Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS is taking over my life, I have been suffering with it for about 3 years now and it only seems to be getting worse. I have had many Drs appointments where I have been fobbed off and been told to take buscopan and mebeverine which haven't worked in the slightest and was then told to try and change my diet which also doesn't help. The IBS starts whether I eat or whether I don't eat. I find it hard to eat throughout the day at appropriate times as I have shift work. It's embarrassing for me at work to be running off every 2 minutes because I'm in excruciating pain and it's just not comfortable to be using a public toilet when I have an IBS episode. I feel it's taking over my life I'm scared of going to work, going out and enjoying my life as an 18 year old.
I'm yet to find something that would help me to control my symptoms and would love to know what has helped other people as I'm struggling to continue this way its ruling my life.

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Reply 1

Tiger Rag

You'll probably find that nothing works. The only things that kinda works for me is eating yoghurt.

Reply 2

danuuutka

Original post by holg123

I'm the same! Thankfully mebeverine does actually help me most of the time. I also struggled for ages, because when I kept going to the doctors all I got was "eat better, do more exercise" etc. Whilst of course eating certain foods and doing exercise DOES help, quite often medication is needed.
It depends what types of IBS you have, as you can have the constipation type, the diarrhoea type or both. The way you deal with either of those is more geared towards the symptoms. For example, if you get the diarrhoea try to limit your intake of fibre, and so on. Personally I have also looked out for 'trigger' foods - for me anything that is overly fatty will just make me go into a IBS episode. Mine is also linked with my anxiety, so when my mental health goes downhill so does my IBS.
I sometimes find that herbal teas which calm down my system also calm down my bowels, so then my symptoms aren't that bad. Of course this isn't s quick fix, it takes taking them most days to have any form of result.
I'd suggest going to different doctors. For me, it took like 3-4 different GPs until I found one that genuinely helped find the medication that is right for me. I'd really suggest you persevere, and if anything you could always try look for a specialist in that department, and see if your GP can get you a referral to the place.

Reply 3

Tiger Rag

I was told to limit the amount of fruit I eat as well.

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

I'm 20 and have had IBS for about 5 years.

I think I'm lucky in that mine doesn't really impact my life too much. Mine is diarrhoea based so I can have episodes where I can be on the toilet for a while shall we say but I've found that it has never been an issue for me when at work or at school or when i'm out and about, it only seems to happen when i'm bored- literally. I've very occasionally (as in no more than once a month maybe??) had bad bloating etc when at work but when my mind is on something its as if i don't actually have IBS.. very weird.

for me there are foods which I try to stay away from, its just about learning what might be causing issues and seeing if cutting them out helps. I also take probiotics and they seem to help as well.

Reply 5

myblueheaven339

I used to be in a similar situation to you. I saw a dietician and they helped me to follow a low fodmap diet which excludes pretty much anything that can ferment in the bowel. After 8 weeks of excluding all fodmaps I reintroduced foods one at a time and in small amounts to find out which I could tolerate and in what amounts. It was incredibly helpful and has completely changed my life. I am at the point now where I can eat lots of foods that used to trigger me.

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Reply 6

Samonia

have you been tested for allergies? My IBS was awful until i cut down my bread and pasta intake (whoo gluten intolerance)

Reply 7

goam

Please look into a plant based diet as a cure for IBS- many people have alleviated symptoms or even cured it through dietary changes
Check these out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkAZh4hxcfw

https://liveleanhealth.com/irritable-bowel-syndrome-you-have-the-power-to-heal-it/

https://dontfearthevegan.com/2013/03/06/vegans-say-what-irritable-bowel-syndrome/

Reply 8

Elton Brown

IBS is a mix of belly discomfort or pain and trouble with bowel habits: either going more or less often than normal or having a different kind of stool (thin, hard, or soft and liquid).It’s not life-threatening, and it doesn't make you more likely to get other colon conditions, such as ulcerative ,colitis, Crohn's disease, orcolon cancer. But IBS can be a long-lasting problem that changes how you live your life. People with IBS may miss work or school more often, and they may feel less able to take part in daily activities. Some people may need to change their work setting: shifting to working at home, changing hours, or even not working at all.