IBS Flare up or something else

[iloveglee]

Am wondering if anyone with known IBS has had/or is having these symptoms. I have known IBS which has been improved lately since my GP is prescribed anti anxiety medication, as we both believed many of my IBS symptoms were anxiety related.

Since returning from holiday have been having worsened bowel symptoms, accompanied by feeling shivery (explainable by the fact that its been very cold, and have come from a hot climate), headachey, and not feeling right. Not ill, but not right either. So wondering if infection rather than IBS.

Have been having lower abdominal cramps, which is not an IBS feature for me usually. Small amount of diarrhoea, but then mushy fluffy stool, alternating with more or less normal stool. Slightly lighter in colour than normal. Symptoms are mainly first thing in the morning, then settle later on, but also have abdominal distension and wind +++. This lasts all day.

It feels like it could be an IBS flare up, I have been drinking more alcohol, of types that I don't usually drink whilst on holiday, along with eating foods that I don't normally eat. Also have been drinking tap water, which is clean and safe, but ? changes in the water can affect the gut. What is different though, is the abdominal distension is worse than I normally experience, and i have a left sided low ache which is pretty much constant.

[heartmatters1]

I too have all the symptoms you describe. Went to see GP & he has put me on a low dose of Amitriptyline for anxiety & he said it could help with the IBS too. I only started them a week ago. Thought at first they were helping, by today I have all those symptoms back which you describe. I am thinking it could be the statin I am taking. I have written to my GP today to ask him if I can try a different one.

I hope you feel better soon. It could be a flare up because of the change in your lifestyle recently - I expect time will tell.

Best wishes

[iloveglee in reply to heartmatters1]

I am hoping this is the case. Today, after 4 days i think things are beginning to ease off a little. I am coming more to the conclusion this is dietary related due to what i was eating and drinking on holiday. I did contact the gp as I was due to have a covid/flu vaccination at the weekend, and didn't want to risk it in case it was an infection. They agreed, but didn't seem too concerned about the gut symptoms just now, I am known for IBS so i guess they must have thought this is what has been happening.

I was prescribed citalopram for the anxiety, and have found a small dose to be very helpful for the anxiety. Before going on holiday i felt the ibs wasn't too bad either, so fingers crossed when i return to normal eating habits things will settle down. It's a real pain, when you're on holiday you want to eat and drink whatever you want, but to experience these symptoms it's not worth it. Especially drinking alcohol. I rarely if ever drink, but had at least two drinks every day when we were away. I can take it or leave it, and in future, I think I'll be leaving it!!

[Gizmo6 in reply to iloveglee]

This is me when I've been on holiday. I love going away but then I get the issues when home. It does eventually get back to normal, for me. It does take a few weeks maybe longer to feel as I was before my holiday. Hope you feel better soon iloveglee

[iloveglee in reply to Gizmo6]

This is the first time I have had such a flare up post holiday, but when I thought back to what I had eaten and drunk maybe i shouldn't have been surprised. I am knowingly affected by wheat and dairy, never eat bread except sourdough which suits me fine.

I was eating white bread rolls every day, they were so nice, and also capuccinos everyday and ice cream. Being without my lactase tablets was a big mistake, one which I won't make again!! The lactase are just the bog standard generic ones from Holland and Barrett and do work for me, although even then I have to be careful how much I have. Yoghurt and cheese don't affect me at all. I always have lactose free milk at home, and the benefit of that is that I can give it to the cat as well!!

Finally today I have felt better, not fully right, but I think things are going in the right direction, thank you. In future, I shall be very careful what I eat, as I am at home. It's a pain, but better to go and enjoy a holiday even with restricted food options, that come home to this. The alcohol is not an issue at all. I can take it or leave it. The main reason I drank most of it, was because it was free!!

[Gizmo6 in reply to iloveglee]

I've been struggling for 3 weeks since coming back from my holiday. Yesterday I started on buscopan. Today I've felt more myself. They could be worth a try for yourself.

[iloveglee in reply to Gizmo6]

I’d thought of buying some buscopan or similar. Today though things seem to be improving. Cramps only mild, bloating less and bowel as normal as I ever am. Being careful with diet and will carry on with that for a while. Fingers crossed.

[Misspomfrey]

It would seem that you have to cut out the alcohol and the foods you don't normally eat, this is what's probably upsetting your bowels. As your just back from holiday, give things a chance to settle down a bit, just keep your diet bland and then when your feeling better, start to introduce other foods you feel you can tolerate. Anxiety is a huge factor as I know only too well and it might be that this needs to settle down too.

[CalRW]

Oh my goodness! I could have written your message myself!! I’ve recently been on holiday abroad for almost two weeks and during that time I struggled to go to the toilet at all. I thought things would return to normal once I was home but they didn’t and I had to take laxatives a couple of times. Despite this I still struggled to go and was passing stools much as you describe and was getting lower abdominal pain on the right hand side. I was thinking that this all seemed like a change in bowel habit that needed checking but then at last, after several weeks, I yesterday went to the loo as normal - well as normal as things are for me with IBS! So I think like you it was the different food and drink on holiday coupled with a slight change in time and routine that brought on the constipation and othe symptoms. It is a shame that we can’t let our guard time with this wretched IBS but it does seem to be the case. I think worrying about it didn’t help either and just compounded things. I hope this reassures you and I’m sure things will go back for normal for you too. Don’t be worried if it takes several weeks as it did for me.

[iloveglee in reply to CalRW]

It's an absolute pain isn't it, even when on holiday having to consider everything you're eating and drinking. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. Although this is the worst I've been for a long time. I'm giving it a few weeks, and if it doesn't settle, I guess I might have to run the situation by the GP

[CalRW in reply to iloveglee]

I think you’ll be ok. If you’re an anxious type (I take amitriptyline, low dose) I think that really affects things too. I’d almost given up hope then suddenly things went back to normal!

[iloveglee in reply to CalRW]

I’m hoping so. I can see marginal improvement today. I am an anxious type these days and am prescribed medication for this. I think this is helping. Symptoms like this used to send me into full blown panic, but less so now. It’s just so uncomfortable and annoying. I’ll know better next time I go on holiday!!

[Dollymae06]

I am exactly the same I have been on holiday a few weeks ago ate different foods and drank alcohol daily. The one day I felt the pain starting and I had to hurry to the toilet but couldn't control my bowels it was awful so embarrassing it was a godsend that my room was on 1st floor. I had to hold my hand under my bottom to try and hold it in but it was everywhere. I was so upset and it took me over half an hour to clean myself and the bathroom up. I've got appointment with Gastroentrologist next week I hope he can help me. I was also taking Mebeverine and Loperamide daily. So I know how you feel it causes so much anxiety worrying if we are going to have a flare up after we have been on holiday.

[iloveglee in reply to Dollymae06]

This is how I am now. Not just the cramps and loose fluffy stools, but the urgency. Fortunately this didn't happen on holiday but has happened a couple of times over the past few days, fortunately again I was at home and able to immediately get to the loo. Just in time!!

Strangely it's only happening first thing in a morning, i have to go two or three times then am ok for the rest of the day, apart from continuing wind and distension. I know that I am not good with wheat and dairy, and was eating these daily, the dairy isn't usually such an issue as I take lactase tablets, but had forgotten to take them. I think that having been diagnosed with anxiety I believed all the symptoms were anxiety related and not food. Now I know better so will be more careful in future.

As far as alcohol is concerned, I can enjoy a gin and tonic, even one a day normally when on holiday, but any more doesn't suit me I know, and all the other different drinks I was having probably tipped me over the edge.

I was thinking of buying some mebeverine, do you find it effective normally?

[Gizmo6 in reply to iloveglee]

Can I ask which lactose enzymes you take. I have tried them in the past but didn't help. Maybe the brand I was using wasn't the best.

[Frasina]

Its the brain-gut link that affects many especially when on holiday, as we tend to drink more and eat 'different' foods to perhaps our normal diet. It does settle but it can take more than a few days to right itself. In my case, I stuck to a low-residue diet - more bland foods (look it up) for 2 weeks and it did help. That said, if your symptoms persist then pop into the GP.

[iloveglee in reply to Frasina]

This brain gut link is so powerful I think we sometimes forget.

[Sengeanya]

Try a gluten & lactose free diet

[iloveglee in reply to Sengeanya]

Normally I avoid gluten containing food and avoid lactose. I take lactase tablets if unable to avoid dairy. Sadly on holiday I unwisely didn’t avoid these foods. And here we are.

[Hidden]

Have you been tested for coeliac disease? I was told for 15 years I had IBS when in fact I had CD

[iloveglee in reply to Hidden]

I have been tested and don’t have coeliac. Although it was a long time ago.