The Real Scoop on Pooping Out Your Mouth

Have you ever felt so nauseous that you joke “I’m just going to poop out my mouth and get this over with!” Well, believe it or not, it is possible to vomit feces in very rare cases.

I know what you’re thinking – ew, that’s disgusting! How could poop possibly come out your mouth?

Under normal circumstances, it absolutely cannot happen. The plumbing is simply not connected that way. Poop passes out through your bottom, while vomit comes up and out your mouth. Two separate systems.

However, in very unusual medical situations involving complete bowel obstruction, the contents can actually back up to the point of being vomited. This is called fecal vomiting, and it is as unpleasant as it sounds.

The good news is it’s extremely rare and requires an underlying condition. But if you ever start vomiting brown, smelly, poop-like contents, seek emergency care.

Now let’s get into the dirty details on fecal vomiting and how on earth this can even happen…

Fecal Vomiting is Possible but Extremely Rare

Under normal conditions, it’s completely impossible to poop from your mouth. But there is a genuine medical phenomenon called fecal vomiting.

This is when actual fecal matter is thrown up through vomiting. It occurs in cases of severe bowel obstruction from:

Tumors
Twisting of intestines
Impacted feces

When a major blockage happens, the bowel contents can back up to the point that feces enters the stomach and is vomited.

But what comes out isn’t quite what you’d envision. It’s not a fully formed poop sausage.

Instead, it’s typically loose and liquidy with an extremely foul smell. Color is usually dark brown or black.

So while poop does exit through the mouth, it’s not in log form like during a normal bowel movement.

What Are the Symptoms of Fecal Vomiting?

Fecal vomiting symptoms include:

Intense nausea and vomiting
Vomit that smells extremely fecal
Vomit dark brown or black in color
Abdominal pain and distention
Constipation and inability to pass stool
Signs of bowel obstruction like lack of gas

As you can imagine, these symptoms are very distressing and indicate a medical emergency requiring hospitalization.

Without quick treatment of the underlying blockage, serious complications can occur like dehydration, sepsis, bowel rupture, or even death.

So if you start throwing up poopy contents, call 911 or get to an ER right away. It means your bowels are fully obstructed.

What Causes a Bowel Obstruction that Leads to Fecal Vomiting?

There are a few key reasons a critical bowel blockage happens, leading to backup of stool into the stomach:

Tumors – benign or cancerous growths in the GI tract
Twisting – portions of the intestine twist around themselves, called volvulus
Intussusception – part of the intestine telescopes in on itself
Impacted stool – very severe, rock-hard constipation
Adhesions – scar tissue binds sections of bowel together
Hernias – part of the intestine bulges through a weak area

In most cases, some underlying condition weakens the bowel wall for a portion to then twist, narrow, or close off completely. This cuts off forward flow suddenly.

But in instances of stubborn, chronic constipation, hard poop can slowly back up over time and also cause obstruction. Always treat constipation promptly!

How Do Doctors Treat Fecal Vomiting?

When a patient arrives vomiting feces, urgent diagnosis and treatment is needed. Here are the typical steps:

Physical exam and medical history
Bloodwork to check for dehydration and infection
Abdominal x-rays or CT scan to locate blockage
NG tube inserted through nose into stomach to suction out contents
IV fluids and electrolyte replacement
Antibiotics if signs of bacterial infection
Surgery to correct obstruction if possible
Monitoring in ICU for shock or organ failure
Bowel rest with no food or drink until obstruction resolves

The first goal is stabilizing the patient and avoiding emergency complications like sepsis. Next comes surgically correcting the obstruction if viable based on the cause and prognosis.

With successful treatment, most patients recover fully within 5-7 days in the hospital.

Are There Ways to Prevent Needing Emergency Bowel Surgery?

While some causes like tumors and hernias can’t always be prevented, there are things you can do to avoid bowel obstructions:

Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated
Eat a high fiber diet with fruits, veggies and whole grains
Exercise regularly to stimulate the bowels
Avoid straining during bowel movements
Don’t use laxatives too frequently, as this can worsen constipation
Treat even mild constipation promptly with stool softeners
Don’t ignore symptoms like sudden abdominal pain or vomiting

Following healthy bowel habits allows waste to flow normally and exit without excessive straining. This minimizes the already small risk of obstruction.

Because let’s face it – no one wants to end up vomiting poo! Stay proactive with prevention.

Key Takeaways on Fecal Vomiting

Let’s wrap up with some essential facts:

True fecal vomiting means poop exiting through the mouth
It only occurs in cases of complete bowel obstruction
Stool backs up from blockage and enters the stomach
Vomited material smells extremely fecal
This is a medical emergency requiring hospitalization
Prevention involves a high fiber diet and treating constipation promptly
Surgery to correct the obstruction may be needed
Full recovery takes around 5-7 days in most cases

So while it is possible to poop from your mouth, it takes fairly extreme circumstances! I hope this post shed some light on this downright dirty topic. Stay healthy, my friends.