# How regular are your bowels? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 1, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929 "2008-07-01T17:48:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/61 "2008-07-03T02:28:37Z")
Like clockwork, once in the morning 'bout half hour after sensible waking, then again about 6:00, fast and gone out. Regrettably, when I travel and go off my veg normal diet, eating out regular food, my system gets backed up for about two days. This kind of pisses my mind off, that my body can’t deal with a simple change of diet, but, experience bears it out, every time. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/62 "2008-07-03T06:34:05Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] I’m fortunate to be the opposite. When I travel my bowels clench harder than a Civil War soldier on a musket ball. On flights I always take the inside seat and usually only have to go once per 4 hours. I probably wouldn’t have to go at all if I didn’t drink lots of extra water to combat dehydration. [/QUOTE] I think you misunderstood. Some people have a “shy bladder” which means they can’t urinate in public restrooms with other people around, or in restrooms with thin walls. Basically, they can’t go if someone might hear them. My bowels don’t like to work if someone might hear or smell them so they will refuse to do their job sometimes. This applies to traveling even if I am in a hotel room by myself, but if I am sharing the room with someone else, or if I am visiting other people in their homes, forget it. It’s not fun because after only about a day of this I am feeling uncomfortable, after a couple days it’s very uncomfortable and frustrating. If I’m flying home after a few days of this and will be on a plane for a few hours, just shoot me. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/63 "2008-07-03T06:47:32Z")
I thought that’s what “shy bowels” would mean, but I think the confusion arose from your saying “My shy bowels also extend to traveling, also.”, which implied that your receiving the urge to go while shopping was an example of bowel-shyness as well, when, in fact, presumably, that’s a bit towards the opposite. Though, I suppose, you might simultaneously receive the urge and find yourself unable to do anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/64 "2008-07-03T15:22:44Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] My shy bowels also extend to traveling, also. Not fun. [/QUOTE] Anybody else picturing a prehensile rectum here? Just me? Okay. > [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I almost feel like I’m running around with someone else’s bowels now. Now, THAT’S a mind picture! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/65 "2008-07-03T15:34:25Z")
I blame this thread for the fact that my bowels have gone on strike for a couple days. Time to up the fiber intake again. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/66 "2008-07-03T15:47:49Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] I thought that’s what “shy bowels” would mean, but I think the confusion arose from your saying “My shy bowels also extend to traveling, also.”, which implied that your receiving the urge to go while shopping was an example of bowel-shyness as well, when, in fact, presumably, that’s a bit towards the opposite. Though, I suppose, you might simultaneously receive the urge and find yourself unable to do anything about it. [/QUOTE] Well, I feel the urge to go in department stores but if I could actually find a bathroom they often turn shy on me again. That shy bowel sentence was just really badly worded. That’ll teach me not to read my own posts before posting. Prehensile rectum, huh? Dare I say, BAND NAME! ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/67 "2008-07-03T21:05:59Z")
How to put this delicately… Let’s just say I had no idea what a relief it could be to exercise one’s rights to a functioning colon, when the medication has been somewhat binding. I don’t know if my muscles shut down or what, but for a couple of days, someone was knocking, but I was unable to open the door. A couple of stool softeners later, and ahhhhhh… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/68 "2008-07-03T21:29:41Z")
That wasn’t very delicate. I forgot to mention in my answer: if I’ve been drinking heavily the night before (hard liquor or dark beer) all bets are off. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/69 "2008-07-03T22:04:18Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] That wasn’t very delicate.. [/QUOTE] Sure it was. You’d rather she’d said “I just took a huge-ass shit and DAMN it felt good!” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/70 "2008-07-03T22:40:23Z")
It was rather…impressive. To paraphrase Ron White, I think I backed into a smaller dress size! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929/71 "2008-07-03T22:57:26Z")
I’ll continue the non-ladylike trend and say that when I go, I go. It’s always amazing how much stuff can come out of a little body. Most of the times I get really hungry afterwards, because I feel like I’ve cleared all the way back to my stomach. Susan \*Strangely proud of her huge logs [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regular-are-your-bowels/454929.md?page=3)