When something causes a flare up .

[Will1234]

I was wondering if anyone has the feeling that in a flare up , they poop out more than they have eaten . Last night after evening meal , potatoes , some veg , broccoli and cauliflower with a gammon steak , I had gas pains and then one urgent visit to the loo. Let's just say ,an extensive amount was passed which became very loose towards the end . Only one visit.

On awakening this morning, stomach was again sore with gas pains , eventually got up for a bm when that was necessary and again a lot was passed. It made me wonder where does all this poo come from ?? I had also had a fairly normal poo yesterday morning . I was thirsty last night and drank a few glasses of water with diluted fruit juice .

Anyway , Meal last night was maybe not ideal for my IBS but just seems like sometimes more comes out than has gone in and I wondered if anyone else ever had the same thought.

Will 1234

[Maureen1958]

I agree, I often say "where did all this come from" or"where did all that food go"! Many years ago, when I was more on the IBS(D) spectrum than I am now, I used to say to my husband that I thought I was abducted by aliens during the night and force feed as I had no idea where it all came from.🙃

[Will1234 in reply to Maureen1958]

Hi Maureen 1958,

Thanks for replying. It is really amazing . Maybe water turns to poo.

[Luisa22]

Yes, this happened to me on occasion! I recall one flare up last Spring when I went 9 times in 24 hours, and passed a lot each time except towards the very end. No idea re:your question, as one would normally assume there might have been constipation history, and so, moving a bit of backlog so to speak. But I hadn't had constipation before that flare up (that I was aware of anyway) All I can say is maybe the body knows better than our fragile logic and is shifting something we are not aware of. My attitude to it is, let it happen. Let the body do what it needs to do, and support it with electrolytes and fluids.

My guess is that doesn't happen every day? If it did, something else is wrong. Otherwise, the body is moving something we didn't know was there.

[Will1234 in reply to Luisa22]

Thanks for reply . This situation only occurs in spells where I feel something I have consumed is not tolerated well. Generally ,my IBS symptoms are I think related to quick transit after eating my main evening meal but often just a single loo visit .Will1234

[Luisa22 in reply to Will1234]

I don't think that would be the food you'd just eaten coming through. It's likely to be the "gastro-colic reflex" shifting something along that was already there. Sometimes with IBS, that reflex can be really sensitive. If we eat something that sets up muscle contractions in the gut, it rapidly moves everything along lower down too.

[Will1234 in reply to Luisa22]

Sounds very possible!

[Jackie1612]

hi - yes, the same thought and effects happen to me, particularly after potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower!

[Will1234 in reply to Jackie1612]

Thanks for reply ,- yes probably not the ideal IBS meal !!Will

[Puffnstuff]

I can definitely relate to your problem as I have had the exact same symtoms for years. I have stopped eating anything with wheat in which helped a lot but not completely. I can eat the same meal one day with no problems and other days I get the pains and diarrhoea after four hours of eating.First I blamed the gravy so went for wheat fee. Then I blamed the veg.

Still cannot put my finger on exactly what causes it but certainly anything wheat free has helped a lot. If find a answer I would love to hear from you .

[Will1234 in reply to Puffnstuff]

Hi ,Like you , cannot find an answer . Seems like just the act of eating , as like you , I blame this or that but can eat the same meal on different days and one day no problem , then another time it sets things off. All very odd

Will

[Luisa22 in reply to Will1234]

I get that too, Will. I can sometimes have a bad belly day after I have had only my "safe foods" for dinner! And at other times I've eaten something that should have upset me like five brussels sprouts...and nothing happens! Then another time I ate just ONE brussels sprout and it upset the tum. It all seems to make no logical sense.

[JanetJAM]

hi I’ve had this been to the loo about 5 or 6 times and wondered where it’s all coming from. Just a little thing I saw a nutritionist a couple of years ago and she told me not to eat brocoli and cauliflower together.

[Will1234 in reply to JanetJAM]

Hi ,Thanks for reply. Yes maybe broccoli and cauliflower not the ideal meal !!

Will

[JanetJAM in reply to Will1234]

I still have them but at separate times!

[Will1234 in reply to JanetJAM]

maybe I need to go down that road too!

[JanetJAM in reply to Will1234]

it’s worth a try good luck!

[Luisa22 in reply to Will1234]

I LOVE broccoli and cauliflower but have to avoid it. I am OK with a bit of tenderstem broccoli, but not cauli as well. One of my ambitions this year is to test out very small amounts of cauli. Wish me luck! I haven't eaten it for 3 years.

[Will1234 in reply to Luisa22]

yes , I wish you good luck . Personally I would likely have no issues one day , then maybe a problem another day . I don’t think Gastro colic reflux or quick transit always respects the type of food eaten .

Today , I was out playing golf after a bad day. I took 2 Imodium capsules and due to a sore hip , I also had a couple of co codamol tabs .

Felt fine and came home and had 2 small beers , chicken and fries . All great , no bowel issues at all .

This IBS is such an unpredictable pain in you no where - sometimes literally.

Will

[Luisa22 in reply to Will1234]

Oh good for you! To jolly well eat and drink something you really enjoy.

I did the same yesterday. I went out to a friend's and decided to splurge and have some beetroot, and a good portion of salad leaves, plus potato salad with mayo and garlic!! Later I ate TWO small Lindt Easter bunnies and a piece of gooey chocolate cake. Plus two vodkas.

I accepted my gut would be upset this morning. But lo and behold, it was okay! Even though I got a bit of bloating later last night, no dramas today. It's baffling.

[Will1234 in reply to Luisa22]

It is baffling . I have tried so many different potions and meds and even if they appear to help ,I have never found a lasting cure . Since I have had IBS for around 50 years , I have now decided that it will most likely be with me for life .With that in mind , apart from the odd very bad days , I try to just do the things I want t to and eat and drink whatever I feel able to . You have to have a life , you only get one , at least as far as I know!!

The flare ups , can certainly get me down and I still try different things , usually probiotics . Sometimes it still worries me when I have a bad day -but within reason and some help from Imodium I try to enjoy the good days !

I try to take the view and I stress try, that if it was something worse , it would have killed me a long time ago and at this stage in my life , unless absolutely essential, I don't intend to press any more doctors or gastroenterologist people to do tests etc.

Will

[Luisa22 in reply to Will1234]

Yes, I have adapted to that idea too, even though my IBS is new (past 4 -ish years only) and not as long standing as yours. I have grown now to accept that I have a somewhat "sensitive tummy", but I still do dare to experiment with some foods in small doses, even though I know for sure I will never be able to eat the high fibre vegetarian diet that I did previously. I do have a few "wins" sometimes with introducing foods I ate in the past, and sometimes not. That doesn't freak me out so much as it used to. I have adapted fairly happily to my new diet.

You sound a bit like me. I have had some testing. Nothing clinical was found, and I don't want any more unless something different and more worrying happened. And meanwhile I am happy to try something to eat that I enjoy, see how that goes, and either repeat (if all is well) or moderate (if all is not 100%) We have to have some enjoyment from what we eat if we can get away with it sometimes.

[Will1234 in reply to Luisa22]

Sounds about right . I have Probably spent most of my life worrying about it and that just makes things worse .

[Elderly31]

Have had this problem many times and I ask myself the same question -where is it all coming from? The stools are always normal and are well formed and sausage shaped. I wonder if I am eating too much fibre?

[Will1234 in reply to Elderly31]

Thanks for replying . I am afraid that I cannot say my stools are always well formed. Often start that way but when there is a flare up that does not continue !!Will

[Asherlove1]

Yes I've had the same for years now. I can go upto 4times a day, mainly loose. For the past 5 years, I've only eaten an evening meal, as am in so much pain from the time I wake up, till around 5pm almost everyday. So it's not like I've been stuffing my face all day. And i can also eat something one day and be bad, then another day OK... I am on quite a few meds for my tum, but I can't make any sense of it. I was mainly IBS-D, but watched a program where they said Ondansetron was helpful, and it has helped me a lot, and things are firmer now than they were. X

[Will1234 in reply to Asherlove1]

Thank you for replying. I have to say that I have never heard of Ondansetron . I might look into that .

It is such a horrible thing to suffer. You are suffering badly , as not eating till 5 pm . Glad to hear the meds are helping a bit , hope things get better for you.

Best , Will