How to calm down IBS flare up

[pinky987]

I have had ibs for around 20 years however I am currently having a flare up that is worse then ever.

I’m having loose stools one day then constipation others, bloating, nausea, urgency to get to the toilet etc.

I have cut back on what I am eating to exclude gluten and dairy as in the past these have been triggers for me but I don’t really know what else to try. This flare up has been about 3-4 weeks so far.

Can anyone give any tips?

I’m sorry that I don’t have any groundbreakings recommendations, but lots of empathy. I find Colpermin IBS peppermint capsules help along with drinking warm water and gentle walking even just around the house helps.

I have just stopped the worst one of my life with lots of kefir. I bought a shed load from waitrose and drank down a couple of pints worth. About an hour later I was 70% better. I have been having half a pint a day now and feeling much better!

This is a bit of a strange one but it's rice crispies for me when this happens, and nothing with lots of fibre

Peppermint capsules for me. Also a really good probiotic has made a huge difference. Are you particularly stressed? Some relaxation/mindfulness may help.

Hope you feel better soon. I know how horrible it is.

See your gp. I have had ibs for years furthet exacerbated by my bowel perforating due to cancer 9 years ago. I had a ileostomy for 7 months after that. As a result I live with severe and ongoing bowel problems. I take omepazole, mebveverine and loperamide daily. Loperamides brand name is immodium. Omeprazole helps prevent pain, mebveverine helps with the cramps. My issue is running to the loo multiple times a day so that's where the loperamide really helps. I have to take between 6 and 9 tablets a day. It's all prescribed by my gp. See your doctor, sounds like you need proper medication. Hope you feel better

Thanks for the quick replies. This is really getting me down now as struggling to even go out places for fear of no toilet being near by.

Zoey for the colpermin is this like Imodium ibs relief. As when I took those it just made my stomach feel really uncomfortable or are they different?

Lockdown I have seen kefir mentioned before but I don’t really know what it is, is there a chance this could make my diareah worse as I am really scared of this happening.

Lurking thanks the kids have rice crispies so I will give them a go anything is worth a try at the moment.

Blue25 i have had stress/anxiety the last few weeks so I have just started out meditation to see if this helps.

BBQ thanks, I have spoken to the gp who took blood test and stool sample but all were fine. I will call them again on Monday to tell them I am still struggling.

Oh you have my sympathy. My IBS used to be horrific, but it's mostly cured through lifestyle changes now.

Do you have even one meal that you know will not trigger you? Something very simple without too many ingredients. For me it's salmon with brown rice. Eat it every day if needed to try to calm the irritation in your bowel as you make longer term changes.

Have you heard of the FODMAP diet? It teaches about how certain foods can trigger IBS if you're sensitive. I was already avoiding dairy and gluten but FODMAP is how I learned beetroot, avocado and onions, among others, were triggering my attacks. When i eliminated my trigger foods my gut gradually healed, so now i can tolerate small amounts of previously triggering foods because my gut is a lot more resilient.

I also recommend taking a good probiotic to encourage healthy bacteria. Once your gut isn't so inflamed you can try taking digestive enzymes and other supplements to help keep your digestive system in tip top shape.

Good luck! It's so miserable to suffer like that.

Just to add, when my IBS was bad everything I ate triggered an attack. It took weeks / months for my gut to heal enough so i could identify trigger foods. I liken it to a million musical instruments playing at the same time so it's just deafening noise and you can't pick out individual sounds. You have to silence whole sections of instruments so you can pick out the individual noises and hear if they're playing in tune or not.

Now my gut is well balanced so if I eat something and my stomach feels bad afterwards I can usually pin down exactly what set me off and can avoid it next time.

Peppermint capsules. I had an awful flare up starting in March, was a bit sceptical about whether peppermint would actually do anything but my God, the difference! For the last 2-3 weeks I've felt much more like my usual self. Peppermint tea doesn't seem as effective as the capsules, for me at least.

Plain chicken soup for 3 or 4 days usually calms everything down for me.

High fat foods like chocolate make mine worse, but if I’m stressed nothing helps.

Loperamide. I take it daily during a flare up but I am very much Ibs d.

Thanks for the replies. I am going to get some peppermint capsules as this seems to be suggested a few times.

Mariopuzo I have found that I can eat plain chicken and boiled potatoes and that is fine. Last night I added peas and I also ate some gluten free biscuits which had dairy in without thinking so will go back to just the chicken and potatoes tonight I think. You are right everything seems a trigger and I am becoming scared of what to eat as I dont want to trigger symptoms. I have just started looking at FODMAP the last few days so will look into that more. Do you think the probiotic is good to take from now or when my bowels have settled more?

Loperamide for me gave me a grumbly uncomfortable stomach so I’m not sure if they work for me.

All good suggestions
Just see what works for you
I only find colpermin gets rid of the bloating/ gas
Definitely gf/ df and sugar free to calm the inflammation
Kefir is fermented milk
You can use sauerkraut if you don’t want dairy
Yes something plain Luke salmon and brown rice
Charcoal pills are quite good. They help absorb gas and bind with toxins
Maybe you have some deep roooted bowel infection that triggers when you’re stressed.
Make sure You’re well hydrated
I’ve never found one simple answer,l

Peppermint tea is also an option. It's a muscle relaxant so it helps your gut muscles stop spasming.

Kefir had loads of good bacteria, I have mine in a Yoghurt style and eat with nuts and seeds and honey.

Camomile is also a gut muscle relaxant.

For something easy to eat try weetabix for those bad days mushed up in hot milk with sugar.

I think a probiotic would be OK to take now, presumably it won't hurt. I take one every day and have for the past 3 years, if I run out I start to feel the familiar rumblings of pain and bloating after a couple of weeks.

Just stick to gentle foods for a few days to keep everything calm, then when this attack is over you can concentrate on building your gut health up to avoid this happening again. A few other foods that i found calming when I had an attack are roasted sweet potatoes, very ripe bananas (but not more than 1 per day) and porridge made with almond milk with a tbsp of chia seeds mixed in and allowed to soak up the liquid. Try to only eat small meals too, this avoids overloading your digestive system and giving it the time and space to heal. Drinking herbal teas is ok, but avoid caffeine and drinking very cold drinks.

There's a really good book called 'The Clever Guts Diet' by Dr Michael Mosely about how vital your gut health is. That has a few recipes and tips on for how to increase your good bacteria (probiotics, prebiotics, eating fermented foods and a wide range of different vegetables) but your gut might not be strong enough to cope with such variety right now.

Thanks for all the help it’s much appreciated

Another vote for Colpermin about a £6 in boots and Superdrug. They have a very hard shell and aren't meant to burst until in your intestine. I think you can take up to 6 in a day if it's a bad flare up.

Nothing like Imodium

Also google the fodmap diet. Lots of innocent looking fruits and vegetables are on the list of things to eliminate. Keep a food diary to try and pinpoint your flare up.

Thanks @blondehalo I just started filling in my fitness pal again yesterday so that I have a diary of everything I’m eating.

Has anyone tried expressed breast milk for IBS? It must be a great probiotic as it contains sugars that are not there to feed the baby, but to feed the beneficial bacteria in the baby's gut.

I'm curious as DH has awful IBS and I've tried to get him to drink any excess milk from when I've pumped, but he's too squeamish!

I have bad IBS and now bowel disease too. You've had good advice on here, I'd also add to try:
Peppermint tea for wind and grumbles.
Rennie's for trapped wind and acid.
Buscopan for cramps, you can just get this off the shelf.
Liquid only diet until it calms down, then start with low FODMAP foods.
Bone broth is very soothing on the gut.
Avoid gluten and wheat altogether.
Avoid caffeine.
Silicolgel, available off the shelf in Boots or on Amazon. Acts like a very gentle immodium.

Sorry I can't help, I've had it for years and atm suffering with awful constipation but in a few days will be running to the.loo!! It's horrible to have and has caused me such upset over the years. No foods help although alcohol does give me bad cramps. I hope you find some relief soon and I feel your pain x

@keepingbees my dh mentioned a liquid only diet but I worried that would make the diareah worse unless that isn’t correct? Thanks for all the other advice.

@nicky7654 thank you and sorry your suffering too.

@pinky987 it shouldn't do, it just rests the bowel. If you find you feel empty and grumbly then try broths. Stewed apple is also recommended on my IBD group.
I hope you feel better soon it's a miserable illness.