- A slew of creators have been discussing what they call ‘ghost poops’ online
- They say they pass a bowl movement but don’t see any residue when they wipe
- Now, medical professionals have spoken out about what it really means
Have you ever had a ‘ghost poop?’ Here’s what it really means if you feel like you went to the bathroom but can’t find any evidence of it in the toilet or on the toilet paper afterwards.
From sex secrets to bathroom habits, people are not shy about posting brazenly honest and fiercely personal confessions on TikTok.
Recently, a slew of content creators have been discussing what they call ‘ghost poops’ on the video streaming app, which is basically when you pass a bowel movement but don’t see any residue from it on the toilet paper when you wipe.
Others used the term to describe an instance when they’ve felt like they’ve gone to the bathroom – only to find nothing in the toilet.
Hundreds of people have confessed to experiencing the bizarre phenomenon under the hashtag #Ghostpoop on TikTok – and now, medical professionals have spoken out about what it really means and why it happens to the Today show.
Dr. Rabia De Latour, gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health, and Dr. Felice Schnoll-Sussman, gastroenterologist and professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, told the publication that ghost poops are actually completely normal – and more common than one might think.
They explained that a few different things could cause them, the first being that your stool is so ‘well-formed’ and ‘firm’ that it didn’t leave anything on your behind to be wiped up.
‘The texture of stool and how much you need to wipe can depend on a few factors: fiber intake, gut health, the amount of water and other nutrients absorbed from stool in the large intestine, and how well the anal sphincter muscles function,’ added the outlet.
As for why some may not see anything in the bowl, they said that’s likely because the poop was extremely ‘dense’ and went ‘straight down the toilet.’
Both women insisted that it’s nothing to be worried about if it happens to you, insisting that it’s actually ‘perfectly normal’ and a sign of a ‘very healthy bowel movement.’
Another reason could be that you think you’ve released fecal matter, but in reality, you’ve only passed some gas.
‘The sphincters get stimulated, and you do pass something, but it’s just air,’ Dr. Felice said.
The doctors added that if you often feel like you need to go poop but nothing comes out, it could be a sign of an underlying problem, and you should probably speak to your doctor.
The Today show reported that it could be an early symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s, colorectal polyps, or anal cancer.
Back in 2021, an influencer who goes by MrPelz on TikTok posted a video about ghost pooping and it quickly went viral.
‘When you wipe after a good s**t,’ he wrote alongside a clip that showed him sitting on the toilet and wiping his backside.
He then looked at the toilet paper and noticed that it seemed clean, adding, ‘But there’s nothing there…’
The 11-second clip then cut to him floating up into the air like a ghost.
‘I had fun making this one,’ he captioned the TikTok, along with the hashtags #Ghostpoop and #Ghostwipe, among others.
His video got over 372,000 looks and 4,600 comments, and many people rushed to the comment section to admit that something similar had happened to them.
Many others have posted videos about the topic since then. One man, named Brad, uploaded a TikTok that showed him sitting on the toilet, wiping, and seeing no residue on the toilet paper.
He ended the video in front of a greenscreen that looked like heaven.
A woman named Samantha shared a similar clip, writing, ‘When you get home from a long day and take a massive dump. This is the moment you’ve been dreading… But wait, ghost poop.
Another guy who goes by Sicko shared a video of himself experiencing his ‘first ghost poop.’
The song What Does It Mean by Miley Cyrus played in the background as he starred at the clean-looking toilet paper with a horrified look on his face.
A woman named Paige bravely announced in a TikTok of her own, ‘I’m gonna say it… Yeah sex is cool have but you guys ever took a fat poop and you to wipe and there’s nothing to wipe?
‘It was a ghost poop! I love that s**t. When that happens to me it makes my whole entire day.’
Rachel Carter is a health and wellness expert dedicated to helping readers lead healthier lives. With a background in nutrition, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being.
