It is very real. And more than 'of no consequence' for those who experience it when they travel. At best, it is uncomfortable and unpleasant if/when it drags on for more than a day or two.
188
its real.
141
Better, perhaps, than traveler's diarrhea.
378
I think this is caused by the lack of privacy and/or comfortable bathrooms while traveling. Fish oil tablets (one or two large) and remember to drink water. Problem solved.
102
There is no place like home. My bowels will, eventually, after repeated timely exposure to “other” bathrooms, will designate them home away from home. My late fathers apt. in NYC which was where I stayed most often when visiting NY and also the beach bathroom here in FL where I park my car with my bicycle aboard. Very convenient before the start of a bike ride. If I am lucky the cleaning crew will have just finished up! Much to my relief my bowels think that public bathroom is a home away from home too. When I was racing as a club runner in NYC 20 years ago as soon as I saw the start/finish line and timing clock my body said “that porta potty is a home away from home”. It’s a conditioned response. When I travel I always take something, sometimes just 1/2 a chocolate Exlax will do the trick if I don’t have prune juice or senna tea handy.
46
Constipated? Drink warm prune juice. Problem solved :)
28
Before the days of air travel, my Texas grandmother called traveler's constipation "being journey proud." She learned the term from her mother, whose travels would have been by horse or horse and wagon.
93
It occurs to me that maybe those rural ladies were too "proud" and privacy-oriented to want to squat in an open field somewhere along the arid way, with no nearby railways and with towns few and far between.
77
As someone who suffers from microcolitis that is only partially controlled by daily Imodium or pepto-bismol, the travel-induced constipation is what makes overseas travel possible for me! That plus sleeping pills to adjust my sleep habits.
16
Water and fruit (dried or fresh) are your friends!
24
I have been able to manage my traveler's constipation by not drinking carbonated drinks before, during and approximately 12 hours after flying. It is truly amazing that the switch to water or juice made such a difference. I only wish I followed this advice when I was a regular traveler.
25
Water. Lots of it. And fruit. Lots of it, fresh or dried.
45
Yes - yes it's real. You don't need to be Spanish, a missionary or travel overseas to get it.
35
Alas, when flying I suffer from too much throughput rather than too little. Usually for a day or so after the flight. Oh, for the happy medium.
This was true for me long before TSA and related stresses of flying, back when it was fun.
17
I take 3-4 longhaul trips a year. I read on a doctor's website to take 1500 mg of magnesium per day. This has been a game changer.
47
@aksantacruz
That's interesting. So can I take Milk of Magnesia? Seems like there is some common link for the cathartic effect of each of these.
Dr. Dan
8
Fluctuating levels of a variety of hormones can slow down or speed up the digestive system. It all depends on how long you're traveling, and how your system reacts when you get out of your comfort zone.
15
Solutions that have worked for me are simple:
1. Take a teaspoon full of psyllium powder (e.g. Metamucil) with plenty of water before embarking on a journey.
2. Try to keep your gut microbes healthy and happy by ingesting fermented foods - yogurt, beer, sauerkraut, cheese, etc.
3. The last step is tricky - ingest raw greens if you can trust them! In Europe, it is likely safe. Elsewhere, it is less likely to be safe.
22
@Jaque,
Interesting advice. Since a short period of major disruption of my life, I have developed constipation with no bowel movement for up to a week despite eating my home brewed kefer at least three times/week and being an avowed vegetarian. Somehow or other I stumbled on your Solution #3. Despite my huge amounts of fiber intake, I started eating less and having an evening meal of only fresh raw greens. I live neither in Europe nor in North America, but paid heed to the labeling of these greens which stated that they were washed. I have had two results as follows:
1. Normalization of bowel habits with a daily trip to the toilet.
2. An episode of the worst case of "enteritis" (details excluded) in my life. Hopefully I will be able to avoid this in the future by rigorous washing of the "washed" baby greens despite the claim that they are already washed.
Incidentally, in order to avoid the boredom of the same supper every evening, I add different things to the bowl of greens. I alternate some bits of cheese with pieces of fresh or dried fruit and/or nuts and different homemade dressings.
Dan
18
I'm more than happy to experience this phenomenon if it means no urges while boarding a plane, during take-offs and landings or while being stuck in traffic.
40
@pmm,
Agreed, just so long as the slow-down doesn't involve distention and pain.
Dan
13
It's real and it's the reason why I never, ever travel after a terrible, bowel-movement free 10 days in Spain in 2002. What a disaster. The only thing I remember from that trip was how bloated and uncomfortable I felt. What a waste!
34
@Sharon I ended up going to an apothecary while in a Spain and whatever they gave me worked like a charm!
23
All the probable causes are noted here - stress, dehydration, unfamiliar settings, sleep cycles, etc. I might suggest two more, mainly related to long trips on a plane. "Holding it" such as when sitting in a window or center seat on the plane and not wanting to get up to then stand in line at one of the (inadequately provided) loos. Also - this one is a guess - aircraft cabins pressurized to 6000 to 8000 feet have less oxygen. Oxygen is important to digestion. It's one reason altitude sickness causes the runs. I know, this is the opposite effect but it could be.
34
Somebody needed to do a study to prove this?
Anyone who's traveled at all knows this is a thing. You don't have to fly to Sydney or Singapore. Just drive a few hours from home. Unless you're careful about it, you'll drink less water. Then, your routines will change, interrupting your usual "bathroom time". And finally, depending on where you are and what you're doing, you may have less privacy than you're used to, which is big issue for many people. Naturally, you end up constipated.
So, to prevent this problem: Drink a LOT of water. Do your best to maintain your normal, umm, elimination schedule. And don't worry too much about it.
90
Really. This is news? And it's not limited to plane trips. Let's face it -- now matter how you travel, you are usually faced with unpleasant bathroom conditions and both schedule and dietary disruptions. While it's a good idea in general to drink plenty of water, I don't personally find that it prevents the constipation from happening. It may speed up the recovery a bit. It also helps to find opportunities to use the bathroom when you are not in a hurry because you have to make a meeting on time, or catch a train or bus, or just because your traveling companions are waiting outside the restroom tapping their toes.
30
@FJP,
Agreed with what you say. I always had "it" and was actually thankful as it was almost never symptomatic and allowed me to avoid my aversion to sitting on public toilets.
Dan
4
In the old days of the 1970s and 1980s backpacking through Europe, this condition was a godsend.
Does anyone else remember what a Greek toilet looked like?
87
I attribute it to sitting in a fixed chair position as I also become constipated after day-long car journeys. On plane journeys I pack prunes in my checked luggage and take two upon arrival at hotel and as needed thereafter. I have been known to discreetly add a couple of tablespoons of salad bar olive oil to my dinner plate. If all else fails I will use overnight dulcolax (with no early appointments scheduled for the following morning. -- Sorry - oversharing.)
61
Okay, there is a silly note in this: "The authors appropriately cautioned that factors other than travel, such as changes in diet and physical activity, may have played a role ."
Help me: traveling IS all about change in diet, and physical activity, to which one adds time /sleep changes. Routines are upset, sometimes turned upside down. I never thought that the actual transit ( moving via plane, train, ship or automotive vehicle) was a central issue (unless one gets motions sickness, which has it's own consequence)
Lot's of ways around it: stay active, eat foods with fiber, skip alcohol for water or coffee, get rest when you need it, skip junk foods, and eat lightly.
20
For my first breakfast I try to find steel cut oatmeal with fruit and add some almonds I have brought from home. No constipation.
12
Stress definitely plays a role in this. Who can arrive 3 hours early to an airport and then go through the mad mix of TSA lines, waiting at the crowded gate, boarding a plane, squeeze into an uncomfortable seat, waiting on a tarmac, whiz through the sky to another place in the world, disembark, get through customs, retrieve baggage, find taxi/bus/rental car then get to one's final destination without feeling a wee bit stressed. Your body hates you for a day or two. You also lose two days from the physical flying on a week's vacation or trip, on top of feeling jet lagged/constipated. Sometimes you have to ask yourself, is this really worth it?
163
This is from personal experience. I need to be particularly careful for a couple of medical reasons. When we’re too busy traveling to drink a lot of water, and on top of that are in an airplane that’s dehydrating us, is it any wonder people get constipated? My solution: for every two hours of flying drink, at the least, a quart of water, and more if you can. You won’t be running to the restroom as often as you’d think because some of the water is being taken out of you by the plane’s dry air. Also a lot of airlines have fruit available during the trip, especially on long-haul flights, and for the most part fruit’s high in fiber. Between sufficient water and fruit, my problem — which was often severe (and on occasion life-threatening) — is gone. If you need to hang around the airport for an hour or two, bring fruit and water along to consume before going through security.
11
It is well treated by generous dosing of papaya (with or without the seeds).
Amazing that it is common knowledge in Latin America that papain is an effective cathartic but your experts seem ill-informed.
11
I am a swimmer ---- I swim a mile a day. Part of my trip planning is finding the closest lap pool, and I have great memories of travel swims, different pools and the people I meet while in and around the pool.
With this activity in my day, jet lag takes less time to evaporate and I never have traveler's constipation, or any constipation for that matter. Physical exercise really keeps the body in tune.
16
anyone who has traveled once or twice knows t his is an issue.
29
Stress from traveling, dehydration, unfamiliar toilets, change in diet, change in amount of exercise. Need I continue?
58
My first thought was to wonder if dehydration plays a role? Many times travelers drink more caffeine and/or alcohol, perhaps because people eat ad drink differently when they’re on holiday, but possibly also as an attempt to counter the effects of jet lag on sleep. Drinking more water could help, and we all should avoid alcohol and caffeine anyway when flying since we all know that airplane air is notoriously dry.
13
I have learned to travel with extra fiber (Fiber One cereal is great). At home, I eat a diet high in fruits & veggies, which is not possible to mimic when I travel - add to that changes in time zones, perhaps less liquid... it throws the whole operation up for grabs, if I don't pay attention and make adjustments as needed.
20
During a bout of medication induced constipation, I learned that an easy solution to compact, portable fiber is chia seeds. So far, they haven't been confiscated by TSA during security checks ....
12
@Anne-Marie Hislop I have IBS and unfortunately my body can be very unhappy with "extra" fiber -- sometimes it causes worse constipation!
Probiotics (enterically coated and shelf-stable) have been the most helpful thing for me, along with, as lots of folks have mentioned, plenty of water.
13
I agree, and I also assume when traveling we don't eat the same foods, and tend not to drink enough water. At least, that happens to me.
13
I always assumed the airlines meals included a secret ingredient to constipate the passengers, thereby reducing the use of the airplane lavatories in flight.
167
What are "airplane meals"? ;-)
134
I wonder how much is simply that we don't have our usual toilets to use. It's a strange loo in a strange place and that may inhibit us, consciously or unconsciously.
200
I think that does it for me. Different schedule and different surroundings. Actually doesn't bother me especailly if the accomidations are less than optimal.
11
Two weeks ago we flew 45 minutes to the coast fo a long weekend and yes, I had it. Then again it was an AirBnB with a shared toilet, kind of funky, so it was actually helpful.
10
From my N of 1, this is very much real.
I travel yearly to Europe, and usually stay there for 3 weeks.
My bowel movements reduce significantly once I'm there and remain that way the entire time. Some of the factors mentioned in the article and comments do not apply
1) I hydrate aggressively on the plane
2) I stay in my own apartment once there and therefore have plenty of access to bathroom facilities
3) I drink way more fluids once there than I do back home in the State
4) I eat more fruits and veggies than I do back home
4) I am very active there - lots of swimming and walking
5) The constipation lasts long after Jet Lag has subsided
This leads me to believe there must be something more to this...
83
Hormonal changes due to jet lag and the other stressors involved in traveling likely play a part.
Being out of my comfort zone can slow down my digestive system. Your mileage may vary, of course. It speeds others' up!
7
Hormonal changes due to jet lag and the other stressors involved in traveling likely play a part, too.
Being out of my comfort zone can slow down my digestive system. Your mileage may vary, of course. It speeds others' up!
Stressors involved in traveling may cause people's digestive systems to speed up or slow down. It all depends on how you're wired, and how far you travel. Fluctuating hormone levels (melatonin, cortisone, etc.) are involved.
4
I'm thinking that the time change plays a big part on your system. NY to Europe you're looking at 6-7 hour difference, so when you're awake now you would've been sleeping, so that plays a big part on the body and getting adjusted. If you travel somewhere with just an hour or two difference in time I would think that if you still have that problem, then it's just because you're on vacation and you're eating out at different restaurants every night, eating more lunch and breakfast than you would at home
17
I judge when I'm over jet lag by when my "schedule" gets back to normal.
10
Flying from San Francisco to Frankfort and my normal process is gone for a few days. I have learned to take a suggested dose on the package of docusate sodium (or calcium) at the beginning of the flight. This makes it easier to get back on track in the coming days. Try to keep hydrated on the flight and during your trip.
14
Inadequate hydration, anxiety, and changes in diet all play a role, I'm sure - but has anyone thought of the changes in diurnal rhythm associated with long-distance east-west air travel?
When traveling to Europe or Asia, I would notice that my Personal Schedule would be offset consistent with the change in time zones, an offset that would correct itself over the course of several days.
So there's that, too.
35
Having one's clock offset by 9 hours is definitely a factor in the constipation issue. When I'm going overseas for business (U.S. to EU multiple times a year), I try to arrive a day or two early. In addition to helping a bit with jet lag, the extra time for adjustment means I'm more likely to be "comfortable" and thus at my best. Sure, everyone across the table would be polite if I took a longer bathroom break, but there's limited time for the meeting and I'm often the sole person representing my company.
I also try to schedule adequate travel times between meetings in different cities while in the EU. I know "road warriors" who do many consecutive 18-hour days with travel in each of them --my bowels are unhappy just thinking about it! Sometimes long days are unavoidable, but I'm lucky that my company gives me the flexibility to stretch out a trip and reduce the stress of travel. (I have flexibility in my personal life to be away from home for "extra" days, which I realize is not universal).
7
My guess is many suffer constipation after air travel because they're not drinking enough water and keeping well hydrated. I know I should keep well hydrated during air travel, but if I drink too much water, I have to use those horrible lavatories on the plane!
30
Traveler's constipation is common sense:
1) disruption of our usual diet (less water intake, maybe less fiber or fat or whatever else our GI tract is used to)
2) stress of traveling activates the fight/flight response, which inhibits the GI tract
3) unpredictable toilet facilities may lead to trying to move your bowels less often and on a different schedule, altering our normal feedback loops
158
Simple
9
I always attributed it to being in an unfamiliar location. Also, if I'm traveling with extended family or friends, I have less privacy than usual, which makes me less comfortable. Interesting that air travel may contribute.
26
Has anyone analyzed the obvious...how a body is contorted and squashed in 90% of air plane seats for hours? Also, airplane & air port food is mostly highly processed with almost non-existent vegetables.
If we narrowed and shrunk an alley smaller than our cars; then changed the fuel to solids, we might have problems driving.
body is
51
I have struggled with constipation for periods of a week or two after arriving in southeastern Europe.
My sense is that one of the main reasons is that I don't get enough water/liquid on the planes, but also during the many hours in airports (departure, transfer, arrival).
I also am anxious about being in a new place, and believe this affects my regularity.
16
glad you found a solution for U.
2
I often have minor GI track issues when I travel. I attribute much of that to being a nervous traveler--I worry about making connections, not losing my passport, etc. I'm sure my travel anxiety contributes to some of my irregularity too.
54