How can i live with IBS?

Hi am 24 was diagnosed at 22 same as you I suffered bad anxiety to start with. I would suggest you try to sort out the anxiety first. Tell people when your feeling anxious so they know the signs to look out for and as for your boyfriend talk him through it. It's embarrassing I know but for the most part other people don't understand the condition so talking and explaining is an important step. As for food everyone's different but I cut out all high fibre food, caffeine, alcohol, fizzy juice and anything high in citrus. Also eating breakfast everyday is important and try to keep your meal times structured and don't eat any later than 7 o clock. Hope some of this helps.

Eating plenty of fibre and drinking lots of water is something that can really help with IBS, since fire helps with both constipation and diarrhoea. There are also medications that can help with the cramps and wind.

So having a word with your doctor about how best to deal with your symptoms is probably a good idea.

Also, dealing with your anxiety will help you start to manage your symptoms, and so will dealing with your diet. So talking to your GP about your anxiety is another good idea. As for your diet, have a word with your doctors surgery to see if they have a doctor or nurse that specialises in nutrition. Keeping a food diary of exactly what you eat for a few weeks will help them tailor a diet plan to your needs, and they will show you on a plate what foods you should be eating and how much of them.

Keeping a food diary is a good idea for IBS any way as it can help you see if any foods trigger symptoms, for example mine is mostly caused by stress, but if I eat anything spicy or with lots of tomato's in that can set it off too.

IBS is a pain, literally, but there are steps you can take that will give you your life back. I think you need to have an in depth chat with your doctor to start with, who will hopefully be able to help you manage symptoms while working on your anxiety at the same time. Once you have both of those under control you can then start looking at improving your diet, although I do think adding more fibre to your diet is a good idea regardless. I find it hard to get enough fibre just from my diet so I also use fybogel sachets a couple of times a day. You can get them prescribed but they are available over the counter too at your local pharmacy. x

Hi, I have suffered with IBS for a long time and believe me, you will get it under control. As has already been advised you do need to have a chat to your doctor and get your anxiety under control and your diet. I am sure your doctor will prescribe Fybogel. Until you get your appointment you can buy it from any chemist. It comes as plain or flavoured. It will help you initially. But please make that appointment, you need to get your life back in sync.

Hi

I was diagnosed at 18. I am 52 and still have flare ups. I totally understand. There were certain jobs I could not do. I needed to have access to a bathroom. I still cary baby wipes as you know how painful it can get. I am having another flare up as we speak. I have managed all these years and even had 2 Children and still working. You will too. Food an stress are a major ttigger. Some foods work with some people and some just do not. Try having a balanced meal. Dairy can trigger it. Breakfast you can have oatmeal toast eggs fruit. Balance that during theday with salads and some protein and carbs.

Since IBS has 2 components diarrhea and constipation a balance is good. Get sone help with your stress. Imodium is good during a bad flare up. Probiotics and exercise. The bowel is a muscle. It needs movement.

Stay away from fried foods snd processed foods. Once in awhile is ok.

Hope this helps.

Vivian

I don't wish to sound too personal but have you been diagnosed with a specific IBS. I have IBSD so don't suffer constipation at all. I ask because a lot of the comments are talking about fibergel which I was prescribed but was horrible for me and people talking about eating fibre and fruit which am also almost completely not allowed. Just asking cause my advice will pretty much only work for an IBSD suffer, just so you know. I hope I can still help

Thank you all for you advises. they really make me feel good. i spoke to my boyfriend and he was really supportive and understanding and he was reffering to as ''we r gonna learn to live with this together'' and things like that. thats a good sign no?

am gonna speak to my gp to guide me through this and also about my diet cause mostly i have diarrhea from anxiety and stress and yes sometimes from food too. so diet its important too. but also am gonna start psycotherapy.i need it anyway hahah. lets hope for the best cause really it makes me so sad. i cant even think about going on a trip. am taking Imodium for bad days. and sometimes i take one when am afraid that am gonna have diarrhea at work or when i go out. the Lybrax am taking it everyy night one pill its calming so it helps a lot.

I am not sure I can mention a product on here but I have finally found my cure, well you can't cure IBS but I don't have any symptoms any more. I suffered from IBS C. After 3 colonoscopies, 3 interventions for piles relating to it, endless diets, fodmap, gluten free ect... I was put on citalopram for my anxiety. I suffered from anxiety because of the Ibs not because I am an anxious person. A couple of months ago I saw an article on SYMPROVE, looked into the research, bought it and the rest is history. I am well, I have lost the bloat and I go to the bathroom every day without a problem. My exhaustion as well as the dizziness, the rumbling stomach ect have all but disappeared .I feel 20 years younger and I am 60. I was so worried in case I had to stop working. I am divorced and finding a new partner was out of the question because of my health. I was becoming obsessed . Now I am on week 6 and I want to tell the world. Best money I ever spent. However when I told my gp, he wasn't interested. He can't prescribe it yet. The company is working hard to make it available on the NHS but without success stories like mine, they might struggle. So people with IBS C OR D, have a look at their website and good luck.

Hi ifigeniea53065, I am 42 and was diagnosed with ibs about 7 years ago.  My main problem is anxiety and ibs as this causes your symptoms to worsen, you need to find out the underlying cause of your anxiety, not anything else to begin with as I've discovered they do this the wrong way round and it's agony, I luckily don't get ibs d mine is c.  If i'm anxious though the 1st thing to do is my appetite, so you need to try anything to lower your anxiety 1st, don't take the rubbish from the doctors about this pill that pill, RUBBISH and you deal with anxiety how?  Good luck!