How often are your flare ups!?
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hi, I see on here a few of you mention IBS flare ups? I honestly think I only have less than a week per month where I suffer less symptoms!? I'm wondering if some of mine is hormonal!? But then saying that this week is usually my better week, this morning I woke quite happy, went for a normal bm, ate breakfast immediately needed to go again, this one not so normal😞 Then my depression/anxiety kicked in! Had to go again so took an Imodium as I had plans out and about today! I'm seriously fed up of this, I'm sure my IBS triggers my anxiety not the other way round! Also the fact i suffer pretty much constantly!! Anyway my original query is wondering how long you suffer for with a flare up!?
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0 likes, 16 replies
vicky103 Flik22
Posted
I feel exactly the same. My stomach is a problem for me pretty much every day, and if I have a day when my stomach hasn't played up at some point then that's a good, but unusual thing for me.
I too will sometimes wake up, have a normal bowel movement and think that it's going to be good day stomach wise, but then like you, after about half an hour or so, or after breakfast, I get pains and have to go to the loo again, and it seems to get looser and looser. And if I have plans to go out, I'll be reaching for the immodium.
I too get really anxious about my stomach, and whenever I make plans to go out I can't help thinking 'but will my stomach be ok that day?' I do suffer from anxiety anyway, but definately my stomach problems make my anxiety worse as I worry about it so much...which then make my stomach worse...and the cycle goes on.
My symptoms do seem to vary though. Some days I'll just have to keep going to the loo, whereas others I'll feel like I need to keep going but don't actually pass anything but I just feel really uncomfortable all day. Some days I'll pass lots of mucus.
I do occasionally get flare ups which last a few days where the symptoms are even worse though (much more frequent and looser stools) but usually immodium helps with this.
I know what I've said isn't really much help, but sometimes it's comforting to know that someone else is experiencing the same thing.
I hope you manage to find something that helps.
Flik22 vicky103
Posted
Hey, thank you for your reply, it is good to not feel so alone with this, I look with envy at everyone I see thinking 'I bet they don't have the problems like I do' what I would do to be able to go meet a friend for coffee without worrying If that'll trigger something off!! whAt you have described is me on a daily basis too!! Constant feeling of needing the loo and worrying what the consistency it will be! Almost feel like I'm not aloud to be happy as like this morning woke feeling fine first bm fine thought it was going to be a good day, then bamn!!!!! It all goes down hill! 😞
pat11500 vicky103
Posted
M0928 Flik22
Posted
Since I started with IBS two and half months ago. I have the pain everyday (Constipation and diahrrea flare ups as well) It started out where the pain was bearable but now its gotten unbearable. I ended up talking to a friend of mine today who said she has had it for awhile and tried everything under the sun. She has discovered that a Ant-Acid actually works best for her. She takes Omeprazole, which is like Prilosec and it's over the counter now. it didnt make sense to me because that's usually for heart burn but they are all connected so I am going to give it a shot because she said it helped her.
Flik22 M0928
Posted
Hey, anything with ranitidine in I hear is good? I'm taking a daily probiotic too see if that helps too, give my gut some good bacteria!! Fingers crossed!! Xx
jan48389 Flik22
Posted
Since identifying and eliminating most food triggers, my flare ups occur maybe once every couple of months, but rarely last more than a day or two. I didn't have a good day yesterday, having inadvertently eaten a food cotaining garlic the previous night. I had one immodium yesterday, and I'm fine today.
Prior to following a low Fodmap eating plan, I rarely had one day a week when I was symptom free, and like may other people have commented, had got to the point where I was afraid to go out in case I needed the loo urgently.
It is a viscous circle - IBS makes you more anxious, and the more anxious you become, the worse the IBS. Prior to having IBS Iverey rarely experienced anxiety.
Jan
Flik22 jan48389
Posted
Thanks Jan, that's really helpful, I know I need to do the Fodmap diet, I'm struggling to get started with it as I'm such a lover of food! I have cut dairy out of my diet, well trying too! Last night I had a pasta bake (jar sauce with cheese grates on top) I'm thinking now that's maybe a trigger food!! As the night before I had veg soup and bread and wasn't too bad yesterday! Xx
M0928 Flik22
Posted
jan48389 Flik22
Posted
Low Fodmap really isn't complicated. All you do is cut out foods high in Fodmaps initially, then gradually reintroduce them one by one to see if they trigger your IBS. Personally I try to avoid as many "convenience" foods as possible, or at least scrutinise the ingredient list. Might the jar of pasta bake have contained an ingredient that is one of your triggers? Mine are garlic, onions, mushrooms (even the slightest trace) and gluten. Was the pasta gluten free? What sort of cheese was it? Hard cheeses are generally low in Fodmaps. Soft or crumbly cheeses (cream cheese, cottage cheese, Lancashire, wensleydale etc) tend to be high in Fodmaps.
I love my food too, and it's really not difficult to adapt to avoid your triggers.
Was your bread GF? Was there any gluten in your veg soup? I tend to have tomato or Scotch Broth because both are GF and don't contain onions.
Please do pesevere. It won't do you any harm but just might make the wotld of difference.
Jan
Flik22 jan48389
Posted
Hi Jan,no I've not gone gluten free yet!! I got wholewheat pasta though? I'm thinking of living off rice vegetables and chicken to be honest as going by the food diary I'm keeping I'm better on days after food like that!! The cheese was cheddar! I had rice cakes and banana for lunch yesterday too! Maybe I should try gluten free for a good few weeks!? Xx
jan48389 Flik22
Posted
Yes, try GF for a while. Wholewheat pasta isn't good for me,in fact anything wholewheat or wholemeal will "set" me off" but cheddar cheese is fine. You won't need to restrict yourself to rice and chicken. For example, we're having friends for dinner tomorrow and I'm doing a seafood starter ( crab, prawns, salmon) baby tomatoes, and lemon with GF brown bread, a beef casserole made with GF beer, swede, carrots, parsnips, the green part of leeks, GF horseradish dumplings and new potatoes, followed with a GF raspberry pudding and ice cream. Hardly a restrictive diet!!
Jan
M0928 Flik22
Posted
pat11500 Flik22
Posted
I'm afraid that is 'a piece of string' question, everyone is different and an attack can last days/weeks or months.. sorry! Have you tried Colpermin? I take it for when I get bad, it's a peppermint oil and it does work. I think anxiety and IBS wind each other up!
Flik22 pat11500
Posted
Yeah true, mine has been constant for about 2yeara now, I've always had a delicate Tummy but has been worse since the birth of my second child who has a few medical problems! I take peppermint oil capsules every day. X
leeniepie Flik22
Posted
Most ppl with ibs have some kid of issue most days as it's a functional disorder, so the gut just isn't working right full stop. Flare ups refer to a time of particularly bad symptoms (more than normal).
My flare ups can last for months unfortunately
I have found low fodmap has no effect on diarrhoea for me but does help with gas and bloating. It takes a long time to do (3 months minimum for the basic eliminion and reintroduction) but worth it. After you've been on it some time you learn your individual tolerance levels for things too eg I can have 2tblsp peanut butter but any more is a nightmare!
you will learn very quickly to make simple meals and substitute things you normally eat eg oranges instead of apples, home made pasta sauce with no onion or garlic, cornflakes not bran flakes etc