IBS ruins my life, will I have to live in poverty?

Can you ask if you have seen your GP about this and what you have tried for your IBS?

Incurable.

Uh-huh. But what have you tried to help with the symptoms?

I have the same thing and whilst I had a bad couple of years 2020-22 with it, it has settled down in a big way now. Small food changes (less grease, fewer tomatoes, fewer strong spices) and alleviating stress were the big ones for me. I also have tablets from the gastro people at the hospital which help a lot when it kicks off. I get the odd flare up but now they tend to last days rather than months.

I am sorry if you would mind me saying that I hate being asked such a question over and over. I hate my suffering being gaslit and invalidated.

I am also going through a rough patch in my life (having to contend with some abusive faculty staff setting me up to fail and a university bureaucracy shielding them while not having much to fall back on). I am not sure if this contributes to worsening of my symptoms. I tried to contact my GP, but their line is ridiculously busy and given that I have to spend most of my time in research lab I won't have that amount of time to waste on phone calls...Sigh.

I think it probably will be contributing, and in my experience, stress is the single biggest driver for how 'bad' my flare ups get, and for how long. I hope you get a bit of relief, it's no fun.

I was asking so I could offers suggestions, not to gaslight or invalidate you.

I don't always eat greasy food, rough veggies; milk is no-no; use loperamide to control symptoms etc.

If you haven't already, it may be worth keeping a food and symptom diary for a few weeks to see if you can spot any patterns with other foods that you haven't realised may be causing issues. One thing in particular that may be worth looking at is sorbitol - can cause really bad cramps and diarrhoea.

For support and information, the IBS Network is really good, but you do have to pay to be a member.

Sometimes, I simply want someone to believe that IBS-D can be a crippling disability and that we deserve empathy and assistance rather than prejudice and gaslighting - kind of fed up with having been mistreated throughout my growth over this uncontrollable or incurable condition.

It is incurable but there are ways it can be controlled. My GP recommended a food-combining diet for my IBS-D and in 10 days my condition massively improved. I have worked, and still do work, full-time jobs.

11 years of IBS-D has crippled my social life due to the constant need of toilet use for defecation. This has caused me significant ******ation in emotional maturity and I am always anxious in social events and about complex or lengthy interactions, making me kind of an outcast. I can't recall how many prejudices, culminating in mistreatment by ableist professors that pushed me to the verge of termination of studies (in a research program), I have been subject to throughout my life.

I have missed uncountable opportunities since teenage which could have enriched my CV and helped me in career and house search because of IBS-D. It is hard to gauge the level of severe damage of this condition to my life. I have tremendous difficulties in both job and house search, which are necessary for survival.

This condition is incurable. I don't think I can live a normal life predicated on a stable job but have to either spend my life on benefits, which may not be granted, or parental sponsorship.

I hate living in such way.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation and I sincerely hope things improve for you. It would definitely be worth getting a food intolerance test, so that you could understand what foods would be triggering you the most. Personally I'm not sure if I have IBS because I've never been diagnosed for it nor gone to the doctor about it, but I have had my fair share of stomach problems. I find that herbal teas such as Ginger & Lemon, Peppermint and Fennel Work great for me in regards to settling and easing an upset stomach. I also try to incorporate anti - bloat fruits into my diet (pineapple is the best for this) and also drink a lot of water. Another solution which has worked amazingly well is putting a spoon of psyllium husk (a super fibre) into a glass of water or milk - you'd be surprised at how well this works. In addition to all this, try to eat clean and avoid processed foods.

In regards to the job aspect, it would seem that remote working would be the best option for the time being and at least then you wont have to deal with the stress of going to the bathroom at work. Similarly for your Cv there are plenty of online courses, competitions and opportunities you can still pursue from the comfort of your home. I am aware that a lot of my solutions are you working from home, but I say this as a starting point from which you can find ways to improve your condition and slowly develop things further. Whilst I have stated solutions that I have tried and tested over many years, I do admit that stress is probably the biggest contributing factor in all this and for that reason I would say to try and find ways to manage that too (join an exercise group, play games, meditation etc) whatever works for you really - I hope you get better soon and find something that works for you.

It is incurable but there are ways it can be controlled. My GP recommended a food-combining diet for my IBS-D and in 10 days my condition massively improved. I have worked, and still do work, full-time jobs.

11 years of IBS-D has crippled my social life due to the constant need of toilet use for defecation. This has caused me significant ******ation in emotional maturity and I am always anxious in social events and about complex or lengthy interactions, making me kind of an outcast. I can't recall how many prejudices, culminating in mistreatment by ableist professors that pushed me to the verge of termination of studies (in a research program), I have been subject to throughout my life.

I have missed uncountable opportunities since teenage which could have enriched my CV and helped me in career and house search because of IBS-D. It is hard to gauge the level of severe damage of this condition to my life. I have tremendous difficulties in both job and house search, which are necessary for survival.

This condition is incurable. I don't think I can live a normal life predicated on a stable job but have to either spend my life on benefits, which may not be granted, or parental sponsorship.

I hate living in such way.