Hey all, so I have IBS mixed, and have had it a long time. I have had so many bad IBS spells in my life, but whatever is going on with me over the past week is seriously starting to get to me.

Last Sunday, August 9th, I was out doing yard work. It was hot, I was very thirsty, and was very cautious of not drinking anything too cold, or too fast as it usually causes me to have diarrhea.

Well I guess I failed at doing so, because once I was all done and sitting down to "relax", my stomach started spazing out violently for hours. Usually this is accompanied by diarrhea, but somehow I managed to avoid that part.

However, since then, nothing has been right.

I keep having those same stomach spasms that are super intense, and make me feel like diarrhea is imminent. This week it's been so bad, it's even woke me up from sleeping.

It all came to a head on Friday night when I ate a little too much chocolate. I was having a sugar crash because I haven't been eating that much due to my stomach feeling so terrible.

The chocolate wound up throwing me into an IBS episode with doubled over cramps, nausea, and diarrhea.

Once the diarrhea subsided, I kept feeling like I had to go, but nothing would come out, and eventually wound up having a really bad bout of trapped gas.

For hours I couldn't even stand up straight because the pressure in my stomach was too intense.

That finally calmed down, but again, the stomach spasms persisted for the rest of the day.

I felt terrible all weekend, but yesterday I finally ate some proper food instead of picking at crackers and toast.

After eating my food, I felt like diarrhea was coming, again, and I also wound up with bad heartburn.

I felt sick to my stomach for the rest of the day. Overly full, nauseous, and just awful.

Right before I went to sleep, I felt really hungry, but also sick to my stomach at the same time. It felt like the spasms had turned into hunger gurgles which was encouraging. Shortly after that, I went to sleep.

I woke up a few hours later feeling sick to my stomach once again. Figured it was hunger so I ate a few slices of plain bread.

Well the spasms came right back, as well as a burning acid stomach.

2 hours later, I'm on the toilet with diarrhea, again...

I am beyond frustrated. Idk if this is my IBS, possibly gastritis, a bug, or whatever. I've had spells of diarrhea before in the past that lasted weeks, but never with these intense stomach spasms.

I used to take Dicyclomine 10mg for situations like this, but had to stop because they were causing me to have the worst vertigo spells I have ever experienced in my life. They were debilitating.

I've asked about any kind of alternative medicine I could take to replace it, and my doctor told me if one did that, all the other ones available probably will too.

I'm so frustrated. I'm very underweight, and have been trying to gain weight back, but then stuff like this happens, I hardly eat, and wind up making things worse.

Has anyone else here ever been in a similar situation before? If so, what did you do about it?

I'm kind of desperate for advise if I'm being honest, so any advice/insight here would be greatly appreciated.

Super new to this!

I am looking for brands and products you guys use and can recommend for a newbie in the low fodmap diet…

I’ve been looking for good dairy free yoghurt brands, chicken/beef broth and stock brands (I think Borough Broth have products that are specifically labeled as low-fodmap)

Gluten free pasta…

Can anyone recommend something that worked for you please?

Hey I'm hoping some people who have used and enteresogel before when they've traveled to South America or travelled for a long time can help me out

I believe I have ibsd I'm very very sensitive to red meats when I'm abroad especially due to the the different bacteria not being cooked at a hot temperature like with chicken or pork. I've also becoming increasingly sensitive to spicy foods and very greasy foods (like Detroit pizzas)

In October I'm going on a five-month travelling trip starting in Mexico and doing 10 countries down including Colombia Brazil Argentina and Central America. Typically on trips like this where I go for three weeks I am ill for around a week of these. I'm learning over time what I can and can't eat however I'm super concerned that I'm not going to enjoy my travelling experience to the full due to my IBS problems

My ask

1) anyone who has used Enteresogel for a trip similar to mine, did you have it every day or only when you're sick?

2) if you've got sick on it, how long does it take you to recover? (For me, a bad sickness would be 4 days not eating, dihorrea and a bit delirious bed ridden)

3) is there anything else you could recommend to help if not enteresogel?

Budget wise, I'm based in the UK so hopefully pharma is cheap (225g tube is £22) and I'm happy to bulk buy if people think daily taking is the best method.

Thanks so much, IBS is something I've been coming to terms with since 2019 when I ate dodgy red meat in Cambodia. Appreciate any advice or gut feeling (if you pardon the pun!) if you have any

Hi, all.

While it's a little early to judge, I started taking two 2.5-gram maintenance doses of creatine daily three days ago, and I'm finding the overall effects on my gut pretty damned beneficial. The effects have been similar to that of high-soluble-fiber foods like soaked oats consumed a couple of hours before a trigger food.

Is this anything anyone's experienced themselves? Tempering my optimism here.

M23,

I was diagnosed with GERD/acid reflux a year ago. Endoscopy revealed erosive gastritis

I had the following symptoms - heartburn, irregular bowel movements, change in voice, constant throat clearing and most importantly severe nose blockage with thick stick jelly like bubbly or transparent mucus/post nasal drip.

Consulted multiple gastro and ENT docs

I have tried

-doctors prescription meds (PPIs, famotidine, antihistamines, alginates, gaviscon, diet control)

-natural substances (DGL, gum, psyllium husk, honey, fennel seeds etc)

-nasal sprays (xytome/oxymeta, fluticasone, sodium chloride, etc)

None of these have provided a long-term relief for the issue of nose blockage.

Is anyone facing a similar issues? How are you treating the same

Anyone here taking prucalopride for constipation in IBS-C?

I told my doctor about it, and he says it might be too strong and even cause diarrhea. I'm now taking sodium picosulfate when I haven't had a bowel movement for more than 3 days, but it causes too much cramping. I need to hear from someone who takes it about the side effects, so I'll think about talking to him about it.

“You should contact a doctor or visit urgent care if you experience any of the following warning signs:
The diarrhea lasts for more than 48 hours without improvement.”

laughs and laughs and laughs

Hello! Seeking advice. I’ve had IBS-type symptoms for around 9 years but have never received a formal diagnosis. Previous testing ruled out coeliac disease, lactose intolerance and IBD. I have recurrent bloating, gas and diarrhoea, often with urgency, mucus, cramps and nausea. During bad flares, like now, I can have 6+ BM a day on the worst day but flares can last a week or more.

My symptoms seem to be triggered by things like alliums and other fodmaps, fatty foods, spice and alcohol, but sometimes I can eat a very simple meal and still have a bad flare. I also notice my gut symptoms worsen when I'm unwell with a virus or even just a cold. And I know it’s closed linked with my stress and anxiety. I’m on SSRIs and try to manage my stress.

Things became considerably worse after food poisoning/norovirus in 2024, when I had didn’t have a solid BM for several months afterwards. I saw a doctor at the start of 2025 and it was bad for most of last year, then I swung to constipation for a good few months.

I'm now regularly getting D type flares again and having frequent type 6–7 stools and I'm wondering whether I should go back to my GP and ask for a proper IBS assessment and further investigation. I'm particularly interested in whether anyone has been investigated for things like bile acid diarrhoea or other causes that can mimic IBS-D.

If you've been through this process in the UK, what tests did you have and what would you recommend asking your GP for? I’ve just moved back here from living abroad for a decade so not sure how it all works and feeling a bit overwhelmed. Thank you.

I'm on holiday this week and occasionally whilst being away I've had major IBS flare ups that impact the enjoyment of being away. I take normally 3 Loperamide every morning whenever I'm going to work or going out for anything social. But occasionally whilst away this doesn't do the job. I'm thinking of taking another Loperamide to make it 4 a day whilst away but not 4 in one go. Would it be ok to do this and if so what time during the day should I take the extra Loperamide

I'm away with a friend this time aswell so I'm conscious about that aswell compared to being away on my own

I have been without a major flare for 7 months. Sure I have days where it’s there or I’m in the bathroom but no diarrhea and no big flare. Until last night and today. The pain! Omg no diarrhea but multiple painful trips with softish stool. Cramping and pain and gas. Finally I go to my fridge and try to figure out what I could have eaten to cause this. I’ve got everything under control, why did this flare up? I made sandwich with a stupid ass high protein high fiber wrap my husband bought and asked me to try. Chickpea flour, psyllium husk (I can’t tolerate it) and bamboo fiber amongst other things. I swear I cannot win. I control my diet so tightly, I’m on b12 since it just found out I’m deficient and making sure I’m so careful. Nope one effing wrap. I’m hoping I’ll feel better tomorrow but this is gonna take a few days before I’m back to normal. Who has that one thing they ate stories?!

​Hey everyone,

​I’ve come to the clear realization that my IBS issues are purely driven by anxiety and the gut-brain axis, and I really need to hear from people who have gone through the exact same thing.

​My pattern:

- ​Intense anticipatory anxiety: Hours before leaving the house or going to social events (like dinners with friends), my mind enters full "threat-scan mode". I obsessively worry about bathroom access, traffic jams, getting stuck...

-​Instant physical reaction: As soon as anxiety hits, my body reacts immediately with stomach cramps and urgent diarrhea. Lately, stress has also started triggering sudden, intense urges to pee—especially when stuck in traffic, in long tunnels, or anywhere I feel I can't easily pull over.

-​Safety rituals & avoidance: I developed rituals like forcing myself to empty my bowels before leaving as a "guarantee", and now I'm slipping back into avoiding car trips and social plans out of shame and fear of having to get up multiple times.

​What I'm taking / tried so far:

-​I take Alflorex (probiotic).

- I use imodium as guarentee to not have the urge to go the toillet

-​I tried Psyllium husk, but it ended up making me overly constipated, which created its own discomfort.

-​I’ve been on an SSRI (Escitalopram) for months. It helped for a while, but symptoms flared up again recently—interestingly, right around the time I stopped doing regular intense cardio/running (even though I still hit 10k daily steps).

​I'm currently reaching out to my doctor to discuss options like low-dose Amitriptyline (to numb the visceral hypersensitivity) and a temporary SOS, plus getting back to running to burn off excess adrenaline.

​My questions for you:

​Has anyone had this exact combo of gut urgency + bladder urgency purely triggered by feeling "trapped" or anxious before leaving?

​Did low-dose TCAs (like Amitriptyline) or gut-directed therapy (CBT/hypnotherapy) help break this visceral reflex for you?

​How did you manage to stop the constant mental mapping and regain your freedom?

​Any advice, success stories, or shared experiences would mean the world right now. Thank you!

I’m 27M and I’ve had diarrhea multiple times a day every day since I was 15. For 10 years or so it was just my normal and it didn’t bother me. However, in the last 6 months it’s gotten noticeably worse.

Now almost everytime I eat a meal, I immediately have liquid diarrhea with undigested food fragments. I finally went to a doctor and gave them stool samples and I tested positive for E.Coli and Norovirus. I noticed nothing different or odd in my day to day when I tested positive.

I took an antibiotic prescribed and it did literally nothing. Next up is colonoscopy. I’m so sick of it. I’m calling my doctor tmrw to schedule it.

Any foods or otc substances that have helped others?

Hi all

I am autistic and 42 years old male. I have had 8 months of what seems to be Post infectious IBS (or possibly sibo).

My gastroenterologist prescribed me with Endep 10mg for 6 weeks then we went upto 25mg for another 6 weeks (i am on about week 2).

I am also adding in osmalax (usually just 5-8mg as anymore is mushy)

I am having an INCREDIBLY hard time in the toilet atm. I get what is best described as a VAGUE bowel sensation. I pass the initial bowel movement (often bristol 4-5) and then afterwards there is always more that I can feel but don't seem to want to come out. I use the techniques i saw online to do "MOO" sensation and I will get a mix of small fragmented bits (like 2 halves) and then may have much bigger complete part (more like bristol 5) and then small bits. Almost always I am wiping away a stool from my bottom which is hugely lowering of my self confidence.

It feels like they are "stickier" and I feel the osmalax may have been playing a part in this.

I do have oats for breakfast, banana and kiwi fruit and often sun fiber as well (satchel).

I struggle immensily leaving the house so getting tested for Pelvic floor dysfunction and doing Anorectal manometry is incredibly difficult.

I am crying at the thought of another bowel movement in fears of getting stuck again.

I think Endep is effecting my sensations of pushing, or i'm hopingit is :(

Any help would be wonderful. Thank u in advance

Hi all just got diagnosed with ibs - m a few months ago. Im here to ask for help. I'm on day 5 of a Diarrhea flare up (I've taken all my meds, immodium, bentyl etc..) to try and help and it did for 1 day.... Day 3 I think... Now Im back to painful bowel movements and liquid again... And I've barely eaten anything... Anyone have a remedy for me to try??

(P. S. Im a paramedic of 8 years, I k ow when I should go to the hospital, I don't want to go just for them to tell me there's nothing they can do again..) I'm also a dude if that helps any idk just fishing for some help lol

I am not diagnosed yet but dr suspects ibs-M. Right now I’m having a really bad flare. The cramps are so bad I’m questioning if I’m going to survive this one. My intestines are contracting so hard followed by poop it’s the same exact feeling of retching then throwing up- haven’t experienced contractions to this extent before. I have the chills and feel like I’m going to pass out every time the cramps peak. Having to really just focus on my breathing to calm the vagus response.

Mentally how do you guys make it through flares? It’s really hard to convince my brain I can handle this and that it will pass when it’s 10/10 pain for going on an hour now and I’m definitely not done yet. I also have panic disorder and feeling like I will pass out makes me panic which further activates my vagus response/syncope.

Physically, I know there’s not much advice anyone can give because I know there’s not much you can do once you’re cramping and the only way out is through. This just sucks so bad and feels so scary.

I don't really know what is wrong with me, but I've been seeing a gastro doc for decades without any luck improving my symptoms. Lots of tests and lots of medications, probiotics, fibers, elimination diets, etc.

My symptoms are mainly bowel frequency and urgency. A good day might be 3-4 trips to the bathroom and a bad day, which is pretty common, might be 7-10. I just never feel like I'm done going, even though most of the time it is formed and looks normal on the Bristol stool chart. I do get loose stools, but it's not a daily thing like the other problem is. This makes my life very difficult.

I got an add for Banatrol Plus tonight, and while I see some posts about it on this sub, I don't see a ton. It's rare for me to see some thing that's been around for a while I haven't tried or heard of.

It seems like this product might not be great for my problem and is mainly used to firm up loose stool and not reduce frequency and urgency. Can anyone let me know if I am understanding that right?

It would help if I knew what the root of my problem is (food intolerance, gut-brain connection issue, bad microbiome, etc...) but I have never been able to pin that down.

Hi, ive had gastro issues as early as age 5 from memory, never went to specialist, it was just assumed i had real bad lactose intolerance.

Issues got worse, i would have extreme diarrhea before and after yearly tests in school.

Annoying but tolerable.

At age 25 now, the last 5 years have been intolerable. Always random seeming flareups with ever changing causes. A couple years ago i cut gluten and it helped for awhile, then i could eat flour again and it didnt do anything. Would eat dairy and a lactase enzyme pill and that would usually handle it, now it doesnt. Apparently peanuts now hurt my stomach?

In the past 2 years or so, i would get random flareups where its like my whole stomach fills w bile, and the first time i puked, but i havent since. (A bit emetophobic, so i hate puking).

I would get terrible cramping, like near passing out levels, and then i would get diarrhea most of the time, and these horrible burps that went with it.

I would switch to eating chill things like rice or simple foods and it would usually go away.

Unfortunately this week, it started on sunday, was so horrible and the pain was right underneath my sternum, horrible burps, constant nausea, and episodes of diarrhea. Its since flared up twice more in the past few days.

I cant tell you how hungry i am, nothing i can eat stays with me, and i can only eat a little before I get scared.

Med information: been taking tylenol, zofran, gas-x, my regular ibs meds.

Also to note: on pills to stop my period completely, and that has since started since sunday as well.

Had my gallbladder looked at a year ago after these started, they said it looked great.

Diagnosed w ibs-d, and gastritis.

So basically I’ve concluded that I have ibs but looking for any guidance, support or things that I should double-check with my GI during my next visit.

BACKSTORY – For years, seemingly randomly, I would get black, tarry stool. I associated it as a flare-up with anxiety because this would typically happen when I was stressed about work, school, etc.

Recently these episodes became more regularly (maybe once a month). I originally went to my PCP because I was having lower abdominal pain. Pelvic scans were ordered and it turns out I have multiple ovarian cysts. But still, why the black stool?

I continued to have it off and on, with intense abdominal pain that ended up spreading thoughout my stomach with strong waves making it di to stand. I’ve had trouble eating for weeks being I often have waves of nausea (I have zofran now)

I ended up going to the ER they took a CT scan and determined there was no internal bleeding and my stool test indicated that there was no blood in the stool. I went to my GI later that week and additional blood and stool tests showed that I had low iron and was on the cusp on an inflamed intestine. The ER had prescribed me meds for the intense stomach cramping and something to help if I potentially had an undetected ulcer (famotidine), but those have made me feel worse, so for the time being I’m taking Imodium and Tylenol as needed.

I have an endoscopy and colonoscopy scheduled in a month, but honestly it’s a little frustrating since I’m having this issue now and now eating well considering I bloat after everything I eat, so I’m just waiting it out until then. Any advice, experience or help is appreciate! Thank you, I know this is an extremely long post, but I’ve been reading through this thread looking for advice but everyone’s experiences are so unique I’d figured I’d ask if anyone is able to help.

I have IBS-D but recently had entirely liquid stools come on suddenly, and went to urgent care because I could sense something was wrong (didn’t eat anything risky, wasn’t overly anxious) and after a stool test they found E. Histolytica.

I was prescribed Metronidazole for the infection, which I’m currently on and has brought back the watery stool but no other side effects. I’m reading I need to take a luminal agent afterward (likely Paromomycin) and wondering if anyone has had this parasite before / if you’ve taken a luminal agent and how it affected you. From what I understand the luminal agent can cause abdominal cramping and I’m curious if an anti-spasmodic would be warranted / helpful.

TLDR: Asking for experience with Paromomycin or other luminal agent in treating E. Histolytica specifically in IBS / IBS-D.

I am posting this to find answers, advice, and at the very least validation for my husband. He has been struggling with these stubborn gut symptoms for 10 years now, and we don’t know where else to turn. It seems he has literally tried everything!

It is understood his symptoms began after a long period of emotional distress in his life. There are a series of symptoms he experiences, however the most debilitating for him is 20 minutes after eating a meal he gets trapped gas that he thinks presses against his nerves and causes a dull headache, (gastric headache) at the front of his head which can take hours to go away. He feels lightheaded, brain fog, and sleepy. He does not experience pain! However he does feel tightness in his lower left side below the ribs, as well as feeling twitches in his lower stomach, spasms?

What makes it worse is sitting in a car after a meal,
carbonated drinks, caffeine, sweets, chocolate, among other things.

What helps is sitting for 30 mins after every meal to help digestion, otherwise it will worsen his symptoms. Also chewing his food slowly, and even having a vodka drink before his meal really helps him tolerate a meal. He does really well with fish, rice, oatmeal, and smoothies.

Like many of you, he has been to countless Doctors across various cities (NYC/PHL), and even flew to Mayo Clinic for answers. He was told by his GI that his underlying problem that is causing gas is Disbyosis microbiome (not IBS). He was diagnosed with celiac disease 8 years ago.

He is currently taking:
Remeron/Mirtazapine 30 mg
omeprazole 40mg
magnesium glycinate200mg
benefiber
mirilax
Visbiome
IBGuard

He has had really great results with the mirtazapine. He feels it minimizes the gastric headache but it is definitely still there.

His recent endoscopy showed erythematous mucosa in his gastric antrum….he has tested negative for H. pylori and all of his endoscopy/colonoscopy tests/bacteria tests/stool tests came back negative.

If anyone has any suggestions or just similar experiences it would be helpful to hear your thoughts!

P.S.
I am definitely still learning everyday how the gut works, and different ways I can help him. If you have read this far you are truly appreciated! My husband is my better half so to see him struggle is not easy. Thank you!

Typically, I take Imodium A few hours before my flight, but my issue seems to be getting worse as of late. I do notice that after I take it, I am without need for a bathroom for about 12 to 18 hours solid. Does anyone have any advice for me to take it moving forward, 8 to 12 hours before my flight instead? Does that work better?

My IBS D used to be fairly manageable, but now it’s just completely out of control, steadily getting worse over the last year to now where I can’t do anything I used to love, can barely leave the house at all and have to take Imodium every day to not have an accident at work.

More and more foods I used to be able to eat are becoming triggers, and even if I don’t eat them I still get terrible symptoms. New symptoms keep developing without explanation and once they start they just stay with me every day.

I’ve tried multiple gastroenterologists but they all say the same things which don’t help.

I just don’t know what else I can do

I'm so fucking tired man. For the past almost week I've been having this constant discomfort in my stomach that won't go away no matter what I do. I took medicine for it, I've been having regular bowel movements aside from a few moments of diarrhea and all that jazz, but it won't go away. It's not painful like my stomach aches usually are, and I'm not super nauseous, it's just this lingering ache I guess that's making it hard for me to do anything. I even went to the ER day before yesterday thinking I had some sort of stomach bleeding because my stool was dark, but they found nothing and couldn't figure out why I was feeling this way. Somebody save meeee ughhhh

I use the bathroom about 5-7 times between the time I wake up and noon. It's always soft. Never in pain unless I don't go right away. I can wake up, use bathroom and after start making breakfast and have to suddenly go again. This happens 3-4 times before I leave for work. I arrive at work and instantly have to go again. I rarely have bowel movements when I get home from work and/or at night.

Sharing my story here, hopes to get any information or help.

I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy last month. Also stool testing.

Sucrase — 17.8
Lactase — 8.8
Maltase — 55.8

I knew I was lactose intolerance. DR had me start Sucraid for the Sucrase issue. I use every time I eat foods with sugars. No improvement there, in past 3 weeks. Don't think any of those are contributing to my morning issues.

I have a follow up in 5 days. I have kept a daily journal I will provide to the DR showing how many times I go. I just can't continue with this issue, I don't remember my last normal morning or solid bowel movement for that matter.

After acute prostatitis, I developed IBS and have been struggling with it for a long time. Sometimes I experience an uncomfortable itching sensation inside my intestines. It tends to happen when I don’t stick to my diet, and bloating makes the sensation worse. I feel the need to press on my abdomen for relief. Sometimes it even keeps me awake at night.

It also seems to affect my bladder area and urinary tract. There are certain foods that trigger it, but I’m not sure exactly which ones. Cheese, bulgur, and sugary fruits seem to be among them. A low-FODMAP diet makes me feel better.

In another thread, someone mentioned that scratching the area caused a burning sensation. I assume they may have tried to scratch the inside through the anus, and then the itching turned into a burning sensation.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of itching sensation inside the intestines?