the culprit. As Dr. Clarke says, a food intolerance that causes more bowel movements will have the same effect consistently. So tracking what you eat and drink for a few weeks—plus the frequency, consistency, and urgency of your bowel movements—may identify a potential trigger food. 

When to see a doctor if you’re pooping more than usual

While more frequent bowel movements are often harmless and well-managed at home, if there’s a sustained increase and no obvious explanation, Dr. Clarke says you should see a doctor. Adds Dr. May: “If you’re experiencing a sudden onset of frequent bowel movements that last more than one to two weeks, it’s important to seek medical treatment.” 

A physician can evaluate for a potential pathologic cause, Dr. Clarke explains, which can include inflammatory conditions like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, an infection, a malabsorption issue, or a bowel obstruction.

“If none is found, the most likely explanation for bowel movements that are more frequent than normal is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),” he says. The exact cause of IBS is not well understood, but diet, genetics, infections, and stress are thought to play a role. “[IBS] can be linked to stress—from childhood or current day or both—trauma, emotions, or other life challenges, and these should be assessed as part of a complete evaluation.”

Another major reason to get a doctor’s assessment? In some cases, frequent bowel movements can be a symptom of colorectal cancer, Dr. May explains. Colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society, and if you have symptoms, such as new diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, or rectal bleeding, you should have diagnostic testing with colonoscopy regardless of your age, explains Dr. May. In spite of overall cases falling since the 1980s, colon cancer rates have been rising among young people.

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