Anxious about IBS on holiday

[londongirl12]

I’m just about to leave to go away for a week. I have IBS which is fairly controlled at home, but it always flares up when I’m away (foreign food, water and heat probably!). So now I’m feeling anxious about going away before I’ve even got there. When it flares up, I have lots of nausea (never sick), upset stomach. When it happens at night (always around 1am), I wake up with sweats, sky high temperature (I feel it but I don’t think it is high), fast heart rate. Then I feel like I’m going to faint and I end up in a big mess for a few hours. It’s horrendous. So now I just feel super nervous whenever I go away. Someone please have some useful words so I enjoy this holiday 😊

Maybe you could try bringing a few meal replacement drinks with you to have to hand. It could help to keep your energy up and would also give your digestion a break. I find meditation a good way to calm the mind and improve digestion. Linda Hall is good. She's on YouTube. I do have digestive troubles myself.

I am exactly the same. I also have slight emetophobia which is partly why I end up basically having a panic attack and feeling so hot etc too (although kids thermometer usually has my temperature as normal). My GP prescribed me cyclizine which also makes me sleepy so if I wake feeling sick can take that and then have the reassurance of it tackling the nausea wait to drop off. I think some of the over the counter travel sickness pills work in the same way. Also might be worth trying https://amzn.eu/d/c9hVUQ1 as a pre-emptive thing. People say they ended up constipated but I only ever had one tablespoon of it and it just helped with everything. I hope you have an amazing holiday I know how stressful stomach issues can be

Fellow sufferer here. Immodium
instants are your friends. If you usually get a flare up about 1am, take one about 11pm before you go to sleep and I’ve found it staves it off.

Thank you. I hate it that my stomach controls so much of my life!!!
I know over eating and eating high fat/ sugar food really doesn’t help, so I’m going to be really mindful of that. I need to say to myself that bit of cake isn’t worth it!! 😂 I think meditation will be good before bed every night. The hotel has good WiFi apparently so will check that out.

I have those packed in my case! I think so much of mine is psychological as well. The feeling hot, high heart rate, feeling I’m going to pass out. I think I get myself into that state. 🤦🏻‍♀️

How just about to go away? If you have time I would order a radar key on Amazon, and consider buying some buscopan as well as some loperamide, and maybe some simethicone (windeze) as well.

It sucks but you'll get through it. Babe you noticed what's different from what you eat at home?

Probiotics, lots of water, eat little and often rather than big meal, move around. I find walking helps. It’s a bummer having IBS on holiday, hope you have a fab time.

Oh don't talk. It's hard to resist these things sometimes. And yes, especially cake. Maybe you would escape with something plain and without chocolate. Often I find not eating makes it worse too, go figure. But ya, a night time meditation sounds like a good idea, nice and relaxing too 😊

We arrived today, missed lunch due to travelling so by the time we had dinner, I felt so nauseous. Had a bit of plain rice and plain steak to keep it simple and felt rubbish all evening. We’re in a very humid country and we went for a walk after dinner, but I was so on the verge of a panic attack as my stomach felt bloated, and I just felt so hot and uncomfortable. We’re chilling in the room now and just had a camomile tea which has helped. Fingers crossed for a good night sleep 😬

I’ve got digestive issues anyway, but on holiday my guts go haywire. Usually by day 5 I get diarrhoea and/or awful stomach pain. I feel bad for dh as I don’t like going away for more than a week cos by the end I’m a wreck.
The last 4 holidays over the past 3 years have been like that - all in Europe so nothing exotic.
i take Imodium with (although last time I didn’t have diarrhoea just awful cramps which I never get at home). I think next time I’m going to take a probiotic before and during the holiday. DH wants to go on a big holiday in 2027 so if it happens I’ll need to prepare in advance.

It sounds like you're doing all the right things anyway. That all sounds very sensible. Ya, it is quite humid where I am too. It is a bit uncomfortable at times. That sounds very relaxing. A cup of Camomile tea is very soothing. Not a bad end to the day at all. I hope you get a good night's sleep now and you'll feel much brighter in the morning

I get like this when I’m abroad. Definitely the change in water, climate and no doubt the endless food I eat. I try to go in the morning. Have coffee with breakfast then always visit the loos in reception which weirdly feel more private than going in the room with all the family about. It’s almost like once I’ve got it out of my system (literally) I can forget about it and enjoy the day.

Appreciate this may not work for you if you get flare ups in the night. Anxiety will also play a big part. If you’re out walking after a meal and feel bloated you’re naturally going to be thinking about where the nearest loo is and that sort of anxiety can make your IBS even worse.

Agree Imodium instants can calm things down a bit.

IBS is a symptom not a diagnosis and it’s a symptom of something else - often undiagnosed coeliac disease or crohns or ulcerative colitis etc . Why haven’t you worked out what food causes it? Wheat/gluten etc plus dairy and soy are main contenders for IBS symptoms so just stop eating them and trial different diets - that is diets without all gluten products etc for at least 6 weeks as this is how long it taken for them to be out your system and for your innards to calm down - then add in the next thing as wheat/gluten plus dairy and soy usually causes upset stomach diorreah bloating pain etc as well as stone fruit allergies so fructose malitol and sorbitol same symptoms. The fact you know it will flare up when away and eating different foods prove it is food related so stop eating the shit you know will give you the shits!!!!!