Here’s How Long You Can Go Without Pooping, Says a Chief Gastroenterologist

Your gut likes routine, explains Harmony Allison, MD, Associate Chief of Gastroenterology at Tufts Medical Center—and you probably do, too. But many factors can throw off your belly’s normal function, and that could mean you’re pooping more than usual—or suddenly, not at all.

It’s normal not to have a bowel movement every day. Still, it’s important to understand when a delay in your usual regularity is an uncomfortable but harmless inconvenience—and when it might signal something more serious.

What’s considered a “normal” bowel movement schedule?

“There is a wide range for normal bowel movements, from three per day to three per week,” Dr. Allison says. So, what’s normal for one person might look like an unusual pace for you.

That’s why the consistency in your personal potty patterns is more important than a specific frequency. And no matter how often you typically go to the bathroom, healthy bowel movements should form and pass easily, Dr. Allison says.

“Knowing what your bowel pattern is will help you keep on top of healthy habits,” she explains. For instance, if you skip a day and are normally a “daily goer,” don’t panic. Generally, she says it’s just a good sign to look back at the last 24 hours and contemplate whether any dietary or lifestyle factors might be influencing the sudden change.

So…how long can you go without pooping?

While every body is different, the general rule is that going three days without passing a bowel movement is too long, according to the Cleveland Clinic. At that point, stools harden and get increasingly difficult to pass—so you may need to take action to get things moving along (here are drinks gastroenterologists say will help you poop immediately).

But any reduction in your normal routine can signal constipation, and signs may appear sooner. “If you strain while having a bowel movement, then you may be constipated regardless of how frequently you poop,” Dr. Allison explains.

In addition to difficulty passing stools, she says constipation can cause symptoms such as bloating, stomach pain, cramping, nausea, gas, and hemorrhoids. While rare, not being able to poop for an extremely extended period—a week or more—can lead to more serious complications, per the Cleveland Clinic. These can include:

• Anal fissures, or tears in the lining of your anus
• Fecal impaction, when poop is stuck and will not pass normally
• Infection
• Pelvic floor muscle damage

What happens if you don’t poop?

“The biggest issue with not pooping routinely is that you can develop increased gas, abdominal pain, and bloating,” Dr. Allison explains. Straining to pass a bowel movement can cause hemorrhoids, too. Hemorrhoids are swollen, inflamed veins in your rectum that may trigger irritation, discomfort, and bleeding.

As briefly mentioned before, severe constipation can lead to fecal impaction. This occurs when the stool becomes too hard to pass, causing a blockage, Dr. Allison says. Fecal impaction may come with uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, abdominal or lower back pain, stomach ache, loss of appetite, and fatigue. But if left untreated, it can lead to more serious and potentially dangerous complications.

“Rarely, if you are truly not having any bowel movement, you can get ulcers in the colon where the stool sits on the lining of the colon, called a stercoral ulcer,” Dr. Allison adds.

But while not pooping may make you feel totally plugged up, in general, you don’t have to worry about toxins building up in your body. According to the Cleveland Clinic, your colon is a flexible waste container and expands more than you might think. One rare but serious exception is called toxic megacolon, notes the Cleveland Clinic, a complication of severe colitis (inflammation in your colon).

Why can’t you poop?

Dr. Allison says that changes in bowel habits like not being able to poop are usually due to:

• Not eating enough fiber
• Decreased exercise
• Prolonged sitting
• Decreased fluid intake or dehydration
• Altered sleep patterns

That’s why she suggests thinking about changes in your routine over the last day or two if you’re struggling to poop. Stress can change your bowel habits, too, whether that means going more often or not at all. Travel is a very common contributor to constipation as well.

Constipation is also a common side effect of many medications, including (but not limited to):

• Pain medications, including opioids and NSAIDs (like ibuprofen and naproxen)
• Psychiatric medications, including antidepressants
• Iron supplements
• Some blood pressure medications
• Allergy meds
• Antacids

Still, ongoing constipation that’s not responding to dietary or lifestyle changes can suggest a medical issue at play, such as colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), an infection, diabetes, hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid gland), or a neurological disorder. Constipation is also common during pregnancy.

When to worry and what to do

In many cases, you can get your regularity schedule back to normal with dietary and lifestyle adjustments, such as:

• Moving more (here are 7 yoga poses to make you poop)
• Increasing your fiber and water intake (but upping your fiber without hydration can worsen constipation)
• Avoid foods that can exacerbate constipation
• Don’t resist an urge to poop (this can make stools harden up)
• Try a magnesium supplement

Over-the-counter laxatives are a tempting fix—and necessary in some cases—but they’re a temporary solution that should only be used occasionally. Regular use of laxatives can actually worsen constipation, and they’re not recommended for certain people. That’s why gastroenterologists recommend trying out these natural constipation remedies first.

Still, if it’s been more than three days without a bowel movement, that’s a red flag to get in touch with your doctor. Treating constipation early can help avoid a fecal impaction—and if you already have an impaction, treating it quickly can prevent more serious complications.

Signs of a fecal impaction that call for immediate medical attention include:

• Abdominal pain
• Rectal bleeding
• Inability to pass gas
• Sudden episodes of watery diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Dehydration

That said, even if you’re occasionally able to poop, Dr. Allison says not to ignore ongoing constipation symptoms. “If you feel like you are constantly bloated, have increased gas, straining while having a bowel movement, or note blood in your stool, you should check with your primary care provider,” she says. Your doctor can assess for potential medical issues behind your constipation and refer you to a gastroenterologist for further testing or treatment if necessary.

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