How’s your poop?

(Bonnie Byrd Griffith Figolah) #1

For 20 years I would have 2-3 weeks with no BM…then an uncontrollable blob. My doc said it was slow motility and suggested a specific laxative which caused diarreah and I had to DC. Finally on keto I’m going 1-2 times a week…but again a blob with no structure. It’s very thick and sticky like marsh mud for those on the east coast. It’s so thick and sticky it won’t shower off and took me an hour and a half to clean up.
My doc referred me to a gastroenterologist and I do have peripheral neuropathy. Because of the neuropathy I often don’t know I have to go…but that’s my medical issue.
Does anyone have info on how keto affects you gastrointestinally?

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

Most people who don’t know to increase their salt intake when they go keto experience a touch of constipation, not your problem. I have no idea what is going on, but does eating fiber help? Fiber, being by definition indigestible, doesn’t have to be counted toward your carbohydrate intake, and an informal survey of forum members suggests that about 60% of us count net carbs. Also, are you possibly getting too much salt, rather than not enough? What is your nut consumption like (including nut butters, as well as whole nuts)? What foods do you normally eat? I have no idea whether the answers to these questions will provide any illumination, but they seem like a good place to start.

(Bonnie Byrd Griffith Figolah) #3

I do not eat too much salt because of episodes of edema I’ve had for the same 20 years…but more since keto.

I eat a significant amount of broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and I take 1/2 tsp. Physillium husk (the products recommended amount) in AM because I no longer eat high fiber beans and grains.

I eat cheese but I’ve cut back on that to limit the calories. I get my fat from heavy cream, avacados…one a day, butter, meat, sardines and salmon.

I’ve never had lactose intolerance but then I’ve never had 1/2 cup of heavy cream a day. I just thought of that.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

There’s practically no lactose in cream, especially heavy cream. Though the casein can be a problem for some people, but that’s different from lactose-intolerance.

(Carl Keller) #5

I tend to agree with @paulL but I did find this:

Heavy cream is categorized as a high-lactose food, according to Cleveland Clinic. One-half cup of heavy cream contains between 5 and 8 grams of lactose.

I’m not saying Paul is incorrect. Cleveland is not home to many geniuses. :smiley:

It would be interesting to see if the HC is somehow affecting the OP’s stool. It would be easy to experiment simply by trying exclusion for a few days.

(Frank) #6

If you’re anything like me the more veggie I eat the more “blob” like my bms are. I’ve cut back on veg and my bms are much more solid. Not uncomfortable just more formed. If you’ve never heard the term “Houdini” it means a bm that comes out, goes directly down and out of sight, and there’s a clean wipe…It’s like magic. I have a lot of those. Gotta love this forum.

#7

:rofl: this is my something learned today! :rofl:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #8

The USDA food composition database gives 3.47 grams of sugar in 4 oz. of heavy cream. Most dairies report 0 grams, because they are using a serving size of 0.5 oz., which contains 0.443 g of sugar.

(Bonnie Byrd Griffith Figolah) #9

Ive been searching and it’s possible I’ve overloaded my lactose tolerance.
Between the heavy cream, some of the cheese I eat and yogurt and other things I may not be aware of it may have added up. Seems lactose is in some unexpected things like carbs are.
First thing I’ll do is cut back on the heavy cream and add non-dairy coffee creamer so I can get the mother-load of cream I crave in my coffee.
What may have caused yesterday’s catastrophe was whey isolate powder, twice the cheese for two days and one of those days I also had some Mexican white cheese. Not sure how much lactose is in all that…but I would have thought that amount of cheese would have caused constipation.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #10

Some of those are extremely carb-rich. Be careful!!!

(Carl Keller) #11

If it’s not the heavy cream or cheese, consider the yogurt as a possible cause. Yogurt can be high in whey and whey can cause digestive issues with some people.

Which is right in line with cronometer, who I trust way more than people from Cleveland. :slight_smile:

(Laurie) #12

As a child, and for most of my life I would go for days without a BM, and then it was a big deal–take a book or crossword puzzle into the bathroom and wait. I was never aware of a physical need to “go”; I would just feel a sudden urge to read a book.

Then I started taking fiber, with varying results. I’m familiar with the difficulty in cleaning up, although mine wasn’t as bad as what you describe.

Now, on keto, I get the nice neat magic poops and spend less than a minute doing it.

I don’t eat vegetables, except for whatever is in a recipe (e.g., onions, tomato sauce). I don’t feel the need to take fiber any more. I think magnesium helps, but when I don’t take it I’m fine.

I offer a few opinions/experiences in response to what’s been said so far:

  • I have some kind of reaction to dairy–including heavy cream, and even “lactose free” heavy cream. (I love cream and am addicted to it!) I notice that it affects my sinuses; it might affect my digestion too, but I’m kind of oblivious to those functions.

  • Yogurt affects me in a similar way. Semi-soft cheeses, kind of. Firm cheeses (e.g., cheddar, Gouda, Swiss) are fine.

  • I don’t eat much salt. I’ve tried to increase my intake, but only up to a point. Too much and I get explosive diarrhea.

Good luck figuring it out.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #13

I believe that’s a sign you’re getting enough already!

(118e0ce181f7ef20a1fa) #14

The powder creamer I use has all “0”

(Lauren) #15

My grandpa called those “ghost turds” :rofl:

(Door Girl) #16

I’m coming from the other end of the scale. I’m getting Houdini’s/ghost poops on the regular now, and not having D 5-15 times a day.

Try all those options from the smart people above, maybe one of those things will make the difference for you.

(118e0ce181f7ef20a1fa) #17

This is all too confusing to me. I’m just going to work with my gastro. I may have posted his clinic is Ketogenic so he’ll understand that part.

(Frank) #18

Are you the OP?

#19

This is an old post, but I relate to the problem. The only thing that helped me was when my Dr. prescribed cholestyramine. It’s label use is to lower cholesterol, but it improved my stool consistency greatly. Unfortunately it made constipation worse, but I use Magic Bullet suppositories to take care of that.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #20

I found that, on keto, getting my salt in the right range prevents both constipation and diarrhoea. Now that I’ve gone carnivore, I find I want much less salt and so tend towards constipation (the situation is complicated by the fact that lately I have been taking opiods for pain in a broken ankle). But Dr. Anthony Chaffee recommends increasing fat intake, and I have found that to be very helpful (he says the body absorbs the fat it needs, and excretes the rest, which “greases the skids”). On carnivore, I tend to move my bowel much less frequently, and the quantity is greatly reduced, as well.