I get IBS symptoms only occasionally, maybe once or twice a year but sometimes less, and for up to a week, with no known trigger.
While I realise that lots of people will just tell me to count my blessings, it does mean that a lot of the advice I’m reading about diet doesn’t seem very helpful.
Is there anyone else like me?
It's probably just a tummy bug or something you have eaten which is on the turn or off!
You could be right, but the symptoms don’t seem the same as upsets in the past. No nausea, and the bloating and intermittent cramps are different too. With a gastric upset I’d expect my system to be trying to rid itself of everything as quickly as possible!
I feel Like I’m the same as you. Mine first started 17 years ago when I was at university. I tried cutting out milk, eating healthier, cutting down on alcohol, cutting it out, the same for coffee… I took some supplements and nothing helped.
But over time they got less common. Now I get symptoms once or twice a year. Usually only for 3-4 days of bloated, painful cramps and constipation. There seems no real trigger.
But I’m in the middle of a very bad attack. On Wednesday I drank a bit too much. Since then my stomach has been bad. Painful, bloated, and I’ve been a little low on energy. I spent time alone in the mountains and ate very well, drank only water, and while I was no longer painful, I wasn’t comfortable.
Last night I shared a bottle of wine and this morning it’s really bad again.
It suggests the trigger is alcohol…but I’ve been drinking alcohol fine for years with triggers very rare (not saying it didn’t happen, just none are memorable).
The fact these are so rare and most of the time have no real physical triggers suggests they’re caused by emotional triggers.
I’ve read some studies that show a potential benefit for cbd oil use. I’ve not seen a confirmed 100% link but the studies do look promising to my untrained eye.
If this doesn’t go away quickly, I might try it.
Sounds like alcohol to me and you are not ready to accept it. So are looking for other reasons. I was the same with dairy.
you are not alone,as yet there does not seem to be many answers.
Hi poshette, I have just read your profile page and see you have had your problems since your gallbladder was removed. I suggest you take a look at the link below, you may have BAM (Bile Acid Malabsorption).
gutscharity.org.uk/advice-a...
All the best, Maureen.
Thanks everyone. My main reason for coming on this site was to find short term solutions to the current symptoms whereas most of the official guidance seems based on lifestyle changes, which aren’t what I feel I need due to the infrequency of my attacks. I watched a video yesterday that talked about making one change to diet at a time, then seeing if it helps over a fortnight. As I’ve never had a bout that lasted that long, it doesn’t seem to help and I find myself wanting to avoid everything in case that will make it worse!
The past four days I’ve just reduced the volume of food and avoided things that somehow feel as though they would be hard to digest, but that’s not helped so today I have eaten nothing except a Snackajack!
It doesn’t help that I have no idea how long after eating something I would expect the symptoms to occur, so I might be blaming what I’ve just eaten while it could be something else entirely.
I just don’t know what to do with myself.
That's basically how the rest of us feel but after having it more or less daily for 35 years it's a bit draining to say the least!
I can’t imagine living with this level of pain all the time, I really feel for those who get no respite.
I get ibs symptoms lasting a couple of months once every year or two. Had all sorts of tests that have been negative- thus the ibs diagnosis. Last one, i think, was triggered by too much quinoa. Lasted 2 months, then went away. Have had periods of severe constipation and bms that are so large they cause tearing. Then the sx disappear. Did try FODMAP diet this last, quinoa related episode and seemed to help, but may have got better on own. Very unpleasant and don't usually know of a trigger. Don't know what to advise, but yes, these occasional episodes can happen. They are scary and j wonder if they are here to stay each time. I am grateful that, so far, they have resolved themselves. I really feel for those who deal with this continually.
I also get occasional bouts of severe constipation but hadn’t made the connection as it doesn’t usually have any of the other symptoms. In fact I do recall that the previous attack to this one started off with one of these bouts.
If you are constipated for a length of time, you can get what is called overflow diarrhoea, when the new stuff pushes past the old!
Yes I’ve heard of this, andwas beginning to wonder whether that’s what might be happening this time, but I don’t think it is, fortunately.
I feel like I am vanishing :-(
I am new here - question 
Losing who I am to IBS-D
IBS? Triggering anxiety 
IBS since i was little I am now 28
