Bowel incontinence
Bowel incontinence is when you cannot control when you poo. See a GP if you think you have bowel incontinence as there are treatments that can help.
On this page
- Check if you have bowel incontinence
- See a GP if:
- How bowel incontinence is diagnosed
- Treatment for bowel incontinence
- Treatment from a GP
- Treatment from a specialist service
- Surgery for bowel incontinence
- Lifestyle changes a doctor may recommend
- Do
- Don’t
- Support if you have bowel incontinence
- Support from charities
- Causes of bowel incontinence
Medicines commonly prescribed for Bowel incontinence
For informational purposes only. Always consult a doctor before using any medicine.
Dosage form: ORAL SOLUTION/SUSPENSION, 10 g lactulose/ 15 mlActive substance: lactuloseManufacturer: Cooper Consumer Health B.V.Prescription requiredDosage form: CAPSULE, 2 mg loperamide hydrochlorideActive substance: loperamideManufacturer: Laboratorios Cinfa S.A.Prescription not requiredDosage form: CAPSULE, 2 mgActive substance: loperamideManufacturer: Teva Pharma S.L.U.Prescription not required
Bowel incontinence is when you cannot control when you poo. See a GP if you think you have bowel incontinence as there are treatments that can help.
Check if you have bowel incontinence
You might have bowel incontinence if you cannot control when you poo. Symptoms of bowel incontinence include:
- poo leaking out without you being able to stop it
- feeling like you need to poo, but not being able to get to the toilet in time
- not being able to get fully clean after going to the toilet
- seeing streaks or stains of poo in your underwear
See a GP if:
- you think you have bowel incontinence
- you have any changes in your poo that are not getting better, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
Try not to be embarrassed. The doctor will be used to talking about these symptoms.
How bowel incontinence is diagnosed
If a GP thinks you might have bowel incontinence they:
- will talk to you about your symptoms
- might ask to examine you by feeling your tummy (abdomen) and feeling inside your bottom with a finger (they'll be wearing gloves)
- might ask you to give a poo sample
They might refer you to a specialist for more tests such as:
- blood tests
- a colonoscopy (a test to check inside your bowels using a thin, flexible tube with a small camera inside it)
- an ultrasound scan
Treatment for bowel incontinence
The treatment you have for bowel incontinence will depend on what's causing your symptoms and how severe they are.
Treatment from a GP
A GP might recommend:
- a review of your diet and any medicines you take
- medicines to make you poo less often, such as loperamide, or medicines to soften your poo (laxatives)
- products to help with bowel incontinence, such as incontinence pants, or pads for inside your clothes or on your bed
- plugs that go inside your bottom to stop leaking (anal plugs) – the doctor will explain how to use these
- products to protect your skin, such as barrier cream or ointment – they may also give you advice on how to keep your skin clean
If these things do not help, they might refer you to a specialist service.
Treatment from a specialist service
A specialist incontinence service can:
- review your diet and any medicines you take
- recommend exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor and the muscles around your bottom (biofeedback)
- recommend techniques to help you empty your bowels fully and develop a controlled routine for emptying them (bowel retraining)
If these things do not help, you might be referred for surgery.
Consult with a doctor about Bowel incontinence
Discuss your symptoms and possible next steps with a doctor online.
Surgery for bowel incontinence
You may have surgery if other treatments have not helped or your symptoms are severe.
Surgery can include:
- repairing your muscles in your bottom that control when you poo (anal sphincter)
- making a new anal sphincter using muscle taken from your thigh
- putting an artificial sphincter in your bottom, so you can control when you poo
- putting a small device under your skin in your bottom that uses electrical pulses to help you control when you poo
- having a small tube (catheter) put into your tummy through a small hole to flush water through, which helps empty your bowels
- making a small opening in your tummy (stoma) to attach a pouch to collect your poo
The surgeon will explain the risks and benefits of the operation, and what will happen.
Lifestyle changes a doctor may recommend
The GP or specialist may recommend lifestyle changes that can help manage bowel incontinence.
Do
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try changing the position you sit in while pooing, such as using a squatting position – put your feet on a footstool while you sit on the toilet, so your knees are higher than your hips, and lean forward slightly
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try to poo at regular times, such as after meals
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keep a diary of your symptoms and what you eat and drink – you may notice some things make your bowel incontinence worse, such as caffeine, alcohol, spicy food or too much fibre
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plan an easy route to the toilet at home and when you're out
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wear clothing that's easy to get off if you need to use the toilet in a rush
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practise any exercises your doctor has recommended for your pelvic floor or muscles around your bottom
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eat a balanced diet
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quit smoking – nicotine can affect how quickly food moves through your digestive system
Don’t
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do not cut lots of foods and drinks from your diet at once – try one thing at a time to see if it helps your symptoms
-
try not to strain when you poo
Get a RADAR key
RADAR keys unlock lots of accessible public toilets in places like cafés, restaurants and shopping centres.
It might help to get one so you can easily access a toilet when you're in public. You can usually get one from a charity.
Support if you have bowel incontinence
Support from charities
There are also national charities that can offer support and information about bowel incontinence.
Bladder & Bowel Community
Information and support for people with bladder and bowel conditions.
Bladder & Bowel UK
Information and support for people with bladder and bowel conditions.
- Helpline: 0161 214 4591
Causes of bowel incontinence
Bowel incontinence can happen for lots of reasons and is common. Try not to be embarrassed.
You may get it for reasons such as if you:
- eat certain foods or drinks, for example spicy foods or drinks with caffeine in them
- have weaker muscles around your bottom – this can happen as you get older or because of things like hormonal changes or childbirth
- have a health condition that affects your digestive system such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Crohn's disease
- have a health condition that makes you less aware of when you need to poo, such as dementia, a learning disability, a stroke or damage to the nerves in your spine
It can be a result of more than one of these things.
Children can also get bowel incontinence. Sometimes they avoid going to the toilet, which means their poo hardens and runny poo leaks out, or they do not make it to the toilet in time.
Online doctors for Bowel incontinence
Discuss your symptoms and possible next steps for Bowel incontinence with a doctor online.
