I suffer from chronic IBS D and most mornings am unable to leave the house. I am currently controlling my symptoms as best as I can with Loperamide (Imodium) which doesn’t always work. I am due to attend my daughter’s graduation ceremony in just over a week’s time and am terrified of having an accident in public. The ceremony starts at 10.30 am, (the worst time of day for me), and the building where the ceremony is being held is very old and doesn’t have any toilets, which is adding to my anxiety. Does anybody have any advice on what I can do or take to avoid having to go to the toilet multiple times? Previously, I have tried taking 2 Loperamide tablets the evening before an event and another two first thing in the morning but this doesn’t always work. Seven years ago I followed the Fodmap diet but could not find any food triggers. Grateful for any advice. Living with IBS is a nightmare!
Written by
TyDerwen
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Not having a bathroom there gives me anxiety for you. What I have done when I've been in that position is to not eat the day before and take the imodium in the morning before leaving.
I also get up earlier than normal and get some movement in to get my digestive tract going. So if anything is going to happen, it will happen hours before I have to leave.
It's exhausting to need to worry about this & I'm sorry the day will be spent thinking about this. I hope you end up being able to enjoy the day.
One other thing is to call the place and check if they won't be putting porta potties out. Knowing that's there may help alleviate some of your anxiety.
There is an app you can download to your phone called "where is toilet" if you have it and you switch the location on in your phone the app will tell you where the nearest toilet is and actually direct you to it like a sat nav. It is free to use if you don't mind the adverts at the bottom of the screen.
I have been using it for about 6 weeks now and it's been great.
It might help you if you are worried where the closest toilet is.
If this sounds possible, perhaps you could persuade your GP to prescribe you a bile sequestrant, to see if it works. If you hurry you may get it in time for the graduation but I get the impresession it is something you have to play around with in order to get the right dosage. Questran (cholestyramine is probably the best as it's a powder so you can play with it. There is Questran Light too but I get the impression that is not so good, I believe it has artificial sweetners in it (bit stupid!). the other two bile sequestrants (colesevelam and colestipol) are tablets, I believe.
Don't know if this help but if you do go down this route, let me know how you get on, I would love to know.
Hello TyDerwen. O how I can empathise with you. I follow a low Fodmap diet, haven’t had caffeine for years and no longer drink any kind of alcohol. Imodium has let me down on occasion as well. I always feel very anxious when leaving home. Recently after a bad spell I spent three days indoors too scared to go out for fear of urgently needing the toilet. I missed a lunch with old friends and a music gig in the evening. Out of desperation I rang my surgery again and asked to speak to a different doctor than the one who had been dealing with me and who hasn’t been very sympathetic. I spoke to a lovely doctor who immediately prescribed Amitriptyline 25g. I have taken it before but 10g and the first doctor would not prescribe it again for me. Although I know the effectiveness will begin to fade soon, it’s great while it lasts. It started to work the next day after I’d taken the first tablet. Ask your doctor to give you these asap and I’m sure you will then be able to attend your daughters graduation. Good luck.
Oh...you poor thing...I suffer diagnosed IBS...and have lots of high fodmap triggers...You haven't but the processed food additives are the killer...if I eat any inulin, a common additive, my stomach really goes badly...also most, if not all, sweeteners...There are also 2 or 3 more additives that are bad for me that I can't remember
Ask your doc for a Rx for Cholestyramine (Prevalite). Yes, I know it controls cholesterol, but its also used for controlling diarrhea...works like magic!
I have IBS-D and am prescribed Codeine Phosphate by my GP. I take 2 x 15mg tablets at bed time. I was also recommended Golden Linseed which also helps, available from health food shops.
I also have the same problem. I take activated coconut charcoal powder to prevent and stop diarrhea. It may or may not work for you but it’s certainly worth a try. One piece of advice though - get a good quality one online - not from Holland and Barrett as their quality is not good. The brand I got is called Country Life and it’s very good. Hope that helps!
I had similar worries attending a function where there wasn’t a public toilet. I contacted the venue & explained about my IBS-d & they told me I could use the staff facilities & this eases my anxieties. Maybe worth contacting the organisers or venue. Good luck & enjoy the graduation.
Have you looked into Enterosgel? enteromed.co.uk/ It binds together bad toxins and expells them in the stool . I used this alongside Immodium to get me through Glastonbury and i did not have one bad day
Thank you for your helpful reply. I have just purchased Enterosgel but haven't tried it yet. How long does it take to work? Can you use it alongside Imodium?
I'm not sure on that one sorry, but they are pretty good at answering any questions. Yes you can use it alongside Imodium.. Imodium will do the slowing down, and the Enterosgel should expel the bad stuff affecting your belly. Don't get me wrong.. my anxiety does play a big part in it too.. but i did think that the Enterosgel alongside the immodium helped massively. And sometimes it can put your mind at ease if you are taking stuff that's supposed to help.. whether it does or not is a different question i guess! Best of luck!
I do empathise with you having suffered with IBS D for many years. It’s the urgency that worries me when I’m out, it’s not a fun thing to live with. You might like to try Silocol Gel, which has helped me through episodes. It’s not an instant fix like Imodium but over a few weeks seems to calm everything down for me. Worth a try?
Just jumping in here to say that I use Imodium and Enterosgel alongside each other and it keeps me most of the time on track, but I do still have what I call break through episodes from time to time. I find the Enterosgel works really quickly, within a day or two. On a regular basis I take one dose of Enterosgel in the morning and 1 Imodium at night, but you can use the Enterosgel up to three times a day and then I find it is very effective at stopping diarrhoea so might be very useful for your event. Also, I find the Enterosgel helps settle the gurgling and wind. Good luck and hope you can enjoy your daughter's graduation. We all sympathise with your plight.
Many thanks for your reply and kind wishes. I have purchased some Enterosgel and haven't used it yet. Will give it a try this weekend as a trial run to see if it works.
This is an awful situation made worse by anxiety. I know how you feel because I missed out on my son's graduation. The best advice I can give is to almost starve yourself for 48 hours before hand. Dont eat or drink anything with dairy, yeast onions etc . No white rice (basmati seems to be fine) wheat, oats, fruit or anything greasy during that time. It's going to be very difficult I know. I would recommend eating Farleys rusks as a breakfast and snack biscuit. Chicken and potatoes for dinner. Fish for lunch. Use soy milk in tea or coffee. No fizzy drinks (not many people realise that one). It's harsh but its only for 2 days and you might find you do feel better. For extra confidence wear loose trousers and some protective pants. Ask your wife or order on line some Tena pants. They are very discrete. Good luck. let me know how you get on.
Hi it's Garlic and Onions for me on the Fodmap plan, mornings are wirst fir me too, I take a Lopermide as soon as I wake up there supposed to work within an hour. Good luck
Hi, I have had IBS-D. SIBO, celiac, and now microscopic colitis. So I know how bad the diarrhea can be. I am often housebound. But in order to go to the doctor or other places, I take 2 Imodium in the AM the day before, and 2 around supper time. ( You might only need one each time if Loperamide is effective for you.) Then around 7:00 I have a snack. After that I fast overnight and until the event is over the next day. It is certainly not the greatest solution but it does work. You can drink water so you don't get dehydrated. If you fast for that length of time , when you finally get to eat, it does not seem to cause diarrhea until the next day or even longer, And it is possible that you might get a bit constipated depending on how the loperamide works for you. Loperamide (Imodium) is helpful but very unpredictable. Also, in the future you might keep a food/ GI diary. Sometimes you can see a pattern and work with it to be able to get out a little. Oh, and for me, very often just putting food into my mouth signals the gut to move along so that can be a trigger to remember. I never eat anything when I am out and about. Good luck. Life can really be hard for us.
Call your GP. You would not want your IBS to interfere with your daughters achievement. The toilet situation is worrying call them and explain if it is a gathering there must be toilets near by. All the best and I hope you can sort something and well fond to your daughter.
My Doctor prescribes me 15mg Codeine Phosphate I usually take one everyday in the morning after I have been to bathroom , but when I have a really bad flare up I have been told I can take up 30mg every 4 hours , it makes you feel a bit woozy at first but keeps Diarrhea at bay so you can go about and carry on with normal life or at least leave the house to get some things done however my doctor told me IBS is basically all controlled by anxiety etc and as strange as this is most Saturdays when I don't have to go work I normally have control over my stomach it's very strange but yes maybe , hope this helps
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Laxido help and advice needed!
Advice please- I’m fed up!! 
hello new and in need of advice
Ibs + Citalopram - advice needed 
