Change in Bowel habit

Definition This is one of the three key symptoms of bowel cancer. There are many ways your bowel habit can change:

The number of times you go to the toilet to pass a stool – more or less often

Changes in the consistency of the motions to looser or harder and drier stools

Whether the change is persistent and unremitting and never goes back to completely to normal.

Other types of changes in bowel habit such as changes in the colour of the motions, shapes of the stool or feelings of incomplete emptying having to strain more, having to go more urgently without the changes outlined above usually settle with simple dietary changes and do not require further investigation.

Everyone’s bowel habit normally varies from time to time and it can be difficult to say when it has really changed. It is better to wait a short time to establish the nature of the changes so you are able to explain to the doctor exactly how the bowel actions have changed.

“There are large differences between people in the way their bowel ‘normally’ works, which means that:

‘One man’s constipation may be another man’s normal bowel habit.’

V Moore Gillan. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 1984

For all these reasons it is most useful for your doctor to know:

1. How often you normally go to the toilet to open your bowels and whether this has increased or decreased?

2. Whether the consistency of your motions has changed to being looser or harder and drier than normal?

3. The length of time you have had the symptoms?

4. Whether the change in bowel habit is new or whether your bowel habit normally varies from time to time?

5. Whether you have been investigated before for these symptoms and what tests you had.

This will help your GP decide whether you should have investigations in hospital and if you use the ‘Symptom Checker’ you can print out or keep an electronic copy of a summary of your symptoms including the nature of your change in bowel habit to take or show to your GP.

For advice on how to treat your change in bowel habit click on ‘Treatment for Bowel Symptoms’