IBS is making my life hell

[IBSHelpMe]

IBS Is really ruining my daily life. I don’t know how to make it better any tips grateful . Always had a slightly dodgy stomach but since August last year it’s been daily.

I have been well looked after by the NHS but so far no cause has been found, we have a history of Crohns in my family.

So far I have had
A colonoscopy
Endoscopy
MRI small bowel
Pelvic scan
Bloods which showed slightly raise calprotectin

I am due to have a SEHCAT scan but once that is done and ok then I will be given an IBS diagnosis.

Which scares me in itself because there is no treatment. I have so far tried probiotics, buscopan, liquid diet, cutting out food groups and nothing helps.
I am overweight and sitting at a desk daily makes it worse I think.
I don’t suffer from diarrhoea more constipation, I have a lot of wind from when I get up to go to bed, I have constant pain in lower bowel and its sore after going.

Its ok at night when in bed, I do drink coffee but that has never made a difference. If I eat its bad, if I don’t eat its bad. Could IBS really cause symptoms on an empty stomach ?

Any advice would be great I can’t see this going away

Try Silicolgel . It's been great for me and for stopping tummy bugs before they get a hold.

@IBSHelpMe sorry to hear that. From my experience I think it could well be your body's way of dealing with the stress. Even if you don't necessarily feel stressed it comes out in different ways xx

have they checked Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria?

Very low carb no wheat no gluten meat and low starch veg diet helps. Onions are carby so that gets eliminated too. Apple cider vinegar and charcoal tablets.

DH suffers terribly. He follows a fodmap diet and it was life changing. After lots of trial and error he has found he is intolerant to onions and the other major trigger is stress.

With fodmap everyone is slightly different. So for example fodmap states garlic as high but DH can eat buckets of it. A speck of onion and he's in pain for hours.

Peppermint tea and tablets. Hot water bottle also when the pain is bad.

Sorry OP, hope you find your triggers soon. Maybe start with a food diary and simple safe foods. Boring to begin with but it's the only way to find our what could be causing it. Good luck x

I think trying to reduce stress is the most beneficial, although I appreciate that’s really difficult.

I used to be in absolute agony and it was just horrible. I went plant based and I am honestly a different person. I now have zero symptoms. I will never go back! I urge you to try it

Thanks for some good advice and tips to get started. Unfortunately It sounds like many of us are suffering :-(

I will try to focus and eliminate things one by one.

@bluebell34567 yes twice both negative

@thislittlefinger I've seen this in Tesco it's worth a try!

I second the fodmap diet - it's real trial and error with what might set it off.

Also Colpermin tablets have be en a life saver for me. They have a hard casing and so aren't meant to dissolve until they reach you intestine (where the spasms happen). The main ingredient is peppermint I believe. You can take up to 6 a day when you're having an attack and they are absolutely fantastic. Stop the pain and help expel any trapped wind almost silently about £5 from boots.

IBs has ruined my life for 12 years. I was on a morphine drip as I was in so much pain cos I hadn't Been to the toilet in almost a month. I take movicol now which I get over the counter- I've seen a specialist and told him I was worried about laxatives long term effects and he said these ones don't stay in your body they're safe. They're the only things that help with mine and yes I get a flare up every now and again but it's rare now!

Sometimes my pain was so bad I couldn't even stand up I just felt so faint. A hot water bottle is the only thing to help the pain

IBS seems very personal on what helps and what doesn't. When I was suffering in my early 20s it was greasy food, pop, too much bread, potatoes. I can eat fruit and veg no problems.

I changed my diet to exclude most of the above although bread was ok minimally. I then found I could have things I was sensitive to occasionally.

Peppermint oil capsules or peppermint tea have helped. Never found buscopan to help much. Probiotics help but there are lots of different ones with different types of probiotic it's not a one size fits all.

I found exercise the biggest help to be honest. Anything seemed to help. I walked I swam, I've done spinning and body combat. Currently doing yoga which Has been amazing now I rarely have symptoms to be honest. I'm luckily mine was intermittent and not as bad as some!

There are some really good websites for IBS with lots of forums and advice. It is probably trial and error with what helps, what causes symptoms. But stress was a definite trigger for me!

There are medications that doctors can give that can help. Surely after the tests all are exhausted the consultants should then be giving advice towards IBS, the options medication wise dietary advice and so on....

OP I really hear you in thinking it is something serious. My pain is always in the exact same spot and I can’t do anything when it hits bar, codine and sleep it off with a hot water bottle.
I’ve been on this journey now for approx 5 years. The one thing I would say is learn your own body. It’s taken me time to realise that not overloading my system works for me, most random of things can set me off (watermelon or rolled oats)
I have gone from having pain at least a couple of times a week to rarely now.
Some research suggests the ‘western’ diet has stripped our guts of much of the bacteria that we need so certain foods just can’t be dealt with (Dr Chatterjee discusses this on his podcast).
What I’m trying to say is learn how your body reacts to certain foods, what works for others might not be ok for you etc.
Good luck.

Ir's also worth trying a good probiotic, if you think that antibiotic usage could have been a trigger. Not something like Yakult or Actimel (especially as they have sugar in them), but a proper one, like Acidophilus. They should be kept in the fridge, as they're live bacteria. Go to a good health food shop for them.

I also recommended listening to Dr Chatterjee's podcasts about gut health. They really helped me think about what is going in, and also provided a source of hope that things could improve when things were pretty bad.

Thanks all.

The day has started stressful because I am working from home.

I have eaten nothing, drunk nothing had a bout of diarrhoea and now in pain.

I have not eaten since yesterday at 4pm could IBS still be happening like this first thing I wonder.

Thank for some great advice I am writing it all down to explore and use!

Charcoal has helped me with both gas and diarrhoea, but it inhibits the absorption of other nutrients and medication - particularly contraceptives; you have been warned!

Can I suggest reflexology? I will probably get flamed for this, but if doctors cannot find anything, it is worth a try. Reflexology is often very good with bowel problems.

If you are going to take a probiotic, look for one without FOS in it (Optibac do a couple of options that are god free).

Sometimes not eating anything can upset your tummy as the bile hasn't got anything to work with so is just sitting there irritating things. Just have some toast or something like that and see how you go. 😊

@madambee I will try anything at this stage

Thank all I have listened to one of Dr Chattergee podcast this morning I have decided to cut out gluten for a few weeks and see if that helps. I have also cut down in caffeine. I will see how this goes

All your help and advice got me through yesterday so thank you

@IBSHelpMe
I can imagine that's why I dared suggest it, if you are interested pm me, I'll give you a pressure point.

@madambee I'll PM you thank you xx

Have you been tested for SIBO or had your gut motility tested? Symprove is expensive but worth a go if affordable.

Otherwise frustratingly all that helps is diet. Have you tried a fibre supplement?

I'm sorry I haven't rtft but wanted to say I had awful ibs with pain, gas, constipation cycling with diarrhoea, nausea, you name it.

The low FODMAP diet, done strictly for 8 weeks really sorted me out.

It was difficult at first but so so worth it because it gives your gut a chance to heal.
You have to be very careful about reintroducing foods as I learned the hard way but I would really recommend it if you're not getting anywhere with tests.
I must admit I didn't do it under dietician's advice, I just downloaded the app and did it myself.

Good luck. Lots of us know what you're going through.