Why Do My Legs Feel Weak After a Bowel Movement?

Weakness after defecation is due to vaso vagal reaction. When you tense abdominal muscles or strain to pass stool, vagus nerve is stimulated which decreases the heart rate. Also, blood flow to the heart decreases causing the blood pressure to drop.

Why do I feel weak after defecating?

Often people need to tense their abdominal muscles and strain a bit during a bowel movement. This tends to stimulate the vagus nerve, which slows the heart rate. At the same time, blood flow back to the heart decreases, so blood pressure drops.

Why do my legs feel weak when I poop?

“When you bear down to poop, you raise the pressure in your spinal column, technically called the intrathecal pressure. Sometimes that rise in pressure will cause the discs in your spine to move against the nerves where they exit the spine and cause numbness, weakness, and a generally weird feeling down the legs.