Type 6 poop: mushy, with ragged edges

Type 6 poop is fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool. It sits on the fast side of the Bristol stool chart: stool moved through quickly enough that the colon did not have time to absorb much of its water. The Rome criteria count it as loose stool. As a one-off, it usually traces to something recent, such as a stomach bug, coffee, sugar alcohols or a big meal. Several days of it, or frequent watery trips, deserve more attention.

Track it before you guess at it: Stoolio estimates your Bristol type from one photo and reads fragmentation and hydration cues, so you can see whether loose days are a blip or a pattern. Your first three scans are free.

What Type 6 poop looks like

Soft, fluffy, shapeless pieces with torn, ragged edges that may fall apart in the water, sometimes described as mushy or like porridge. There is still some form, which is the difference from Type 7, and the edges are ragged rather than clean, which is the difference from Type 5. Our Learn articles on fluffy poop and mushy poop go into more detail.

What Type 6 usually means

Fast transit. Cleveland Clinic explains that Types 5 to 7 happen when the bowels move too fast and do not absorb enough water. How loose stool gets depends on the balance between the water in it and how much water its solids can hold, which is why some fibers can firm it up without the stool holding less water.

A single Type 6 is not diarrhea on its own. NIDDK defines diarrhea as passing loose, watery stools three or more times a day, or more often than is normal for you. Most short bouts clear up without treatment.

Common reasons for Type 6

• A stomach bug or food poisoning. Viruses, bacteria and parasites are common causes of short-lived loose stool (NIDDK).
• Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol in sugar-free foods, gum and some liquid medicines.
• Coffee, alcohol and rich or spicy meals, which can speed things along or aggravate loose stool.
• Stress and anxiety, which the NHS lists among the causes of diarrhea.
• Medicines, especially antibiotics and antacids that contain magnesium (NIDDK). If loose stool starts on an antibiotic, talk to your provider before stopping it.
• Food intolerances and conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, when it keeps happening.

What tends to help

• Fluids first. Drink water and liquids that contain electrolytes, such as broth. NIDDK also mentions oral rehydration solutions; if you have diabetes, kidney disease or another health condition, check with your doctor before using them.
• Go easy on the triggers while it settles. NIDDK suggests avoiding caffeine, alcohol, fatty and fried foods and very sugary drinks during a bout of diarrhea.
• Eat normally again when you can. NIDDK notes that once your appetite returns you can usually go back to your normal diet, even if stool is still loose.
• If it keeps recurring, soluble fiber such as psyllium can firm loose stool, and a log of what came before your Type 6 days often reveals the trigger.

Over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medicines are not recommended when there is blood in the stool or a fever (NIDDK).

When to check in with a clinician

For adults, NIDDK advises seeing a doctor for diarrhea that lasts more than two days, six or more loose stools in a day, a high fever, severe pain in the belly or rectum, frequent vomiting, stools that are black and tarry or contain blood or pus, or signs of dehydration such as extreme thirst, peeing less than usual, dark urine or feeling dizzy. People who are pregnant, over 65, taking antibiotics or have a weakened immune system should keep in touch with their doctor.

How Stoolio reads Type 6

A Stoolio scan matches your stool against all seven Bristol types and reads 12 visual characteristics, including consistency and fragmentation, plus a hydration indicator and an estimated transit time. With loose stool, the record is what helps: you can see whether you are firming back up day by day, add a note about what you ate, and export a summary if you end up talking to a clinician. See the full Bristol stool chart.

Sources

1. Mearin F, et al. Bowel Disorders (Rome IV). Gastroenterology. 2016.
2. Cleveland Clinic. Bristol Stool Chart.
3. Wenzl HH, et al. Determinants of decreased fecal consistency in patients with diarrhea. Gastroenterology. 1995.
4. NIDDK. Definition & Facts for Diarrhea.
5. NIDDK. Symptoms & Causes of Diarrhea.
6. NIDDK. Treatment of Diarrhea.
7. NIDDK. Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Diarrhea.
8. NHS. Diarrhoea and vomiting.
9. McRorie JW Jr. Evidence-Based Approach to Fiber Supplements and Clinically Meaningful Health Benefits, Part 2. Nutr Today. 2015.
10. Cleveland Clinic. Diarrhea.