/r/ibs

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ibs: it's a pain

Let's discuss treatment, and coping with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Dealing with IBS is really tough. It can cause a lot of anxiety, pain, and depression. Feel free to express your frustration, achievements, rants, and whatever relevant information you want with this community. We do however, urge you to take medical advice here with a grain of salt since most of us are speaking from our personal experiences with IBS and it can be different for each person. You should always see a qualified doctor if you think you are experiencing severe health issues.

Rules

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Help and Resources

We would also like to extend depression and suicide resources for those struggling with the social, physical, and mental problems that can come from this illness. Many community members know that living with IBS can be a daily struggle. The community is here to listen, but if you are feeling severely depressed or suicidal about your condition we would like you to seek professional help. Below are some recommended links including hotline numbers to people who can help you immediately. You should never have to suffer alone and there is help if you need it.

Interesting Posts

Comprehensive guide for those of you lurkers who suffer from extreme constipation

PSA: Your IBS-C May Not Be IBS-C

ACG Clinical Guideline: Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Tips for gas pain

[IBS Supplement List](hhttps://hauths.com/)

Discord

Join us here

Hotline Numbers

Related subreddits

/r/Health
/r/Anxiety
/r/Depression
/r/CrohnsDisease
/r/getting_over_it
/r/HumanMicrobiome
/r/Dysautonomia
/r/shittingadvice
/r/IBD
/r/SIBO
/r/ConstipationAdvice
/r/Bidets
/r/Microbiome
/r/FODMAPS /r/colonoscopy

External Links

Bristol Stool Scale Describe your poop medically
Poop colors and what they mean
ibsgroup.org
irritablebowelsyndrome.net

Finally, it may not be IBS. Here is a list of disorders that manifest similarly to IBS.

/r/ibs

131,308 Subscribers

1

Alcohol induced flare up

Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday I drank 3 Smirnoff Ice (each night) then 3 days later I got a flare up. It usually starts off as a feeling of anxiety then I have a bowel movement. And on and off nausea and dull stomach pains. Can I get a flare up days after drinking alcohol?

0 Comments
2024/12/05
06:58 UTC

1

Anyone get dizzy ?

I’ve been feeling dizzy for about 6 months at random times . Sometimes it’s half the day other times it’s a few hours . I’ve been hydrated don’t know what’s up

0 Comments
2024/12/05
06:52 UTC

1

Feeling of coughing something up and nausea-like feeling . Fullness in chest area and throat ?

I’m not sure if I have ibs yet but it sure seems like it. Is this a symptom of ibs ? I’ve had this for 3 months now going onto 4 . Currently on omeprazole 2 times a day . I know what the “lump in the throat “ feeling feels like but this feels much different than those anxiety symptoms . Also A lot of mucus in my stool 1/3 times I use the bathroom . Diarrhea and solid stool at the same time .

0 Comments
2024/12/05
06:28 UTC

1

Constipation Meets MCAS

I cannot use the bathroom without Miralax. Last time I tried I didnt go to the bathroom for an entire month. The problem is it drops my blood pressure and gives me a INTENSE MCAS reaction that never ends.

Does anybody know of a remedy to constipation this extreme that wont trigger my MCAS?

even lactulose does it and thats just a synthetic sugar.

0 Comments
2024/12/05
04:56 UTC

1

Treating IBS and Anxiety

For those that have tried treating their IBS with anti anxiety medication, what was the outcome?

While changing what I eat has helped manage my IBS symptoms, I am aware that the constant state of stress I am in inevitably worsens my IBS. Sometimes I wonder if I could just calm down if my stomach would do the same.

I’ve always been a bit suspicious of anti anxiety or anti depressants for fear that the medication could have permanent altering effects on my personality and body. I’m not even sure if this belief has any truth to it but wanted to hear your experiences.

0 Comments
2024/12/05
04:58 UTC

3

Anyone been on prozac?

Did it wreck your stomach like it has mine? I don't know if it's the medication or the lack of food im eating.

My stomach is always upset, bloated, gassy, trapped gas at 4am is the worst. Problem is I can't eat or don't want to eat. I am afraid to upset my stomach, I have no appetite so I've been eating like a bird.

5 Comments
2024/12/05
04:42 UTC

2

Post infections ibs or Sibo? Help

Im 21 and 2 years ago i had bad food poisoning one night (I think) it was really painful diarrhea but no other symptoms and since that day I have had the most awful ibs symptoms EVERY SINGLE DAY it is so debilitating like I can't eat anything i used to eat before and if i do i turn into a gas machine or i have the worst stomach cramps with diarrhea especially if it's gluten it's like in 1 night my whole stomach changed and my life has been ruined then what do you guys think I have and will i ever go back to eating normal food again? can any one relate?

3 Comments
2024/12/05
04:14 UTC

1

I’m going crazy

Sorry for this I’m on mobile but these couple of days are HORRID. I got my gallbladder removed two years ago and got diagnosed with IBS earlier this year and physical things didn’t really show up massively until now. I had a wonderful milkshake that I now assume had whole milk or so forth and now I am sick like a DOG. I have horrid emeteophobia and I am swollen like hell and I’ve tried most things. Mylanta, IB Gard, teas and I’m using now two heating pads to at least soothe some of it. Cola is my enemy and I didn’t find out until today that I cannot eat honeydew. I have IBSC and lowkey man, I am going crazy. I have to get a colonoscopy soon but I’m so scared of it, please let me know I’m not alone

7 Comments
2024/12/05
03:50 UTC

3

Looking for remote work because of IBs

My current job is sales in office. It has become unbearable. I am tired of being questioned why I am not at my desk because I am in bathroom. Or why I am not eating the company pizza and I have to go get a specialty diet food. I kid you not I was chewed out for my frequent lunch food trips even though we are given time for lunch and I use it as given. The stress also is a lot my stomach pain is unbearable and I just tell them I have health issues. I want my next job to be remotely done so I can get away from this. But remote jobs are slim picking anyone have any ideas?

3 Comments
2024/12/05
02:54 UTC

1

Too much alcohol and vomiting cured my IBS

Pretty sure a night of too much whiskey and subsequently vomiting cured my IBS a few years ago. But now I’ve got it again and am thinking of inducing vomiting without alcohol. I get gerd and accidentally throw up a bit in my mouth when burping (gross ik) so maybe it just wants to come out. Anyone have experiences like this?

0 Comments
2024/12/04
22:31 UTC

1

Cholestyramine worked for few days and stopped

I'm 23 and have had IBS-D since I was 12. Every day or two, I experience very soft stool that's hard to pass.

About a month ago, I started taking Cholestyramine as recommended by my GI doctor. In the first week, it worked really well—I felt like I had cured my IBS. Each time I went to the bathroom, it only took 1-4 minutes with little effort, and the stool was no longer as soft, looking pretty normal (something I haven't experienced in years).

However, after that first week, everything returned to how it was before. I'm wondering how this could happen. Was it just a temporary effect? Could it have been psychological, or did the Cholestyramine really make a difference? I've taken other medications over the years, so I don't think it's all in my head.

1 Comment
2024/12/05
00:28 UTC

14

treating ibs with weed?

i've had symptoms for almost a year and just got diagnosed with ibs las month. over the past year, i've noticed that the only thing that truly helps me feel normal is weed. after smoking, i'm able to eat what i want without it making me feel sick, which pretty much never happens any other time. is this a common experience?

20 Comments
2024/12/05
01:58 UTC

9

My tummy ache is gone!

I did it, guys. I finally shit after 4 days of hell. I'm so proud of myself!

0 Comments
2024/12/05
01:34 UTC

5

Experiencing gravitational force sensation from abdomen area everyday…? Very uncomfortable and consuming. Anyone relate?

Honestly trying to pinpoint this feeling or describe it has been a big struggle it makes me feel and seem crazy and it’s one of my most prominent symptoms amongst my other several GI complications. But basically I get this sensation in my abdomen area where it just feels like a heavy force or energy is there?? It gets more prominent when I lay down. This sensation comes and goes through out the day and can last hours. If you ever been to a fair or carnival there was a spaceship ride that would spin really fast and you could feel that g-force sensation that’s the best comparison I can think of…. but that g-force feeling happens sporadically doesn’t matter what I’m doing. I can’t find any literature or forums or anything that could explain this sensation happening everyday for no reason and trying to explain to professionals gets me strange looks. This sensation is extremely uncomfortable…I wish I knew what was going on with my body :/

18 Comments
2024/12/05
00:42 UTC

2

Bloater here, just started low fodmap for the first time, assuming it works when can I expect results?

I've just had my dinner and I'm still the same old bloated after a meal. This is day 1. I know it takes a bit to work and it's unrealistic to expect improvement on day 1 but I was hoping I'd feel SOME difference at the end of the first day. This is an unrealistic expectation though right? When could I realistically expect for the bloat to go (assuming the diet works)? Thank you.

6 Comments
2024/12/04
23:14 UTC

0

What's a normal amount of BMs for you when you aren't having a flare up?

I'm curious what a normal amount of BMs are for those are not experiencing an IBS C or D flare up. I've only had two flare-ups since I discovered my lactose intolerance/stress IBS, and on the worst days it was 10+ each day. Normal days are 2-3 though I think.

View Poll

0 Comments
2024/12/04
22:54 UTC

1

NEED HELP PLEASE!!

Hello guys, Im 28 and i have been suffering from Ibs ( according to my doctor) 2 years now. From time time i have some flares from food , or desserts that contaim high sugar, also from beans or lettuce. But the past days i have been expericing some strange change of symptoms. Mostly i have now right side pain , or burning, to the right side of the abdomen, near the navel. Also bloating and stomache pain. Also after eating lunch mostly i have some cramps to the lower part of the abdomen which passes with stool or gas. I don't have constipation, but loose stool. No sign of blood, no fever or anything else. Are these all signs of IBS ? Do you guys experience that also ?

I read online that ibs has left pain to the abdomen not right?

I don't know what to do.

HELP me please 🥲

1 Comment
2024/12/04
18:05 UTC

1

What the hell do i do about the gasses?

I've gotten used to going to the bathroom multiple times per day, but what the hell do i do about the gasses. I'm constantly bloated to the point its affecting my life since i cant sit anywhere inside without discomfort and needing to go to the bathroom our outside to fart. 30M

0 Comments
2024/12/04
19:40 UTC

8

Pain?

Does anyone else experience back or butt pain with their ibs? My doctor says it’s probably due to constipation, and tests so far don’t show anything abnormal. I’m new to this, and don’t really know what my problem is

8 Comments
2024/12/04
22:05 UTC

1

Miralax spaced out/all together

Hi, i’ve been constipated on and off for 2 weeks now, and i started miralax about 6 days ago. I started at 1.5 capfuls then after 2 days increased to 2 and am also taking 2/3 (depending on the day) supplements of Magnesium oxide. 2 days ago i upped the dose to 4 capfuls and then yesterday i had 3, today i had 4 again. Btw i take it all at once in the morning. I think i have a fecal impaction or stuck poop or something but i can’t tell. Now im pooping only water a lot but i’m still bloated like toward the bottom of my abdomen almost like there’s something still in there. I’ve seen stuff online saying for impaction you should space out miralax doses. Should i do that?Also should i only be taking miralax and not magnesium? I cant tell honestly at this point how much of the distended abdomen is poop that’s stuck in there or if it’s just intense bloating from all the laxatives. Should i decrease my dose? And also space it out throughout the day? Noooo magnesium citrate suggestions plz. Thx!!

6 Comments
2024/12/04
21:08 UTC

3

Winter stomach pains

I googled and found this today because I got the runs without warning. Couldn’t think of another reason as to why. Turns out perhaps a lot of my stomach issues could’ve stemmed from temperature differential. Yes today is cold, but there has been plenty of times I got it bad soon after eating something cold. So I thought I could share this excerpt I found:

“Winter stomach pains can prove to be a persistent problem for many people. During the cold winter months, many people experience an increase in stomach ache issues for a variety of reasons.

As the temperature drops, our body’s defense mechanisms kick in to protect us from the cold. This usually means constricting blood vessels and increasing internal pressure within the digestive system. This increased pressure can cause stomach cramps and pain, commonly known as a “cold stomach”. In addition, digestive enzymes tend to work less efficiently when temperatures are low, leading to indigestion and bloating.”

0 Comments
2024/12/04
20:40 UTC

3

7 days no BM, getting desperate

I’m usually ibs-D, I’ve never felt so blocked up. I used miralax once a day from Saturday-Monday. Then I started using lactulose every 12 hours starting on Monday night. I’m scared to combine them but right now all I feel is pressure and tons of gas. I work a job that is very physically demanding and I feel so much pressure and tightness in my body right now from everything in my colon. Any advice? What finally worked for you?

20 Comments
2024/12/04
18:57 UTC

2

Cant pass gas other than in the morning

Pretty much title. Im not officially diagnosed with ibs yet, however they say its the most likely scenario. I had different GI problems in the last couple of weeks, currently i only fart and poop in the morning. Also i have pain and a slight bulge at my left pelvic bone, doctors said its a hernia. It really annoys me since i used to be much more gassy. Is there anything i can do about this?

1 Comment
2024/12/04
18:13 UTC

5

IBS-C people, do you always have some kind of pain?

IBS-C people, do you always have some kind of pain? Does it flare, or does it go away after going to the washroom?
What has helped the most?

10 Comments
2024/12/04
17:59 UTC

1

Is there a laxative or something I can take to do just one well formed stool a day- rather than random pieces

5 Comments
2024/12/04
17:52 UTC

5

ibs is ruining my uni experience

i mainly just need to rant but would also appreciate any advice. over the summer i told myself that this year would be the year i take control over my stomach and my anxiety but it’s actually the worst it’s ever been and today has really pushed me over the edge.

i woke up at 6:30 in the hopes that my stomach would be able to sort myself out in time for my 9am class. of course it didn’t so i missed that for the 4th time this year. the irony is that by around 20 past 9 my stomach had just about sorted itself out but id gotten so upset that there was no way i could’ve gone. i had a presentation after lunch that i had to go in for, so i ate my lunch and this then caused the stomach noises to start. these are my main source of anxiety when it comes to uni. i managed to do my presentation (and ironically have never been less nervous about a presentation because my stomach was all that i had space to be anxious for) and have gone straight home after. everyone else in my class has been at uni since 9am, managed to watch 5 hours of presentations and is staying for another couple hours for the department christmas party, which i was really excited for. and ive just got myself really upset over the fact that i can’t do this. i think everything has built up and ive realised just how much im missing out on because of my issues (for example im living alone this year instead of with my best friends like i did last year because i couldn’t handle another year of sharing a toilet between 4 people) and i really can’t do it anymore. on top of that my school work is suffering because im missing class and literally can’t focus to study because this illness is taking up so much of my brain and my time.

I have been to a doctor and diagnosed. blood and stool tests all came back negative and they said it doesn’t sound like the low fodmap diet would help. they told me to take vitamin d and prescribed me domperidone, both of which has done nothing, and to get back to them in 2 months. they did mention the possibility of anxiety meds if those two didn’t work, but i’m thinking of going back to the doctors before the two months is up and asking about the anxiety meds because the anxiety i’m feeling is honestly eating me alive.

does anyone have any tips for dealing with ibs that is almost definitely caused by anxiety about stomach problems or any success with anxiety meds? also has anyone had good experiences with uni disability services because i’m very reluctant to contact them just out of embarrassment to be honest. thanks for any help :)

3 Comments
2024/12/04
17:24 UTC

24

Needing to use a public restroom with other people there is so stressful

So, I had some serious bubble guts at work and went to use the bathroom, but my luck, someone walked in at the same time. I decided to wait them out, and when they finally left, I started to let go only for someone else to walk in!! It turned into this awkward waiting game because we were both trying to poop (judging by her frequent flushing). At some point, it felt like she was just waiting for me to leave, so after 12 minutes of stressing, I gave up and left.

Now my stomach hurts so bad and it feels angry 🥲 I have so much anxiety about using the bathroom around other people, and my body literally refuses to cooperate when someone else is there. What’s worse is I’m just coming off a stretch of constipation, so things were finally moving, but now… I CAN’T GO. Just sad times all around

13 Comments
2024/12/04
16:48 UTC

3

Constant pressure and tightness in my lower right side

Since March I’ve been dealing with (ontop of my other symptoms) really bad right pressure in my lower right side. It feels like trapped wind but on another level, it’s super tight, pressure, ‘numb’ sometimes like pins and needles, it isn’t painful more just really uncomfortable and weird feelings. I suffer also from IBS C mildly (I’m just used to not having full bms tbh so probably more constipated than I think I am).

This pressure only feels a little better either when I lie on my left side or when I haven’t eaten in a while then it feels like movement but never really amounts to anything coming out…

I have been thinking about it more as it’s still super bad and it’s 8 months later?! I feel like maybe it’s a bit of trapped poo that’s causing all the pressure and causing wind to get trapped as it is only in this specific area I feel this pressure. The rest of my stomach has never felt this pressure and feels ‘normal’.

Could it be a bit of blocked poo that is causing this? It seems stubborn as have had salmonella since then (but didn’t have diarrhoea just really horrible nausea, cramps and mucus poos maybe because the blockage wouldn’t allow for diarrhoea idk?!) maybe it’s why everything always feels stuck inside of me as it never truly leaves because of this blockage?

Could this be? And if so, how the f do I get rid of it. The only things that causes some movement is when I violently punch my right side otherwise no gentle massages etc help.

Have had a sibo test, small bowel MRI, endoscopy. Have a gastric emptying test next week. Help!!! Have heard of colonics and feel maybe that would help to flush it out completly with pressure?

2 Comments
2024/12/04
16:07 UTC

1

My doctor suspects I have Ibs...

Hi everyone. I came here because my doctor suspects I may habe Ibs. I'm already diagnosed with endometriosis and I will do a colonoscopy and endoscopy next week with him just to be sure it's nothing else.

My symptoms are:

- Stomach pain (upper belly button pain, upper abdomen, never lower abdomen), it's a inttermitent pain, feels like knives on my stomach. Comes randomly, sometimes from months to months, sometimes weeks to weeks. The pain is relieved by bowel movements most of the times (he said pain may be in the intestine not in stomach, people confuse both pain sometimes);

- Intense bowel movements that sometimes wake me up in the middle of the night. Mostly they are diahrrea;

- poop comes with mucus a lot of times;

- Sudden Nausea;

- A lot of trapped gas. I can hear the gas literally;

- heartburn sometimes;

- some foods make symptoms much worse ??? (such as greasy foods, fatty foods, gluten, lactose, I literally stopped eating all of this because I'm scared);

Do you also experience those symptoms with IBS? he said according to my symptoms it may be Ibs, but I find it weird because from what I see, Ibs mostly causes constipation (I don't have constipation) and lower abdominal pain (my pain is always in the upper abdomen) I may be wrong, so I would be happy if I have people answering me! thank you in advance.

6 Comments
2024/12/04
15:56 UTC

0

Stomach issues

I’ve had somewhat undiagnosed IBSD for years, at times I’m perfectly fine for months on end then wham, I’m not great and the flare up I guess can be short lived or on and off. Meds like Imodium AD are the only things that really help but there is no rhyme or reason when I things happen.

So I’m on a few meds for heart issues and my cardiologist moved me from Lipitor which did nothing for my high triglycerides to a he guest dose of Crestor (40 mg) about 90 days ago or so. Again I don’t know if this medication is causing this and sorry for the gross nature of this but it seems since I’ve been on it my “movements” have not been solid and rather mushy and unformed. Some Days it’s several bathroom trips and it turns more to liquid as nothing more is really in my system. Imodium in this case almost doesn’t help.

Just curious if anyone’s been on statins that cause this and Crestor specifically and what suggestions you might have.

0 Comments
2024/12/04
15:35 UTC

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