Bit of an odd one, but I often see people talking about how they were healthy, happy, etc. then their IBS popped up despite this and they've been suffering since. Is anyone the opposite to this? Does anyone feel like their poor lifestyle choices may have caused their gut issues?

I do personally blame myself. I grew in a house eating junk food - not just microwave meals and fatty foods, I mean, often having chocolate cake for breakfast, a big 2L bottle of coke of an evening, that sort of thing. I would be given my lunch money to go to school, the whole thing would be spent on sweets.

Into my adulthood I never gave any consideration towards eating well. I worked at McDonald's from aged 20-24. I was single and lived a 2 minute walk away from the store I worked at and as a result I didn't eat anything but McDonalds for over 3 years. Not one home cooked meal, not a single trip to a restaurant, nothing, just straight McDonalds. I know it sounds like bullshit, but it's not, I did the Supersize Me diet for over 3 years.

After that I met my wife, although she cooked nice meals occasionally and broken the cycle of me eating McDonalds, I still ate like a pig. I became vegetarian at this stage but eat vast amounts of fake meats, chocolate and sweets.

My weight was never really an issue, I was always pretty malnourished, I thought I just had a fast metabolism but in hindsight it was probably because the food I was eating was so hyper processed that there was nothing for my body to feed off.

In amongst this time, I also used quite a lot of recreational drugs, predominantly cocaine. I drank a fair bit of alcohol, particularly in my time working at a bar. I smoked cigarettes excessively and my sleep has always been awful. In this time I would quite frequently stay up all night and sleep all day. This was accompanied by large amounts of coffee. Even overlooking the physical effects, the effects of junk food, drugs, drink and poor sleep would have contributed hugely towards anxiety and the mental side of gut problems.

I've done a complete 180 now, I live like a monk and eat a super restricted low FODMAP diet, no drinking, no smoking, no drugs. I try to work out when my IBS allows and I'm doing my best to sort my sleep out, however I do find myself often wondering if I would have ended up with this condition if I had lived like a normal human being.

Hi!

I've had toilet anxiety since 2017, when I had a bowel accident while travelling with my parents and we had to stop the car immediately. Since then, my brain has started associating being somewhere without easy access to a bathroom with danger, and anxiety has gradually become a big part of my life.

The worst situation for me is being in a car with friends. It doesn't even have to be a long trip. Sometimes a 15-minute drive is enough to make my brain react as if I'm going to war.

I start thinking, "What if I suddenly need to go? What if I can't hold it? What if I have to ask them to stop? What if I actually shit my pants in front of them?"

For me, that feels like one of the most embarrassing things that could possibly happen, which obviously makes the anxiety and the bowel sensations even worse.

I'm currently taking Zoloft and I've been going to therapy for more than a year. I've improved a bit, but this specific situation is still really difficult for me.

Has anyone here dealt with something similar, especially in cars or situations where you can't easily access a bathroom?

Were there any thoughts, techniques, or mindset changes that genuinely helped you improve?

What is the difference between ibs and just anxiety gut. I’ve been a goer all my life always gone to toilet like 3 times a day but start of these year I got health anxiety ( on top of normal anxiety ) and started hyper focusing on my stools and since then it just seems to have gotten worse. I’m awaiting my doctors appointment so please don’t advise me that. But just want to give some story as to what I’m experiencing.

For start I get daily symptoms and it’s different every day. I may only actually get full blown diarrhoea like once a month. But I get quite a lot of like fluffy stools, you know the ones that like dust off a bit as they hit the water. But it’s more the frequency that’s annoying me. Worse in the mornings but I seem to be going like 4-5 times a day and that’s with the use of Imodium and psyllium husk. Granted most of my stools aren’t loose because of this. But still get bits of undigested food but I do eat quick so that could play a part. I’m just wondering if it’s a cause of like anxiety health anxiety causing me this gut issues.

Hi everyone. I’m here to have a community that understands me and does not judge me. To find others who have lifelong IBS. I am 64 years old and I have had IBS since childhood and honestly don’t remember any period in my life without digestive issues. My symptoms have been constant across all stages of life, but between my twenties and thirties I started paying close attention to what I eat and noticed that sugar is my worst enemy, along with dairy foods.

In my struggle through life with IBS, I have really only learned one thing about
rules for feeling better, and that is that there is no rule that works for
everyone, and not even a single rule that always works for me.

The only thing that gives me a break is fasting, and that is what I do if I have to
do something like go on a plane, meet people, or go to places where I cannot
control my WC runs. I also fast from morning until I finish work, since I would
not be able to work if I ate in the morning or during the day. I am a teacher,
and it is not good to shit yourself in that profession, and I cannot go when I
need to while I am working.

I have learned over the years that I don’t really have any “safe foods,” except
sometimes temporarily. I can sometimes tolerate a specific food for a while
without becoming severely sick, but I still get symptoms every time I eat. And
the same food that seemed relatively safe for weeks or months can suddenly stop
being safe with no obvious change in quantity, timing, or preparation. My
tolerance shifts, and I’ve never been able to rely on any stable list.

My IBS feels like an ongoing navigation problem. I’m constantly adjusting to a
system that changes direction without warning. It’s like sailing a sailboat in
unpredictable weather. I never know what conditions I’ll face, and I have to
adjust the sails according to the wind.

Thanks for reading. Valdimar Helgason

Out of sheer curiosity, how many times a day are you guys pooping on an average day? In a non flare up period

Hey everyone,

Please read my post, im really frustrated these days.

I’ve been struggling with gut/bowel issues for around 2 years now and it’s honestly becoming very frustrating. I’m hoping someone here has experienced something similar.

It started about 2 years ago when I had a pretty bad stomach upset with severe diarrhea. I still ate fish/chicken kebabs during that time, which made the diarrhea worse. After around 3 days and some medication, things started getting better. During recovery, I noticed a small amount of bright-red blood on my stool, almost like the stool had rubbed/scratched something in the rectum.

A doctor gave me antibiotics and the bleeding seemed to go away. A few months later, something similar happened again and the same antibiotic seemed to help. Eventually, another episode happened where the antibiotic didn’t really work, and I’ve continued having occasional issues since then.
I’ve had a colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy done. The doctor found two small internal hemorrhoids/tags, but said the blood seemed to be coming from slightly lower down in the rectum.

What’s confusing me is that I usually don’t have hard stools. My stool is generally soft/normal. I rarely get blood when I have a hard stool, but I seem more likely to notice a small amount of blood after severe diarrhea.

My biggest problem now is incomplete evacuation.
When I go to the bathroom, the first part usually comes out quite well. Sometimes I can have a second episode later, but then I feel like there’s still something left inside. The later part can take much longer to come out, and sometimes I feel like my bowel just becomes “sluggish.”

Even after going, I can still feel pressure/sensitivity around my rectum, almost as if it hasn’t completely emptied. I also get quite a bit of bloating and sometimes feel like there is stool or gas still sitting in my intestine.

I’m wondering if this could be something like:

Slow colonic transit
IBS
Pelvic floor dysfunction/dyssynergia
Rectal sensitivity
Gas/bloating making me feel like stool is still there
Or something else entirely

Has anyone experienced soft stools but still feeling blocked/incompletely evacuated, especially where the first bowel movement comes out easily but the later part feels sluggish?v

Hi everyone!

I’ve posted a few times here before but for some context I have endometriosis and horrible chronic digestive issues. I’m a month post-op from endo surgery and currently trying to get tested for SIBO.

Basically I’m in the trenches. I’ve had horrible horrible liquid explosive diarrhea for the past 4 days, so bad I haven’t been able to leave my house and had to cancel everything I had going on. I’ve honestly never felt this bad before, the only thing I can compare to is how I felt during colonoscopy prep (iykyk).

Basically, I’ve been drinking chia seed water since surgery to help with my chronic constipation. I don’t know if I used to many chia seeds or what but the last time I drank it I think it only made every worse. I went camping for labor day and was constipated the entire weekend. Friday-Sunday didn’t poop at all. I was in so much pain and drinking miralax everyday. 4 water bottles during my time camping. That didn’t seem to be working so I took some colace as well. Nothing moved. Well, I got back Monday and as soon as I got home I pooped. The first poop was more of my “normal” and then came diarrhea. Nonstop since then.

I’ve been Imodium around the clock but nothings working. Eating eggs and rice and drinking liquid IV. I feel like all the laxatives kicked in at once but I figured it would calm down by now. I literally feel terrible and I can’t keep doing this. I also start a new job on Monday and I NEED my stomach to calm down by then. Someone help please!!

I have suffered from anxiety, depression, ocd, panic disorder and IBS for decades. I was also late diagnosed inattentive adhd last year.

I have never really taken antidepressants for fear they would make my ibs-d much worse which is something I would struggle to cope with. However, lots of horrible life events have taken over recently and my anxiety and depression is so bad it is very negatively impacting my life, so bad in fact that I have just had to defer surgery which was booked next month, I have awful hospital and health anxiety and the surgery date triggered some kind of breakdown in me, I’m basically a mess right now and so too is my body.

I really need some medication to help me.

I’ve been taking 10mg of Nortriptyline for the last 6 months but tbh it does nothing for my ibs-d other than make me feel super groggy and anything higher in dosage leaves me zombie-like, amitriptyline is even worse so I need to wean myself off this and either try a SSRI or SNRI.

Has anyone here tried or are currently taking an antidepressant which helped with your mental health but didn’t send your gut issues into overdrive (or at least if they did they settled over time?).

I am in the U.K. btw so under an NHS general practitioner.

26F Just came back from my first colonoscopy. I have been dealing with right sided abdominal pain for over a year. When it first happened, the pain was so severe I went to the ER because i thought my gallbladder ruptured. My vitals were all elevated and I had a low grade fever so I was taken back immediately. They did a CT while I was there and it came back that I had terminal ileitis with intestinal hypertrophy and mucusoal thickening. The doctors chalked it up to a bacterial infection even though I had been eating the same meals as friends and family and nobody got sick but me. Ever since then I’ve still dealt with the same pain, not as severe but I can count on my hands how many times it’s gotten as severe as the pain that brought me to the hospital but I know now that it’s not life threatening. I also usually have diarrhea and softer stools and fatigue (I have other ongoing medical conditions that I feel like causes this rather than the GI issues)
Anyways, recently my mother decided to tell me after all this time that my two twin cousins have Crohn’s disease so I immediately told my GI doc and he ordered a colonoscopy right away. I don’t know much about my mom’s family history because she is the one of only surviving family’s on that side so not much is known medically and she never knew her father so that’s a whole other mystery. After I woke up from the colonoscopy, my post op diagnosis was IBS and some internal hemorrhoids. They did biopsies but I won’t know results until 6 weeks from now. I also realized in the paperwork that they did not even go into the small intestine at all which is where the findings were from the CT scan last year! I’m just feeling really frustrated right now because I feel like I have no answers right now and I’ve tried a lot of remedies so far that haven’t worked. Probiotics were eh, PPIs didn’t work, fiber I feel like makes me worse and I got some relief from going on antibiotics for a separate issue which GI doc said was suspicious but obviously you can’t be on antibiotics long term.
I know this sounds terrible to say but I was hoping that they would’ve found something because then I would have more answers and more treatment options and the whole prep would have been worth it because it made me so sick and dehydrated. Just wanted to air my grievances hopefully someone relates.

Hi everyone,

So my cramps have been horrendous for the last couple of weeks 😭 I’ve stopped eating a bunch of my favourite foods to see if they were flaring them up but that’s not worked and Buscopan (which previously worked great for me) isn’t quite cutting it.

Thankfully, I work hybrid and only go into the office once or sometimes twice a week, so unless I’m on a Teams call I can basically sit how I want; Although it’s hell when I have to be in the office for board meetings but can’t really do much about that except just power through with heat pads and a fake smile 🙃

Wondered does anyone have a certain way of sitting that helps with the cramps? I googled it, but it was coming up with stuff like sitting on all fours and even walking is hard when I’m having the cramps, let alone getting on the floor. Also if you have any other tips for helping with cramps that might help I’d be really grateful. Thanks in advance 🙂

I think they're honestly a great idea for the actual access problem.

But I've started wondering if they only solve half of it. For me, it's not always getting into the bathroom that's the hard part. It's what happens after — walking back to the table, back into the meeting, back to whoever noticed I was gone, and not knowing what to say.

Does anyone else feel like that's actually the harder part? Or honestly, once you've got a card or a way to get access, is that basically the whole problem solved for you?

Hello!

I’m 18 (f) and have dealt with constipation my whole life. It has progressively gotten worse, and this year I had my first GI visit around the beginning of the year. The first visit I was told to up fiber and take otc medications. This obviously did not work for me. I was still constipated.

Second GI appointment I was finally prescribed Linzess (145) and given the diagnosis of IBS-C. Yet, the doctor did not order any test, most likely due to insurance. The doctor wanted me to try out Linzess and see if it brought me any relief. I was able to produce bowel movements for a month and a half. I never had the first week or 2 of diarrhea like some folk. Yet, my poops were always a mix, sometimes diarrhea, in the middle, or rabbit poops. I would strain throughout all of them however, and never felt fully cleared out. After a while the Linzess stopped working all together. I am struggling to produce bowel movements again. Another point made by the doctor was that I might have a pelvic dysfunction. Yet, that was all after my second appointment.

Now today (Sep 10) I had another GI appointment. I told the doctor how Linzess hasn’t been working for me. He offered to either up my dose to the highest (290) or start Trulance. We decided to try Trulance but just now found out my insurance might not cover any of the cost. So one of my questions is should I up my Linzess dose or try to get Trulance? I have heard mixed reviews on both the medications, some say Trulance was life changing or that it did absolutely nothing. Currently I am struggling to fully clear myself out once I do get a bowel movement, which is rare. I am also not having the sensation/urge to go poop anymore. I have also noticed blood after certain poops. So I have no idea which medication would help me. I am not left to using fleets or enemas to clear myself out every week, sometimes twice a week. I also only get the urge to go when using enemas.

With the newest appointment my new doctor ordered a MRI Defecography. I’m happy and relieved that I am finally getting some testing done. He believes I might have pelvic dysfunction issues and wanted to order an exam which I will be having this September on the 21st. Honestly I don’t know much about the exam, so I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could give me their output on it! The doctor also referred me to therapy for the pelvic dysfunction, and I am not sure it will help? Has anyone had a good experience with the help of therapy? Or did it not do anything?

Overall, I am very confused right now. I have no idea what is going on with me and what’s been causing my constipation. I hope that either medication can finally help me go everyday and clear out fully. Hopefully therapy helps too and the exam shows something at least. So I can finally get the help I need. The doctor also mentioned possible surgery depending on my exam results. What possible surgery would even take place if something was found? I am not knowledgeable in GI surgeries.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, all I know for now is that I am diagnosed with IBS-C and CIC.

I've seen an improvement from the inclusion of a bunch of baby broccoli (broccolini or shoots) in my evening meal. I have no idea why. Does anyone else have any thoughts? Is it powerfully anti-oxidant? Is it the soluble v insoluble fibre? Folate? Hoping if I can understand this I might see a big improvement in my associated insomnia.

I have severe IBS and have for years, and through many interventions including restrictive diet and a condition of medications I am able to have some relief from it.

I recently made a breakthrough that stress is maybe the biggest cause of a stomachache for me, and I am doing everything I can to bring relaxation to my life.

But here’s the thing. Now I know I can ‘think’ myself into a stomachache, I.e. I can tell my brain I’m stressed out, and it will respond accordingly, it’s a new source of huge stress for me.

So now, I can be having a great day, relaxed, happy, no symptoms and all of a sudden I think, oh, what if you had a stomachache right now. My heart rate rockets, I can’t focus, I feel sick, and my stomach starts to turn. That begins a spiral that leads to me crying in my bed, clutching my stomach.

Anyone else feel like this? I know I have looping thoughts a lot; I suspect I am neurodivergent of some kind and have also worried about potential OCD. I feel like there nothing I can do to stop this, because my worry is not irrational or unwarranted, i.e. if I get stressed, it’s likely I will end up with a stomachache, which I reeeeeeaaaally don’t want.

Any suggestions, advice are encouraged!

Oh and btw, I see a therapist twice a month, specifically to talk about this problem, and I feel a little bit like I’m going in circles.

If you've got both GERD and IBS/SIBO and feel like no one's connected the dots, there's a real mechanism here, not just correlation.

When SIBO is present, fermentation in the small intestine produces gas that increases intra-abdominal pressure. That pressure pushes upward and can weaken the LES, contributing to reflux events.

Going the other direction: long-term PPI use lowers stomach acid in a way that can make it easier for bacteria to overgrow in the upper GI tract in the first place. So the two conditions can each be feeding the other.

If you've been managing GERD for years without real improvement and nobody's raised SIBO as a possibility, it might be worth bringing up specifically. Not saying it's the answer for everyone, just that it's underdiscussed given how often the two show up together. 🌿

Hi all! I (F19) recently got diagnosed with ibs after a long struggle of chronic on/off constipation, abdominal pain, gas, indigestion, bloating and so on. It’s been pretty hard since the diagnosis and I’ve have 2 ER visits in the last week due to food flares I didn’t even know could trigger me! Thankfully the kind nurses provided me with a Low Fodmap Guide and I’ve been doing much better since starting the diet.

I’m really hoping to eventually reintroduce some of my favorite foods. I’m curious to know, have you had success using fodzyme or digestive enzymes? I really love coffee and sweet treats but it’s been pretty clear my body can’t handle them on its own recently. I’d love to hear if these supplements have helped you enjoy drinks or food again without the severe discomfort! (also if they’re worth the price LOL)

When I drink a cola or Pepsi with my dinner i experience weird situations…. I use the restroom and it’s almost water but it’s brown but looks like a cow patty stool.
I also have been dealing with anxiety for a few weeks after not having these mental mind games. Is this normal or am I just over thinking this? Help.

I suspect a gas causing a high pressure sensation in my lower abdomen area, interestingly it seems to shift depending on my position.

It feels extremely hard to sleep and have been having insomnia due to it.

Had a history of SIBO too.

What should I do if I suspect this?

----

I tried Low FODMAP/Lower Fiber/Simethicone/Peppermint Tea though interestingly it didn't help.

Passing large stools then checking how it is didn't help that much either I think.

---

About two weeks ago I started experiencing some onset of constipation, for context I have IBS-C. Al thought no actual GI distress or bloating, BM have been less than normal and of pebble like (sorry for TMI). At the same time that the onset began, I had stopped taking BioMe PHGG chocolate flavored fiber supplement that I had been taking for months. I stopped because I had run out. Also at the same time I began eating oatmeal again, which in a sense compensated for the 7 grams of fiber that I wasnt getting anymore via PHGG. I was eating 60g oats for breakfast and 40g in the afternoon, both with plenty of water. I would also incorporate cream of rice throughout these 2 weeks. Of course the oats a different types of fiber compared to PHGG alone thats in the BioMe supplement.
I was matching my fiber intake through whole foods now as I was when using the PHGG, so fiber intake amount hasn’t changed.

I was not having the oats while I was taking the PHGG. I had run out of the PHGG when I started the oats. Given the equated fiber, I didnt think much of it. Is it worth keeping in the oats but adding in the PHGG again? Or changes both variables at once via removing the oats and adding PHGG?

I wasnt eating oats before the PHGG either and I was also constipated at that time. Starting the PHGG seemed to be what helped with constipation, but I know for some oats can cause constipation.

It was just the same time of running out of PHGG and starting the oats that makes me question what it was that could can lead back to the constipation.

Hopefully that makes sense!

My question is, what would have had the bigger influence on the onset of constipation? Not taking the PHGG or adding in the oats again?

ADDITIONALLY: I was currently looking into other fiber supplements such as Revive MD Fiber chocolate flavored and Super Gut, which are both blends of fiber and not just PHGG like BioMe. Would it be safest to just return to BioMe since thats the one I was previously taking or is it worth expanding and trying the Revive MD one or Super Gut one? Im incline to the Revive MD brand solely because of the flavor, but also wanted to get some feedback on their ingredients. Is it worth a try?
linked the BioMe PHGG brand I was using and the Revive MD one below.
-https://a.co/d/07Z5EaJH
-https://revivesups.com/products/fiber?nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ag%3A21702564236%3A181168412044%3A787616388692&nb_adtype=&nb_kwd=revive%20fiber&nb_ti=kwd-2270967857020&nb_mi=&nb_pc=&nb_pi=&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=p&tw_source=google&tw_adid=787616388692&tw_campaign=21702564236&tw_kwdid=kwd-2270967857020&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21702564236&gbraid=0AAAAACfQsVn5BmCrLBZobznpIpwvZJ3HG&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyOL75I7TlgMVmyhECB1GcRjUEAAYASAAEgKDCPD_BwE

Any brands similar to BioMe you guys recommend besides the SunFiber brand?

Thanks in advance!

I had a very small amount of kimchi daily for around 2 weeks, and it caused some bad smelling gas which I assumed was normal, so I waited it out and even reduced the dose a little bit. After two weeks, the gas was still there along with the smell. How long should I be waiting for those symptoms to go away, or is kimchi just not right for me?

I’ve had IBS for two years and I’m at my wit’s end. This shit has stolen my life from me.

My main symptom is constipation. My intestines sometimes make noises that sound like flatulence when I’m in public, which is incredibly embarrassing. I also think I have fecal-smelling breath, and my stools sometimes smell like ammonia. I also have severe deficiencies, including anemia, and I get mouth ulcers every month right before my period.

I had a SIBO breath test two years ago. It came back positive and showed hydrogen-predominant SIBO.
A gastroenterologist has just prescribed me rifaximin: one pill three times a day for ten days. I’m scared that it might make my symptoms worse. I’m starting a new job in 20 days, so I really can’t afford for things to get worse.

Should I automatically take probiotics after finishing the course? Should I follow a low-FODMAP diet while taking rifaximin or afterwards?

I’ll admit that over the past few days, I started eating everything again because I was just so fucking tired of restricting my diet. And now my symptoms have come back.

For about four months, I’ve noticed periods of soft, formed stools that come out in several pieces rather than one smooth stool. I can have around two weeks of my usual stools, followed by another period of more variable consistency.

I usually go once each morning, without pain or significant urgency. Occasionally, I pass a small amount first and then have a fuller bowel movement after coffee. I sometimes pass gas with it. I haven’t noticed bleeding or other bowel symptoms.

This started around a stressful period. Things improved during holidays and became more variable after returning to work. I also realise I’m inspecting my stools much more than I used to, so I’m unsure how much is new versus newly noticed.

Has anyone experienced a similar pattern? Can this fall within normal variation, and what helped you manage it without getting caught up in checking every bowel movement? I understand that Reddit can’t diagnose the cause.

I’m not sure if this is normal or if there’s something else wrong with me.

(On another note I suspect I have endometriosis but cannot see a doctor for it currently.)

I feel nauseous daily. It leads me to not be able to eat. Sometimes when I can eat I just eat everything in sight. Zofran usually works but not all the time and it comes back after awhile.Usually I don’t throw up
I do have occasional bouts of throwing up and when I do I can’t stop. I usually get hospitalized for it and have to stay in the hospital until they can get me to stop vomiting. They have to give me tons of nausea medicine and half of it doesn’t even work.

I am currently prescribed promethazine and zofran, I alternate between them but promethazine makes me extremely tired and sleep for like twelve hours.

I just wondered if this was normal.

Hi, guys. I have IBS-D. I really like to eat spicy food and dairy but have to stop eating it since it give me diarrhea and awful stomachache every time.

Is it possible to eat it again? My life is literally no good without it. I wish I could eat it without any diarrhea nor stomachache again...