Is this IBS? What do I do?!

[Newnamewhodiss]

Im at my wits end, so please if anyone has any help they can point my way I’d be very grateful - I have a doctors appointment booked for end of April (soonest they had) but I’m getting desperate!

I’ve always needed to goto the loo pretty desperately straight after a big meal, but this past month I’m having the most crippling stomach cramps after eating pretty much anything and am spending what feels like hours on the loo.

i can’t pinpoint what is causing it - as honestly, everything seems to trigger it! We have just got back from holiday and I’ve tried sticking to grilled meat and salads, I’ve cut out fizzy drinks and processed meats as much as possible, but nothing makes a difference.

is there anything I can do before the doctors appointment? Is it worth paying to see a nutritionalist? I take Imodium if I have to (airplane / meetings etc) but it pauses things rather than stops it.

sorry for the name change, my husband was being a dick and I was moaning about him under my last name so didn’t want them connected!

OP, I have IBD and have to do poo tests regularly. It can be a messy affair if you are not careful, this is what I do now and it works a treat every time .

place cling film over the the loo, with a sort of droop to it, not tightly, this is not 'Jackass' have a bin bag at the ready! place poo in tube (they come with a tiny shovel on the screw top) carefully get hold of a corner of the cling film and dangle it in the loo, hold tight to it while you flush, when all poo is gone, place cling film in bin bag and put straight in the bin. hope that helps.

Noone ever asked me anything about foods I ate, or how anything I ate was related to my symptoms.

I guess they just believed me when I said there was no obvious link.

I use old (washed!) take away tubs. Poo into that, scoop into tube with the little thing, empty tub, flush, tub into bin bag.

I recall having to tell the GP there was nothing I could scoop, my "poo" was just slime. It was so traumatic!

@VanGoghsDog I find that I'm just to 'explosive' to use a tub I need the safety of the loo, hence the cling film. God, it is a literal pain in the arse having IBD. I try not to let it rule my life but I have now got a radar key because of the shortage of public loos.

Ah, yes, I can understand that, I get that too. The cling film is a great suggestion.

I have a radar key which I inherited from my mum who had it due to her stoma, I think I'm entitled to it - I've had to run into disabled loos in the past.