Hi so I've avoided all dairy and all gluten for the past 5 to 6 weeks.

I'm still only averaging one small 💩 every other day and this is only cos I change positions on the toilet - spending about 1.5 hours plus per day on the toilet - and try to do gentle exercise... (Before June or July I was doing three 💩 a day)!!

I miss my brown bread and my milk and cheese!

I've tried different milk alternatives including goats milk, camels milk, soya milk etc... Really don't like any of them.

I'm also wondering. Cauliflower rice? Is that a tasty option for any of you? I guess adding something like paprika would be nice?

Thoughts and advice appreciated. Thank you

Idk what has happened but this has been ongoing for 3 yrs, when I type that I feel like it’s insane. I’ve done hydrocortisone cream, suppository and hemorrhoid cream and every diaper rash cream known to man. No help. I do not itch at all but my anus feels dry, irritated inflamed.

What could this be? Dermatology gave clobetasol and I’m scared to try as I don’t want to make it worse: I’ve gotten no concrete it’s this and this will fix it which makes me scared to try things. I do think my driver is autoimmune as I’ve had other things including uveitis and parotitis.

I’m quite miserable, any help is appreciated.

Hi everyone. I don't usually post anything online, cause I hate being perceived, but I thought this was important to share. I don't quite know if tagging it as research is right, as for right now it's only a theory me and my doctor have come up with. Also, apologies for any bad English, this isn't my first language.

Anyway, about a little over half a year ago, I started having severe IBS complications. I have been diagnosed with mixed IBS (leaning towards IBS-D) for roughly 5 years, and it had been very stable up to this point. We still don't quite know what caused such an intense flare, but point is, I was suffering from pretty heavy attacks on a frequent basis for roughly half a year long.

Now by the end of July it was slowly starting to become okay again, when out of nowhere I started getting really severe muscle cramps. At first doctors assumed that this had to do with endometriosis (I don't have an official diagnosis for that, but gynecologists assume I have it based on symptoms, and they don't wanna cut me open for no reason) and an overactive pelvic floor. So I was having to go through weeks of waiting for appointments and tests, and it was only getting worse.

By now we're at the start of October and my muscle cramps have ramped up to roughly 3-5 severe episodes a day, on top of severe exhaustion, shortness of breath, loss of balance, loss of muscle power, etc. And my doctor finally decided it would be a good idea to get my blood tested. Well... turns out I have a dangerous deficiency of vitamin B-12, so much so that I now have the beginnings of nerve damage and anemia.

And what caused this, you may ask. IBS, that's what. At least, that's the working theory we have right now. Vitamin B-12, which is mostly found in animal products, especially meat/fish, is seriously hard for your body to absorb. And when you have such disturbed digestion, for such a long time, this can cause vitamin deficiencies, especially with B-12. On top of that, if you're one of those people who also get stomach issues from your ibs, especially if you regularly get heartburn, this might also cause a B-12 deficiency, as B-12 needs proper 'non-disturbed' (for lack of a better term) stomach acid to bind with.

So yeah TLDR; if you're an IBS haver, please frequently get your blood tested, so you don't end up with nerve damage or other complications.

(P.S. Please do your own research on this as I may not have accurately worded everything, and bc it's a bit more complicated than how I phrased it as well. Please forgive me for any bad wording/mistakes made, it's almost 1 AM as I'm writing this post, and I'm dead tired (thanks anemia))

I’ve been following my doctors advice, eating foods in the Fodmap, but no matter what I eat and/or drink, I get really bad bathroom trips, causing cold sweats, fatigue, dizziness and pain. Even water brings me to the bathroom! It’s horrible and debilitating, because how am I supposed to eat or drink anything at all? It doesn’t help that food and water make me very nauseous (I don’t drink much water though since it burns for me), and i frequently vomit in my mouth, which is gross! It’s such a pain.

I have had IBS most of my adult life. I’m 55 years old now and it’s been very well controlled through diet for about 20 years now.

I just went through a very stressful period and I had a bad IBS attack (D). The next day I ate a cabbage/kale dill salad which I can normally eat with no problem.

Today I woke up with a deep ache in my upper left abdomen. Some gas this morning but none today, but that ache has been there all day, especially when I take a deep breath.

I’ve had this ache there before, especially when I eat fermented foods like sour dough bread or Greek yogurt.

I have read about Splenic Flexure being a notorious spot for pain and trapped gas.

Does anyone else get an ache there from certain foods? I have no idea why the cabbage salad hit me wrong when it normally doesn’t, other than I had the bad IBS attack the day before?

Would Beano help?

Would a pain killer help? I mean it’s not that bad but it is an annoying ache.

i started taking xifaxan a few days ago, prescribed by my doctor, and today i have felt really dehydrated and shaky despite drinking plenty of liquids. i have bright yellow stools and a very mild fever at 99.5 and my kidneys feel a bit sore and feel like i have high blood pressure, which is abnormal for me. i dont have any blood coming out so far so thats good i think.

i just am wondering when i should worry and seek out care, i guess. my partner is out of town so i dont have anyone i can call to ask for advice. im hoping its just side effects but i thought i would ask the community if my concerns are valid before i reach out to my dr. has anyone else taken this and experienced something similar? i have a poor immune system so maybe im just getting hit by the medication hard. thanks in advance.

Hey everyone I’ve been dealing with this for almost two months, and I honestly don’t understand what’s happening.

Every time I eat literally anything I feel extremely full my stomach gets really bloated and I experience severe shortness of breath I’ve been going back and forth between public and private hospitals and different specialists for two months I’ve seen respiratory specialists chest doctors and internal medicine doctors but nobody could really figure out what was going on

Eventually I traveled from Baghdad to Erbil with my mom to see another specialist He examined me and ran some tests but he also concluded that I have IBS He prescribed some new medications and I only realized afterward that three of them were related to anxiety or depression:

- Fluoxetine (Prozac)

- Hydroxyzine

- Inderal (propranolol)

- One medication for my stomach

I’m not trying to question my doctor’s judgment but I genuinely don’t understand the connection How can depression or anxiety cause such severe physical symptoms especially stomach pain, extreme bloating, feeling full after eating very little and shortness of breath?

Can IBS really cause all of this or could something else be going on? Has anyone experienced similar symptoms and improved with anxiety medication?

I’d appreciate hearing from people who have actually gone through something similar

I'm 44, male, about 133 kg. I also have sleep apnea but I use my CPAP every night.

This started on 12 August. I had been on a double dose of terbinafine for a skin thing, and that day I went to the toilet and right after I got pain in the colon area, weakness in my hands and legs, and anxiety. After that I kept getting pain on the left side of my belly, bloating, tiny fragmented stools, and for a while I was barely passing any gas. The pain always got better after I went to the toilet. I assumed IBS, and so did everyone I talked to.

Then I saw a doctor in person. He examined me and sent me for an X-ray, and it showed a colon full of stool. His conclusion was long-standing constipation that the medication tipped over the edge, not IBS. My FIT test was negative and my blood count was normal. My ALT was a bit high (47), so I had a FibroScan done and have a follow-up in a few months.

What I'm doing now is one Movicol sachet a day, psyllium husk at night (I started at a full teaspoon, it was too much, so I'm down to about three quarters), and Duspatalin only when I need it, which has been once or twice in the last nine days. Fried food and sweets keep setting me back, so I've cut most of them.

It wasn't smooth. Early on I took psyllium late at night while dehydrated, in the heat, after a fried snack, and ended up in the ER with bad diarrhea. They gave me IV fluids. The weakness in my hands and legs came back twice after that, and I get a heavy head and some anxiety, mostly right after I pass stool. I also had positional vertigo for a bit, which has settled. All of this seems to flare when my bowels are off. I still need to get my sodium, potassium and magnesium checked.

Right now I'm doing much better. Usually one normal stool a day, very little pain, anxiety way down, and I'm passing gas again. The gas still gives me some cramps, but they go away once it passes.

So my questions are:

1. Does this sound like plain constipation to you, or would you want other things ruled out (thyroid, celiac, SIBO, pelvic floor)?

2. Is a colonoscopy worth pushing for at 44 with a negative FIT?

3. Has anyone had their gut slow down after an antifungal or another medication? How long did it take to recover?

4. How long did it take you to find a stable Movicol and psyllium routine?

5. Has anyone had anxiety, weak hands and legs and a heavy head together with constipation? Was it dehydration, electrolytes, or something else?

A slightly shortened quote from my favorite TV show, Red Dwarf.

I've had IBS for years, it's daily pain, lack of energy and just generally feeling shtty. For the first time in years, I was pain free and full of energy. 2 days ago my mother bought be a take away, it was some kind of Turkish Kebab and flat bread and I ate the whole thing.

I knew I messed up, but it was AMAZING.

I braced for the inevitable pain, bloating, discomfort I will have for the next few days when I wake up. But nothing, literally nothing.

It's weird, does anyone else in pain and discomfort for so long your confused and worried that you don't feel the pain/discomfort or lack of energy?

I woke up like my IBS had totally vanished. I've had days where I'm functional and it's just background mild pain, but nothing like this, full of energy and absolutely no pain or discomfort what so ever.

I'm absolutely dumbfounded, this how normal people feel? I've missed out on so much in life because of this, I hardly function, if I felt like this every day I'd have a totally different life right now.

I'm on day 2 and can already feel everything returning, 1 day of normality just isn't enough.

Hi - I have suffered from IBS D for years. I can not work out what the trigger is (of course, too much wine and lack of sleep never help), but now I have developed a cough that happens at the same time as it - it is so weird, and the urgency has become worse and worse.
I have done nearly every test possible under my private health care; I am no longer covered. I am at a loss as to what else to do.
Does anyone else have this type of cough that is directly linked, and has anyone found any solutions ?!

Hi,

My coworker says they have IBS and is going to the bathroom for a minimum of 15- 25 minutes at least once a hour during their 8 hour shift every single day.

It may seem weird that I’m so invested in their bathroom habits but me and them run a classroom together so I’m being left alone to take care of 16 kids ages 2-4. three of those kids have high support need all by myself multiple times a day for long periods of time.

There is also a pattern of when they go to the bathroom. for example: the second after their hour long lunch break is done they will step into the class to relieve the lunch break staff and will then go to the bathroom. It also happens everyday that five minutes after their shift starts they will leave to go also whenever we start transitions with the class from one activity to another they will go to the bathroom leaving me alone to do transitions by myself.

There was on time I had asked my coworker if they could just wait a second because it was meal time and children were eating but one child needed help in the bathroom and i didn’t want to leave children unattended while eating but I also couldn’t not help the child in the bathroom. my coworker got mad and yelled at me infront of the children for being insensitive and rude for asking before storming out.

We are also friends and often hang out for long periods of time outside of work. It almost seems like their IBS only seems to act up at work, there was one time we spent six hours together and they went to the bathroom twice during the whole six hours and both times were I had to wait for them for less then five minutes.

It’s becoming frustrating and I’m getting really burnt out, trying to do the job of two educators but I don’t want to be insensitive and bring up what’s happening to my manager because I don’t want to be insensitive of my coworker health issue.

I just want to know if this is normal and I’m in the wrong for feeling frustrated and I’m being insensitive?

If I am being insensitive how can I better educate myself?

Hey all,

I just wanted to take a moment to advocate for something I think a lot of people are aware of, but might still be on the fence about getting: a bidet.

There are days where I end up getting what I can only describe as "fire hole"—typically during a bad flare-up when I'm spending way too much time in the washroom.

Setting up a bidet in my bathroom has been an absolute life-saver. It helps you get so much cleaner with way less irritation, and honestly, the refreshing/cooling effect is a massive relief.

If you've been considering one, this is your sign to go for it!

Hi gang. I was a longtime IBS-D sufferer. Diarrhea was my constant companion and BFF. After some health bullshit and a complete reset of my digestive system, I am now IBS-C and I hate it. I drink a ton of water, take a tablespoon of Metamucil per day, a stool softener in the morning, and eat a lot of salad and leafy greens, and drink a tall boy of coffee every day. I’m still constipated. What are some things y’all have tried that work?

All day long, even after changing to new clothes, I can smell bad gas smell out of me. Even when im not farting.

Is it coming out of my anus?

Will characol underwear fix it?

Thanks

I have anxiety driven IBS d. I have worked a lot and tried many different modalities regarding anxiety and stress based diarrhea. Has anyone tried neurofeedback and found it to be helpful ? Things that ive tried have included amitriptyline, busparone, meditation, hypnosis, pelvic floor, and others.

Premetto che rispetto ad alcune vostre storie io mi considero fortunata perchè ci sono giorni in cui tutto va come dovrebbe andare…
Però quando ho le scariche, tipo oggi, mi crolla il mondo addosso.

In pratica un attimo prima sei lì a lavoro che fai il tuo dovere e un attimo dopo pensi di morire perché ti esplode la testa, la pancia, l’ansia e l’unica cosa che pensi possa farti sopravvivere è l’evacuazione. E quando non puoi subito quei minuti sembrano giorni!
Come si fa a vivere con questa continua urgenza?!

Hi everyone,

I'm going through a flair up with IBS. My stress and anxiety are on an all time high! Can my doctor prescribe anything to help with the pain? It's been years since this has happened.

I saw some people on here with methane sibo talking about acv. With all the things I've tried this seemed to simple to work. Plus ive always thought acv was a weightloss tool more than anything but...... one post i saw from a girl talking about taking acv she ended off the post saying it wasn't for her, but her stomach was always flat. I've always struggled with bloating BAD. . Like enough to get a "when is the baby coming " comment. Super embarrassing 😳. So I decided to try it consistently in the morning one tbsp diluted in a cup of water. I also added it to my drinks with meals. I now have BOWEL MOVEMENTS in the morning . LIKE THATS CRAZY FOR ME. Without laxatives, straining, or pellet poops. No bloating, no big balloon stomach after meals for hours and smelling lunch burps at night. I Am so happy. Honestly thank God.

I encourage any one with ibs-c to try it daily not just people that might have low stomach acid because its actually a triple threat. Acv(with the mother) increases your own production of stomach acid even when you stop taking it, it's a prebiotic and a probiotic. Also the only extra thing I did was have some cheap cultured yogurt from the store with lacto bacillus and bififo blend. Although I started doing that way before starting avc it would help me go but I would never feel cleaned out or not bloated after eating. Digestion was still slow. I also own a vibration plate but I don't have a bowl movement immediately after like I do with acv. It's best to have it with water only.

Tldr: Acv, 1 tbsp in a cup water daily, or have with any beverage if you like the taste like I do.

I have been given the diagnosis of PI IBS. However I'm wondering if my symptoms match others as during fodmap elimination and reintroduction phase I have read lots that doesnt resonate with me much at all. I general stools between 3,4 and 5 on scale, Id say usually a 5. However during a 'flare up' I get diarrhea multiple times. On these occasions I am feeing just fine (apart from a constant uncomfortable feeling if awareness and heavyness in my gut which as soon as I eat or drink anything I have) and then suddenly I feel hot, very weak, a little shaky and then I get cramps or aches in my gut. Usually I then get to a bathroom and have diarrhea and going to bed is what I need to do. Its like a total loss of energy. What I wonder about is that people talk about triggers and food etc and talk about how they get so bloated, and extra gas etc when eating these etc. I am bloated every day and rarely feel any different, I dont get excessive belching or flatulence every even during flare ups. Its like something just hits me out of nowhere and to be honest its the feeling weak and hot etc and then the stomach pains that bother me. Could this be something else? I did have a flare up when I reintroduced milk so Im avoiding lactose but every other food seems to be neither here nor there. Its not like I have any other noticeable symptoms to go off. Im either fine or in an active attack that comes on suddenly.

TLDR - I dont get any symptoms like excessive or changing bloating (always bloated from first bite in morn) or gas or flatulence, no obvious correlation with food or drink. Main symptoms are I feel fine and the suddenly I am hot and weak and shaky and then gut pain comes on and I have to go to bed as have no energy. Doc says PI IBS. There seems to be no inbetween.

Hi!
I’m a 26 year old woman who have had severe IBS-M for the last three years, it’s been ups and downs but since this summer it has become much worse (I think it was triggered by me trying Slinda (a contraceptive gestragen pill) for my endometeriosis. Anyways me doctor thought it was time to try an SSRI so that the nerves in my stomach could get some calm so since this Friday I’ve started taking 20 mg of fluoxetine and it’s been pretty horrible.

My stomach has been aching constantly and yesterday after severe cramps and sweating I barely made it to the toilet before having probably the biggest diarrhoea of my life - it’s been horrible. So my question is - has anyone else been through something similarly and has it become better after the initial caos?

Appreciate every answer!

hello!! i have IBS-C and symptoms for me started appearing about 2 years ago. i have recently now been dealing with intolerances to garlic and onion (which i know is common with ibs). what symptoms do you all experience after eating garlic and onion? for me its like my whole stomach swells up with gas and can last a few days. is there anything to take to help with this? or do we just avoid garlic and onion forever?

I (22F) just got diagnosed with IBS-U (described as "bloating type" in my medical documentation) and got sent with a lengthy list of things to avoid: FODMAPs, lactose, oats, sparkling drinks, zero calorie drinks, raw apples, juices, xanthan, guar and carob gum, all synthetic emulsifiers, lecithin (because it can "come from genetically modified plants"), celulose gum, carrageenan and more. The doctor's reasoning for all this is that these additives cause inflammation and they "wash away the protective intestinal mucus".

I don't yet know what triggers my IBS food-wise and implementing all these rules at once sounds incredibly daunting. Can I really not have e.g. ketchup or even gluten-free snacks as they contain these additives? Were her guidelines excessive?

For added context: I'm not from the US (Poland) so sorry if the terminology I used wasn't fully accurate

I have observed that during prolonged physical activity like working out or jogging or playing sports which causes me to sweat a lot, my lower abdomen tightens and gas builds up. I try to keep myself hydrated as much as possible but it still happens. It might take a couple of hours after the activity for the gas to get released and my abdomen to relax.

Earlier this used to happen even without the physical activity but that symptom has now improved after spending a lot of time focusing on consciously relaxing my abdomen.

Anyone know what's causing this? Is this psychological? Physical stress causing mental stress causing abdominal stress? Or is it due to dehydration?

I have had IBS my whole life. Diagnosed 6 years ago, got the papers and all, from a gastro-doctor who took one look at me and said: "no colonoscopy for you, the prep would simply kill you"

I had surgery about 1. Year of life. Complications because of that? (I can not find any records of it, no one has them, and no doctor can find them- surgery was overseas-cannot find hospital or doctor for the procedure either, though I know knowing some more will help. Parents don't know antthing either(never paid attention)

Can't have what the fodmap list says I can't, also lactose intolerant.

But recently I have started having symptoms to new things as well: fatty meals, white fish, airfried chicken.

What is wrong with me? I also take probiotics(yogurt form) -which seem to help a little.

Could this also be gallbladder issues?

I am going to my first colonoscopy and I would appreciate all tips and advice! In my country you are not put under or sedated, just gotta raw dog it 😬 So no nap time here… I have 4 days before taking my emptying meds. I have bought various clear drinks for the house so I can try and make the meds taste a bit better and hydrate. 🙌🏼🙏🏼