Living with IBS - any tips?

Yes it probably is stress related but there are things that can help.

1St you need to get your good bacteria at a good level again. There is a wheat based one you can buy online which is fantastic. It really made a huge difference. Look at taking buscopan. It can help the stomach cramping and making you want to go.

Start walking more. You will find whilst you are walking you won't have the urge as much. It also helps your stomach work correctly.

I wouldn't take the other medication as it could cause long term issues.

Also look to see if it's hormone related. I have the depo contraceptive injection which regulates my hormones and reduces the symptoms.

Also find something to reduce your stress yoga, pilates, crafting, crochet, knitting etc. It makes an amazing difference.

Your experience is so similar to mine. Like you, I reached the stage of being afraid to go out in case I urgently needed the loo.  I've been following the Low FODMAP diet for amost a year now, on my GP's recommendation and I have to say it has transformed my life. I do still have the odd flare up, but thankfully, so far, the flare ups are not especially severe nor do they last more than a couple of days. I genuinely do feel that I can now control and manage my IBS with only the very occasional need for Immodium - I've never had to take more than 2 by which time a flare up will have subsided. There's loads of stuff on the internet about Low FODMAP.  I follow the diet advised by Dr Sue Shepherd ( she discovered the links between IBS and FODMAPS) and if you do have food triggers that will help you to identify and eliminate them from your diet. I would say, however, that you have to scrutinise the ingredient list on all foods. For example, onions and garlic will trigger my IBS even in the smallest quantities, but beware that some brands of tomato ketchup contain onions, others don't. I also discovered that I can tolerate only small amounts of gluten. I take probiotics too, but would be unable to tolerate the wheat based one. Apart from the very occassional Immodium I now don't need to take any medication. 

Best of luck - the Low FODMAP diet is definitely worth giving a go and can give you postive results. 

Jan

I'm constantly feeling on edge over IBS the first odd feeling in my stomach I thinking I'm going to be ill. I take paracetmol for stomach pains and hope things go ok.

I like the good bacteria idea, but also I was told by my doc to eat 5 prunes a day, eat one salad a day, during 64oz of water a day. I also have a little coffee in the morning and walk around my yard to get everything moving faster. Also, eat a bran cerial. I have done these and have been normal, like a magic trick! If I ever have bad cramping, I bought peppermint tea, with peppermint oil. The peppermint soothes the stomach. Awesome! These do work, I would get away from meds and be natural. Are bodies try to tell us what we need. And these things have helped me! Hope you try!

Hi moongazy. its hard when your ibs causes both diarrea & constipation. mine is ibs-d. to control (largely) : i take a daily liquid probiotic, & eat a low residue diet which is basically everything white - bread, pasta, rice all white. no fibre - such as cereal, oats, nearly all veg, even potato skin. I was told by my specialist gastro dietician that people with ibs so often can't break down fibre & it actually worsens symptoms if eaten. the only veg i can eat without it coming out of me looking the same as it went in is sauteed mushrooms, bizarelly jalapeno poppers (jalapenos filled with cream cheese & coated in breadcrumbs then baked), & iceberg or kos lettuce. anything else just goes through me. i also have fructose malabsorption so cannot eat any fruit or fructose products. to compensate i take a 500mg ester c vitamin c tablet daily(ester c is a gentle non acidic form of vit c that is digested & absorbed easily so particularly suited to people with bowel conditions). I tried the low fodmap diet a few years ago, but i found it useless in my case as most of the foods on the food lists i couldnt tolerate or digest, i found the low residue diet much better. other triggers for me are: onions, garlic in moderate amounts ( i can tolerate a couple of slices of garlic bread, or bit of garlic mayo, but not pieces of garlic in sauces etc), more than 6-8chunks of chocolate at a time, eating too big a meal or eating too quickly. if you get pain with your ibs, cocodomol can be good as they help the pain & also slow your bowels down, but not a good thing to take long term/regular only when you have pain too, without pain loperamide or imodium(same thing) are best to control diarrea. You are totally right about stress affecting ibs - so good you are a positive person & make an effort to avoid it where possible. hope this info helps you. xx

I am very much the same as you in terms of stress related. Being anxious or paranoid about your bowels is also a perfectly normal trigger. My doctor told me that despite what specialists say food is only half the cause to trigger IBS and that stress alone can cause it. To start with i didnt believe him. Everyone mentioned food diarys and diets but as the weeks went on (recently diagnosed) i realised that he was right. I have yet to find a food trigger. But the tinest bit of stress or anxiety and my IBS starts.

If you suffer from anxiety then i would reccommend asking your doctor for some anti depressants. These will in time help ease the anxiety and paranoia you get which will in turn help. Also keep a food diary just incase you notice any triggers but please dont start one of the diets untill your absolutely certain food triggers your IBS. You can also get anti spasmostic drugs that help ease your symptoms. I use mebeverine when my symptoms flare and one dose lasts for days with me so they give me a great saftey blanket. However ask your doctor as i do believe you cant take them if you suffer with constipation as that can be a side affect. I would go and talk through your options with a doctor. Dont hide away from it.

Drink more water and add exercise into your regime.