Constant toilet trips

[PCOSLIFE]

Why is it I’m constantly on the toilet at the minute even if I eat something I ate yesterday that didn’t bother me I had just finished my toast this morning and wasn’t even finished the last mouth full and I had the urge to go the toilet when the toilet and it’s loose. I haven’t had a normal poo for ages I just want it to stop now. I’m fed up and emotional low. Please help advice if u can. Thanks

[Lisaworthy1981]

I’m exactly the same! It’s driving me crazy!

[Merlin8]

When you eat it’s like telling your digestive system to come out of standby. It all fires up again, hence the “need to go”. In my own experience it’s what I ate 24 hours previously that is a trigger. I have to go at least three times before I leave for work. I count that as a good morning if that happens and I don’t get the stomach cramps to go with it.

[xjrs]

Have you been formally diagnosed with IBS?

IBS is diagnosed by eliminating anything else via a stool sample and blood tests:

nhs.uk/conditions/irritable...

If you have any bowel symptoms that are not normal for you, you should always get an appointment with your GP for them to carry out investigative tests.

If you are diagnosed with IBS, you can check back in here, since there is much that can be done to help your symptoms. By the way statistically far more people come back with an IBS diagnosis than anything else, but it isn't best to assume.

[PCOSLIFE in reply to xjrs]

Hi

Yeah I was diagnosed a few years ago but I have noticed I go through different times where I’m fine for weeks on end and then I’m not and have diahorria all the time. I take Colofac sometimes as and when I need it and I take Imodium if the diahorria is that bad. Mine is due more to stress and high anxiety levels as I have recently found out. I have had a cancer check they did that this year just to be safe and it came back clear.

But yes please please if u have any ideas and tools for a better life I can live as I’m done with this feeling rubbish and fatigue all the time. And going back and fourth the toilet all the time most days.

Thanks

[xjrs in reply to PCOSLIFE]

Sorry to hear things have been up and down for you.

Here is some information about IBS that I have shared with others in this group:

IBS can be due to a number or combination of factors - these can be stress (including stress from early life experiences) which impacts the communication between the brain and the digestive system. There are lots of free webinars online at the moment regarding mindfulness meditation which might help. Plus you can ask to be referred for CBT or something similar to reduce your anxiety - I would have thought online appointments are available. Exercise can play a major role in IBS in terms of reducing stress, helping your gut microbiome and regulating bowel movements.

There is also not absorbing certain types of carbohydrates called FODMAPs very well, the residue ending up in the colon and bacteria feeding off them causing symptoms. Ordinarily feeding gut bacteria is a really good thing - when you feed good gut bacteria these produce by-products that have great health effects in the gut and throughout the body. However, in some people with IBS bad bugs might have the upper hand over good - these bad bugs may cause symptoms such as excess gas, pain or disordered bowel movements. There is an interesting infographic on this here:

gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/....

This is why it’s worth trying probiotics such as Alflorex (which has been scientifically studied for IBS) or Symprove to crowd out the bad bugs and make their numbers die down. If that doesn't work you can try the FODMAP elimination and reintroduction diet. This is normally under the guidance of a nutritionist via GP referral - this may not be possible at the moment so you can read about it online. If you download the Monash University FODMAP app it will tell you which foods contain FODMAPs and in what quantities. You can eliminate all FODMAPs for 2 weeks and then introduce each type of FODMAP one at a time starting in small quantities, increasing over a 3 day period and wait up to 4 days for symptoms. I go much slower than this - only introducing a small amount (1/4 to 1/3 of a normal portion size) of the same food for 3 days and then increase if tolerable or no symptoms and cut back to the previous amount if symptoms for longer and then try to increment again . I've read your microbiome can adapt to handling a new food if introduced very slowly and your bad bugs are under control with a good probiotic. Ideally you want to eat as many FODMAPs as you can since they are good for your health. Many people with IBS don't have diverse gut bacteria - it has been found that people who lack a diverse microbiome are more prone to diseases in general. In the long run, if you can get your symptoms under control, the ideal situation is to have a very varied diet - lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables, a variety of protein and carbohydrate sources including cereal fibres. This may seem a long way off, but with the right treatment all of this is possible. Last year all I could consume to control my IBS was white rice, protein and limited low fodmap veg. Using the approach above (particularly introducing Alflorex) I am now able to consume far more foods - more than I've ever dreamed of including wholewheat bread which is unheard of for me.

If you are also suffering from pain, you may be suffering from visceral hypersensitivity (functional abdominal pain) - there is info about it here:

iffgd.org/lower-gi-disorder...

It is where the brain interprets the normal activity of the bowel as pain - this is due to a wearing down of neurons in pain control centres of the brain which can be caused by PTSD, neglect or abuse in childhood, extreme stressful events etc. The first line treatment is nerve pain agents such as low dose amitriptyline. There is a theory that being on something like amitriptyline for 6-12 months can help the pain control centre neurons to regenerate. Note that amitriptyline can cause constipation, but this can be helpful in people who are diarrhea dominant. Unfortunately I couldn't tolerate these. Linaclotide (for IBS-C only) & Alflorex have helped me with this intestinal pain.

You may also find assistance enteric coated peppermint.

You can find some info on self management here:

theibsnetwork.org/the-self-...