I've just found this forum after being told by my GP a few months ago that I have IBS. I've felt that I was sensitive to certain foods for quite a few years, but my stomach issues seemed to get much worse over the summer. The GP did a blood test and stool sample which came back normal, so they diagnosed IBS. I guess I'm here because I'm feeling quite down about it. I've always loved food and cooking and now everything I eat seems to make me feel ill and causes diarrhoea. I haven't really talked to my partner or family about it as I'm a bit embarrassed talking about toilet problems, so if anyone has any advice I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm only 31 and this problem seems to have come from nowhere, I just dont know what to do and it does worry me sometimes that it might be something more sinister.
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Elisa89
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Hi Elisa and welcome to a very good site. My name is Shaun, firstly sweetheart please do not feel down. We are all friends on here and are going through pretty much the same.
We are like one great big IBS family, so anything you may want to say and holding back just let rip, I was 31 when I was diagnosed am now 39, and had a few years relief and now it has come back with a vengeance, so much so I am now on a tablet called Mebeverine, they are great. My advice is DO NOT SUFFER IN SILENCE. If you want to get something off your chest we are all going through the same don’t hold back darling just let rip, if it makes you feel any better I messed myself in Tesco the other day whilst I was shopping with my partner.
My advice is talk to your doctor about having some tests done maybe even a colonoscopy I know that sounds scary but to get to the bottom of these problems we have to undergo some tests to figure out the problem.
Always here if you want a friendly ear or just to offload your problems
Try to get a colonoscopy done ( it can be done by CT scan nowadays so not so invasive)to reassure you of no sinister problems, then try cutting out FODMAPs from your diet. (Google this). Finally try reducing your stress, by any method you can. I have psychotherapy. It is expensive but very worth it. I was able to tolerate any foods till stressful events recently and now I have IBS and like you it seems as if anything eaten can set it off. But I think I just haven't found the cause yet and stress has suddenly made my gut sensitive to something and it swells up and aches. Good luck. Dont give up.
Good that you have had all the tests done. Please don't worry about having anything sinister, since your tests came back fine. It would be good if you could talk to your family and partner about it, they should be happy to support you.
Here is some information about IBS that I have shared with others in this group in case any of these tips are of interest to you:
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 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:
This is why it’s worth trying probiotics such as Alflorex (which has been scientifically studied for IBS) 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 and Kings College fodmap apps, they 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:
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 with anti-spasmodic medication such as mebeverine (Colofac) or enteric coated peppermint.
If all of the usual IBS remedies fail and you are experiencing diarrhea, it is worth getting tested for BAM (Bile Acid Malabsorption), which can cause constant diarrhea - there is a separate test and treatment for that. Good luck.
It is surprisingly depressing not being able to enjoy eating or cooking isn't it, I've been there too, and I thought it was going to be a life sentence but I am back to eating normally now. You will find lots and lots of good advice in here; as well as asking questions you can search old posts by people who might not be still in the group to answer questions. IBS has multiple possible causes, and different solutions work for different people, so don't lose heart but keep looking for what will help you.
If you haven't gone through proper tests then make GP refer you for those. IBS is normally what they diagnose you with when they've ruled out things they can actually diagnose (like Crohns & Colitis etc). IBS can come out of the blue - my brother developed it in his late 20s after a bad bout of food poisoning (I've had it since teens).
It can get you down so do talk to people about it. You don't have to give details. Just that your stomach gives you problems and can cause discomfort. It does get better, you learn to manage it with time. You may have to adjust your diet a bit but you'll learn what you should avoid altogether and what you can indulge in occasionally. And there are drugs that work for some people - bug your gp about options.
Thank you everyone for your kind and helpful comments, I really appreciate it. Since Christmas was over I have tried cutting out foods that I know dont agree with me and it does seem a bit better, so im glad about that. It's good to know that I'm not alone in this and that other people have gone through similar, if not worse and have had improvements. The gp seemed to think that the blood test and stool sample were enough to he sure it was IBS so I may go back and ask for further tests if it stays bad, and I'll definitely look into everything you have all suggested.
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