Issues with wiping after #2

[secretsmile111.livejournal.com]

I'm having an issue with wiping after I have bowel movements. I will wipe and wipe and wipe, but most times takes forever to get clean. Then 2 hours or so later, I will go use the restroom again and/or check, and there will be BM there, almost like I never wiped. Anyone have this problem and/or have any advice?

Comments

[nickelshoe.livejournal.com]

Could it have to do with the quality of your poops? Sometimes when I poop, everything comes out in a nice turd and there's hardly anything to wipe. Other times I have to wipe several times to get clean.

Mostly I don't worry too much, I just do what I can and clean it better in the bath. I don't want to be dirty, but there's only so much I can do for a hole that poop comes out of.

[misspaigeb.livejournal.com]

If you don't want to get the wet wipes I like to use witch hazel sprayed on toilet paper, or this stuff http://www.indigowild.com/products/zum-bum/zum-bum/ The only difference is Zum Bum smells good and is a little more moisturizing than just plain witch hazel, in my experience anyway.

[misspaigeb.livejournal.com]

Oops, that wasn't supposed to be in reply to nickelshoe's comment. Sorry!

[sxdx.livejournal.com]

Wet wipes. Everyone in our house uses them.

[archangelbeth]

I hate it when things are the consistency of mud and just... aren't coming out tidily. I'm agreeing with wet-wipes, or -- if at home -- a paper towel with a little water, and a trash-bin that closes.

[mrsbenglish.livejournal.com]

When I use toilet paper I have this issue too. My family uses cloth wipes, instead of TP, and getting one of them a bit damp before wiping really helps this situation.

That being said, not everyone is up for something like cloth wipes--so as the others suggested, wet wipes would be the disposable alternative.

[roseofaurora.livejournal.com]

That's really interesting! I guess it's much more environmentally sound but how do you sanitize them after for reuse? I suppose it's not much different from the days of cloth diapers... If its not too much trouble I'd love to hear more about this method from you.

[mrsbenglish.livejournal.com]

You're exactly right --just like cloth diapering-- well close to it anyway :)

I made the wipes from a double layer of flannel sewn together. We use them just like TP and have a wet bag to put them in-- that conveniently hangs on the toilet paper holder in our bathroom--instead of flushing them (boy that would be bad).

When we wash, we wash them on hot, and use some vinegar in the wash for an extra boost of disinfectant. It's really simple! We've been using them now for well over a year and never had any problem with contamination or gross factor.

Our friends describe them as luxurious-- and one of them gave the example: If you were to have a smear of poop on your arm, what would you do? Use a piece of damp toilet paper to scrub your arm, or use a wet (soapy) cloth wipe/wash cloth to scrub your arm? (For those who don't say "Oh I would just use soap and water"--lol) The answer is clear! They really do leave you feeling much cleaner down there.

[roseofaurora.livejournal.com]

That's really neat I'll have to remember about this. Thank you for your insight! Uhm...if I randomly poke you about this in a few months (years) I hope you don't mind heh. It's not something I can do now but definitely interesting for when I have my own home!

[mrsbenglish.livejournal.com]

Absolutely no problem. Feel free to add me as a friend if you need to remember who I am-- I'm not active as a blogger here, but it's a good way to stay in touch :)

[aeryn.livejournal.com]

I have this problem because I have celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and it affects the.. *ahem* .. quality of my stool. It's been a long road of figuring out my diet and what works best for me.

For almost two years I constantly had messy BMs. Wipe and wipe and wipe... Every. Single. Time. I always had to have moist flushable wipes handy (I use Scott Naturals). If I didn't get clean enough, I would get super itchy back there.

Now, thankfully, my stools have been MUCH better, thanks to diet and supplements, and when I wipe it's pretty much clean as a whistle.

But yup, moist wipes are really the best option other than improving your diet, if you can figure out what's going wrong.

[new---noise.livejournal.com]

kind of off-topic, but what sort of diet changes did you make?

[brightstarmara.livejournal.com]

Glad you mentioned this. I was going to, but then I thought...not everything is about the celiacs.

Very true though, what you say. I combine dry and wet wipes.

[madraykin.livejournal.com]

moist wipes! I will never go back to regular tp for my butt.

[citrus00.livejournal.com]

This has been an issue lately after taking an antibiotic, so I bought some generic wet wipes.

[roseofaurora.livejournal.com]

Ouchies I get the same when I take a course of antibiotics, usually a follow up course of probiotics in pill format help normalize things. I know you didn't ask so I hope you don't mind the unsolicited suggestion!

[citrus00.livejournal.com]

Not at all!
Where would I get probiotics? Do I need a perscription?

[dkwgdk.livejournal.com]

No -- you can buy them as tablets or liquid in grocery stores and natural food stores. Some pharmacies carry them, too.

[cute-kitty.livejournal.com]

I agree with the baby wipes. Best thing for those sticky BM's.

[fallconsmate.livejournal.com]

i dont always have wet wipes available (grumble, grumble, people taking off with my supplies, grumble grumble) so i use a squirt of lotion on the tp. a bit of baby lotion is gentle enough for a baby, so why not MY bum, right?

and yes, i have Issues with the quality of my bm's quite a bit. so that just WORKS for me.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

You may also want to try adjusting the angle at which you wipe. Always wipe front to back, never pushing towards your vulva, but beyond that? If you stick your hand between your legs and push backwards, you might be missing stuff. Reach around you and go between your buttcheeks that way. Standing up and even spreading your cheeks should also help.

And finally, if you sit on the toilet in such a way that your cheeks are pushed together, that will smear things around. Can you adjust your cheeks to be more spread while you're on the toilet? That's made the biggest difference to me.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

As others have mentioned, a lot of it has to do with the quality of your poop. If it comes out at the right consistency (meaning not runny or - if you're constipated - like small very hurty rocks), then there will be very little to wipe away.

Basically, it's important to remember that your poop first gets cut off by the sphincter from the colon and then travels the extra few inches to your anus where it emerges from your body. If your poop was too loose, then there will be debris that will slide down and be noticed the next time you go to the bathroom. So, even if you wipe well (and/or switch to moist wipes), it won't change the fact that there will be residue at the anus that may have even stained your underwear.

The only thing that will help is eating more healthy food. One thing I recommend HIGHLY is apples. Having a few every day makes a huge difference.

[bethany-109.livejournal.com]

Thanks for asking this question. It's one that I always wondered about for myself but never would have thought to ask :)

[secretsmile111.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

[secretsmile111.livejournal.com]

Thanks everyone! I use unscented baby wipes, and while they help tons, I still have the problem. I think the biggest problem is wiping everything away, and then 2 hours later when I go to pee or just check back there again, it's like the poop has leaked down again, like I never even wiped. Going by what a lot of you have said, I think it's my diet. I'm going to try and improve it and see what happens. If that doesn't work, I will see a doctor.

Thanks again everyone. Vaginapagina is seriously the best things that has ever happened to me! So much useful info.

[faithful-summer.livejournal.com]

If you figure out a diet change that works for you, I'd like to know what it is. I have similar issues off and on (mostly on) and haven't been able to pinpoint what I may have eaten differently on the off days. I've kind of experimented some, but no real luck.

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

I have also found that on days when I have more flatulence, especially if my gut is reacting like I ate some wheat or corn (dumb allergies), sometimes I end up dirty back there in between movements.

Whatever the cause, wet wipes work very well. An alternative, if wipes aren't handy and you have some hand cream, is to put some cream on the toilet paper. Water on the toilet paper can work, but a tiny bottle of hand cream is easier to manage in public rest rooms.

[nakedfaery.livejournal.com]

I'd recommend moist toilet wipes over baby wipes, as baby wipes are not supposed to be flushed.

[oblivietto.livejournal.com]

I suggest the new flushable wet wipes as well, although I have not yet met the septic system that could actually handle having those things flushed.

Another thing to think about besides diet, is what meds you take. HBC (at least for me), antibiotics, antidepressants, cholesterol/blood pressure meds, etc, etc. They can all make things ... unpleasant. My best suggestion is to try the probiotics you can buy over the counter now. They work VERY well! Everything sort of normalizes and gets more comfortable. Good luck!

[tamberly.livejournal.com]

i have the same problem...almost every time i have a bowel movement. its so embarassing but sometimes i spend like 15 minutes wiping and its still not enough