Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To take sick leave for IBS?

37 replies

TeaForTara · 10/02/2020 13:55

Diagnosed with IBS just over 12 months ago. Since then it calmed down a lot, alternating periods of constipation and loose stools with some urgency but not a huge problem (I know, I'm lucky.) It flared up again on Friday when I had to keep dashing to the loo. Saturday was OK but then yesterday and today it's really bad.

I can work from home, which I did on Friday and am doing today. However, I'm feeling exhausted and rather wretched and every time I have to dash it breaks my concentration and I have to start again. AIBU to say I've worked this morning but I'm on sick leave this afternoon and take myself off to bed?

OP posts:
Torvean · 10/02/2020 14:03

Are you taking any medication? Or cutting out any flare up food?

At home does a hot water bottle help?

Original poster
TeaForTara · 10/02/2020 14:10

Not on medication, have been doing OK (up to now) managing it with diet etc. Spicy food causes flare ups (and I love it, which isn't great) but I haven't had anything spicy for ages. I think the flare up is due to stress as my anxiety levels are very high at the moment for various reasons (including work.)

I don't have a hot water bottle.

OP posts:
Justwondered90901 · 10/02/2020 18:55

I completely feel for you! I used to be someone who despised sick days and thought they were never needed, til I had IBS so severely I started to not see friends or family or even leave the house let alone feel like I can work. I have been taking medication ( imodium instants are great providing you have no health reasons you cant take them ) & I'm not exaggerating when I say they've given me my life back. I never have time off now but yes, when it has been like that for me in the past I one thousand percent would say take it off and focus on feeling better, it's the worst

Alsoco · 10/02/2020 18:59

I missed a lot of Uni and my part time job at the time due to IBS. I now take A LOT of Imodium to be confident leaving the house. I was on 6 a day for YEARS. Probably 8/9 years. I’m now down to 3 a day except for days when I don’t need to leave the house but would love not to be reliant on it. I would recommend taking a couple every now and then so you don’t need to have a day off work

ittakes2 · 10/02/2020 19:03

My son once saw a specialist who was researching into IBS being linked to hypermobility ie the muscles in some parts of your digestive system are weak so things don't flow like they should. I used to have very bad IBS - I literally had to stop eating fruit for a few years as it aggravated my bowel too much. I had a year of monthly colon irrigation sessions (by a lovely nurse who was qualified in it) and it resolved my IBS forever. Basically cleared me out so I could start a fresh with my system not harbouring old stuff and triggering episodes.

Original poster
TeaForTara · 11/02/2020 04:02

Thanks for the advice and that’s interesting about the colonic irrigation. I tend to think if I can reduce my stress levels then the IBS will improve. I’ll get some Imodium.

OP posts:
Discoballs · 11/02/2020 04:05

Are you sure it's IBS? I have both IBS and Crohns. I only get the urgency with Crohn's, not IBS.

FartnissEverbeans · 11/02/2020 04:47

I’ve taken time off with IBS. It wasn’t an urgency thing - that’s rarely been my issue - but a pain thing, as I have pain predominant IBS which causes intestinal spasms. I take muscle relaxants when I have a flare up and sit in the bath for (literally) 8 hours.

For years I lived in fear of flare ups and there are times it has been really awful. But since I had my son three years ago I haven’t had an episode (fingers crossed).

So, no, you’re not being unreasonable. IBS is bad.

FartnissEverbeans · 11/02/2020 04:48

Also, interesting about hypermobility link as I have a bit of that...

SaltedPretzel · 11/02/2020 06:40

I've never been officially diagnosed with IBS but my stomach plays up ALL THE TIME, especially after certain foods. Rarely to the point I'm horribly ill but it is still uncomfortable.
I've had to ring in sick a couple of times when it has gotten that bad though, when I can't get off the toilet due to raging diarrhoea (Sorry, TMI)
Hope you feel better soon, you have my sympathy! x

Yellredder · 11/02/2020 07:06

In my twenties I had to take a lot of time off with IBS. I know everyone has different symptoms, but the pain and the urgency means that it's not unreasonable to need that time off. I also subsequently found colonics to be useful, then I've been able to manage it a lot better after that. I'm low carb now and a side effect of this has been that I rarely get IBS symptoms! Interestingly I'm hypermobile too!

Avelinebread · 11/02/2020 07:44

I had IBS when I lived in the UK. When I moved abroad I was told at my medical that there isn't any such thing unless all other diagnoses are clear. I had a colonoscopy and had great festering infected diverticular and after a course of antibiotics and fibre, have never capped in a bag in the boot of my car again in 12 years.

Avelinebread · 11/02/2020 07:45

*crapped

Stabbitha1 · 11/02/2020 07:50

If you're ill you're ill!
But with something long term you need to manage it so you dont end up with a massive record of sick time off.

Nacreous · 11/02/2020 07:56

Not unreasonable to have time off sick (and I know yesterday has passed now) but as a fellow sufferer I think it's worth:

Getting hold of a range of meds for flare ups (mebeverine/colofac, loperamide (imodium, they sell a cheap non brand version in Aldi and Lidl), gaviscon and omeprazole or ranitidine for acid indigestion, simethicone for wind). I don't take mine all the time at all, but they can help a lot.

I also have both a hot water bottle and an electric heat pad and both are really useful. I also find doing some stretches can help even though that sounds really annoying.

Likethebattle · 11/02/2020 08:04

I have hyper mobility and IBS interesting that they are linked x

Avelinebread · 11/02/2020 11:38

I also have hypermobilty but no excuse GET A BLOODY COLONOSCOPY

Avelinebread · 11/02/2020 11:39

I used to shit myself regularly when I lived in the UK and was led to believe it was notmal. Its not and you don't need to live with these symptoms

Original poster
TeaForTara · 12/02/2020 12:48

Discoballs
Are you sure it's IBS? I have both IBS and Crohns. I only get the urgency with Crohn's, not IBS.

I had loads of tests - blood tests, poo samples - and the GP said that everything else (including Crohns) had been ruled out and therefore it must be IBS as that is the diagnosis of exclusion. I didn't have a colonoscopy though.

Yesterday was a better day until after the evening meal (pasta - but I haven't previously reacted to gluten.) After the third bout of diarrhoea I took Imodium (well, the generic equivalent) and I've not been since. I'm at work today and feel OK. (I had the day off yesterday for unrelated reasons.)

OP posts:
Original poster
TeaForTara · 12/02/2020 12:49

Sometimes I take charcoal tablets; does anyone else use those?

OP posts:
Original poster
TeaForTara · 02/03/2020 14:05

I ended up taking four days off work. The diarrhoea has gone now and I am back to a regular routine, pretty much. Still don't feel "right" though. GP has referred me for an ultrasound scan to rule out ovarian cancer (I don't have any gynae symptoms but you never know.) Won't refer me for a colonoscopy because things are back to normal. Says it was probably viral gastritis.

OP posts:
Antihop · 02/03/2020 14:09

Look into improving your gut bacteria through diet. Might help. Dr Michael Mosley's book Clever Guts is a good place to start.

Ghostontoast · 02/03/2020 14:11

The IBS Network maybe able to advise you.

Discoballs · 03/03/2020 08:31

Just picked up on your response. I didn't get a Crohn's diagnosis for years. I had stomach pain, urgency and recurrent shingles. Took years for any doctor to be interested in why a reasonably healthy young woman was having recurrent shingles. Eventually pinned it down to very low B12. Even then they attributed that to my diet despite me telling them I ate a lot of red meat. That's when I realised I'd been exhausted and napping when you get home from work every day is not normal.

GPs spent a year giving me courses of B12 then waiting months to see if it stayed up or went back down. I eventually made an appointment to see the head dr at the surgery and cried at her a lot. She did a bunch of extra blood tests, including some really obscure blood test (I can't remember) that isn't usually done by GPs. The obscure blood test was the only result that was abnormal. My stool tests and inflammation levels have always been normal. GP referred me to both haematology and gastro. Gastro did a colonoscopy and capsule endoscopy.

I had ulcers in my terminal ileum and was diagnosed with crohns. I have B12 injections for life. I'm now down to yearly appointments with gastro, but will always be under the care of the service. My croh did diet controlled and I feel a million times better.

TheGoogleMum · 03/03/2020 08:44

My DH suffers with ibs. He used to take sick days for it but after getting in trouble for too much sick leave he tries not to unless he's really bad. It's the pain that really bothers him. It definately flares up when stressed. I think yanbu to take the odd sick day over it