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Living with irritable bowel syndrome is awful.

Lightning Count

Lightning Count

Member
Jan 27, 2019
16,073
Fuck off
I've been dealing with it now for about 3 - 4 years, I hate it.

It often flares up when I am stressed out, I often need to go the toilet 5 times in the space of a couple of hours when it's at it's worst, and it bring on sudden sometimes explosive diarrhoea as well. I struggle with both depression and anxiety, meaning my stress levels are often high.

On top I get stomach cramps which are awful. I sometimes get these after eating, these generally subside after defecation thankfully. Finally I get the occasional bout of constipation, I sometimes have to really put in a lot of effort to clear the log jam, frequent walks seem to help with this.

I wouldn't wish this shit (pun totally intended) on my worst enemy. Anyone dealing with IBS want to share tips for living with it.
 
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colorblindmode

colorblindmode

Chicken Chaser
Member
Nov 26, 2019
2,565
South Carolina
I've not been diagnosed with IBS, but I do have like 2-3 bowel movements a day usually. Sometimes it's just randomly explosive too. I should probably get checked for IBS.
 
Theorry

Theorry

Member
Oct 27, 2017
61,023
Stress is a big factor. I had it also when i had a job with alot of stress. Then i moved to a way less stresfull job and and suddenly it became 10x better for me.
I am not diagnosed btw.
 
big_z

big_z

Member
Nov 2, 2017
7,797
I dealt with it for 4-5 years and it sucked. Eating when going out with friends was like playing Russian roulette as was travelling longer distances.
Got rid of it by over eating by a fair bit and throwing some yogurt into the mix for a month or so. I also stopped worrying about the ibs itself which lead to less anxiety while at work or out. Not sure why it worked but it did. Cost me a good 10-15 pounds but ive been free of it since so it was worth it.
 

Zalera

Member
Mar 26, 2021
308
Yup. I'm likely getting a fecal transplant later this year (not just for IBS tho) so fingers crossed it helps.
 
OP
OP
Lightning Count

Lightning Count

Member
Jan 27, 2019
16,073
Fuck off
big_z said:
I dealt with it for 4-5 years and it sucked. Eating when going out with friends was like playing Russian roulette as was travelling longer distances.
Got rid of it by over eating by a fair bit and throwing some yogurt into the mix for a month or so. I also stopped worrying about the ibs itself which lead to less anxiety while at work or out. Not sure why it worked but it did. Cost me a good 10-15 pounds but ive been free of it since so it was worth it.
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When I go out I take spare shorts or trousers sometimes, identical in colour and fit to what I am wearing, so if I have an accident I can change and hopefully no one notices.
 
Hellers

Hellers

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,382
IBS is generally a shorthand for "There's something wrong down there but we have no idea what". I spent over a decade suffering from pretty much the same symptoms as the OP. Then out of nowhere I got really ill. The cramps got worse, I felt physically sick, I stopped eating (And pooing) and spent most of the day in bed. After three months of this the pain got so bad I called an ambulance and they took me to A&E (UK so free). The put me on fluids and 5 hours later I was admitted to hospital. A week later I had part of my bowels removed. Turns out I had diverticular colitus, the shit had gotten backed up and I was close to my bowels perforating.

TLDR. OP. You have something wrong with you but it isn't called IBS and it can be serious
 
The Hobo

The Hobo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,031
colorblindmode said:
I've not been diagnosed with IBS, but I do have like 2-3 bowel movements a day usually. Sometimes it's just randomly explosive too. I should probably get checked for IBS.
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You can't really be checked for IBS. Rather, you are diagnosed with IBS only after other conditions like irritable bowel disease, celiac disease, bowel cancer, etc are ruled out.
 
Amalthea

Amalthea

Member
Dec 22, 2017
5,683
I had problems with IBS for decades, then it mostly stopped a few years ago. But due to the pandemic stress and depressions resurging it started again. Thankfully I got a doctor now who takes my bowel problems seriously and had it properly diagnosed.
They prescribed me acid reducers and some stomach relaxant. Now it feels much better.
Edit: As for the cause: My escopagheal spincther is underdeveloped and I produce too much stomach acid, so I can get acid reflux, bloating and diarrhea even when eating little and healthy.
 
Temascos

Temascos

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,519
Understanding what causes my flare ups has been a long struggle, but it's mostly due to stress and stress eating for me personally. I've had blood tests and scans for other things, including checking for celiac disease. No imbalances or anything that indicates any possible cancer or whatever which is reassuring in itself.

Thing is, stress, depression and anxiety can be vicious towards your own body, and it can make things so much worse on those levels. Like it's self-harming in order to match up with how you feel.

Of course it's different for everybody, and while solutions to it can overlap (Mainly with good lifestyle) there's a lot that has to be figured out and hopefully that it works out for all my fellow IBS Era folks.
 
IlGialloMondadori

IlGialloMondadori

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
5,495
I had IBS, pretty severe, for like the first 20+ Years of my life. I don't really know why, but it's gone now completely. I have zero issues.
I know I did change my diet considerably, including stopping drinking soda completely and only drinking water and coffee for the most part. Adding loads of fruit and veggies.
it does suck, but yeah, I guess it can go away, so don't give up hope.
It wasn't just stress for me. I went through the most stressful time in my life by far for the last two years, non stop intense anxiety and stress, and no ibs.
for me I'm guessing diet was largely the reason. Dropping most of the processed foods, adding loads of fruit and veggies, dropping soda and junk.
 

Joco

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,446
I have something wrong with my stomach but I don't know what. Lately every couple of months I get a really bad flare-up of abdominal cramping that leaves me laying in bed until it recedes. Not fun.

It also took a while for me to figure out I'm lactose intolerant. I still eat some dairy while taking lactase pills, but this is often inconsistent and while sometimes I'm fine, other times I'm running to the bathroom every half hour for hours.

I feel like stress is definitely a factor for me as well but struggle to reduce it.
 
big_z

big_z

Member
Nov 2, 2017
7,797
Lightning Count said:
When I go out I take spare shorts or trousers sometimes, identical in colour and fit to what I am wearing, so if I have an accident I can change and hopefully no one notices.
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See this is letting the ibs control you. That much worry just amplifies it. I never carried extra clothing. The craps were so watery and came so quickly if it went down it ain't going to be pretty. So I typically avoided food unless I knew for sure a toilet to accept my offerings was readily available.

In your case I would first get an endoscopy to rule out other diseases. I had one done, it sucks but it's good to verify what you're dealing with. If your poo tubes look normal but irritated then try the over feeding method I did. Make sure you get some fibre in there every meal. Start at recommended daily dosage for the fibre and add more if things don't thicken up after a couple days. Don't just 8x it unless you want a bad time.

Wackamole said:
Does diet help? Eating lots of veggies and not so much fat, for instance?
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In my experience not really but I ate relatively okay at the time I had ibs. I still had fast food and junk just not every day like some people so it could be diet dependant to some degree depending on your lifestyle choices. If you have food allergies you're unaware of or are lactose intolerant it will help.

The only exception I had was with specific carton ice creams and frozen pizzas. It's always a guarantee water slide after eating. I think certain brands use a preservative that doesn't sit right with me. But other than that I haven't run into ibs issues in years.
 
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barjed

barjed

Project Lead
Verified
Aug 31, 2018
1,504
Did you get a colonoscopy already? Could be a IBD like Ulcerative Colitis in a mild form. The symptoms match, watch for blood and clear, sticky mucus. I spent a whole year being treated for IBS until the doc finally ordered the scope and found the UC. In theory that's worse but once they put you on mesalazine it really helps.

Not sure about the diet. There is quite a lot of research on the net that says it doesn't change that much. In my case, when the IBD flares up it doesn't matter what I eat and vice versa. In a remission I could be eating all the bad stuff and nothing happens.

You could also ask your doc about Xifaxan (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifaximin) which is an antibiotic often used in these IBS cases. It's really effective usually and there's data that supports long term pain relief aftear treatment. It's frequently prescribed by gastroenterologists in Poland at least.
 
Wackamole

Wackamole

Member
Oct 27, 2017
16,935
meowdi gras said:
I'll only speak for myself and say, yes, improving my diet in this way has helped my own issues having to deal with a sensitive gut significantly.
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big_z said:
See this is letting the ibs control you. That much worry just amplifies it. I never carried extra clothing. The craps were so watery and came so quickly if it went down it ain't going to be pretty. So I typically avoided food unless I knew for sure a toilet to accept my offerings was readily available.

In your case I would first get an endoscopy to rule out other diseases. I had one done, it sucks but it's good to verify what you're dealing with. If your poo tubes look normal but irritated then try the over feeding method I did. Make sure you get some fibre in there every meal. Start at recommended daily dosage for the fibre and add more if things don't thicken up after a couple days. Don't just 8x it unless you want a bad time.



In my experience not really but I ate relatively okay at the time I had ibs. I still had fast food and junk just not every day like some people so it could be diet dependant to some degree depending on your lifestyle choices. If you have food allergies you're unaware of or are lactose intolerant it will help.

The only exception I had was with specific carton ice creams and frozen pizzas. It's always a guarantee water slide after eating. I think certain brands use a preservative that doesn't sit right with me. But other than that I haven't run into ibs issues in years.
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Thanks. I think it helps for me (eating lots of veggies). Fibers in veggies seem to help. Stress and shitty food aren't a good match. Well, they are if you want the full reach of IBS, i guess. And keep moving. Walk a lot. And drink plenty of water.

I had IBS in my teenage years and early twenties. Then i didn't really notice it anymore until till my 40's, when it became a thing again. Now it's something that really plays up more since i move less and sit more due to covid.
 
Arenesus

Arenesus

Member
Jan 30, 2018
147
Hellers said:
IBS is generally a shorthand for "There's something wrong down there but we have no idea what". I spent over a decade suffering from pretty much the same symptoms as the OP. Then out of nowhere I got really ill. The cramps got worse, I felt physically sick, I stopped eating (And pooing) and spent most of the day in bed. After three months of this the pain got so bad I called an ambulance and they took me to A&E (UK so free). The put me on fluids and 5 hours later I was admitted to hospital. A week later I had part of my bowels removed. Turns out I had diverticular colitus, the shit had gotten backed up and I was close to my bowels perforating.

TLDR. OP. You have something wrong with you but it isn't called IBS and it can be serious
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It could perfectly well be IBS, OP hasn't said if it's diagnosed or not. I do agree it's a diagnosis of exclusion. An extensive investigation would need to find nothing wrong a colonoscopy, blood work (for inflammation, celiac, anemia), stool sample (parsites and hidden blood) and a scan (CT or MRI) and maybe even a gastroscopy and SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). If all clear then IBS will be diagnosed, it's all down to the doctor or specialist how many investigations they want to take before providing you a diagnosis. I've known people to get a diagnosis after just a stool sample and blood work were all clear.
 
Seirith

Seirith

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,311
I have IBS-D and the only thing that is helping me is medication. Do not self diagnose, there are many things that act like IBS but could be something else, get a good doctor and have an endoscopy and colonoscopy done and then go from there.

On medication I have way less issues and stomach pain. I tried the IBS diet (Low Fodmap) and it made things worse for me.
 
Layla

Layla

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,783
barjed said:
Did you get a colonoscopy already? Could be a IBD like Ulcerative Colitis in a mild form. The symptoms match, watch for blood and clear, sticky mucus. I spent a whole year being treated for IBS until the doc finally ordered the scope and found the UC. In theory that's worse but once they put you on mesalazine it really helps.
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the exact same thing happened to me, get a colonoscopy.
mesalazine got things under control and with an elimination diet and a German supplement called "pc medicus 2.0 S" it's been in remission for 3 years now.
 
Seirith

Seirith

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,311
Hellers said:
IBS is generally a shorthand for "There's something wrong down there but we have no idea what". I spent over a decade suffering from pretty much the same symptoms as the OP. Then out of nowhere I got really ill. The cramps got worse, I felt physically sick, I stopped eating (And pooing) and spent most of the day in bed. After three months of this the pain got so bad I called an ambulance and they took me to A&E (UK so free). The put me on fluids and 5 hours later I was admitted to hospital. A week later I had part of my bowels removed. Turns out I had diverticular colitus, the shit had gotten backed up and I was close to my bowels perforating.

TLDR. OP. You have something wrong with you but it isn't called IBS and it can be serious
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This is not always true. I have been through many tests, blood work, stool samples and all of them have been fine. I have dealt with IBS for more than 10 years now and diet charge did nothing. I have never had any severe issues and I know quite a few people who also have IBS and have not had severe issues either.

You had a severe issue because you felt pain, stopped eating and stopped pooping and let it go for 3 months. So while the OP could have an issue that is more than IBS, IBS does exist.
 
pleaseinsertdisctwo

pleaseinsertdisctwo

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
14,991
Are you kidding me OP?

I love the abdominal cramps
and the intense heating of my abdomen
and the bloating
and the constipation
and the hemorrhoids
and the anal fissures

:)

IBS rules
 
astro

astro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
56,955
Firstly, I would consider speaking to a GP about your symptoms in case it could be something specific.

I have Ulcerative Colitis, which is an actual disease and more serious than general IBS, but I can fully empathise with you.

I go through all of these things. I first had symptoms when I was 20, right in the middle of college when I had massive social circles and many hobbies. At times i was basically crippled by it socially, and the anxiety and hit to self-confidence was pretty massive.

Been through a lot with it... It is similar enough to general IBS that I feel I can give advice here. Also.spoken with many people over the years about everything form the mildest form of IBS through to Chron's Disease.

There is no magic cure to any of this. Your Tigger foods and situations will be different to everyone else's. The common factor will almost certainly be that you do have trigger foods and stress is a trigger in itself.

The answer to this is pretty non-specific, but it all comes down to healthy living.

Good sleep, regular exercise, making sure you manage your diet strictly according to you and not some fad or whatever someone else told you "cured" them.

The single biggest tip I can give is to keep a daily diary. Write down what you did, how you felt, how much sleep you got and the quality of it, and everything you ate. Note what kind of symptoms you had on each day and, over time, you will be able to see clearly the things that contribute to this.

Stress is one of the biggest things, anxiety leads to stress. These things become compounded by the IBS itself, so it can be hard to manage. Things like meditation and taking time to concentrate on just sitting with yourself and making sure you understand how you feel can be a big help.

Hopefully some of that helped, you have my empathy and sympathy here but also my confidence that you will be able to find a way to manage this.
 
Shadow

Shadow

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,122
I have Crohn's disease and it freakin sucks sometimes yeah. It's been a lot better though and I'm not even on medication currently. Changing my eating habits(keeping a low fiber diet for instance) and getting rid of soda helped tons. Haven't had a big bloating episode in months. Sometimes it's dang noisy yet though.

Sounds weird but also knowing I have to deal with it in some form for the rest of my life honestly put me at ease. I'll never escape it, so why worry right? Well unless I get surgery(that may only last a limited time), but no way I can afford that right now.

Yeah I hate the bathroom part too, I'm happy that I'm home right now 100% of the time. I probably use the bathroom 5+ times a day easy.
 
Pankratous

Pankratous

Member
Oct 26, 2017
9,257
Fun fact: I only ever feel the need to poop when I'm at work, never at nights or the weekend. And the more stressed I am that day the worse it is.

I dunno if that's consistent with any form of IBS... or maybe it's the opposite of IBS? It's like I need stress to coax it out.
 
Gibbo

Gibbo

The Fallen
Nov 20, 2017
732
Yeah I hate stomach problems. Had really bad bloating for 3 months. Everytime it happens I have bad heart palpatations.

Took nexium for a month which didn't work. Did a gastroscopy to test for h pylori and check for tumors, and everything was OK.

16 hours Intetermittent fasting was the only thing that helped me though. I guess all that was needed was to give my stomach a break.
 
teruterubozu

teruterubozu

Member
Oct 28, 2017
7,892
Lightning Count said:
I'm self diagnosed when I spoke to my doctor about it, they agreed my symptoms are consistent with IBS, I am going to enquire to get an official diagnosis done soon.
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Yeah you need an official diagnosis from a gastroenterologist. Stomach illnesses are very difficult to diagnose. It is done by a process of elimination and can take months to a year. I was misdiagnosed with Crohns for along time and finally came to IBS after numerous visits. I finally have the rights meds and supplements and it has completely changed my life.
 
Red

Red

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,688
It's not good, OP. I've lost a good portion of my life just shitting out blood and mucus. You miss out on things. People become frustrated with you. It's tough to convince someone, yes I really need to go again.

I feel for you.
 
ace3skoot

ace3skoot

Member
Dec 3, 2018
815
Almost worse than the explosive diarrhea and stomach cramps is how red, inflamed and sore I get downstairs. I'm taking pain killers just to get through and it's better to stand for long periods of time so I don't have to sit, or sleep. Sending love OP I truly know how you feel
 
Warszawa

Warszawa

Member
Sep 30, 2018
334
I stick religiously to a Fodmap diet and its helped immensely but there still a couple of outliers that trigger my IBS. Stress and anxiety is a massive one, and my GF has been incredibly supportive.

I've found particular fruits high in natural sugars, and certain roots vegetables (onions, gas) that would cause maybe a bit of gas in anyone else gives me bad diarreha. Made paella the other day specifically with Peppers in, had a hunch there a no-no and whilst I didn't have intense diarreha they did cause some discomfort and bloating so thats another one to definitively strike off the list.

I've cut my sugar intake down a lot, no sugar in tea and coffee, eating a low sugar Granola with fruit in the morning to get the stomach moving and drinking lots of water helps. I also have a weird sensitivity to wine and vinegar which must be the sulphites, I can consume a glass of white or champagne although it doesn't make me feel great, but red wine? Its like the forth circle of hell, half a glass and within an hour my entire body has evacuated itself. Avoiding red wine in restaurant cooking can be a nightmare and I always ask for the ingredients for specific dishes I have a good idea will be cooked with wine, Italian/spanish food, although I find French couisine the worst culprit for it.

My GF is British Born Chinese so I've entered a whole new world of great tasting food, and a lot of it tends to be easy to cook and doesn't cause me too many issues digestibly. I travelled in mainland China for two weeks and along with great food, and a great experience I didn't have a single digestive issue which amazed me.

I often find if I get too panicked about eating I'll carb load lol, and then get bad constipation. Don't do this! If you find a high fibre diet problamatic try and reduce the amount thats good for you but still keeps you regular!

I would defiantly make a food diary for yourself OP. And also you 100% MUST stress the difficulties you've been going through with the doctor. I'm ready to go round two with my local Doctor. Many don't take it seriously enough. I've had to prognosis, tests when I was 21 and now in my 30s I'll go to the doctor when it gets bad and get fobbed off with a few .PDF prints of stuff I already know about IBS.

I've built the courage up to really go HAM on the Doctor and get some more serious tests done, even if I have to overstate the seriousness of it.

Getting up early in the morning and getting anxious on the train to work constantly planning a route to the nearest bathroom in case of an emergency is no way to live. I might not find a cure but I sure as hell will find ways to cope with it. And I hope you find some relief OP, stick at it, be consistent. You will feel better.
 
PrettyBigPotato

PrettyBigPotato

Member
Oct 27, 2020
238
I think you should try and push to get an official diagnosis. I only say this because I have ulcerative colitis, but when it first flared up when I was a teenager I was constantly told by GPs that it was just stress and all they would give me was buscopan which didn't help. Even though I was losing a lot of weight and was passing blood, they kept saying it was stress.

It was only after I collapsed and was taken to A&E that they pushed for me to get a colonoscopy and it was diagnosed as ulcerative colitis. I had to take a lot of different treatments before it went into remission, but it has been in remission for years and I am now on anti-inflammatories tablets which helps to control the symptoms.

I hope you are able to get some treatment OP to help you.
 

rras1994

Member
Nov 4, 2017
5,742
Seirith said:
This is not always true. I have been through many tests, blood work, stool samples and all of them have been fine. I have dealt with IBS for more than 10 years now and diet charge did nothing. I have never had any severe issues and I know quite a few people who also have IBS and have not had severe issues either.

You had a severe issue because you felt pain, stopped eating and stopped pooping and let it go for 3 months. So while the OP could have an issue that is more than IBS, IBS does exist.
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IBS is a set of symptons that they don't know what's causing it. Like it generally meams that you keep having problems and the tests just don't show anything up, which means you can get a diverse range of people diagonosed with it were very different things can help because the doctors really don't know what the cause is. It's why OP should defo push to get as many tests as possible as again IBS is just a set of symptons and they need to try and rule out what could be causing it as much as they can - it's just tests don't always pick everything up so they may really not find out what the cause is. Which then means the treatment is just trial and error.
 

Deleted member 3017

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,653
I've had ulcerative colitis since 2012 and it's pretty awful. It's stressful being out in public without a bathroom nearby or in a situation where immediate access to a restroom isn't possible. The worst thing though is the toll it's taken on our finances. I require a colonoscopy every two years and I recently received a $5,000 bill from the hospital, because my health insurance decided the procedure wasn't necessary this time, so I'm on the hook for the entire bill. Fun times. America's health care system is awesome.
 

thegreyfox

Member
Oct 25, 2017
72
There is a new blood test can test for IBS. Long story short, they figured out that food poisoning is responsible for 60-70% of IBS with diarrhea cases. The blood test looks for antibodies that were created after the food poisoning and that are attacking nerves that help clean the small intestine. With the nerves disabled you get small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. The bacteria is what causes diarrhea.

https://www.ibssmart.com/

https://www.ibssmart.com/ibs-test-available-internationally

Since you are in Scotland, I'm not sure how easy it will be for you to get it from the England clinic or lab. Your doctor might have to reach out to them for more info.
 
JAT

JAT

Member
Oct 27, 2017
882
OrbitalBeard said:
I've had ulcerative colitis since 2012 and it's pretty awful. It's stressful being out in public without a bathroom nearby or in a situation where immediate access to a restroom isn't possible. The worst thing though is the toll it's taken on our finances. I require a colonoscopy every two years and I recently received a $5,000 bill from the hospital, because my health insurance decided the procedure wasn't necessary this time, so I'm on the hook for the entire bill. Fun times. America's health care system is awesome.
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I was diagnosed with this last month. The last 6 months have been hell. I'm hoping it'll go away for awhile at least.
 
Jeffolation

Jeffolation

Member
Oct 30, 2017
7,117
Jam said:
Buscopan is your friend.
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The only thing that makes life bareable at this point. It's been hell since last summer and my gastroenterologist has no idea what's up and will probably refer to me another gastroenterologist after another CT scan. Losing my mind and the will to continue trying to deal with this.
 
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