It all started with poop. Or, technically, I guess, the lack thereof.
Travel constipation is the idea that sparked our series where we finally address the things you’re not supposed to talk about just because it’s embarrassing or impolite.
Don’t be shy or squeamish. Your gut will thank you (and we promise to try to keep the crappy jokes to a minimum) as we explain why you can’t poop on vacation.
Why Can’t I Poop on Vacation?
Travel constipation is common, and there are many reasons you might have a hard time relieving yourself. The main one: change is hard on your body.
When we travel, everything changes. Your diet, your sleep patterns, activity levels, and so on. New and different foods, especially if it’s the highly processed stuff you find at rest stops or fast-food restaurants, can make your gut seize up.
Drinking less water or indulging more in alcoholic beverages can also contribute to travel constipation.
If you’re sleeping less or at different times, this can also impact gut health. Good sleep can help keep your hormones stable and reduce stress, both of which can make it easier to digest food and keep your stomach microbiome happy.
Heightened levels of stress are known to negatively impact our stomachs, sometimes leading to constipation as well. If travel is a cause of stress — the planning, the unknown environment, trying to keep everyone happy and safe — then it’s not surprising that travel anxiety could be a cause of your travel constipation.
In fact, Scary Mommy, in partnership with MiraLAX, report that traveling and parenting is more stressful on women than men. One way we see symptoms of that is higher instances of vacation constipation in women — 42% of women compared to 36% of men.
Lastly, some medications, including certain travel vaccines, can cause constipation. If you think a medication is causing your discomfort, talk to your doctor.
How often should you poop?
Sometimes it’s not obvious if what you’re experiencing is constipation or something else. So how often should you be going to the bathroom? What’s normal?
There isn’t really a normal frequency or amount. It helps to know what’s normal for you and use that as a comparison. If you’re pooping less often or it’s a different consistency than what you’re used to, that’s when you should pay attention.
How to Prevent Travel Constipation
1. Adjust your diet.
Focus on high-fiber foods like whole grain crackers, bread, and cereal; fruits, either dried or fresh; fresh vegetables; and beans. Apples, bananas, baby carrots, and trail mix are easy to toss in your bag for when you need a snack to help keep you regular.
On the other hand, do your best to limit high-fat foods. These tend to be the sweet treats like ice cream, cheeseburgers, and pizza that are easy to find on the road. You don’t have to avoid them entirely, but do try to indulge sparingly.
Drink plenty of water. This won’t make you poop, but it will make it easier when you do.
It’s a good idea to limit caffeinated and alcoholic drinks, too.
2. Focus on physical activity.
With long road trips and flights, we tend to go long stretches with little movement. As often as possible, take long walks.
Even a 10-minute stroll after a meal will help, as this stimulates your colon. It’s one reason that the paseo, or post-dinner walk, is popular in Spain.
3. Don’t hold it.
Whether it’s because you’re in the car and can’t pull over, or because you don’t like pooping in a public restroom, it’s easy to ignore your natural urge to go.
However, you don’t want to train your body to tighten up. That will just make it tougher to go when you finally do have the opportunity.
4. Try a supplement.
If you’ve suffered from travel constipation in the past, try taking a fiber supplement or stool softener a few days before your trip and keep taking it during your vacation. Depending on your method of choice, it won’t necessarily make you poop, but it should make it easier when you do.
When traveling with supplements and medication, you may want to leave them in their original packaging. This is especially a good idea if you’re flying or going through security checkpoints.
Everyone got a good laugh out of this traveler, who packed her fiber in an unmarked Ziploc bag. TSA searched her bag because of a “suspicious powder.” She says she’s since decided it might be better to fly with single-serving packages of fiber in the future.
You don’t want to rely on supplements and laxatives for too long as your body can develop a tolerance to them, making the medication ineffective. Talk to your doctor about frequency and doses.
How to Relieve Travel Constipation
1. Add probiotics to your diet.
If a high-fiber diet isn’t working (or you can’t lay off the pizza; it’s tasty, we get it), try adding probiotics to your diet. These come in supplement form, but you can also get them via foods like yogurt, kefir, pickles, and kombucha.
2. Get active.
We already mentioned walks, but that’s not the only option. Try a bike ride or yoga.
Some yoga poses specifically target gut health and can help get things moving again. Our personal favorite is “legs up the wall” pose where you basically lay with, you guessed it, your legs propped up on the wall.
If you’ve practiced yoga before, some other familiar poses to try include cobra, bow, or supine spinal twist.
3. Try a gut massage.
Some people swear by an abdominal massage to get things unstuck. Greater Boston Urology recommends working in a U shape, going around your stomach with gentle pressure.
While laying down, gently massage down your left side from under your rib cage to the top of your hip. Then move left to right just under your rib cage. Finally, massage up from your right hip to below the ribs. Complete 10 swipes in each direction before moving to the next step.
4. Don’t force it.
Try to relax on the toilet. Give yourself time, and don’t rush it. And if it’s not happening, don’t force it or freak out. Go do something else and try again later.
For most people, you can expect to have a bowel movement within a couple of days or whenever your routine gets back to normal. If, even after you’re home again, you don’t see improvement, give your doctor a call about other options for relief.
Travel Insurance for Stomach Pain
Travel constipation isn’t typically something that requires immediate medical attention. However, if pain increases or you suspect it’s something other than constipation, you might want to see a doctor.
Having travel insurance can help pay for medical expenses incurred during your trip. Your health insurance from home might not cover you on the road, especially if you’re traveling internationally. Instead of paying for treatment out of pocket, find the right travel medical insurance for you.
