# How long does it take to empty the colon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085 "2015-02-08T02:00:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085/1 "2015-02-08T02:00:34Z")
For a colonoscopy, they prescribe laxatives to empty the colon in a couple/few days. How long would it take to empty one’s colon if the person simply stopped eating? (i.e., no laxatives.) ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085/2 "2015-02-09T01:28:25Z")
After my last 2 scopings, it took 3 full days for the first food I ate to be eliminated.\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085/3 "2015-02-09T02:00:38Z")
I’m sure QtM will chime in (and firmly correct me if I am wrong), but since he doesn’t seem to be answering his page… Remembering my Anatomy and Physiology course as well as my casual reading, I think the answer is never, until you died of starvation. You have large quantities of bacteria in your colon, and the colon walls are continually being renewed. Without some “encouragement” you will always have something in there. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085/4 "2015-02-09T17:36:40Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > I’m sure QtM will chime in (and firmly correct me if I am wrong), but since he doesn’t seem to be answering his page… > > Remembering my Anatomy and Physiology course as well as my casual reading, I think the answer is never, until you died of starvation. You have large quantities of bacteria in your colon, and the colon walls are continually being renewed. Without some “encouragement” you will always have something in there. A relative had a partial colectomy (due to bowel infection) and a temporary colostomy (to allow the remainder of the bowel to heal), and that was his experience. While he had the colostomy, the waste products of stuff he ate was excreted through the colostomy. At the same time he also voided material - presumably mucus, dead bowel lining, and bacteria - from his anus. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085/5 "2015-02-09T18:43:48Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > I’m sure QtM will chime in (and firmly correct me if I am wrong), but since he doesn’t seem to be answering his page… > > Remembering my Anatomy and Physiology course as well as my casual reading, I think the answer is never, until you died of starvation. You have large quantities of bacteria in your colon, and the colon walls are continually being renewed. Without some “encouragement” you will always have something in there. This is part of why the current recommendation is a split dose when doing a colonoscopy prep. I believe the explanation I read is that the small intestine produces “chyme” (whatever that is). Certainly in my own greater-than-usual experience, you seem clean as a whistle after round 1, but round 2 produces significant output. AND, when my first one required a 2-day clear-liquid diet, there were plenty of solids left after the 2 days, when the purging began. If you mean “aside from the stuff your body produxes”, I’d have to say 48+ hours depending on your own gut. I do know that after my first procedure, I had a normal-looking movement less than 24 hours after the procedure. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085/6 "2015-02-09T19:04:10Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > …I believe the explanation I read is that the small intestine produces “chyme” (whatever that is)… _Chyme_ is the mostly liquid material that leaves the stomach and moves through the small intestine. Don’t know how that fits with what you read, but that’s what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085/7 "2015-02-09T20:23:59Z")
Why does someone always mention me whenever the topic is folks who are full of crap? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085/8 "2015-02-09T20:32:10Z")
Twice as long as it takes to empty the semicolon. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085/9 "2015-02-09T21:08:11Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Twice as long as it takes to empty the semicolon. Wrong. It’s one and a half times. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-empty-the-colon/712085/10 "2015-02-09T22:41:29Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Why does someone always mention me whenever the topic is folks who are full of crap? Well… Umm… I don’t know a nice way to put this… :D:D