Conditions
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
They say you should always establish your nearest fire exits whenever entering a new building. But for sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), it is usually the nearest toilet facilities. IBS is one of the most common disorders of the digestive tract, with about a fifth of people in the UK experiencing occasional symptoms, which can include abdominal pain, bloating, and bouts of diarrhoea and/or constipation. The abdominal pain is usually accompanied by the loud rumbling and squeaking of gases being propelled through the intestines, which can be a great source of discomfort and embarrassment. People between the ages of 20 and 30 are most commonly affected, but it is twice as common in women as in men. The exact cause of IBS is unknown. However, there are certain things which can trigger an attack, such as stress, irregular mealtimes and, in some cases, a lack of dietary fibre. Some people even develop IBS following gut infections and food poisoning.
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I must tell you that I have suffered from the most chronic version of this for almost 20 years. I have had 2 MPs support me in my fight to recognise my condition as a Disablity. GPs often prescribe remedies for diahoreah that are not appropriate for people who cannot absorb or retain the medication which passes out of their system before it can take effect. Liquid medication is absorbed much quicker ie Syrup Immodium and replenshment vitamins such as Ultra Source of Life absorb much more readily when youre feeling exhausted The GUT Trust are a great source of support. and dont believe that this is a fad , illness ..its not and its very diblitating. I defy anyone to deal with the sense of shame, embarrassement and anxiety that this can cause to a preson in daily life , work and relationships. Good luck and rememeber there are lots of triggers that can be avoided ie coffee, caffeine, stress and dairy / wheat Good luck
Hi i have sufferd with abdominal pain and flank pain for the past 6months now on and off. I am 19 years old and also have Polysistic ovaries. But for the last 3weeks it has been every day on and off, due to this i have been urinating more, back pain, less of an appitite and breathing difficulties. I have family history of kidney cancer e.g. Anythink that you could reckonmend or are they symptoms of some sort. many thanks jo
Hi, i have been diagnosed with IBS, after being checked for cancer & chrons, please can you advise where i can get a blue card, as when i asked my consultants registrar he didn't have a clue what i was taking about.
Hi I too have IBS and my G.P had not heard of the blue card, and where to get it from, could you please tell me this as I panick if not sure where public loos are.
Hi, im 19 and i have been diagnosed with IBS a few months ago although I am sure I have had it over a year. I am a slim size 10 but I always have a very round tummy which often reduces my confidence. I was placed on some tablets which would help with the pain which I personally found helped although they did force me to go to the toilet around 7 times a day. Following on from this, I had a number of blood tests in order to look further into my condition which lead to inform me that I am anemic. Therefore, I was placed on iron tablets to help with this but this lead to further problems. The iron tablets made me constapated and at one point I did not go to the toilet for 3 days which any IBS sufferer will understand was the worst pain ever for me. I just simply don't seem to be getting any answers or solutions and the more frustrated and stressed I get, the worse my IBS develops.
2years ago I had an operation for hyatus hernia to solve acid reflux. Since then I have cronic IBS usual problems always needing the loo urgently terrible wind. I have lost my quality of life. I understand I can get a pass to use toilets other than public ones. My doctor says he will support my request, but I don't know where to apply
Hi. I've been an IBS sufferer for around 12 years now. I've tried all sorts of anti-spasmodic tablets from my GP but they didn't work on me. If I have constipation, I take something like Fybogel. If I'm the other way them I do occasionally take Immodium. Since first being diagnosed, I drink peppermint tea (it's an aquired taste) and also take high strength peppermint oil capsules twice a day which I get from one of the health shops and both help with the pain. I have cut down on the amount of caffeine although I still can't do without my mug of caffeinated coffee in the morning! I also don't eat red cheese, I try to keep my chocolate intake to a minimum, I rarely eat white bread and foodstuff with white flour as an ingredient. I was told that probiotics would help but they only made me worse. I find that stress is a big factor and it got so bad that I eventually changed career. Touch wood, I haven't had a bad spell for a couple of years. I still get the odd twinge now and again but it's no way as bad as it once was.
I have had ibs for around 13 years when i was 10 years old .I have had all the tests done to help with my sytoms but i was told there was nothing left that they could do as my ibs was so severe that there was no medication to help as every time i go to the toilet it consists of both severe contipation and diorea the only thing i have to help is pain medication which doese not help at all. On top af it all i suffer from anxiaty so i get stressed out quite a lot which doese not help with the ibs. I have got so tired of living in the toilet every day in pain and was wondiring if anyone knows if my boweld could be able to be removed for a beter way of life.
Hi I am 26 and hav suffered with ibs on and off since I was a teen but in the last 10 years I have caught Campylobactor twice (a form of salmonella) and had various gastric bugs which have unfortunately made my ibs symptoms worse. I can totally understand how you are feeling as I developed panic attacks and anxiety from the worry of where the nearest toilet may be and just the whole embarrassment of it all.My doctor recommended me to have cognetive behavioural therapy as i felt my anxieties about my ibs were taking over my life and I was not enjoying life as I should be.The cbt has really helped me and I can use the techniques that I have been taught when I'm feeling stressed/worried which helps my symptoms. Hope this can help you too .
Hi, I had suffered with IBS on and off for the last 10 years and had it very bad about 2 and half years ago. I think it was triggered by food poisoning this time and was made worse by stress. I also think the contraceptive pill really affected it. I was having very bad stomach cramps every other night and had bad diarrhoea, I ended up loosing over 2 stone weight very quickly and became very stressed about it. I couldn't socialise at all and felt very depressed. What helped cure me in the end was the following: Firstly I saw a nutritionist who advised me to to a 1 month detox to cleanse my system. Then I got all my mercury fillings removed by a specialized holistic dentist (Mercury vapours released from fillings are very bad for your digestive system). I also got 5 sessions of Colonic Irrigation (Highly Recommended!!!) - This was fantastic in cleansing out my intestines of waste that had been there for years and I believe this was key to my recovery. I also started taking very strong probiotics - these are essential for a healty gut and I now take them religiously. I also stopped taking the pill. The combination of the above and a good healthy diet has transformed me and I now have my life back. I have put all the weight back on and have been pain free for over a year. I really hope this helps someone!
Hi I was told you can get a pink card so you can use it to use toilets in shops is this ture .If so where do you get this card from as i ask the doctor and he don,t know anything about this card .
Hi i have had ibs for just over a month it totaly controls my life i have lost nearly 2 stone with is there anything i could take to help me gain my weight back im on mebrevine for the ibs no matter what i eat i just cant put any weight on.
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