I’ve had IBS now for 2 weeks,I have different pills to take from my doctor but nothings happening/ or changed
I’m so bloated & look about 7 months pregnant ,my bellies so tender & I feel so uncomfortable & sluggish , it gurgles all day & all night,
How long does this last ?
IBS can last for years, however, for some people there are periodic flare ups followed by a relatively calm digestive tract. Has your doctor told you about the FODMAP diet. This is usually recommended to people with IBS. You can find a lot of information about it online. Also, after a time you learn how to manage your symptoms a bit better.
You need to be on the low Fodmaps diet. Also cut out alll dairy/lactose. A dietician told me not to eat fruit, especially banana and tomatoes. Dont drink fuzzy drinks of any kind. No alcolhol. No onions, garlic or spices. Many people with IBS cannot tolerate porridge. Hope this helps.
All the things I like , but I will try anything to make it go away, thank you so much x
Hi Willow, I think it depends on what the pills are. Some pills take some time to kick in, and when they start to react they are slow depending on dosage.
When you say you have had IBS for 2 weeks, is this constipation, so you unable to go to the loo, which is why you're bloated.
Feeling bloated, gurgles and uncomfortable is actually my natural state so feel this way most of the time. If I need help to go I have to take movicol, but I normally have an episode or two within a few weeks where I get IBS-D. Then the gurgling remains but the bloating subsides with feeling uncomfortable.
Hope they find the cause and the correct way to reduce the symptoms soon though 
I’m not always constipated, I sometimes go the other way , but tummy gurgles all the time & so loud , also bad tummy aches with it , I have to go back to the doctors next week , if no change . When she examined my belly ,& it was tender to touch ,She said she could feel a blockage !! How can she ?
Yeah, if you're blocked up you can feel it too, if you know where to push. So I understand if a GP can feel there is a blockage. I am always tender on the left hand side and waiting for a CT scan. Not had one before.
But if nothing is working with the pills, there are many types of medication and it can take some different combinations, as well as, trial and error. This is the hardest part.
But keep going back until you start to feel better.
I have had IBS for 23 years. It can be a life long condition, in which symptoms can come and go, but there is much that can be done to help your symptoms.
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:
gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/....
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:
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 with anti-spasmodic medication such as mebeverine (Colofac) or enteric coated peppermint.
You can find some info on self management here:
theibsnetwork.org/the-self-...
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.
IBS I still struggle to find solutions for my ibs I've ibs c , I've started taking obifibre and avoid gluten and dairy. Its really hard to gain control of it but avoid to many laxatives as your bowel becomes lazy and its nightmare we all understand what your going through good luck x
I know its horrible I get a sore back and legs and pelvic area with my symptoms it makes you feel awful, I've tried so many things like flaxseeds, silicolgel,fibrogel etc it's hard to get e right things but I hope you find something that works for you x
The obifibre seems to be helping me I got it on Amazon I also ordered linseeds its worth a try x
Definitely agree with the low fodmap diet! You can get more info here: casadesante.com/pages/low-f...
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