How to Make Yourself Poop When You Need Fast Relief, According to Doctors (2024)

If you’re experiencing constipation, you’re likely wondering how to make yourself poop—fast. The inability to relieve yourself, often coupled with stomach pain, gas, and bloating, is one of the most uncomfortable common health concerns. And while most of us would rather not talk about our pooping habits, constipation is an issue that can be addressed and treated in several ways.

It’s important to remember that there is no standard frequency for healthy bowel movements. Some people poop every day, while others go every couple of days. Both are normal and as long as you feel good, it’s not much to worry about.

However, you’re probably well aware of how often you typically have a bowel movement, so when you’re suddenly struggling to go, it can feel like a big deal. So it’s understandable to wonder how to make yourself poop immediately.

Ashkan Farhadi, M.D., a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center and director of MemorialCare Medical Group’s Digestive Disease Center in Fountain Valley, CA, recommends trying the lifestyle tweaks listed below to get relief. You’ll want to do them sooner rather than later since constipation can get harder to treat the longer it goes on.

Meet the experts: Ashkan Farhadi, M.D., a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center; Rudolph Bedford, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA; Ellen Stein, M.D. a gastroenterologist; Karen WeiRu Lin, M.D., assistant dean for global health and a professor of family medicine and community health at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey

Here’s what could be behind your blockage—and how to make yourself poop again.

The following home remedies can help get things moving again, according to doctors.

1. Up your fluid intake.

“Water is really important for relieving constipation,” says Rudolph Bedford, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. If you’re just not a “water person,” try to get enough through other liquids, like brothy soups or water-rich produce like watermelon, says Karen WeiRu Lin, M.D., assistant dean for global health and a professor of family medicine and community health at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in NJ. But pass on sugary drinks, as they could make the problem worse.

The actual amount of liquids you need varies from person to person but the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that women have at least 11.5 cups of fluids (including fluids from water, other liquids, and food) a day, and that men strive for 15.5 cups.

2. Eat more fiber-rich foods.

Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that slows digestion by adding bulk to your diet, which helps you feel fuller faster—and it helps get things to progress down there. “It keeps stools soft and moving through,” Dr. Bedford confirms.

Pro-tip, per Dr. Lin: Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water with your fiber for maximum benefits. Good sources of fiber you can get from foods include whole grains, nuts and seeds, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Some good sources of fiber include:

• Prunes
• Avocados
• Raspberries
• Lentils
• Almonds
• Chickpeas
• Oats
• Chia seeds

3. Consider a fiber supplement.

If you need a strong hit of fiber ASAP, Dr. Lin suggests taking a fiber supplement. Ideally, go for one that’s dissolved into water, like psyllium (a.k.a. Metamucil). The water part is essential, Dr. Bedford says: Dietary fiber absorbs water, making your poop bulkier and therefore easier to move along.

4. Enjoy a cup of coffee.

The caffeine in coffee “increases the contractions of muscles within your gut to push things through,” Dr. Bedford says. It also contains liquid, which can be beneficial. Too much coffee can dehydrate you, though, so Dr. Bedford recommends drinking water along with your coffee for maximum effect. Not a coffee drinker? Strong tea can have a similar effect.

5. Get moving.

Exercise is important for overall health, but it can also stimulate blood in the muscles in your gut, causing them to contract more and push poop along, Dr. Bedford says. “Movement and exercise is always great for combatting constipation,” he says. If you’ve been on the sedentary side lately, try going for a fast walk or do a full-on workout if you’re able.

6. Have some healthy fats.

Foods that contain healthy, unsaturated fats like avocado, nut butter, olives, and oily fish can help speed things up in your GI tract. “These fats lubricate the lining of the gut, allowing stool to move through a lot easier,” Dr. Bedford says. One cup of avocado also contains 10 g of dietary fiber, making it a good option to try.

7. Sip on warm water.

Water in general is crucial for relieving constipation, but warm water can also be a good tactic. It “stimulates the inner lining of the gut,” Dr. Lin says. That can cause contractions down there to push your stool along.

8. Load up on probiotics.

Probiotics (the good bugs in your gut) are live microorganisms that play a key role in how your body digests food. Just know this: They won’t work immediately. “It is not like Tylenol for fever—it does not work in 20 minutes,” Dr. Lin says. “It takes time for good bacteria to digest food piece by piece, and might take more than a day.” Still, Dr. Bedford says, “It’s going to change the bacterial imbalance within your gut. That may also allow for things to move through your system a lot easier.” Consider loading up on probiotic-rich fermented foods, like Greek yogurt or fresh sauerkraut, or pop a quality probiotic supplement to support your overall gut health.

9. Try using heat therapy.

Dr. Lin has two recommendations when it comes to heat therapy. First, try drinking a cup of warm water, wait 30 minutes, and then gently massage your lower abdomen to try to stimulate the area. If that doesn’t seem to help, take a hot shower, with the water concentrated on your lower back.

10. Try a perineum massage

The perineum is the area between the anus and the vagin* or scrotum, and a study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that pressure points in that area respond well to massage, leading to constipation relief.

11. Supplement with magnesium.

Taking magnesium supplements has many potential benefits, based on the type you choose. Magnesium citrate “is one of the most bioavailable forms of magnesium,” Jim White, R.D.N., A.C.S.M. Ex-P, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios previously told Prevention. “It also has a natural laxative effect and is often used in medications to treat constipation.” Just be sure to check with your doctor (and cross-reference with any medications you may already be taking) before trying it out for yourself.

1. Consider a stool softener.

Stool softeners can come in capsule, tablet, liquid, or syrup form, and they work by softening your poop to make it easier to pass through. While they can do the trick, Dr. Bedford recommends taking more natural approaches first, as some softeners can cause uncomfortable side effects. “The preference before taking a stool softener is drinking liquids and taking in more fibers,” he says. If you do end up trying this method, keep in mind that it only takes one to three days of use for the softener to kick in. Do not take them for longer than a week unless you get the OK from a doctor, per the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

2. Try a laxative.

An osmotic (better known as a laxative) is a type of medication that draws water into your bowel to unblock you. Polyethylene glycol (MiraLAX) and bisacodyl (Dulcolax) are popular options. Again, while taking an osmotic can help get things moving, Dr. Bedford recommends focusing on your water and fiber intake before trying this treatment.

3. Use a suppository.

Like laxatives, suppositories are a “last resort” for promoting a bowel movement, Dr. Farhadi says. These rounded objects, often filled with medication, are made to be placed into the anal canal and rectal area, explains gastroenterologist Ellen Stein, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Stein adds that the rectal area has an “extensive blood supply,” helping the body absorb the medication in an anal suppository very quickly. You can expect to get relief in as soon as 15 to 20 minutes, she says.

Try choosing a glycerin suppository, as Dr. Stein notes, as these are smaller and easier to insert, making them a “relatively gentle” option compared to stimulant suppositories which contain medication that produces “more vigorous” results.

4. Consider an enema.

An enema, in case you’re not familiar, is an injection of fluid into your rectum to try to clean the area to stimulate pooping—and there are a lot of different types. “Enemas of tap water generally are well tolerated and can be used intermittently by patients with severe symptoms of constipation that don’t respond to other lifestyle changes, dietary changes, or medications,” Dr. Stein says. Mineral oil enemas can also be helpful, she says.

But Dr. Stein cautions against using enemas of coffee, noting that they’re “dangerous.” And, like suppositories, enemas shouldn’t be considered your first step if you’re struggling to poop. “Repetitive placement of the enema catheters can sometimes lead to ulceration or erosions in the rectal wall if they are not gently and properly performed,” Dr. Stein says. “Shooting the enema contents at only one wall of the rectum can similarly cause irritation or damage of the wall of the rectum.”

It depends. Things like dietary changes, drinking coffee, and having warm water can take a day or so to kick in. However, using a laxative “should work in a few hours,” Dr. Farhadi says. Similarly, an enema or suppository should give you results within minutes, per Dr. Stein.

There can be plenty of reasons why you can’t poop, ranging from not having enough fiber or water in your diet to taking a new medication, says Dr. Lin

You venture into constipation territory when you have less than three bowel movements a week, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Issues like having poops that are hard, dry, or lumpy, BMs that are hard or painful to pass, or a feeling that you didn’t get everything out despite going to the bathroom also classify as constipation, the NIDDK says.

While chronic constipation can be a sign of an underlying health condition, like irritable bowel syndrome, that’s probably not what’s going on if you only struggle to poop occasionally.

There’s a laundry list of potential reasons why you might get constipated, and it’s possible to have trouble pooping for more than a few reasons. “Bowel movements are a dynamic process,” says Dr. Farhadi. “They depend on a lot of factors, including your level of activity, diet, stress, emotional factors, use of medication—you name it. Everything that can affect the body can affect your bowel movements.”

The NIDDK lists the following as possible constipation causes:

• Pelvic floor disorders
• Gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Certain medicines and dietary supplements, including antacids, calcium, diuretics, iron, and narcotics
• Lifestyle changes like pregnancy, older age, travel, and dietary changes
• Not eating enough fiber
• Dehydration
• Not exercising enough
• Having Celiac disease
• Disorders or injuries of the brain and spine
• Conditions that impact your metabolism, like types of diabetes
• Hormonal conditions, like hypothyroidism
• Intestinal obstructions
• Anatomic problems with your digestive tract

How often should you poop?

Again, everyone has their range of normal and the odds are high that you have some idea of what’s standard—and not—for you. “People have a wide range of frequency,” Dr. Farhadi says. “‘Normal’ could be anywhere from three times a day to three times a week.”

Once you’ve dealt with constipation, it’s understandable to want to do what you can to lower the risk you’ll experience it again. Dr. Stein says taking the following steps may help:

• Move more. “Movement is key to reduce constipation—the walking, exercising, stretching, and climbing that we do helps the guts to move along the way they were meant to,” she says.
• Eat a healthy diet. That, she says, means focusing on foods with fiber, along with fruit and vegetables. Additionally, adding more grains, starches, and lipid-rich foods has been found to decrease constipation.
• Drink lots of water. Dr. Stein says that “plenty of hydration” will help lower the risk of constipation. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that men aim to take in about 15.5 cups of fluids a day, and that women strive for about 11.5 cups of fluids a day.
• Avoid junk food. Junk food can lead to harder poop, Dr. Stein says. For example, eating foods high in sugar and/or sodium has been linked to constipation
• Monitor your medications. “Medications can contribute quite a bit to constipation development,” Dr. Stein says, noting that opiates in particular are “prone to exacerbating constipation.” Her advice: “If you are getting started on a new medication and notice a change in stools, let your prescribing provider know and ask if there are things that you can do to adjust your dose or regimen to keep things going at the proper pace.”

If you’ve tried these home remedies to make yourself poop and you’re still struggling, or if you find that you’re regularly constipated, Dr. Bedford says it’s time to check in with your primary care physician. They can evaluate to see what might be behind your inability to poop—and give you guidance on how to solve the problem.

The NIDDK says that you’ll want to seek help ASAP, though, if you experience constipation along with these issues:

• Rectal bleeding
• Blood in your poop
• Constant abdominal pain
• Trouble passing gas
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Lower back pain
• You’re losing weight without trying

“If you’re getting to the point where you have to have a laxative or use extra measures in order to have a bowel movement, and you can’t pinpoint an obvious reason, that needs to be investigated,” Dr. Farhadi says.

Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing and be sure to consult your doctor before taking new supplements (or providing them to a family member) in any situation, as they can interfere with medication.