I was wondering how long people’s IBS flare-ups can last? Have been diagnosed with IBS-D, following abdominal pains and diarrhoea, in combination with an uncomfortable feeling on my bladder, since the middle November 2024. I had similar ongoing pains following 3 gallstone attacks just after the birth of my daughter, at the beginning of 2024 (weirdly no gallstones showed on ultrasound so must have passed).
I am still trying to work out if IBS is the correct diagnosis for me as the most recent bout of symptoms started after 6 months of taking PPIs, so I haven’t ruled SIBO out of the equation. FIT test and test for IBD came beck negative.
The now 10 weeks of continuous symptoms is getting me so down as I have a young baby girl to which I feel I am not able to give the best version of myself.
Is it normal to have an IBS ‘flare up’ for months at a time?
Thanks
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IBSMumma
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Hi. It sounds like your gall bladder is giving trouble. Ask for an endoscopy. This might identify the problem.Make sure you are drinking enough fluids. That might help. If you think the bladder might be involved, see if you can have a cystoscopy. These tests are pain free and would help with diagnosis.
Thank you so much for your reply. - I wonder if an endoscopy would show any other issues with a gallbladder that would not show on an ultrasound. I had 3 attacks of biliary colic across a 2 week period, eventually managed to get an ultrasound 6 weeks later, and they found no stones…still a mystery to me?
It is possible to have IBS for months at a time. I used to have 6 month long attacks due to work stress. You have a lot to cope with at the moment, so stress may be a factor. If you think this is the case you could try the Nerva gut directed hypnotherapy app if you can find a bit of time for yourself.
SIBO is a tricky one and not as prevalent as people think. 6 months may not be long enough on PPIs to trigger SIBO - I doubt 6 months would be considered 'long term use'. More info here:
Hello, great information in those links, thanks so much. I have been under A LOT of stress both during a difficult pregnancy as well as postpartum. Unfortunately these symptoms are only adding to it as I now feel I have health anxiety that I could be feeling like this forever. Reassuring to hear a 6 month flare of IBS wouldn’t be unheard of. I was wondering the same about the length of time on PPI’s, though I was taking quite high doses of omeprazole in combination with a gaviscon advance after every meal for 6 months, as a treatment for LPR. I hear a lot of gurgling in my stomach consistently too. Thanks again for all the info
Thats why it's a magnesium deficiency .@xors just said they had 6 month flare up and admitted stress and work....the nervous system burns up magnesium. SIBO is lack of calcium what is essential for digestion aswell, both are electrolyte what help with muscle function and hydration, the intestines are primarily muscle tissue...
Sorry you just mentioned you had 6 month attacks due to work and stress what is well known to deplete magnesium/zinc and also calcium iron. Its simply electrolytes including 2 above Mg/Ca
What forms was you taking, the average mg actually absorbed of elemental magnesium is average 5mg per 100mg. Oxide being at least 3x highest then other at 13.8mg per 100mg. You'd need 3300mg magnesium oxide spaced thought out the day to get the just above the RDA of elemental magnesium which is 450mg. I'd take 1500mg magnesium oxide 3x a day giving me 150mg each time. 12x the standard dose. The RDA and limits on supplements are extremely low when you actually calculate the elemental amount aswell as food and fraction what Is absorbed . Similiar case for calcium.
I had IBS-D many years ago and am now IBS-C which I manage. After all the research I have done, I'd rather get my nutrients from foods. There are upper limits for supplements too. Supplementing and supplementing too much can have unintended consquences:
I'm surprised that 1500mg magnesium oxide 3x a day is not giving you the runs. I used to use 800mg plus before bedtime to cause a bowel movement in the morning. I used to take magnesium citrate which was highly absorbed. I only take potassium iodide on days when not eating fish and calcium citrate (due to not tolerating dairy) these days.
You can get it from food, ideally, but its hard to track how much your getting exactly, plus its a man made situation, so they there to be used in whatever form.
No thats the point why didn't it, Ive spent weeks in high dose and been fine, and nightmares on low dose, the difference when I discovered it was when I stopped taking whey protein shakes mixed with milk 3x day, from '1400mg' to barely what else. ever since I've gone back forth few times and it always calcium. As French scientist who discovered the 2:1 elemental ratio intake.
As mentioned the magnesium citrate if around 300mg serving is 10mg elemental, 1/40 of your RDA.. When I take both I have 1 normal stool a day like back when I was younger, aswell as other improvements.
I now just take the basic forms of Magnesium Oxide and Calcium carbonate, very cheap, you can get ones combined, with vitamin D, I have them separate, though at times I take them together. main point is the RDA and the serving amounts need to be elemental. In my case I get 375mg/185mg Magnesium 400mg calcium per tablet(s). This is roughly 50mg/25mg (magnesium)and 27mg(calcium) elemental amounts.
So if you took magnesium citrate for example one serving like I have in powder 300mg, thats only max 10mg magnesium elemental. 1/40 of your daily needs.. but thats could for fast acting if taken in couple doses, though oxide/chloride are better long term for general intake
Be wary that magnesium oxide is used as a laxative. Magnesium citrate is more absorbable, but may still be used as a laxative. If you are suffering from IBS-D, you might want to treat these with a bit of caution.
Your not being accurate, magnesium oxide isn't a laxative, nor is it used a laxative, people aren't aware of the French scientist discover of the ratio of 2:1 calcium/magnesium. As I've stated ive taken very high doses and been fine with calcium, and had 'IBS-D' 'runs' whatever the term with low dose with low calcium.
Citrate is far worse for bowels then oxide, our body primarily handles it as that and chloride, slow absorption in gut, also gives time to add calcium as magnesium is much slower absorption than calcium.
Sorry to go on, but your suggest that mineral essential for hydration and 300 process is a laxative. I've also done other diets and fasting what includes electrolyte drinks(very low magnesium) these also cause above unpleasant symptoms, as I'm sure you can understand if you taking 1500mg of calcium by itself you'd soon go other way
Magnesium oxide also may be used as a laxative for short-term, rapid emptying of the bowel (before surgery, for example). It should not be used repeatedly.
Magnesium oxide acts as an antacid or as an osmotic laxative
This is discussing as a supplemental form, laxative effects will be experienced at certain (usually higher) doses and the amount to have a laxative effect will differ for each individual. My gastroenterlogist said that I can use magnesium oxide at higher doses temporarily as a laxative when desperate.
Also links with bradycardia (slow heart rate) with excessive use:
What you agree the statement that magnesium is a laxative then provided articles stating no where it was a laxative but as a laxative effect? No need mention the sickly elderly man, I mean you only have to go on a supplement review for 100s brand of magnesium and see good reviews, if your taking word of vague article what makes no connection of calcium, vitamin D3 serum levels, PHT system and magnesium sensitivity.
End of the day the RDA of elemental magnesium is 400mg and calcium is 1000mg, are we anywhere near that, let alone take one without the other. Those fairly close to the French researcher initial findings linked of 1:2 no higher than 2.78.
As xjrs said yes managing and what I know from these forums alot of perscription stuff people take. I can link articles for that what show depletion of magnesium and calcium both directly and indirectly from use of PPI, 'zole' and various medications.
You don't have to believe me but I see magnesium on many forms people complain about symptoms, and same as here I don't want to be over bearing, as I like people ti discover, but I take at least 150mg element from food/supplements from meals with adequate calcium, I came to this for other reasons, what made 'IBS' appear and disappear questioning its source , also could explain my issues I had with my bladder, and I notice a correlation between them of sorts based, what leads to the whole different side along with the nervous/stress system what prompted this involvement for me.
I'd believe IBS comes under the umbrella for dis-ease, even having the 'runs' is far from being at ease, but as mentioned I've tried many forms and experiences, going too much of one side wont do you any good, but the logic must be applied to supplements. We don't consume pure magnesium foods so when we do with a supplement its false to blame it for negative symptoms
One (the bad kind) with umpteen toilet visits in 24 hours, not enough sleep, and generally feeling rough. The same sort of feeling one gets with mild food poisoning or a tummy bug.
And the second one -a period of indeterminate time where my gut was sensitive, and not quite right , a bit up and down, and I had to be very careful what I ate.
I found the first kind usually lasted 24-48 hours, and was helped straight away by the same thing that helps dogs when they have gut upsets. Fasting on electrolytes and water initially, then followed by small amounts of white rice until the gut settled, and that followed by adding a lean protein to the rice. And over the following few days gradually reintroducing some of the normal diet.
(plus a vitamin and mineral supplement)
Handling it that way always worked for me. Usually by day 3 I could introduce some steamed vegetables in small amounts, and things improved from there.
The second type of flare up was more of a nuisance, as though it wasn't as debilitating, there was no telling how long it would go on for, and finding a balance that didn't make it worse with food, wasn't always easy.
In which case I mainly stuck to a list of "safe foods", but watched for any improvements and would include some foods that I could eat during more "normal" periods, in small amounts, and see how that went. Sometimes it was fine to do that. and sometimes I'd get signs of having to curb that for a day or two, and go back to the safe foods.
But after both kinds of flare ups, I did get periods of pretty decent normality until the next time. That is how my IBS behaves. It's more steady now for some reason.
It might not necessarily be how everyone's IBS behaves though.
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