How to help teenager with IBS

[Yourloss]

My 16 year old has IBS (blood tests ruled everything else out) and it is difficult for her to manage. She has an upset stomach every morning before school and last night she was up with it in the night and in a lot of pain.

We can’t work out if there are any triggers. We have tried the fodmap diet but it is hard to follow it rigidly. We suspect wheat and dairy affect her but sometimes she is fine after eating them. It’s hard to know what to give her for packed lunch as she won’t eat sandwiches or pasta any more. She also loves her food and it’s hard to restrict the diet of a teenager when she just wants to eat like everyone else.

I am wondering if there are any IBS triggers for you if you suffer from it and also how do you help when it’s your child.

Op I've had it a couple of decades. Massive but clear recommendations I'd say are:

1. No grains, no dairy
2. Vitamin and mineral supplements, probiotics (start low dose), omega supplements, carnitine. IBS leads fast to malabsorption issues that cause knock on problems
3. Stay well hydrated
4. Eat little but often

In my 20 years or so with it, I've tried everything and these simple rules turned me from virtually not being able to leave the house to 95% completely managed symptoms!

Bread always made mine worse. I could have it twice a week or so without an issue but every day and it set off my cramps. I stopped having milk, cream or yoghurt and stuck to cheese. Quorn is absolutely awful for me. Too much peanut butter/peanuts can set it off. It’s tricky to get the right amount of fibre as too much and too little can both set off IBS. However bad I’m feeling, potatoes are my safe food.

As a teenager, stress was the main trigger. If your DD will try things like meditation or yoga it might help her with the frequency of flare ups. Regular exercise - walking is fine - and drinking plenty of water can help.

I really recommend Colpermin www.boots.com/colpermin-ibs-relief-20-capsules-10009324. It’s peppermint oil in capsules that pass through the stomach intact and release the oil in the bowel and it seems to calm everything down. You’d need to check with a GP that it’s ok for a 16 year old. Buscopan www.boots.com/buscopan-ibs-relief-20-tablets-10054322 stops the cramps. I always have both in the house.

For lunch, would she have soup? Root vegetable soups would be good. Baked potatoes with cheddar and tuna? Lettuce wraps rather than sandwiches? Rice salad (I know you have to be careful with rice and food poisoning so you’d need a cool pack)

Blood tests don't always show everything. You need to have other tests. A calprotectin test [ stool sample to look for inflammation] I would also push for a referral to a gastro consultant.
My son has had crohns for 14 years, and even now blood tests don't show inflammation.

It's worth getting your daughter seen by a gynaecologist too - I speak from experience as I was misdiagnosed with 'IBS' for over 10 years until I was finally diagnosed with Adenomyosis 11 years later and Endometriosis 13 years later. I was fobbed off by the NHS since 14 years old and I suffered horrendously not knowing what was wrong. If there's any question this could be something else, it needs to be looked into. GP's are known for ignoring the symptoms of women and young girls for years and years unfortunately.

My daughter is 17 and suffers with tummy pain, upset tummy, being sick, heart burn etc. she lost a lot of weight as every time she ate it made her feel ill. she now does not eat dairy (which helped her skin). She has been seen by a dietician and they suggested gluten. She has been gluten free for a few weeks now and that has really helped. She still has times of upset tummy pain etc but it’s no where near as bad as before.

Pah. Bloody minefield is what it is. :-(