overly regular bowel movements

[clairecmchl]

My husband is not incontinent but has extremely regular bowel movements. He goes at least three times a day, and generally almost immediately after eating. The doctor suggested that he needed to retrain his gut, and put him on a 6 month course of something which didn't make any difference. He has no pain but it is embarrassing for him and doesn't quite seem right. Any suggestions?

[Dr Christopher Black]

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear of the problems your husband is having. I'm not really sure what the doctor meant by retraining his gut? It is normal for eating to trigger the need to go to the toliet, but this can be quite exaggerated in some people.

However, it sounds like you might mean his bowels changed those several months ago so he was going more frequently? If that's the case then it would be sensible to see the GP again. I don't know how old your husband is, but a colonoscopy, or other tests, may be advisable to check that the bowel is healthy.

If tests are normal, then it is likely this is a functional bowel problem, similar to IBS, and potential treatments including dietary changes could be looked at.

Best wishes,