 Pooping is under appreciated. We all do it. Some of us appreciate it. Some of us find it a nuisance. Some of us struggle with it daily. Some of us find it funny. Some of us find it disgusting (there may be some scientific evidence for this one (Curtis et al. 2011). Some of us find it embarrassing. Some of us find it unseemly and certainly not a topic for polite discussion. If you find yourself in that last category, I hope to change your mind starting today and continuing over the next couple of weeks because poop is so amazingly important! Don’t believe me? Try not having a poop for a few days and see how you feel! Not surprisingly, finding a good homeopathic remedy for an individual can be helped along with some fecal details. It’s one of those little tidbits that really can relay a lot of useful information. Also not surprising, lots of people have poop issues but they never bring it up until after the fact. (After the fact: "My constipation is better after that remedy" after never having mentioned the problem.) Even if a homeopath asks directly about pooping, it is not uncommon for the answer to be along the lines of, “all good there” — implying "move on". (If you find yourself in a homeopathic consult, put whatever squeamish embarrassed-ness you may have aside and fling those poop facts out there!) If you’re not in the habit of taking a peek after you poop, I suggest you re-evaluate that decision. If you don’t look, who else is going to … until it’s too late and you find yourself at the doctor’s office leaving a stool sample to find out what is going wrong? Keeping an eye on your deposits can help you keep an eye on your health. Back to how important poop is… Poop takes waste from our bodies — preventing the build up of toxins and maintaining a healthy gut. Poop can have an effect on our psychological wellbeing. Poop reflects our physical health. The color, consistency and frequency of poop can indicate an underlying health issue such as digestive problems, infections, or nutrient deficiencies. Stool samples are used to diagnose infections, detect bacteria, viruses or parasites and also to screen for medical conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer. So, that’s a lot of poopy talk, but what is this poop we are actually talking about, anyway? According to Taber’s Medical Dictionary, feces is bodily waste such as food residue, bacteria, epithelium, and mucus, discharged from the bowels. People poop generally once or twice daily (1.2 times a day on average), totaling about 1.8 oz to a whopping 28 oz for the average adult and between 2.6 oz and 13 oz per day for children (Rose et al. 2015). For reference: a tennis ball weighs about 2 oz. A can of soda weighs about 12 ounces. On the high end of this scale, 28 oz equates to 1.75 pounds which is approaching the weight of a typical pineapple sold in grocery stores (Measuring Stuff 2022). 😳 Where does all this stuff come from? Poop is (generally) made up of 75% water and 25% solid matter. 30% of that solid matter consists of dead bacteria; about 30% indigestible food matter such as cellulose; 10-20% is cholesterol and other fats; 10-20% is inorganic substances such as calcium phosphate and iron phosphate; and 2-3% is protein (Britannica 2019). (Short hand: 10 parts water, 1 part bacteria (dead and alive), 1 part indigestible fiber and 1 part mixture of fat, protein, dead cells, mucus (Richman and Sheth 2007). With all the basics out of the way, let’s get back to homeopathy. In preparing for this mini-series on poop, I was browsing through my little assortment of poop books. (What? Don’t you have one of those?!) Judging by my quick look on the internet, my poop book collection is woefully slim … there are poop log books which claim to help you improve your gut health; poop coloring books; books about how to poop in the woods; an absolute ton of books for kids about pooping; and, a surprisingly large number of bathroom guest books 😳. (I guess that’s one way to encourage people to talk about this heretofore forbidden topic.) To get us in the poop mood, however, I am going to be relying on What’s your Poo Telling You? By John Richmond and Anish Sheth, M.D. The very first page of the introduction talks about “the feeling of unbridled elation that results from unleashing the perfect poo. Although difficult to achieve, this Poo-phoria lends a feeling of ecstasy, even invincibility, that some have likened to the perfect buzz.” Cheerfulness after a stool is a symptom in a few homeopathic remedies, but Natrum sulphuricum is the most highly indicated. (Paradoxically, anxiety, confusion or weakness following a stool may also indicate Nat sulph. Men who may benefit from Nat sulph also may have an increased desire for sex during stool. In short, if there are residual emotions following a stool, Nat sulph may be worth considering.) * If you experience ANY of these physical symptoms, or, if you have recently had a change in bowel habits, be sure to seek professional medical advice. In particular, pain, blood, excessive mucus, especially if they are ongoing, should be evaluated professionally. What other intestinal indicators may lead you to Nat sulph?
What if having a poop leaves you little irritated instead of cheerful? In that case, I would look to Nitric acid. What other intestinal indicators may lead you to Nitric acid?
If you find yourself in a state of tranquil serenity following a stool, that may lead you to Borax. Borax is a smaller stool-related remedy, but other indications may be:
Note: A small amount of mucus on the stool is usually not a cause for concern. Mucus lines your intestines to keep your colon running smoothly, among other tasks. However, if there is excessive mucus in or on the stool it may be a sign of an underlying condition such as: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, food poisoning, bowel obstruction or blockage, cancer of the rectum or colon. If you have excessive mucus or even a small amount of mucus which is on-going, seek professional medical advice, especially if it is accompanied by abdominal pain, bloody stools, fever or weight loss (Mayo Clinic). Check out this article for more information. It’s important to remember in these situations that cheerfulness, irritation or tranquility after a stool is not something pathologic — it’s not a problem and it doesn’t need to be addressed. These symptoms may just be useful in leading you to an overall remedy for an individual (or, an animal). However, some other stool related symptoms may be calling for attention and the post-evacuation mood might help you get to the best remedy. Back to our book to round out this opening article on emotions and poop… Number 3, as What Your Poo Telling You calls it … AKA diarrhea. I will be writing a longer article on diarrhea shortly, but today, going with the emotions involved with pooping, I will just mention a few remedies where mental/emotional symptoms are the leading indicator of a remedy for diarrhea. When diarrhea is triggered by emotions, the first remedies to consider are Argentum nitricum and Gelsemium. I have written about Argentum nitricum a few times before (see: What Goes Up; Feel the Fear; My Little Bag of Wellness). Gelsemium is an absolute go-to remedy for anticipatory anxiety (see: Back to School; The Big Goodbye). Gelsemium is bold type and underlined for ailments from anxiety. Nervous tummy sending you running to the toilet? Gelsemium. Another emotional diarrhea symptom for Gelsemium is diarrhea from bad news. Arsenicum album could be considered here, too, especially if there is any burning pain associated with it. (I see a new article in the making, comparing Arg-nit, Gels and Ars. Sit tight. I’ll get to it one day.) If it is diarrhea after anger, Colocynthis is the remedy to grab for ailments from anger. Homeopathic Colocynthis pains are almost always better by pressure and by warmth -- bending double or a hot water bottle helps the abdominal pains associated with the diarrhea. (I see where you're going with that thought and yes, it can be very helpful for menstrual cramps.) Diarrhea following chagrin or humiliation: Staphysagria. Diarrhea following grief? Phosphoric acid is another remedy for diarrhea after anticipation, but it is an even bigger grief remedy… weakness and sorrow and depression, mental exhaustion. Diarrhea after mental exertion? There’s a 3 way tie between Arg-nit, Nux vomica and Picric acid (see: Taxing Remedies for more info on Pic ac). How about the other side of things, like excitement? Aconite, Argentum nit, Arsenicum album or Gelsemium. If that excitement is coupled with fear, then stick with Aconite. Sudden diarrhea following joy? Coffea cruda (see: Silence, Please!) One last emotion to talk about in regard to poop and that is fear. Touched on a couple of lines above, Aconite is the place to start for all things fear. There can certainly be a bit of crossover with anxiety, but fear, to me, is a result of a threat or impending danger and anxiety is a response to an anticipated or expected danger. However, a fear of losing control of one's bowels is a genuine fear, especially if one is already experiencing some goings-on in that area. Homeopathic Aloe is the remedy for an insecure rectum. Involuntary stool, with or without flatus. Involuntary stool following urination. Tune in next week for the second installment of the Doo-Doo Documents: The Bristol Stool Scale. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list and poop-related books:
Britannica, 2019. Feces | biology | Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica [online]. Choi, B., 2024. Fun Poop Facts Kids Should Know • Human Body Learning [online]. Human Body Learning. Cohen, M., 2023. Mucus in Stool: Is It Normal & What Does It Mean? [online]. The IBS & Gut Health Clinic. Curtis, V., de Barra, M. and Aunger, R., 2011. Disgust as an adaptive system for disease avoidance behaviour. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences [online], 366 (1563), 389–401. Enders, G., 2015. Gut : the Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ. Greystone Books. Holzwarth, W. and Erlbruch, W., 2007. The story of the little mole who knew it was none of his business. London: Pavilion. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Mucus in stool: A concern? [online]. Mayo Clinic. Measuring Stuff, 2022. Things Around The House That Weigh 2 Pounds – Measuring Stuff [online]. Measuringstuff.com. Richman, J. and Sheth, A., 2007. What’s your poo telling you? San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books. Rose, C., Parker, A., Jefferson, B. and Cartmell, E., 2015. The Characterization of Feces and Urine: A Review of the Literature to Inform Advanced Treatment Technology. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology [online], 45 (17), 1827–1879. Tarō Gomi, 2020. Everyone poops. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. The Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, n.d. The Scoop on Poop [online]. Gastrointestinal Society. Venes, D. and Clarence Wilbur Taber, 2013. Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. [22nd ed., ISBN: 9780803629776]. Philadelphia, Pa.: F.A. Davis.
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Rufus’ dollops had literally dropped to nothing for a while. Then there would be another and we repeated the Aloe and they would disappear again. Then, they just kept coming, regardless of what we tried. A package was waiting every morning and sometimes 1 or 2 more times during the day and evening. A change had occurred, though, that could be helpful to finding another remedy. His stools became lienteric. From Merriam Webster: "containing or characterized by the passage of undigested or partially digested food — used of feces or diarrhea." We were literally getting ready to walk out the door for a few days away, so I took a quick look at Murphy’s repertory which shows a couple of possible remedies that fit the idea of both his loose/easy stool as well as lienteric stool. I left 4 bowls of food in the fridge for the dog sitter to give him, each with China officinalis wedged into some pieces of meat. There has not been a dollop since. Not the usual morning offering nor the evening drop off. And, I think he looks a little happier about life. He seems to be sleeping less. He comes to sit by us in the day rather than staying by himself. But, we've been here before… so, stay tuned! I am hopeful but not certain. Cinchona officinalis (or, China officinalis, AKA China, or Peruvian Bark) — from which we get quinine is also the first homeopathic remedy to be “proved” by Samuel Hahnemann. He devised his theory of “like cures like,” then he tried it on himself. Thus he “proved” his theory. (Look for an upcoming article on this topic.) At it’s worst, the Cinchona patient is “despondent, gloomy, has no desire to live, but lacks courage to commit suicide” (Allen 2017, p. 100). Could Rufus have been in that state? Dunno. “Gloomy” could certainly be a word attributed to his disposition recently. Cinchona also has “drawing or tearing; in every joint” (Allen 2005, p. 100). We know he has this going on. You can see it and hear it when he stands up or drops down. Cinchona is an excellent remedy for the elderly, the weak or the recuperating. We believe Rufus to be on the older side. (He has been with us for 5-1/2 years and the vet estimated he was 4 or 5 at that time.) Cinchona is part of the 3rd line Banerji Protocol for Malnutrition with loss of weight (Banerji and Banerji 2013, p. 131). That could fit old Rufus. His harness seems pretty loose these days despite our not altering his diet. When he first joined our family, he was only 85 pounds (and was missing a great deal of his fur, plus mange, plus fleas and yeast infections — I had forgotten how unwell he used to be!) Though the vet recommended a chicken and rice diet for him, we quickly learned that rice was not his friend and he has been grain free ever since and last we checked, he was about 130 pounds. But, there is absolutely no question that he was malnourished upon arrival here. Bone broth has been an amazing thing for this lovely beast and I credit that, along with cell salts and well chosen homeopathic remedies, for getting him back to health. Homeopathy is definitely not an exact science and it is not at all unusual to need to zigzag your way through a case. I hope we are at the end of Rufus’ dollops, but in the event that we are not, I am prepared to follow his symptoms to make sure that his remaining years are as pleasant as possible — for him, and for us! Julia Coyte, CHom classicallypractical.com #wellnessawaits. #homeopathycanhelp Allen, H. C., 2017. Keynotes : rearranged and classified with leading remedies of the materia medica and bowel nosodes including repertorial index. Noida, U.P., India: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.
Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.  We have an old and delightful dog. Scratch that. We have a dog whose age is unknown but suspected to be old and he is mostly delightful except when he leaves dollops on the floor. Which, appears to be happening less frequently now, I am relieved to say.
Rufus is a big dog, a Great Pyrenees/Mastiff mix. Due to a suspected hard life prior to his arrival with us, at 130 pounds, he's not as big as he might otherwise be. This big fellow likes to sleep under the table on the screen porch. This is also where we find most of the dollops. I suspect that they just kind of fall out when he's trying to get out from under there. Here is how we have approached the problem: Aloe socotrina 200c, once daily to address the (suspected) involuntary stool. And, because in homeopathy, (as in life), it is important to remove any maintaining causes which may be contributing to a problem, we now slide the table to an angle at night to help him get out from under it easier but still giving him enough cover to feel safe. The dollops were less frequent almost immediately and (touch wood) there haven't been any now for a couple of weeks after they had been there, waiting for us, every morning and sometimes multiple times a day, including when he had not been struggling to get out from under the table. Aloe socotrina, the common aloe plant, is a strong rectal remedy. It can be helpful (in humans as well as big dogs and other creatures) with diarrhea, especially when there is a sense of urgency with rumbling and gurgling and the feeling of insecurity when passing gas and it is suggested when "every morning, on rising, has a hasty desire for stool" (Murphy 2006). At the risk of anthropomorphizing old Rufus … on the mental/emotional level, Aloe socotrina can present with ill humor, discontentment and (here's the truly human-like moment) "dissatisfied and angry about himself." We never shamed him, just cleaned it up and got on with the day, but he would sit and watch us with his head on his paws, looking, (dare I say it?), a little upset with himself. It's a tricky business pretending to know what's in your dog's mind. There is, however, no pretending to know what's going on when the dollops have diminished. |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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