Is Living a Normal Life Again Possible?

[ViviSov]

Hi, I'm new here, hoping for help from the forum. My diarrhoea started on 13th June, 2022 and has continued daily to date (11th August, 2022). After a range of tests, which were all normal, my GP has diagnosed IBS-diarrhoea. I've started a low dose of amitriptyline and I also use loperamide occasionally but I still can't travel very far from home and it's disrupting my family greatly, not to mention my state of mind. Is there any hope out there? Thanks in hope.

[Luisa22]

A normal...ish life might well be possible for you.

I started with IBS in 2018 looking back with hindsight. In early 2020 it came back and then didn't really go away. I was diagnosed in summer 2020.

I did everything I could....low fibre diet so long as I could get something fairly healthy to eat each day even if it was only one portion of some veg that was safe for me, and took vitamin supplements to help me through. Went on the low Fodmap elimination diet, and after a couple of months, re-introduced some foods very very gradually and slowly.

Through 2020 and 2021 it was so up and down. Sometimes I got horrible flare ups for no reason I could understand.

I never took any drugs, at all. I experimented with Tormentil herbal tincture (helped slightly) diet,(helped somewhat)...and silicol gel (didn't seem to help)

But I went to see a professional homeopath. I have been going to her since September 2020, monthly. Slowly and very gradually I did notice some improvement, but I still get set backs, though not as bad as last year.

There were times I honestly thought I was dying. When I look back it makes me want to cry.

Now I don't feel like that at all. I get some upsets but they so far fingers crossed are not bad, and pretty easily manageable.

Just when I think I am winning, and feeling 100% normal, I slip back a couple of steps, but it is nothing like it was! Just gas in the mornings, slightly loose stool once a day, some lower abdo distension in the evenings at times. Not every day. Manageable for me. My life feels so much more normal really, even with the setbacks.

I have a strong hope of being my normal self again (albeit older and heading for 70!) I never let go of that hope, and when I look at my improvement over 2+ years I know it's not as bad as it was. I keep on with my life, and my jobs each day, very physical work. I eat what I can that suits me, and enjoy my food. I experiment with foods sometimes when my gut is doing okay, see how they go. Sometimes I can eat more in days to come....sometimes not. It's a balancing act.

Wishing you all the best.

[ViviSov in reply to Luisa22]

Thank you for your IBS history. So helpful to hear of other sufferers' stories. My problem is that my family want me to attend all sorts of gatherings and I daren't leave the house until I've had at least one movement. Travel to France will be, erm, difficult. They will just have to be patient while I work this out. I wish you all the best.

[Luisa22 in reply to ViviSov]

IBS is bad enough when we are left alone quietly in the morning to cope with it, but other people think we should be able to do all these things. Do your family understand about your IBS? (actually I wonder if anyone who hasn't got IBS ever really understands.)

Would it help at all if you re-arranged your sleeping time and wake up times? So that you have at least 2 hours quietly every morning, and preferably 3 before you have all these demands put on you by family?

But I admit that travelling won't be as easy as when you can stay put somewhere.

Take all the remedies/medicines etc with you that you might need. Do you have D or C? In which case take whatever usually helps you in an emergency....Imodium, or laxatives etc.

And no matter what anyone else thinks, insist on eating plain foods, the foods that you know suit you, and don't eat anything spicy, fancy, rich, etc

[winfong]

I've had it off and on for 40 years. Right now, it's very manageable.

[Bull-dog21]

Hi I have also started low dose of amitriotyline and I must admit I feel so much better ! I used to dread getting upWith all different pains and ailments ! I take them at night and get a better nights sleep

As well as settling my bowel ! Hope you get some relief !

[ViviSov in reply to Bull-dog21]

Thank you. 😊

[corpgov10]

What caused the change? Diet, stress? Are there any controllable factors that you let slip of in June when this started happening? I'd focus on that instead of putting this drug, that drug inside you and spending/wasting money on specialists.

Keep a daily food diary and record of what you do. For every cause has an effect.

As for me, as soon as I got rid of my stress and increased my exercise, my IBS has become very manageable and I find I can eat most things now all of a sudden. Suddenly no drugs are needed. I say this after having every investigation done to rule out major concerns - this is important.

[ViviSov in reply to corpgov10]

Thanks. I could certainly increase my exercise as it's dropped off over the Covid years and my husband's increasing inability to walk (he's 88). I think I could do with a dog, but my husband is not keen since our last lovely Rex died in 2002. I do look after our daughter's dog when they go on holiday, and that is a joy!

[Luisa22 in reply to ViviSov]

Aww...it would be so nice to have a dog. They are the best friends. I can understand how your husband feels though. His heart is still with Rex. Mine is with my lovely girl who passed years ago. I haven't got another dog yet.

[xjrs]

There is much that can help your symptoms. IBS can be due to a gut bacterial imbalance (along with stress). In the first instance I would try Alflorex probiotic that has been scientifically studied for IBS. There is also the Nerva gut directed hypnotherapy app to help deal with stress.

[ViviSov in reply to xjrs]

That sounds very helpful. Thank you, I'll investigate those. I've certainly been stressed, not unusual for me. But why it suddenly had an effect from 13th June I don't know. Thank you for your tips.

[Sunshineonmyshoulder]

I've had loose, watery stools daily since March, 2021. Most tests have come back normal, but I did test positive for SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). I've had a couple rounds of the antibiotic rifaximin and an herbal antimicrobial, as well as followed the low FODMAP diet, and I'm better only in the sense that the diarrhea is now much more predictable (just in morning after breakfast), and I don't have any pain. Have you been tested for SIBO? Many people have success with rifaximin

[ViviSov in reply to Sunshineonmyshoulder]

Thanks. My GP tested me for everything in the protocol and all was negative. Bacteria was tested for but I don't know whether SIBO is something different to my investigations. I've not changed my, very healthy, diet since at least 2004 and don't know why I've got this now since 13th June. I'm grateful for this forum, very helpful.

[Luisa22 in reply to ViviSov]

When my IBS started up full force (like you on a certain date! March 7th 2020) ...the one thing I absolutely HAD to do was change my "very healthy diet" that I had lived on for about 40 years! Suddenly all the lovely healthy foods...fruits...nuts...veggies...lentil stews etc were all just going straight through me. As soon as I switched to the plainest and not always considered "healthiest" options, I could get a tiny foothold with my IBS. and could always calm down a flare to some extent by eating few veggies, white rice, white bread toast, stewed apple, peeled everything, steamed white fish. It's taken a while and some fails and successes to be able to eat much more healthily now but I still have to watch out and there are still many veg. and fruits that I can't even look at.

[Rod2020]

Hi, I have ibs m I would try taking some more loperamide when going out, I have to do this and it does help and with cutting out some dairy/milk is helpful to me too, hope that helps x

[Hidden in reply to Rod2020]

I've cut out lactose and it's made a huge difference.

[Rod2020]

I also take a low dose nortriptyline 10mg at night.

[Liz1234ty]

Hi ViviSov, yes there is always hope! I suffered from IBS-C in my early 20s then got better (using peppermint pills that my GP directed me to) for over 15 years. Then in my late 30s I started to suffer from really bad bloating and gas, was diagnosed with SIBO (after paying for a private test) and then having been trying various remedies over the last 5 years. My current trial of Symprove and Kefir (both probiotics) is going well so far but it is early days. If you are not getting much relief from your current medicines there are a number of other options available so in the first instance I'd recommend going back to your GP but there are also some great suggestions above and if you can find any triggers for your symptoms such as lack of sleep, or stress, or food or drink intolerance that can be a great place to start to address these.

[Hidden]

HelloIve had IBS for over 20 years and i struggled with it for about the first 15, i tried loads of things but they didnt really help. But i did find some things that did help.

Regular exercise (weight training and cardio)

Removing lactose

Drink Ginger tea

Taking probiotics

Cutting down on tea coffee.

Reducing the amount of food that i eat.

Im sort of normal these days, but i do have the occasional flare up. But i take Ginger tea when i do flare and it seems to put a stop to it...

I hope you manage to find a way.