Gut Motility Symptom Tracker
Gut motility refers to the movement of food and waste through the digestive tract. When that movement becomes too slow, too fast, or irregular, symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating, urgency, abdominal discomfort, or incomplete bowel movements may occur.
Because these symptoms can overlap with many digestive conditions, symptoms alone cannot determine the cause. Tracking patterns can help give a clearer picture of what is happening.
This tracker is designed to help you organize bowel habits, digestive symptoms, meal patterns, medications, lifestyle factors, and questions to discuss with a healthcare provider or functional health practitioner.
Symptoms to Track
Check any symptoms you have been experiencing regularly:
☐ Constipation
☐ Diarrhea
☐ Alternating constipation and diarrhea
☐ Bloating or abdominal distention
☐ Excessive gas
☐ Abdominal cramping or discomfort
☐ Sudden bowel urgency
☐ Feeling incompletely emptied after a bowel movement
☐ Straining during bowel movements
☐ Going several days without a bowel movement
☐ Having multiple bowel movements in a short period
☐ Feeling unusually full after meals
☐ Nausea
☐ Reflux or indigestion
☐ Symptoms that worsen after eating
☐ Symptoms that change during periods of stress
☐ Unpredictable bowel habits
Bowel Frequency, Stool Patterns, and Urgency
Check any patterns that describe your bowel habits:
☐ I usually have more than 3 bowel movements per day
☐ I usually have 1–3 bowel movements per day
☐ I usually have a bowel movement every other day
☐ I sometimes go 3 or more days without a bowel movement
☐ My bowel frequency changes significantly from day to day
☐ My stool is often hard, dry, or pellet-like
☐ My stool is often loose or watery
☐ My stool consistency changes frequently
☐ I often need to strain
☐ I frequently feel incompletely emptied
☐ I experience sudden urgency
☐ I sometimes have several bowel movements close together
☐ My bowel habits seem slower than they used to be
☐ My bowel habits seem faster than they used to be
☐ My bowel habits are difficult to predict
How long have these bowel changes been happening?
☐ Less than 1 month
☐ 1–3 months
☐ 3–6 months
☐ 6–12 months
☐ More than 1 year
☐ They have come and gone for years
Anything else you have noticed about bowel frequency, stool consistency, or urgency:
Patterns and Triggers
Check any patterns you have noticed with meals, bloating, stress, sleep, or your daily routine:
☐ Symptoms worsen after large meals
☐ Symptoms worsen after high-fat meals
☐ Symptoms worsen when I eat quickly
☐ Symptoms worsen when meals are very close together
☐ Symptoms worsen when I skip meals
☐ Symptoms worsen when I eat late at night
☐ Bloating becomes worse as the day goes on
☐ Bloating improves after a bowel movement
☐ Symptoms worsen during stressful periods
☐ Symptoms worsen when I sleep poorly
☐ Symptoms worsen when my routine changes
☐ Symptoms worsen when I travel
☐ Walking or light movement seems to help
☐ Exercise seems to improve my digestion
☐ Exercise sometimes makes symptoms worse
☐ I cannot identify a clear pattern
When are your symptoms usually worst?
☐ Morning
☐ After breakfast
☐ After lunch
☐ After dinner
☐ Evening
☐ Overnight
☐ During stressful periods
☐ No clear pattern
Anything else you notice about what seems to improve or worsen your symptoms:
Medications and Relevant History
Check anything that may be relevant to your digestive or bowel patterns:
☐ I use laxatives or stool softeners
☐ I use anti-diarrheal medication
☐ I take fiber supplements
☐ I take magnesium
☐ I take probiotics
☐ I take digestive enzymes
☐ I use acid-reducing medication
☐ I take prescription medications that may affect digestion
☐ I have taken antibiotics recently
☐ I have a history of digestive infections
☐ I have had abdominal or gastrointestinal surgery
☐ My bowel habits changed after starting a medication or supplement
☐ My bowel habits changed after an illness
☐ My bowel habits changed after a major diet change
☐ I am not sure whether any medications or health changes are affecting my motility
Current medications and supplements:
Any major health changes, illnesses, procedures, or medication changes that happened before symptoms began:
Questions to Bring to Your Appointment
Consider writing down the questions that matter most to you before your appointment. These may include:
☐ Could slow or fast gut motility be contributing to my symptoms?
☐ Could another digestive condition be causing these bowel changes?
☐ Are there tests that may be appropriate based on my symptoms and history?
☐ Could medications or supplements be affecting my bowel habits?
☐ Should I track meal timing, bowel frequency, or stool consistency more closely?
☐ Could stress, sleep, or lifestyle factors be affecting motility?
☐ Are there signs that my symptoms need additional medical evaluation?
☐ What should I track between appointments?
☐ What are the next steps if my symptoms do not improve?
My other questions:
When to Seek Medical Care
Digestive and bowel changes should not automatically be assumed to be caused by motility problems. Speak with a medical provider if you experience blood in the stool, black or tarry stools, unexplained weight loss, persistent fever, repeated vomiting, severe or worsening abdominal pain, anemia, or a major unexplained change in bowel habits.
Seek urgent medical care for severe abdominal pain, significant bleeding, severe dehydration, fainting, or other symptoms that feel sudden or concerning.
Work With Executive Functional Healing
If you are dealing with ongoing constipation, diarrhea, bloating, urgency, incomplete bowel movements, or other motility-related digestive concerns and want to look more closely at the patterns that may be contributing, Executive Functional Healing works with clients nationwide through virtual consultations.
Schedule a free 15-minute discovery call to discuss what you have been experiencing and whether Executive Functional Healing may be a good fit for your next steps.