Worried about how awful IBS will feel in old age :(

[Lottaberry]

Female, mid-20s.. with IBS-D.. obviously by now, after having it nearly 10 years, I kinda know what triggers it but there's quite a lot that does and it varies as time goes by and of course, emotions/stress can have a big impact too and can't always be reduced..

I dread to think how awful IBS will feel in old age (the bloating, wind, diarrhea etc as old age will already reduce digestive power and would be frail in other ways too...

Anyone 50/60+ with IBS, how do you cope?

Im similar in that I'm not entirely confident of my triggers, however my biggest one is hormones so at the start of my period and often ovulation, hoping by the time I'm 50 / 60 that won't be such a problem 😁

Yes that's true - I feel there's a definite link between the menstrual cycle and IBS too.. dread to think what the menopause will do to it though..!

P.S sorry I seem to have posted in "relationships" rather than chat by mistake - as I had both sub forums open - feel free to move it to _Chat

Completely got rid of IBS by cutting out wheat. Overnight cure, like being born again.

Now it's gluten and also dairy. All rather tiresome but it's worth it, it really is.

I try to cook everything from scratch. Been following slimming world too. I find if I have sweet things or things with alot of additives this triggers mine. Aweful with anything with yeast in too, bread, wine etc.
I'm 50 & by making the above changes my Ibs is better than it's been in years.

I noticed you put IBS-D?

Have you been diagnosed with IBD?

As someone who has Crohn’s I often find that many people mix up the two, whereas IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) can be controlled by diet, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) often has serious symptoms. With this in mind I’m currently on a course of infusions which I have to have at the hospital. Others have serious, life changing surgeries.

I’m by no means minimising IBS, which can also have a big impact on daily life but please don’t trivialise the huge impact IBD has in those of us who have this disease and that’s what it is, a disease, a chronic one at that which can have huge implications.

If you’ve had all the tests and IBD has been ruled out then there are lots of online resources to help. Managing your triggers and possibly starting (if you haven’t already) a food diary might be a great help.

If you haven’t had tests for IBD then you need to go back to your GP and ask to be referred for a colonoscopy. You will at least then no what you’re dealing with.

I’m in my late 40’s and currently taking every day/week/month as it comes. I take the rough with the smooth.

It is a frightening thought. Getting older and the difficulties of illnesses like this.

The Op said she has IBS-D which means IBS with diarrhoea as the primary symptom as opposed to IBS-C which has constipation as the primary symptom.

I didn't read anything in her post to suggest any confusion with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) which as you point out is an entirely different diagnosis, as is Crohn's disease.

@SweetMarmalade IBS-D is a subtype of IBS occurring with diarrhoea (usually as opposed to constipation, or the mixed type). Nothing to do with or 'trivialising' IBD, which I don't feel is a particularly helpful comment.

Sorry cross post with you @starbrightnight!

SweetMarmalade the op clearly wasn't trivialising IBD but saying that she has IBS-D. Sorry that you are ill, but you've misunderstood and that's not the op's fault.

Op, I've had it for 30 years and have gone gluten free, almost dairy free and am minimising raw veg like salad. I feel so much better, have had no time off work due to inability to leave the bathroom, have taken no medication and generally look healthier. It's tough at first, but it gets easier. Think about trying it.

Apologies. It’s a sore point and often both are trivialised.

IBS can be sorted very easily.

It is generally from either food or anxiety/ stress.

Find your triggers and manage them :)

I had IBS and it got to the point that everything triggered it and I had not eaten fruit for years...had colon irrigation once a month for a year and IBS totally sorted. Eat what I want now except gluten as I have ceolic's. Milk isn't great for me but a little is OK. Colon irrigation cleared out not only my large intestine but my small intestine. I went to the therapist who used to be a nurse and she was very professional.
I met a specialist about 10 years ago who was researching into the link with hypermobility and IBS - the thought being the muscles in the digestive tract not fuctioning at optimum.

You might find that your IBS becomes milder as you get older, or that it clears up completely. Mine was a real nuisance in my twenties, but I’ve been mostly clear of symptoms since my early thirties. I did have a bad flare up in pregnancy, though.

My IBS has cleared up a lot, now i’m In my 50s. I found that fructose was a problem so I stopped drinking apple juice and try not to consume anything with high fructose corn syrup in it.

So my bowel is “calmer” but now my bladder is playing up - can’t bloody win!

You find out who you’re friends are - not the people who make snide remarks about you going to the loo/farting!

@BearFoxBear

Can I ask you what do you eat?

I’m trying cut out gluten, wheat, veg is also out, don’t eat fruit and can’t have cheese.

My diet is so limited I find it really difficult to eat. I would really appreciate any tips or ideas.

IBS-D is miserable

Have you had a fecal calproctectin test or colonoscopy?

I'm just coming out of a bad flare up and my drs are not helpful just told me I dont have any markers for crohn's disease in my blood I pointed out to him I haven't eaten wheat for 15 years so I wouldn't expect there to be he shrugged his shoulders and said well your intolerant to it then obviously and that's as far as we got

I have IBS and bile salt malabsorption. Constant diarrhoea and bloating and oesophagus spasm, had it all my life. I am now 49. It is getting harder to recover and bounce back now from a day or night of watery diarrhoea and/or vomiting. I always take a Diorolyte sachet and a magnesium pill and drink plenty of water afterwards but it takes its toll on me.

I also now have hand arthritis and worry about not being able to keep myself clean as I age.

Getting old is horrid.

It is awful Lilly.

So, what I eat. Breakfast tends to a banana and gf oatcakes, a protein shake (I make up bags of fruit/spinach and put them in the freezer, then just add coconut milk and peanut butter in the morning when I blend it), or Greek yoghurt with fruit (blueberries, strawberries etc seem to be innocuous) and museli. Occasionally I have gf waffles or pancakes with scrambled egg and bacon.

Lunch is usually soup or a salad that's light on green leaves because they upset me. Chicken, bacon and avocado is a favourite, or halloumi. Sometimes I have a baked potato but not often because I want a nap afterwards!

Dinner is often some kind of curry, pasta, falafel, risotto, steak and veg. Lamb, Indian rice, tomato and cucumber salad is a favourite at the moment, as is meatball pasta bake.

Also, make sure you're taking supplements. My B12 and vitamin D have been really low because of food not staying in my body for any length of time, so now I'm on supplements for both on my gp's orders.

Hope that helps.

You might want to try and cut out the gf oats and see if they make a difference. Transformed my life when I stopped eating them. By the way, they are not totally gluten-free they just have small levels of gluten which are considered acceptable but not by my body! But its the bulking out of stools that triggered issues in my body from them - could be irritating the sides of your bowel.

I can't have oats, gluten free or otherwise.

I'm also not good with dairy but need/want the probiotic - Tesco soya yoghurt does it for me (no added sugar like Alpro). I tried lactose free yoghurt but same IBS.

Vegan seems to give me the most overall gut peace but I'm not currently prepared to go 100% vegan.

I found that keeping a food diary was helpful, and making some minor changes, but the best thing is psyllium husks in water, once a day. You might have to experiment to see what time is best, for me about an hour before dinner.