Feeling a bit sorry for myself!😔

[JulieB5200]

Hi everyone,just wanted to write how I am feeling for a bit of moral support 😊.My gut is so unsettled today and I don’t even know why.Been taking laxido every other day for the past week to try ease the painful constipation.Then this evening just as I was about to leave the house to go for a family meal,the griping started in my bowel. I struggled to drive with the pain and cramping.Had to quickly go to the loo as soon as we arrived at the restaurant. I then sat with a warm drink unable to eat anything for a good 20 minutes.Then I’d to run on the loo again whilst my family were eating.Still in fairly bad discomfort I attempted to eat just a plain roast dinner,nothing spicy.The pain starting subsiding and I managed to eat a little but not much.I felt better but then after eating my supper just porridge the cramping started again and I have just had to go to the loo again 😴.Now my gut feels like I’ve been in a fight,sore,crampy and colicky. I want to go to bed as it’s midnight and I’m tired but need to feel better.Does anyone else have days like this?Just gets on my nerves.If only we knew the cause and a solution.x

[Luisa22]

So sorry you had a rotten time when it was meant to be a nice family meal out. This is unfortunately fairly typical of IBS. It throws a hissy-fit to upset our plans more often than it lets us get away scot free.

An ordinary roast dinner....there could be things in that which upset you. I know because there are many things I used to happily eat that I can't now. It could have been the fats the potatoes were roasted in....skins on potatoes?....carrots, cauliflower, peas or whatever? Some veggies can set off an IBS do. It takes a bit of practice to find out which veggies are safe for you and which aren't. Gravy....may contain onion powder. The list of possibles goes on.

I know one thing for a fact (I don't know if it's the same for you or not. It might not be)....but a roast dinner I could not do. My only help diet wise has been from eating plain steamed veggies, plain cooked fish and eggs, or meat if you eat meat. And plain cooked carbs. I only use salt as a seasoning now. Even pepper gets me. It might sound boring but anything is better than pain, bloating and the D or C.

A lot of it is getting used to what suits you and what doesn't. I stay away from what doesn't nowadays. I miss foods I used to be able to eat, but have adapted.

[Flyonawall]

sounds utterly miserable.

abdominal pain.

feeling bloated.

suffering from wind.

indigestion.

soreness of the anus (bottom)

mild diarrhoea.

nausea.

vomiting.

These are some of the side effects of laxido.Frankly I would not subject myself to this on top of other ibs symptoms.

Have you tried more gentle natural laxatives molasses for example,just a bit daily.

[JulieB5200 in reply to Flyonawall]

Interesting you list these side effects. I never thought it could be a result of the laxido.Usually I take one very randomly and have never been effectived this way.Also I read a post a few days ago where someone felt laxido had pretty much cured them so I thought yippee I will keep taking them 😊. I guess we can all support each other but it’s very obvious that we can’t assume that something will help us because it did others.

[Gold22]

Hi Sorry to hear you are feeling low. If you have been constipated for a long time it will take time for your bowels to get into a better state. The cramping etc etc is likely a response to the laxative beginning to take effect. Hope you feel better soon.

[Nanabud8]

Hi Julie, you have my sympathy. I have had this happen to me many times unfortunately and its got to the stage after 18 years with IBS, i have no proper social life, it hits whenever you want to enjoy yourself!! I find i have to do things randomly, i wait till my good days, and then get out and about. I can never make arrangements anymore because i just dont know when it will strike, i have lost contact with many friends due to it, you almost become reclusive. Family understand, but even then its hard as i feel so guilty if i have to cancel. I dont think people who have not experienced IBS will ever get just what we go through. I just try and enjoy the good days and hibernate on the bad ones, its the only way i can cope. Its a bit like jekyl and hyde🤭. Keep smiling regardless x

[JulieB5200 in reply to Nanabud8]

Thank you.Yes I totally understand what you’re saying and today I definitely feel like hibernating .When I have a really rough time with all the pain and symptoms it makes me want to withdraw from doing anything.I refuse to make forward plans with friends because like you I wait to see how I’m feeling.So everything I do is very last minute.I really don’t think people understand, I don’t think even my husband comprehends how debilitating it can be. I hate how the condition has come to restrict my life. I am very grateful I have been able to be a stay at home mum because I’m sure I would have been unable to hold a job down! I still love to travel but it can be difficult what with all the food differences and needing toilets. We have to keep living though best way we can. x

[Sparrow58]

IBS always turns up when you don't want it to. Perhaps you got a bit anxious beacause you were going out and this triggered it. I find if a bit constipated and I go to the toilet then I can get diarrhoea afterwards. I suppose you release it. It does make me feel rough and it does hurt. But i suppose if things are not moving on a regular basis it must make things a bit sore inside. All the best and I hope you feel better soon. X

[QuiltLady in reply to Sparrow58]

I think a lot of my troubles are because of anxiety. Sometimes I don't even feel that anxious but unfortunately a little bit goes a long way to affect my digestive system. I can wake up feeling fine then start thinking about things and I can literally feel things going bad.

[gloden]

hi Julie. I can relate to what you are going through. I’ve got very similar troubles. Had IBS for years. For some months now had constipation on and off then couple of weeks ago a dreadful stomach pain and awful Diarrhea . Felt really ill. After that no B M for four days. Getting worried saw my GP. She said the whole bowel has been put out of sorts and will get back to normal. Gave me some powders to take for the constipation. Since then I’ve done tiny loose amounts each day with constant stomach and back ache but this morning I’ve had a slightly better BM. I cried with relief. I’m in my eighties and had IBS since my 20 s but it still worries me that it could be something serious . Hoping you are feeling a little better now. Does good to talk. Lots love x

[JulieB5200 in reply to gloden]

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate all the support on here. I felt in such pain with trapped wind when I woke up this morning.It has since subsided since I had a bowel movement. I do think maybe the laxido have caused it but it can get very confusing!I suffer with constipation and slow transit so I take laxative which then can cause awful cramping and diarrhoea 🙈.

[Flyonawall in reply to JulieB5200]

Healtheries Ltd in NZ have a product called Mg Lax which seems to be gentle and well tolerated...

I have IBS D. I stick to a fairly tight fodmap based diet which makes things more bearable and predictable, mostly.And a very routine, if somewhat boring diet at that.

I'm pretty fed up with it but that's how it is for the time being,and maybe for good😔so I do try and put that frustration aside and carry on.If I have a more extreme digestive incident it is directly related to any dietary variation which might be more severe D or on the odd occasion, C.

IBS turned up out of the blue for me but after and during a period of extreme distress (stress).I felt,feel gutted...so it seems to be a daily manifestation now.

I wish there was a simple answer,that more research was done on the mechanisms behind this condition.

So far the collective wisdom is a dietary and stress reduction approach with maybe some probiotics thrown in.In terms of diet the nutritional content of what we eat is very important and becomes moreso on a limited diet.

[PAMEI]

hi Julie keep your chin up I believe in you and I know you have the inner strength to overcome these days where you get abit down I am going to wish you a a lovely weekend

Paul

[JulieB5200 in reply to PAMEI]

Ha 😊 thank you! Hope you have a lovely weekend too.

[yorkshire_lass]

hi Julie, I’m so sorry your lovely meal out was spoiled by IBS.

I used to have mostly IBS-D symptoms, but nowadays there’s much more IBS-C, and I find this really inconvenient and painful. Recently, I’ve taken to eating a small bowl of All Bran at some point in the day, which fortunately seems to do what it says on the packet! But I do realise that’s not a solution for everyone.

I hate having IBS, I find it embarrassing being late for things because of it, or explaining to people what’s wrong with me.

I hope you start to feel better soon. X

[JulieB5200 in reply to yorkshire_lass]

Yeah it’s extremely annoying and inconvenient.I am feeling better today thank you. I definitely think I need to be very careful with any type of laxative in future!Unfortunately my gut can’t stomach bran or weetabix and I use to love weetabix.x

[Evonne02]

Hi JulieB5200,

I take Laxido/Macrogol too. From the start i was prescribed 2 sachets a day so dont understand why you take it every other day 🤔 When the constipation is worse it needs to be increased. I call the gp and im always instructed to take 6 to 8 sachets a day until the constipstion goes. If you take opiods like me it could be the cause of continual bouts of constipation and your gp needs to prescribe a stool softener or refer you to Urology who will task your gp to prescribe it for you. My cramping with severe pain turned out to be Diverticulitis Stage 1. I think you need a referral also to the NHS Pain Clinic who will guide and support you and liase with your gp after you go through their process. I hope you get the help you need. Please let us know how you get on. Take care 😍

[JulieB5200 in reply to Evonne02]

I have been under the hospital many times and had a colonoscopy,3 endoscopy’s and the capsule endoscopy.Nothing sinister ever found hence all symptoms being put down to ibs. I can say this if I had the amount of laxido sachets you had been prescribed I’d be in a very bad way 🙈.We are all so very different and even though I suffer from constipation it seems laxatives have quite an adverse effect on my gut.They over stimulate my bowel and send me the extreme other way.So finding a balance is key. Thank you for your advice and concern but I’m sure my gp won’t refer me back to gastroenterology as I was discharged last year.x

[Evonne02 in reply to JulieB5200]

JulieB5200,

It is better to have the runs rather than be constipated. If your continually constipated the poo gets dry, hard and sharp. Your poo is trapped and it can lead to a host of issues such as the inability of your bowels to work properly, issues with diverticuli trapped in the folds of your bowels, gastritis, daily nausea, vomitting, acute pain, inability to burp or pass wind or being operated on to remove the poo, daily self irrigation (which i now do daily 😫. Over 2 weeks now and still no poo!😪), or having to wear a colostomy bag. Having to wrar nappies/pants like i do. Can lead to you wetting yourself as the bowel eventualy presses on the bladder and you cant control it, thats me currently for the last 4 months. Please just try 1 sachet each day. I dont want you to end up like me. I just know im heading fir a colostomy bag 😡 Then try to build it up to 2 sachets a day. Its better out than in. Take care 😍

[JulieB5200 in reply to Evonne02]

Sorry to hear about your current situation.Very interesting the things you mention,I’m guessing you have some medical knowledge. I am quite convinced my constipation issues have caused problems further up in my stomach ie gastritis. I was diagnosed with that around 7 years ago.However last years endoscopy didn’t show anything up.I heed your advice, thank you. 👍 xx

[Lamly]

yes I often feel the same, the pain in my rectrum is extremely excruciating and burns all ruddy day it can go on for nearly a week, I cannot believe that this is IBS, I have been waiting nearly a year to visit a colectrol surgeon it is ridiculous and the pain gets worse as time goes on.