Wait, Is It Normal to Poop 5 Times a Day?

Erica Sweeney
·6 min read
4

Woman sitting down to poop in the bathroom

How many times should I poop in a day? That’s a question that may be running through your mind as you head to the bathroom for your fifth bowel movement of the day. The answer isn’t so simple, but several factors could be making you poop more frequently.

“People should have bowel movements anywhere from zero to three times daily,” says Dr. Pratima Dibba, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Medical Offices of Manhattan and contributor to LabFinder. 

But some people poop more than three times a day, and that’s completely normal for them, Dr. Dibba says, “as long as the stools are formed and not hard or loose.” 

One reason you might need to poop several times a day is if you’re not having a complete bowel movement each time, explains Dr. Christine Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic. If you have an “incomplete evacuation,” you might have to return to the bathroom a few times to get it all out—but that would only actually equal one “good quality bowel movement,” she says. 

When you’re finding yourself pooping several times a day, there are several reasons why, and usually, there’s nothing to worry about. Gastroenterologists explain what’s normal and when you should worry.

Why You’re Pooping More Frequently

Everyone’s pooping schedule is different. So, knowing what’s normal for you is vital, Dr. Lee says. That way you’ll know when something changes, and if it’s worrisome, she suggests talking to your doctor.

Related: The Truth About How Many Times a Day (or Week) You Should Actually Be Pooping

Pooping several times a day isn’t always something to worry about, especially if your stool is soft and easy to pass, Dr. Dibba explains. If your stool is watery, that could mean you have diarrhea, which isn’t normal. If it’s too hard and difficult to pass, you could be constipated, which also isn’t normal.

Here are some reasons you might be pooping five times a day.

1. You’re eating a lot more fiber.

Diet plays a huge role in your digestive system, Dr. Dibba says. So dietary changes could make you poop more often.

For instance, if you’ve adopted a plant-based diet recently, you might find yourself pooping more. It’s because you’re eating more fiber, which helps bulk up and soften your stool, according to the Mayo Clinic. Drinking more water than usual also might make you poop more often, as it’s absorbed by fiber to flush waste through your body.

Related: Here’s What It Means if Your Poop Pattern Suddenly Changes, According to GI Docs

Drinking a few extra cups of coffee might increase your pooping too. A 2021 research review suggested that coffee and other substances in coffee could have a laxative effect.

2. You’re taking certain medications.

Some medications might change your pooping habits, Dr. Dibba says. Antibiotics, for example, can interfere with your gut microbiome and may harm healthy gut bacteria, research shows.

In some cases, it could cause the bacterial infection Clostridioides difficile, also known as C. diff. If you notice, several instances of watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever or weight loss, call your doctor.

3. You’re exercising more

Regular physical activity can help keep you regular. According to Harvard Medical School, “the colon responds to activity” and can help increase bowel movements, which might help improve constipation. If you’ve started a new workout or changed your routine, you might notice you’re popping more.

4. You may have a food allergy or intolerance

Lactose intolerance and other food allergies and intolerances could be increasing your poop frequency, Dr. Lee says. A lactose intolerance, where your body struggles to digest the sugars found in dairy, can develop at any stage of life. So, you might suddenly be pooping more or have gas and bloating after consuming milk, yogurt or other dairy.

Celiac disease, where your body produces an autoimmune response to attack your small intestines when you eat gluten (which is found mainly in wheat, rye and barley products), can also develop at any age. It can cause you to poop more and bring symptoms like gas, bloating and stomach pain.

5. You have an infection

A viral or bacterial infection caused by a stomach bug or foodborne illness might cause frequent bowel movements, Dr. Lee says. However, these infections usually cause diarrhea. Other illnesses, like a cold, the flu or COVID, can bring on GI symptoms, which might linger after your other symptoms go away.

Related: A Popular Breakfast Food Could Be the Key To Helping You Poop, Registered Dietitians Say

6. You’re on your period

The hormonal fluctuations that happen when you’re on your period might have you pooping more. Menstruation brings a spike of the chemical prostaglandins, which contract muscle tissues in your uterus, and research suggests prostaglandins might trigger loose stools in the early days of your period.

7. You could have a digestive problem

Many GI conditions can increase your bowel habits, including irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease, and other conditions, Dr. Lee says. If you have more frequent bowel movements, especially when your stools are loose, along with bloating, abdominal pain, weight loss or bloody stool, see your doctor.

8. You’re stressed

Stress can affect your digestive system in many different ways. Dr. Lee says it can keep the muscles in your GI tract from relaxing, which may make pooping difficult. It can also cause instances of incomplete pooping, but then an urgent need to go at inopportune times.

“Stress can also cause spasms that in turn cause abdominal cramping, playing havoc on your digestion process and disrupt your normal motility,” she says.

When To Worry About Your Frequent Pooping

If you’re pooping more every day but your stools are solid, soft and easy to pass, there’s not much to worry about. However, Dr. Dibba says frequent loose stools could signal something more serious is going on, so she suggests calling your doctor.

Other worrisome signs that warrant talking to your doctor about include abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, weight loss, fever, nausea, vomiting or weakness, Dr. Lee says.

Next, read about how to help yourself poop if you’re a little backed up.

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