# 'Relaxed' dead bodies, poop, tmi **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434 "2003-05-15T13:59:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/1 "2003-05-15T13:59:49Z")
I have often heard the horror stories of commiting suicide via drug overdose (or really any method) being that beyond the horrid side effect of eternal death (and condemnation to the pit of fire according to my mom), that your body is found in a puddle of urine and feces because your body ‘relaxes’ and releases all fluids and such. Now the urine I can understand, particularly since a lot of us spend a lot of time actively “holding it” until such time as to release it. But the poop, I’m more skeptical of. It is my understanding, first of all, that there is no poop ‘knockin’ at the door’ if you will until you are absolutely ready to have a bowel movement. And if there’s not an urgency, it takes quite a bit of straining and stretching and use of muscles to work a bowel movement out. So if someone is dead, they’re muscles and sphincter stop working, so how is all the poop and such that’s in the intestines work it’s way down and out unless the person died standing up or hanging or something? ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/2 "2003-05-15T14:48:50Z")
Upon death all your muscles relax. This is true for death by any means. This is because your body stops producing ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) which is an “energy-carrying molecule found in the cells of all living things. ATP captures chemical energy obtained from the breakdown of food molecules and releases it to fuel other cellular processes.” If the muslces aren’t being fed, they can’t work. Your small intestine connects to the large intestine, which in turn connects to the bowel and the shpincter muscle. A fair amount of liquid passes through the small intestine each day, where it can stay in your large intestine for a couple of days while your body absorbs salt and water from it. Eventually it becomes more solid and is passed along to the bowel. There is constantly something in your intestines, around 5 to 10 pounds of fecal matter. This is passed slowly through your intestines and bowel continuously. So although there is nothing “knocking at the door” as such, there’s still plenty in there, a lot of which is, once the muscles relax, fairly freely moving liquid (aside from the end ‘plug’). I’m sure gravity helps it along too. Also, I’m not sure, but I think Rigor Mortis may play a part in “squeezing” stuff out. Rigor Mortis is brought about by the body no longer producing ATP, which is depleted quicker from red muscle than from white muscle, so possibly as certain muscles are contracting and other are still relaxed… but I don’t know that for a fact, just a guess, I can put it to a pathologist friend of mine if you like, but I’m not sure when you’d get an answer, as she’s useless with her email. That being said, fecal incontience on death isn’t actually all that common. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/3 "2003-05-15T14:51:28Z")
so the only part of the ‘poop’ that is actually solid is the stuff that’s actually ready to come out? ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/4 "2003-05-15T14:59:56Z")
If the body is allowed to bloat, that is, gases form in the body from various chemical reactions and breakdowns, then the pressure from the expansion can cause certain things to be “pushed” out of the body. Including poop. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/5 "2003-05-15T17:45:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > \*\*I have often heard the horror stories of commiting suicide via drug overdose… that your body is found in a puddle of urine and feces \*\* This effect is not limited to just suicides, it can happen to any corpse. Not a very dignified way to go, but the possibility is in everyone’s future. It is fitting though; you couldn’t control your bowels at the beginning of your life, nor can you at the end. C’est la vie. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/6 "2003-05-15T17:51:26Z")
According to my husband’s experience (works at a funeral home and picks dead bodies up) **Fear Itself** is right, it happens in alot of cases, not just suicides. Also, you’ve got to remember that there are a lot of bacteria in our gut that keep producing and absorbing nutrients (and creating wastes) even after we’ve stopped doing so. This, along with bloating, and any other liquids / gasses in the body make for a not-so-nice situation. There are a lot of companies that make good money cleaning up after these types of situations. ---
**Author:** ![ronbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@ronbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ronbo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/7 "2003-05-16T00:10:57Z")
The abdomen is under pressure. When people are disemboweled, their guts are forced out and it’s hard to stuff the slippery things back in. This pressure causes the contents of the intestines to void. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/8 "2003-05-16T03:30:59Z")
Thaks, now I have a nice theme of conversation for tonight´s dinner. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/9 "2003-05-16T03:53:42Z")
The last dead guy I had my mitts on (emergency CPR) did not puke, piss or crap. YMMV. He was definitely dead and did not lose his bladder or bowel control. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/10 "2003-05-16T04:16:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > \*\*But the poop, I’m more skeptical of. \*\* I worked at a funeral home for about a year and yes, people do poop when they die. I don’t recall how common it was, but it wasn’t infrequent. If it is an issue for you, then I would advise a pre-suicide enema just to be on the safe side. If it is any consolation, the funeral home people don’t think anything of it–so you won’t be getting any ridicule from them at the very least. They didn’t seem to consider it an indignity and neither do I. ---
**Author:** ![shell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@shell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shell)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/11 "2003-05-16T04:43:51Z")
CNA here, I have cared for approximately 20+ corpses in my career and at least 50% of them have had some sort of bowel movement after being “pronouced”, mostly just skid marks. Note that most of these folks had not eaten for many days, many because they were unable to eat. ---
**Author:** ![C.Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@C.Johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Johnson)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/12 "2003-05-16T06:37:15Z")
If the anal sphincter allows waste material to pass through it, would the cardiac sphinter do the same thing? ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/13 "2003-05-16T15:39:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > \*\*so the only part of the ‘poop’ that is actually solid is the stuff that’s actually ready to come out? \*\* Yep, pretty much so, although things like constipation and diarrhea can affect this. Very basically, the stomach acid liquifies everything, the intestines remove water from it, and as it passes through it gets more solid till it reaches the bowels. So you have a nice gradiation of liquid to hard poop in you. 😉 > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C. Johnson \* > \*\*If the anal sphincter allows waste material to pass through it, would the cardiac sphinter do the same thing? \*\* Well, yes, once the body is dead the muscles relax. Any valves which relied on a muscle to hold them closed will no longer function and in the case of the blood, it will fall to the lowest point in the body. This is called hyperstatis. It’s a very good indicator of which position a person died in, and the blood will stain the skin a bruised colour. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ronbo \* > \*\*The abdomen is under pressure. When people are disemboweled, their guts are forced out and it’s hard to stuff the slippery things back in. > > This pressure causes the contents of the intestines to void. \*\* That’s not quite what we’re talking about here, **Jarbaby** is asking about defication following muscle relaxation after death. Disembowling is - thankfully- a fairly uncommon cause of death! 😉 You’re quite right that it’s difficult to force the buggers back in, and that should they be put under pressure, the fecal matter does come out. You quite often have to express the contents of the intestines during a post mortem, this is done by literally grabbing the guts, and ‘milking’ them, the same you would a cow. Easier and less messy then cutting them open, or of course there is the “crack 'em like a whip” method, but we wont go into that here! 😃 > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by stockton \* > **The last dead guy I had my mitts on (emergency CPR) did not puke, piss or crap. YMMV.** Indeed, not everybody does. It’s much more common to urinate after death then deficate. Some people do both, some people only one, and some people neither. It’s a whole rollercoster of bodily excretions excitement! 😉 It’s also possible, but very rare, that men will ejactulate upon death too, however I’m not going to get you a cite for that as I dread to think what sort of sites google would turn up for me! Bloating occurs later after death than the muscle relaxation which can lead to incontinence, but yes, the build up of gasses in the right places can make for prezzies left in the bodybag. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/14 "2003-05-16T17:00:13Z")
…another reason to try and live forever… ---
**Author:** ![herownself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8baadc/32.png) [@herownself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herownself)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/15 "2003-05-16T19:08:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tir Tinuviel \* > **prezzies** left in the bodybag Prezzies. My mind is now officially blown. ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/16 "2003-05-16T20:45:45Z")
**herownself** , if a “prezzie” is the worst you’re finding in a bodybag, count yourself lucky! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/17 "2003-05-16T20:59:14Z")
Hi all, No hijack, just more information about the somewhat troublesome nature of the human gut. Be warned, it’s really not pretty. Very informative, tho’. [_link removed_] ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/18 "2003-05-16T21:15:36Z")
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH Do NOT, NOT, NOT look at that link, especially at work! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/19 "2003-05-16T21:16:59Z")
I’m very sorry. I really think it’s pertinent. ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434/20 "2003-05-16T21:45:03Z")
Actually **Mr. B** I fail to see the correlation, we’re talking about what happens when muscles relax upon death, not “the troublesome nature of the human gut”. (And neither is your link!) Corpses do not “sort of pull their stomach in and push extra hard”. The only thing that is slightly relevant about your link is that it mentions ‘fecal matter’. Muscle relaxation and (possible) defication upon death, is entirely different to talking about living people straining too hard and prolapsing parts of their anatomy. So yes - hijack, and no, sorry, it’s not pertinent. It’s not even ‘medically’ informative. It’s more schadenfreude than anything. It’s just an icky link that you wanted to show us. I think we can find [rotten.com](http://rotten.com) on our own. Thankiees anyway! 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relaxed-dead-bodies-poop-tmi/175434.md?page=2)