To ask if you've ever been caught short

[Sugartits27]

I'm suffering from really bad IBS-D at the minute. So much so that i darent go out. I've had to ask a friend to do the 10 minute school run for the past two days because I'm frightened of going. Long car journeys or going anywhere without a loo are out of the question.

I think a lot of this is also in my head. I give too much power to it and sometimes worrying makes my symptoms worse. I'm trying to rationalise the worst possible outcome and put it into context so I can actually start living again and not be ruled by my bowels!

So with that in mind, aibu to ask you to tell me your stories of getting caught short and what happened/how you managed it....

OP keep an eye on it, I don’t want to alarm you but other issues can sometimes disguise themselves as IBS or have IBS as a symptom. If you’re unhappy with how your GP is fobbing you off then maybe have a second opinion just to be certain.

I haven’t been caught short although I suspect I have IBS as when I’m not low carbing (so gluten or sugar could be a trigger? Not sure) I tend to have regular urgent bowel movements.

I think I got mild food poisoning (for the first time in my life!) the other week though - I was working away from home for a couple of days, the drive home took me 5 hours instead of about 2.5 as I kept on having to stop. I also had to stop to have a nap as I’d been up all night on the loo.

Took ten days before I was back to normal. Horrible.

I’m much better about using public loos to poo in nowadays.

I've experienced ibs-d for a while and then suffered pelvic floor damage post birth of DC one which has significantly impacted my sphincter control. It's made much worse by urge incontinence which is psychological.

I manage to only wet myself when at home mainly, just dribbles when I'm out, but I've soiled myself 3 times in 3 years. All 3 times I've been very close to home, and on my own (or with young DC) thankfully so no one to smell it or comment.

It's awful. I hate it, but I have to live with it. I'm hoping that the urge incontinence will be managed by training and medication, I just need to stop breastfeeding first.

Yes, I had a lovely meal and decided to walk back home with the dog (about 2 miles cross country) while everyone else went in the car.

Fortunately rather a rural route as my lunch went right through me and I had to visit the bush toilet.

I do think it's worth getting checked out, OP, IBS can be all sorts of other things and any time anyone's bowel movement change pattern for unexplained reasons over a long period of time you should go to the GP.

I had IBS symptoms from time to time which I thought was stress, then I started getting constipated when on my periods. Had always had that a bit but it got to the point when I was doubled over with digestive pain, always on day 3, and certainly couldn't have got on with anything or gone to work. One evening when I was away at DPs I started getting continual stomach pain, and thought I had a stomach ulcer. So I went to the GP, he took it very seriously indeed, got me in for scans at hospital within a couple of weeks. They suspected severe endometriosis and an ovarian cyst. I think they also suspected ovarian cancer but didn't tell me that at the time. It was all confirmed (endometriosis and cyst, not cancer) by surgery to remove the cyst and some of the endometrial tissue. I was offered a hysterectomy and was warned before surgery that they might have had to remove one ovary but fortunately none of that was required. Endometriosis is chronic but I now take desogestrel which helps enormously, and am mostly symptom free. And apart from food occasionally randomly not agreeing with me, I have no IBS type symptoms either. So I think it was all connected to the endometriosis building up on/in my bowel.

I had an accident just recently on holiday. Luckily I was 2 minutes away from the apartment we were staying in so I just went in and had a shower. I first got IBS about 20 years ago and became totally agoraphobic, precisely because of the mental fear you describe. It was a horrible time.

It is hugely important not to let the fear ruin your life, because yes worrying about it does make it worse. Whilst i was recovering from my agoraphobia I would carry a backpack whenever I went out, which contained a change of clothes, wet wipes etc. It was a bit of a pain but having that "security blanket" really helped to lower my anxiety because I knew in the worst case scenario I could find somewhere to go an clean up. I do still carry a little pouch in my handbag with clean knickers etc to this day. I also sometimes wear a sanitary towel, or tena lady, if I think it might flare up while I'm out as, to be blunt, that will "catch" a lot of it and there's less mess.

It has hindered me though in that I can't wear a skirt with bare legs. I'm still too scared for that! I only wear skirts/dresses in winter with thick black tights! So summer is hard. But if you are wearing something that you know would "hide" it if it happened, that also helps psychologically. Over the 20 years I have had good periods and bad periods (currently going through a bad one). But I will never let myself become agoraphobic again. Because that was far worse than anything else.

My Fil went to the extent of buying a camper van so he always had somewhere to sort himself out on a day out.

But DH does a lot of trail running with a group of mates. He says it's not unusual for someone to disappear behind a bush with a dock leaf and no one bats an eyelid.

Mine isn't as bad as yours, but enough to be unpleasant at times.

I've cut all dairy and wheat. Just cut all refined sugar and high sugar fruits, as well as starchy vegetables. I'll slowly reintroduce the latter two in a few weeks, se how it goes.

What about trying hypnotherapy? It might help calm your mind.

Thank you for all of the replies. It really does help knowing that I'm not alone. There is no pattern to my symptoms really. I'll be fine for months and then have an episode - yesterday for example I had to dash to the loo urgently after every meal I ate. But today I'm ok again. If it went on for a longer period of time I would go back to the gp. But I know find that the psychological aspect is a lot worse because I don't know when a flare up (however brief) might happen.

Motorways really get to me and I find myself counting down the miles to service stations. I take a lot of pre-emptive Imodium which does help but it doesn't always stop it completely. I try breathing techniques too. Once I'm in a space where I know there are accessible toilets the fear tends to subside and I feel ok. It's really bad :(

I have the same. I found taking Buscopan before leaving the house works really well for me. It doesn't leave me bunged up either. I keep a spare pair of knickers and a packet of baby wipes in my bag just in case still, but I've not needed to use them for a while now.

OP try taking pysillium husk in water, works wonders for some with IBS.

I sympathise OP, been there, done it etc. It's the random unpredictability that I hate but over the years I've decided that I just have to deal with it if/when it happens- I've probably been caught out a dozen times?
It seems that sometimes onions are the culprit, other times it's sugar/sugar substitutes so no constant cause which means it's difficult to cut out particular foods etc. I tried FODMAP, it made no difference (I've also had colonoscopies and other investigations).

I used to have mini anxiety attacks in the cinema which made me want to run to the loo. I discovered belly breathing and as soon as I feel it coming on, doing the breathing just sorts it out there and then. Probably not any use to actual IBS but useful if brought on by feeling anxious.

I have colitis and can get sudden attacks and need to loo. On holiday once I had to run back to the cottage we were staying at and just made it. My ‘attacks’ can also wipe me out and make me feel exhausted and i have to sleep for a couple of hours. I have cut out diary which has helped and some other foods, lettuce for instance causes me issues. I also have issues about worrying if I get caught out needing to go when out and sometimes plan around toilets. If I know I am going somewhere where I don’t know if there are toilets, or for instance to work meetings where I don’t want to have to rush out halfway through I tend to not eat the day before. I occasionally take Imodium and find colofac also helps.

OP, what did you eat in the 24hrs before the latest attack? Any huge anxiety? Any major events? They're is always a trigger even if you haven't IDd it yet.

I also have IBS-D, but have control of it most of the time.

I paid to see a nutritionist, and did the FODMAP diet for a few months to identify my issues. It's wheat, yeast, peas and alcohol.

I haven't taken any medication in several years.

I have changed my diet lately (trying to lose weight). Also had a stressful week with various things but not where it's notably affected my anxiety. It could be down to the food change but it was a really sudden and severe attack each time. Thankfully I was at work and at home so within reach of a toilet but when it happens I always think 'oh god what if this had happened while I was out' etc.

Because of that thought i tend to work myself up about going places and long journeys etc.

I have IBS and IBD so I can completely sympathise with the emotional side of this and the fear. Others have given great advise. I'd say:
Keep a food diary. Look at the Fodmap diet. Try cutting out wheat and dairy (separately.)
Join some online IBS groups for support.
Medicine wise, as well as Immodium have a look at Buscopan, peppermint capsules, Silicolgel and Enterosgel.
You need to get your symptoms under control then start to work on your confidence with baby steps.

@Sugartits27
Sorry you have been having mean replies . Can't imagine why as your post seems very normal .
I don't have your medical condition but can fully understand your feelings on this one .
If I eat or have a hot drink before a long dog walk this can happen to me. Even doing this I sometimes have to resort to the great outdoors. Luckily I'm already prepared for the dogs ! Wet wipes and all litter taken care of obviously .
As you say the thought of it seems to make a sensitive tummy ten times worse. If it's limiting what you can do is it possible your GP could advise ? Maybe a consultation ? You're certainly not alone .

I haven't seen the deleted comments but can imagine them and it's because people see the subject as embarrassing that it's not discussed much.

I had it for years and was diagnosed with IBS and generally medical services are woefully unsympathetic. A few years back I attended my GP in tears because of the shame of it. I was referred onto gastros where I had the full shebang. A scan revealed I had a huge fibroid, and was referred onto gynae. By this stage the fibroid was so big only a hysterectomy would shift it (it was the size of a 7 month pregnancy). Both gynae and gastros denied it was causing the problems but you know what....as soon as I had the op it resolved. I was delighted. I was convinced the fibroid was putting pressure on something.

All was well until the last few weeks, when I started getting symptoms again. The pattern was always the same. I'd come home from work, have my dinner, then walk the dog, then have problems getting home from the walk. I was well upset and went back to my GP as obviously if I've had a hysterectomy no way is it fibroids again! I was diagnosed 18 moths ago with underactive thyroid and lately my thyroxine was increased as my bloods were out. and atm it's felt to be a response to the increase in thyroxine, which should settle down. I've also changed my routine a bit to walking the dog before my dinner and so far that seems to have helped (better as well with the nights drawing in.)

Op I've had the fear of being caught short (not sure if there is a proper term for this phobia 🤔 ) for years! In fact when I was a teenager it got to the point where I was completely agoraphobic and wouldn't leave the house.

I also have IBS but tbh the anxiety is much more disabling than the IBS is!!

What helped me was reading some anxiety type self help books and forcing myself into situations I wanted to avoid. I just kept telling myself that no matter what happened I would cope! Once I started to relax a bit the IBS symptoms got better anyway 🙄 things like massage, mindfulness, cutting out caffeine and exercise also help.

I find eating stodgy food like white bread and limiting fruit and some veg help as well. I def need to keep a low fibre diet!

There used to be a thread about embarrassing peeing/pooing yourself incidents on mn classic threads!! It really helped me to read about other people's experiences and the fact that the world didn't end just because they'd crapped themselves 🤣

This is exactly why I started the thread. Because it's about overcoming the fear and putting it into perspective - I.e as pp said the world won't end because you crapped yourself 🙈

But in that moment of sheer panic when you need to go it really does feel like the worst thing ever

"I haven't seen the deleted comments but can imagine them"

As risk of being deleted again, the comments were about oversharing, and they became redundant when MNHQ responded.

What are you eating, on a typical day? And if you've changed your diet recently - from what, to what?

I've only been caught short with poo a couple of times when I haven't been well and have had diarrhoea. I have a weak bladder tho, and I pee myself quite often to the point where I have to wear pads daily so I have a lot of experience getting 'caught short' in the pee side of things.

For me it was 'IBS' that turned out to be coeliac disease instead, but in the 10 years it took to diagnose, it went from a minor inconvenience to an all encompassing chronic anxiety about leaving the house. I've been gluten free and well for 10 years now and my anxiety that stemmed from it is still ruling my life. I haven't left the town I live in for years. I can't do random trips anywhere.

By the skin of my teeth. IBS started on the bus (sweating). How I held on I do not know. I only just made King's Cross, and was in there so long the attendant banged on the door to ask if I was all right (possible drug use).

The graffiti from the prositutes on the wall was really sad. Kind of how I felt. I am convinced that IBS and deep emotional stress are interlinked.