Hi everyone. I hope everyone is doing okay in these current times. I figured I might try to write down my daily life living with IBS. I'll get up and I need to use the toilet it's usually for about an hour or so, I've been like this for many years, must be a bloke thing. I tend to get belching episodes and a bit of stomach pain , like hunger pains. Then I have my breakfast which is hard as I sometimes have to force down myself. I feel ok for a while the odd belch/ gassy episode. I suffer with heartburn/ empty stomach type feeling and I get anxious about eating sometimes, I can feel the anxiety coming on right now as I write this.
I'm on a gluten free dairy free diet as I'm wheat intolerant. I dont eat onions or garlic as they say that it can aggravate the stomach more. I dont want to take tablets like gaviscon etc as they can be bad if taken long term.
I'll be honest I sometimes wake up thinking I wish I didn't, but I know that its because I am scared of the day ahead and what my stomach will do today , I go to bed earlier now so I don't need to put up with the bloating and generally feeling bleurgh.
Thought id share to see if anyone else was in a situation similar to myself.
Manny
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Mannyg60
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Hi Manny, I can totally relate to how you feel. Anxiety is not a friend to IBS at all , and the loop is difficult to slip. It is a case of pushing through it. That sounds easy, but it's not. You do not realise this until you 're having a good day, but seem to forget again the next time you have a bad day. This is what it's like for me. I am sure my brain forgets on purpose as some type of coping thing.
I can feel anxious, and physically feel bowl movements, reading most of the stories, and questions, on here. So depending on how I feel I pick and choose when I read, and what I respond too.
I think everyone's journey is different, so I find it hard to give advice to others, more I just tell them my experience because I know how I feel, and what is running through my mind. All I can tell you is that life is amazing, scary, sad, joyful and I always consider those around me, and how let down they would feel if I suddenly wasn't here. This is my driver to keep going and to try and understand more of what makes me tick. Whilst doing this I normally find contradictions in what others tell me, especially GP's, and those that do not suffer but who try to fix me.
I can tell you I took everyones advice, and did everything; move away, start again ( started again 4 times), find a girl, settle down, get married, have children, don't eat this, or that. Change your job, stress less... I could go on, but despite all that I feel broken, and I would be lost if not for one person, my daughter. She is my driving force. It's been just us too since she was 2 years old. But if I look back at all these suggestions which I took and made a goal, I met them all. It's just they didn't fix me, just allowed me to push through all the episode during the journey.
So for me, goals are what put me here today, and now I listen to everyone, but only act on what I want to do, and what I feel is best for me and my lil girl (now 12).
Hope this helps, because you are not alone at all.
Thankyou it's tough but I have to keep going. I'm exactly the same, I read stuff on here and then I regret it but I can't help myself. I guess I should do the same as you. I think Covid has a part in this too, uncertainty and fear for the future. Anyway onwards and upwards, thanks once again for your reply, it's helpful
Wow MrAddy, your post hit me. There are less blokes on here than ladies, who tend to put up with this in silence. It is partly because IBS is completely misnamed. It not about irritable bowels, but is a digestive disorder which is reversible in many cases. I have just replied to Manny in his thread with what I learned.
It isn't easy. I have had a three week flare up, the worst I have ever experienced. Thankfully it seems to be over, but I am not yet ready to trust myself yet. That is part of the anxiety, When you are in the middle of it, you just cannot see it getting any better. But when it does, you don't trust that it is better.
My symptoms are different, but we all experience it differently. In recent years I have suffered more from loose bowel movements and faecal incontinence.
First thing in the morning is bad for me too. During a flare up I have to wear nappies at night, as I can struggle to get to the bathroom in time. From waking to going I have about a minute. I often end up doing it in the nappy half way to the bathroom. Not a great start to the day, and it is usually just the first movement first thing, with a third by mid morning. I dare not go out without either having had a third movement or wearing pads or pull-ups just in case.
As Mr Addy has said, do try to remember that not every day is like the worst day. I try to get into a routine during a flare up. My issue right now is letting go of it and trusting that i will be okay.
And do keep sharing. You are far from alone. There are a lot of us out here
Have you been getting any help with your IBS? 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. The year before last 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 now being 03:05, I am up and dealing with my IBS. I’d not consider it a ‘man thing’ at all, as I’m female. I think giving birth to my 4 girls may have given away my gender to many midwives. LolMy IBS has no pattern to it. It also does not care if it’s day or night. I’ve lived with this condition for many years now. I have been diagnosed with diverticulitis & also been through 3 colonoscopies. Wouldn’t wish those on anyone.
I suffer with anxiety, depression & stress, which in turn can worsen the intensity of my symptoms. I swing between Imodium & glycerol suppositories like a monkey swings through trees.
I was taking mebeverine for a number of years and this did keep it a little more under control. For some reason it was stopped and I’ve not been offered it again. I take beta blockers for heart palpitations, also anti-depressants & a number of other medications for my other conditions. I can’t say that I’ve found anything that stops the inevitable ‘downfall’ of an IBS attack. The only thing I can say, is that codeine & morphine most certainly make for some awful constipation. This is ok, as I’m unable to take codeine and don’t have any morphine. I only found that out, after surgery on my back. I was sent home with a small bottle to last a few days. Wow, constipation is NOT welcome after lower back surgery. Just can’t win.
Hi Manny. It's totally crap isn't it. I've had it for 20 probably 30 years . It comes and goes and I've tried loads of things like certain pills cutting out foods but it always comes back. I've always suspected wheat as pasta gets me every time. I've recently had a bad bout of cramps in left side so told doctor I'm pretty sure it was some noodles that set it off and think I'm wheat intolerant. I've had to eat foods with wheat for the last few weeks for test to show positive and have never been so Ill. The doctor said it sounds like celiac but test results came up negative. So back to square one. Sorry can't be much help but one thing does stop my bouts. The sunshine. Been going away the last 10 years to tenerife in winter and it clears up every time even though I eat and drink anything I like and get it only mild in summer if at all.
Thankyou, sunshine certainly lifts your mood.ive spoken to the doctor and he's sending a sample away to test for pylori, waiting to hear the results, hopefully this will help to pinpoint what treatments I may need.
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