How do your stools rate on the Bristol Stool Form Scale?

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

Rate your stool.

(Relatively work-safe and not intentionally gross)

The link is a legitimate medical tool, widely used around the world to help collect clinical data.

Type 1 stools are known as scybalous in medical jargon. Just one step up from a fecalith.

Me, I'm generally a type 3 or type 4.

How about you?

[panache45]

Without getting too personal . . . I know that Type 4 is the healthiest (thank you, Dr. Oz).

[kittenblue]

Ah, the Bristol scale....I had one day last month where I had every Type, from 1-7, in the space of 24 hours. I did get a whole book read that day in the bathroom.....

[SeaDragonTattoo]

Pretty much a 4. Sometimes a 3 or 5 depending on how much meat/cheese/fiber I've had. I don' t think of myself as having the most healthy diet out there, but what the hell are these people eating who apparently get constipated all the time? I have one movement a day - more if I had more of the aforementioned fiber - I can't think of a day going by without passing stool ever in my life. If that changed, I'd be seriously worried.

[vivalostwages]

4s and 5s. Do I get a 9?

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

what the hell are these people eating who apparently get constipated all the time?

Lots of times it's not due to diet, but to anatomic abnormality or disease.

[racer72]

When the IB kicks in, type 9. Otherwise 4 or 5.

[Risha]

3 or 4.

Is there a correct answer?

[panache45]

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

. . . what the hell are these people eating who apparently get constipated all the time?

It could be age-related. My mother lived to be 92, and her stools were like malted milk balls, in spite of the fiber in her diet.

[Eyebrows 0f Doom]

Originally Posted by panache45

Without getting too personal . . . I know that Type 4 is the healthiest (thank you, Dr. Oz).

Woo hoo!

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

Originally Posted by Risha

3 or 4.

Is there a correct answer?

Yes, 3 or 4 are more closely associated with a healthy colon and diet.

[Ximenean]

How would I know what my "stools" look like? Tell me, are any of you people perhaps of Germanic extraction? I ask because many of the toilets in that part of the world seem to have this sort of shelf, apparently designed to allow you to review your excretia before sending it on its way. Ick. Weird. As long as it's somewhere between constipation and diarrhoea, I don't want to know.

[Ruby]

Seriously? I thought everyone looked before (and after) they flushed. Just seems like natural curiousity to me.

I'm a 2, 3, or 4 depending on the day. I can vary between all three within 3 days.

[silenus]

Depends on what was for dinner the night before. Last night was corned beef and boiled veggies, so this morning was a good Type 4.

[Electric Warrior]

Usually Type 2. I had one week this summer where I was doing at least one or two hours of walking a day and I was Type 4 accompanied by frequent EXTREME ABDOMINAL PAINS. Rather confused by the idea of what is and is not healthy.

[Student Driver]

3 to 4. 3 is more usual, 4 occurs if I go higher fiber than usual, or if I've had a couple of drinks.

I love the descriptions alongside the pictures. They're evocative, and I can immediately remember occurrences of these types because of the terms, but it's still funny to think of stool in terms of nuts, sausages, and fluffiness.

[Hockey Monkey]

I'd say 80% of the time it's a 4, 5% of the time a 5, and 10% of the time a 6.

[tr0psn4j]

Varies between 3 and 4. I've had 2 through 7 this year for sure but don't think I've had a 1 in a long long time.

Although, as a baby I used to have type 1 stools regularly and my parents tell me a story of a time I pooped behind a couch and my uncle mistook my type 1 stool for raisins and tried to eat them.

[Risha]

Originally Posted by Qadgop the Mercotan

Yes, 3 or 4 are more closely associated with a healthy colon and diet.

W00T! My colon rocks!

[Hazle Weatherfield]

Oprah and Dr. Oz say that as long as it's "S" or "C" shaped, you're probably doing ok. Yeah, who doesn't look?

[Apricot]

1 or 4. I have no complaints, although this thread makes me wonder if I should be complaining?

[Olentzero]

I've ranged all over the place but mostly 3 and 5. I've had occasional (and memorable!) Type 4, but more often than not they've occurred physically connected with types 2 or 3.

I should probably eat more fiber. Lord knows we've got all sorts of crispbread lying around the house...

[Princhester]

Where do we find the "Key"? You can't go putting up the map without the key. What does it all mean?

[Hari Seldon]

By appearance a type 3, but almost always very hard. Often clogs the toilet. I say I have larger gauge plumbing than the toilet.

And boo to the people who assume my diet is responsible. I eat lots of fruit and veggies and also dried apricots and prunes but none of it helps.

[Dr. Woo]

I guess it's usually a 5 or 6. Is that bad?

I wonder if Dr. Bristol is/was very proud of his stool form legacy.

On edit, it's the University of Bristol who's proud.

[NinetyWt]

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

have one movement a day - more if I had more of the aforementioned fiber - I can't think of a day going by without passing stool ever in my life.

This seems to be quite variable among people. Depending on how much I've eaten, I can go 5 or 6 days, or even a week between. Usually it's 2 or 3 days.

It's also nice to know that a 4 is good.

[KlondikeGeoff]

Sorry, I can't resist:

Q. Why are your turds pointed at each end?

A. It is Mother Nature's way of preventing your asshole from snapping shut.

(Sorry 'bout that)

[kittenblue]

Originally Posted by NinetyWt

This seems to be quite variable among people. Depending on how much I've eaten, I can go 5 or 6 days, or even a week between. Usually it's 2 or 3 days.

It's also nice to know that a 4 is good.

A week?

I poop four times A DAY!

This is what a gastric by-pass can do to you.

[Drain Bead]

1 or 2. Been this way for 2 years, regardless of diet. Used to be more like 3-4.

[chaoticbear]

Everywhere from 1-6 (7 only being when sick, usually). I haven't ever found a connection between my diet and poopies. I do spend more time towards the extremes than the middle, but it's always satisfying when I have a nice big 4.


(TMI alert: My mom could always tell when I had used the bathroom and forgotten to flush when I was a kid because I apparently had the girthiest turds in the house.)

[Freudian Slit]

Originally Posted by Hazle Weatherfield

Oprah and Dr. Oz say that as long as it's "S" or "C" shaped, you're probably doing ok. Yeah, who doesn't look?

I don't look either. Why would anyone want to?

[Small Hen]

Originally Posted by Freudian Slit

I don't look either. Why would anyone want to?

Dude, why wouldn't you want to see outcome of your toil? You've never thought, "That felt big," or "That felt small" or "What the flying FUCK just came out of me?!" and wanted to check? I know that poop is sort of gross, but it's your own! It's like how everyone's okay with the smell of their own farts.

Oh, and I'm a 3 or 4.

[MOIDALIZE]

From 2-4. I find that Metamucil gives me number 1s, but I don't find them particularly hard to pass.

[Freudian Slit]

Originally Posted by Small Hen

Dude, why wouldn't you want to see outcome of your toil? You've never thought, "That felt big," or "That felt small" or "What the flying FUCK just came out of me?!" and wanted to check? I know that poop is sort of gross, but it's your own! It's like how everyone's okay with the smell of their own farts.

No way, Jose. I just think, ew, that's out of me, I don't even want to THINK about it. I don't examine my periods for particularly large blood clots either.

[RickJay]

I don't see a stool on that list with a lot of peanuts and blood. So I'm not sure.

[Green Bean]

Originally Posted by Dr. Woo

I guess it's usually a 5 or 6. Is that bad?

I wonder if Dr. Bristol is/was very proud of his stool form legacy.

On edit, it's the University of Bristol who's proud.

I wonder how Bristol Palin feels about it.

[Broomstick]

3 to 5 - I try to keep 'em around 4 through proper diet, but between food allergies and intolerances that isn't always possible.

[Small Hen]

Originally Posted by Freudian Slit

No way, Jose. I just think, ew, that's out of me, I don't even want to THINK about it. I don't examine my periods for particularly large blood clots either.

I've heard it's a specific type of person who doesn't look after the deed. I don't know what specific type that is, but I suppose I'm not one. I can't imagine being anymore grossed out by your own waste than your own nudity. Private, yes, but it's only you.

Then again, I'm a nurse, so I look at other people's poop all day and don't bat an eye.

[Fastidiots]

Originally Posted by chaoticbear

Everywhere from 1-6 (7 only being when sick, usually). I haven't ever found a connection between my diet and poopies. I do spend more time towards the extremes than the middle, but it's always satisfying when I have a nice big 4.


(TMI alert: My mom could always tell when I had used the bathroom and forgotten to flush when I was a kid because I apparently had the girthiest turds in the house.)

"Girthiest"... I cackled in the internet cafe.

I'm a very regular 3, unless I've got pub shits, which are very dark (almost black) and 4ish. Or if I'm sick, of course. I'm renowned to be a quick excreter, I tried to nick name myself "Rocket Shits" but it never stuck.

[Waenara]

I used to pretty much always be a 3 or 4.

Starting a year and a half ago it changed to always 5 and 6 and much more frequent. Turned out to be Crohn's disease. Now on good medication and getting it under control I'm usually about a 4.5, but a 6 turns up once or twice a week.

My doctor told me that I got diagnosed relatively quickly. For many people it takes years, in part because they don't tell their doctor until it's been bad for a long time. For me, from the very first GI symptoms to being diagnosed took maybe 2-3 months. Lesson being, no what what "normal" is for you, if it suddenly changes and this persists you should let your doctor know.

[Freudian Slit]

Originally Posted by chaoticbear

(TMI alert: My mom could always tell when I had used the bathroom and forgotten to flush when I was a kid because I apparently had the girthiest turds in the house.)

Wouldn't the...residue be covered with toilet paper? Or were they that girthy?

[Mighty_Girl]

Before I had my daughter I used to be a 2-3 about 3 to 4 times a week. I don't know what she knocked loose there, but ever since she was born I've been a regular, daily to twice-a-day 3 to 5. The vast majority of time it's a 4.

I love that kid.

[elmwood]

None of the above. I poop in neat mounds formed by a long, unbroken coil of fecal matter, just like in the comics. I top them off with a little twist, like a Dairy Queen custard. They also have visible water vapor rising from them. I also never have to use paper.

[Dung Beetle]

Originally Posted by panache45

It could be age-related. My mother lived to be 92, and her stools were like malted milk balls, in spite of the fiber in her diet.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[Freddy the Pig]

I'm all over the map. I shit in all seven styles, plus a few that aren't on there. I'm not sure whether I should be proud or worried about the eclecticism of my shit.

[purplehorseshoe]

Originally Posted by Mighty_Girl

Before I had my daughter I used to be a 2-3 about 3 to 4 times a week. I don't know what she knocked loose there, but ever since she was born I've been a regular, daily to twice-a-day 3 to 5. The vast majority of time it's a 4.

I love that kid.

Okay, but stick with telling her THAT you love her, and leave out the WHY.

[palindromemordnilap]

Originally Posted by RickJay

I don't see a stool on that list with a lot of peanuts and blood. So I'm not sure.

I also thought the Bristol scale lacked breadth. Would have guessed at least 15 types based on personal experience. No blood though.

[MOIDALIZE]

I just want everyone to know that I was a 5 this morning. Twice.

[HeyHomie]

The link in the OP is chilhoodconstipation.com. I have to ask you Doper parents: do you regularly look at your kids' poop?

[SandyHook]

3s and 4s most of the time with an occasional 5 just for varities sake.


Yeah for oatmeal for breakfast.