The Student Room Group

IBS and university

so i have been told this week that i have irritable bowel syndrome and i have applied to go to university this year. i'm just looking to hear from people in a similar position and to hear what they did about it. i have been given some medicine and it has been working well, but the problems have not completely gone away.


do you think i would be able to ask for an en suite room with this condition? in the nicest way possible, i still want to be with 'normal' people in my accomodation. do they tend to put medical requirement students together or what? i just think it might be more sensible for me to get a room with a loo. i have already done my application for accomodation, but i have not been given an allocation because i just have a conditional entry.


i'm also worried that my drinking capacity will be down and that i might not be able to consume alcohol much at all. i like to party and it is important to go out and be with my mates at the start of university. i'm not a huge drinker normally, but i want to get to know people and this is a great opportunity. i just don't want to be getting ill whilst i'm out and about. how have people been able to get around that?


thanks a lot.

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Reply 1
i was just about to create a thread about this :smile: i was diagnosed earlier this year after having stomach aches for a year, and i was going to apply for an ensuite room because of this, but i couldnt really afford it so in the end, i applied for a standard shared bathroom.

i think i'll just stock up on both my IBS medication, and just general diarrheoea medication, buy some air freshener, and be honest about it with my flatmates. i've also found certain foods tend to make me worse, so i can sort of predict what will happen - you could try that - just note down what you eat and how you felt, for a month or so (i had to do this before i was diagnosed anyway) and you start to notice patterns.

are you in self catered or catered?
Reply 2
well i'm not sure where i'm going just yet. i have put in several offers and it means i pretty much had to apply for every combo of catered/self catered/en suite or not. i find out on results day. i'm just wondering if it is worth putting it on my application to get an early preference for the en suite room.

i am fine to cook for myself and i am working out what makes me unwell but i would like that privacy a bit.
Reply 3
Original post by Anonymous
well i'm not sure where i'm going just yet. i have put in several offers and it means i pretty much had to apply for every combo of catered/self catered/en suite or not. i find out on results day. i'm just wondering if it is worth putting it on my application to get an early preference for the en suite room.

i am fine to cook for myself and i am working out what makes me unwell but i would like that privacy a bit.


yeah, i havent had the confirmation of my accomodation yet either.

if you can afford it, and you genuinely don't feel comfortable sharing a bathroom, then sure, go for it. i dont quite see how having your own bathroom would impact upon the rest of your social life, cause you'd still have to use the kitchen, meet classmates and join societies.

at the end of the day, the way i see it, is yes, sometimes i will need to use the bathroom more urgently than others, or i may need to use it for a longer period, but the kind of people that would look down on me for that are not the kind of people i'd want to be friends with.

we shouldn't be afraid or embarrassed of something that is out of our control. we didnt ask for this, and we dont enjoy it. other people should understand this.
http://www.myshreddies.com/flatulence-underwear/

Expensive I know but may bring peace of mind and increase confidence? There must be similar things at a cheaper price though...
or ebay!
Reply 5
I think you deffo need an ensuite room! I've got one for university as have the same condition :smile:
Reply 6
Original post by RacheyTV
I think you deffo need an ensuite room! I've got one for university as have the same condition :smile:


did you put it down as a medical requirement or just leave it to chance?
Reply 7
Original post by Anonymous
http://www.myshreddies.com/flatulence-underwear/

Expensive I know but may bring peace of mind and increase confidence? There must be similar things at a cheaper price though...
or ebay!


i wouldnt bother with those, theyre expensive and they probably don't work.

if you're having an off day, just go lie down in your room for a bit, and tell people you're having a nap so that they dont disturb you. open a few windows too :tongue:

i think i'm in a different position to you cause i've lived with it for about 6 months now, officially, and have also experienced sharing bathrooms with people who arent my family since then. you'll learn to be more confident in yourself, and just naturally, you'll find yourself to be just that bit more planning with what you do and where you stay.

can i ask what medication you're on?
Reply 8
Original post by Anonymous
did you put it down as a medical requirement or just leave it to chance?


Luckily the student halls are all en-suite so I am glad about that :smile:

I wouldn't like to imagine sharing a bathroom with this condition I think you need to tell them about this so you get an en-suite room =)
Reply 9
Original post by laurie:)
can i ask what medication you're on?


it's called peppermint oil in little pills. been told to have it 3 times a day and it has been mostly ok so far.
Reply 10
Original post by Anonymous
it's called peppermint oil in little pills. been told to have it 3 times a day and it has been mostly ok so far.


ohhh Colpermin?? :smile:

i was put on that in between hospital appointments. starting off with three times a day for a couple weeks and now i just take it as and when. i usually get through a box of tablets a month, although during the exam period i got through a lot more cause of the stress :tongue:

at the moment i'm going to get an appointment with my GP to get it on an official repeat prescription, or i'm going to investigate some other IBS medications, because its getting expensive.

i've also been recommended to start the FODMAP diet with a dietician, but i'm going to wait until i'm out of catered accomodation for that so i can control it more. if things are still bad, you should ask your GP or hospital Gastroenterologist to refer you to a FODMAP qualified dietician :smile:
Reply 11
Original post by laurie:)
ohhh Colpermin?? :smile:

i was put on that in between hospital appointments. starting off with three times a day for a couple weeks and now i just take it as and when. i usually get through a box of tablets a month, although during the exam period i got through a lot more cause of the stress :tongue:

at the moment i'm going to get an appointment with my GP to get it on an official repeat prescription, or i'm going to investigate some other IBS medications, because its getting expensive.

i've also been recommended to start the FODMAP diet with a dietician, but i'm going to wait until i'm out of catered accomodation for that so i can control it more. if things are still bad, you should ask your GP or hospital Gastroenterologist to refer you to a FODMAP qualified dietician :smile:


I'm on mebeverine if you've heard of that one? Have to take it 20 minutes before meals
Reply 12
Original post by RacheyTV
I'm on mebeverine if you've heard of that one? Have to take it 20 minutes before meals


ohh yeah, i've heard of that one. that would be way more convenient, as with colpermin you can't take it before or immediately after meals, which sucks, as that means i only have small gaps of time between meals where i can take it.

is it available over the counter?
Reply 13
Original post by laurie:)
ohh yeah, i've heard of that one. that would be way more convenient, as with colpermin you can't take it before or immediately after meals, which sucks, as that means i only have small gaps of time between meals where i can take it.

is it available over the counter?


It's only a tiny tablet - you must take it 20 mins before :smile: seems to help me but can't block out foods that might already be upsetting you. I take it 3 times daily.

It's only available on prescription - I don't know how I'm going to get around this when I move to uni as need regular supplies of it from a doctor lol xx
Reply 14
yeah, it says colpermin on the packet. i sent an email to the university. my doctor wants to do a few more tests just to double check that it isn't anything else, but it seems quite certain that it is this.

btw, is there any knowing how long this medicine works for? it says to take it 30 mins before eating, but how long after that does it work for? so if i take it at 12, have my lunch at half 12, how long can i be sure that it will work for? or does it just start to collect in my body and stay permanent throughout the day?
Reply 15
Original post by RacheyTV
It's only a tiny tablet - you must take it 20 mins before :smile: seems to help me but can't block out foods that might already be upsetting you. I take it 3 times daily.

It's only available on prescription - I don't know how I'm going to get around this when I move to uni as need regular supplies of it from a doctor lol xx


wont you just register with the surgery at the uni? that'll be what i'm doing, cause i have other issues to sort out :tongue: but before i leave for uni, i think i'll get my parents to buy me four or five boxes of colpermin (if im still on it) which will do me for the first term and a bit :smile:

i plan on going to boots and just stocking up on all the medicines i'm used to having on hand when i'm at home, so i'm never stuck in a sticky situation!
Reply 16
Original post by Anonymous
yeah, it says colpermin on the packet. i sent an email to the university. my doctor wants to do a few more tests just to double check that it isn't anything else, but it seems quite certain that it is this.

btw, is there any knowing how long this medicine works for? it says to take it 30 mins before eating, but how long after that does it work for? so if i take it at 12, have my lunch at half 12, how long can i be sure that it will work for? or does it just start to collect in my body and stay permanent throughout the day?


he'll want to test for crohn's and ulcerative colitis, and other bowel conditions, which are much much more serious than IBS, if he's anything like my doctor :smile:

if you're taking it thrice daily, it'll last until you next have to take it. the medications are called anti-spasmodics because they calm the muscle spasms in the gut wall that is causing the pain. sometimes they wont spasm anyway, which is why you wont notice the medicine wearing off if you forget to take a tablet.

i suspect after a while he might get you to take it as and when you need it, rather than regularly, that seems to help me more, cause i really hated being on such a strict regimen, and this gives me more freedom.

something else that has really really benefited me was peppermint tea. i drink it more regularly than i take the tablets, and it seems to have just calmed things down a bit. if the peppermint tablets are working for you, its worth checking the tea out as well.
I would be curious to see what people suggest - I have Crohn's Disease, which has some similar traits as IBS.
Reply 18
Original post by laurie:)
he'll want to test for crohn's and ulcerative colitis, and other bowel conditions, which are much much more serious than IBS, if he's anything like my doctor :smile:

if you're taking it thrice daily, it'll last until you next have to take it. the medications are called anti-spasmodics because they calm the muscle spasms in the gut wall that is causing the pain. sometimes they wont spasm anyway, which is why you wont notice the medicine wearing off if you forget to take a tablet.

i suspect after a while he might get you to take it as and when you need it, rather than regularly, that seems to help me more, cause i really hated being on such a strict regimen, and this gives me more freedom.

something else that has really really benefited me was peppermint tea. i drink it more regularly than i take the tablets, and it seems to have just calmed things down a bit. if the peppermint tablets are working for you, its worth checking the tea out as well.


Ahh peppermint tea - disgusting stuff but probably worth it for the relief :smile:

I drink Aloe Vera Juice mixed with orange/apple juice or squash. If you have a bad IBS related tummy take this and straight away you will feel the effects it completley sooths your tummy.

It's on offer for £5 at Holland and Barratt at the mo and just keep it in the fridge :smile: highly recommend it
Original post by laurie:)

at the moment i'm going to get an appointment with my GP to get it on an official repeat prescription, or i'm going to investigate some other IBS medications, because its getting expensive.


If you need 14 items per year at least, look into a pre-payment certificate. It's £104 per year. You can pay for this monthly.

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