Welcome to 'Ask a Doctor'. Please type your question herI have been experiencing problems with my pooping. For the past week, my stools have been watery and loose, like they come out powdery. I have also had to go at least three times a day, almost always after a meal. Not a lot comes out either; after a few loose stools come out all at once; I feel like there is still something in my stomach but, pardon my words, my anus feels plugged. After a few minutes of trying and nothing coming out, I stand up to wipe and my body gets the relieved feeling one gets after a number two. I am worried though that something is actually left in.
I also notice I have not been farting much, and most flatulence I have been experiencing is big ones when I am pooping. I feel like the poop is only coming out because of my farting, as after my initial release of gas and stools that is when I have the feeling things are having trouble coming out.
On the first day I started experiencing these problems I pooped a lot but there was effort. A lot of stools came out, but they were liquid-like similar to pudding and the end result was a large clump of everything stuck together. The ones after this for the past week, I felt like I needed to use the same effort but nothing comes out. Also they are not very solid either.
My job requires some travel, so for about 3 hours a day I am sitting in a car traveling to work sites. I wonder if it is my diet, not enough exercise, and stress that are doing this? Is it normal or is diarrhea?