Americans’ poop problems aren’t over yet.
An “explosive diarrhea” parasite had thousands of people glued to the toilets this summer — while countless others began steering clear of fresh produce for fear of catching the nasty bug.
Now, weeks after the stomach-churning outbreak made headlines, doctors are warning of an unexpected side effect of the Cyclospora scare — and, unfortunately, it also involves No. 2.
This time, however, the problem isn’t going too much. It’s not going at all.
Rather than expelling “pure water” nonstop, as many people with cyclosporiasis have reported, a growing number of people trying to avoid the infection are dealing with painful constipation.
“When you go from eating salads and fruit regularly to cutting it out completely, your fiber intake takes a significant hit and this can impact your bowel movements,” Dr. Rabia de Latour, a gastroenterologist who works with MiraLAX, told The Post.
That’s because fiber, when paired with enough water, gives stool the bulk and softness it needs to make a smooth exit.
“When you deprive your gastrointestinal tract of the fiber, this can result in constipation and harder, difficult to pass stools,” de Latour explained.
In more severe cases, she said stools may become smaller and lose their usual shape, even taking on an appearance similar to “rabbit pellets.”
Federal health officials are still digging into the Cyclospora outbreak that tore through 20 states this summer, sickening thousands, hospitalizing hundreds and killing at least two people.
The source was traced back to tainted iceberg lettuce supplied to chains like Taco Bell by Taylor Farms de Mexico, with contaminated greens also turning up in bagged salad kits at major retailers.
Taylor Farms pulled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico off US shelves in July and issued a recall — but by then, the damage to America’s trust in the produce aisle was done.
Widespread fear of infection, paired with confusing early guidance from health officials, led many to stop eating fruits and vegetables altogether, since Cyclospora is highly resistant to chemical disinfectants and practically impossible to rinse away entirely.
The nasty stomach bug can survive being frozen or even doused in bleach. The only way to actually kill it is cooking food to at least 158°F.
“I have a lot of friends and acquaintances reaching out to me seeking guidance on what is ‘safe to eat’ with the ongoing cyclospora outbreak,” de Latour said. “Many of them spent weeks avoiding almost all fruits and vegetables.”
That can backfire fast.
“Food moves through our entire gastrointestinal tract to be broken down, digested, absorbed and waste byproduct produced (poop), taking anywhere from 24 to 72 hours total,” de Latour said. “If you were to make a large adjustment to your diet, results could be seen in this similar time frame.”
The good news is that the offending lettuce is past its shelf life and out of circulation, so de Latour expects new cases to keep dropping.
“That being said, Americans are still experiencing food anxiety and hesitancy and many people are still avoiding iceberg lettuce when precut and bagged,” she noted.
For the still-nervous, de Latour suggests eating spinach or getting whole heads of iceberg from a farmers market — and washing it from a farmers market. She would also avoid other foods that have historically been linked to cyclosporiasis like snow peas, raspberries, parsley and cilantro.
Once you start eating fiber again, de Latour said stools should bulk back up and constipation should ease within 24 to 72 hours — but if not, you can try an osmotic laxative
“If you continue to experience symptoms despite this intervention and there is longevity to your symptoms, there might be more to your constipation beyond dietary influences and you should seek medical attention to have it thoroughly worked up,” she said.
