IBS C

Compared to where I was my symptoms are similar and my first question would be what exercise are you getting.

My diet is similar porridge, sweet potato, spinach 

I also eat eggs, oily fish and I drink peppermint tea. 

I found diet enough was not sufficient so I added in exercise. I used to walk 6 - 8 miles regularly at the weekend but prior to last Christmas I had a few uncomfortable end of walks so now I run instead. Running is not my forte so nothing too strenuous, just 20 - 25 mins locally but if I do start to feel ill I can make it back comfortably. Also I find those 20 mins can be as beneficial as a 2 hour walk. Maybe not but it is what I like to think anyway. 

I try and do something every day so it might even just be a slow 2 mile walk say 40 mins and back. I know where mile markers are around me. I would like to push it up to 3 but if stranded I might struggle to get back whereas I am confident at 2 miles.

I did have very severe IBS at one point with 3 hour loo visits, regularly being late to work until that job got rid of me, regularly being late to meet a former partner, until that partner got rid of me. I really was in a mess. I made the adjustments you have made, added in exercise and lost 3 stone from cutting out chocolate bars, crisps, carbonated drinks, doughnuts, always used to be free at work, fish and chips,also a Friday perk at work and the big one wine, of which I am a huge fan. I still have wine at Christmas but I don't work Christmas so that is my one indulgence. I also drink a lot of water and try to keep my stress down which is not always possible as I have the stress levels of Basil Fawlty but we can only do what we can do. 

If I think where I was to where I am now the difference is huge. I still get ill but more intermittent and seem to get more warning. So no more sprinting off leaving partner's in a long queue on their own and not proud but I have done this and in not so great areas. Always having to have the end seat on the aisle in case I had to dash off which meant anyone with you did not have as good a view as those in the middle and the big one eating out and feeling the urge to run off to the loo leaving anyone you are with alone and embarrassed. 

I am sure others' will have more constructive ideas but these worked for me.

Good luck 

You might have mild IBS, but I don't think its your primary problem. I think you've got simple constipation / slow transit colon.

Exercise is good to stimulate colonic motility.

If you're female and in the UK, there is a drug called Prucalopride which can be given to increase colonic motility.

The occasional stomach cramps might be IBS, but if they're only occasional then they're not going to be responsible for your daily constipation.

If giving up dairy and gluten has not improved your symptoms - go back to eating them - it didn't work.

When I was at my worst I had every test imaginable and came back with haemorrhoids and IBS only. I used to have sickness with mine bi weekly which is now bi yearly which is why docs thought I must have something else but since coming here I have realised I am not the only one who suffers from sickness as part of IBS. Hard to believe only a few years before I did not even know what haemorrhoids were but sadly a part of IBS the doc said. 

I think stress and anxiety are natural parts of experiencing IBS.  My symptoms parallel yours, and I've also found that small meals help a lot.  One difference is that I can no longer tolerate milk, so am taking Almond milk on cereal, but can simply NOT drink a glass of it.  Probiotics seem to make my condition worse, which makes no sense at all - I used to take them before having IBS, and maintained a very healthy diet, with plenty of exercise, and a busy job.

Bloating is another unsolved mystery of IBS, and I find I'm ok until the afternoon, when it gets worse and worse until I go to bed.  

One other suggestion, even though I find it hard to follow is to get plenty of exercise - with me,  it's walking, but not for more than a couple of blocks (this is from someone who thought a three mile walk was a 'warm-up'.  I have to psych myself up to do this short walk, but I do find it works, that it relieves stress to a great degree.  

My husband, is very supportive, but is at a loss as to what to do to help me!  He works during the day and suggested staying home to 'look after me'.. my response was to tell him that it would do no good, and I'm better off, without him stressing over me too. (Sounds selfish of me).  Stress is the very worst.

After many (many) hospital trips which produced NO results, and a family doctor, who is exceptionally kind, but is at his wit's end as to what to suggest.  I've applied to receive medical marijuana, but don't hold up much hope for this either.  Better than drugs that I've been taking, anyway.

Hi I am basically the same as you.

Have you ever had a colonoscopy done?

Also I had a xray on my bowel it actually showed I have obstructive defecation. You also may not be straighten your puborectalis muscle when passing a bowel movement.

They sent me for biofeedback and ended up putting me on prucolapride.Neither have helped me, may help you though. I thought prucalopride would help because after a hour of taking it I rushed to the toilet (first day) 3 months later it just got used to me and doesn't make a difference at all. It also causes the worst headache you ever have in your life when you first take it (did for me)

I also have a rectocele and rectal descent.

It could be the lack of other foods and the fibre from the oats that are causing you issues. If you have IBS-C that doesn't alternate from IBS-C to IBS-D I would recommend you re intruduce caffeine as that's know to get most people moving in the norning. You should try adding more more fibre to your diet but what ever you do make sure it's Insoluble fibre that get the system moving if you chose soluble fibre by mistake it will make your issues 10x worse. As for the probiotics there's only 2 products out there that have been proven to work which are symprove and vsl3, the rest don't have enough bacterias to survive the acids of the digestive system and have been proven to be useless.