Horrible IBS flare up. Any suggestions, please?

I’ve had IBS for 25 years and no amount of GP appointments helped in finding a solution. Good old Google helped me identify low FODMAP foods about 10 years ago and it’s been my saviour. Safe low FODMAP foods don’t just relate to the actual food, but also the amount - I could eat a quarter of an apple without side effects but not a whole one.
In recent years I’ve also become lactose intolerant and I avoid yeast containing foods as they cause vertigo. My diet these days is rather limited as far as healthy eating is concerned but I manage.
Eating out is a bit of a nightmare, too, but I check out menus in advance and if all else fails I have a bowl of chips.

After a nasty bout of IBS I was advised by a dietitian to cut out Lactose as it can irritate the gut. I have also stopped eating processed food and cut out caffeine. If I start to feel a flare up I take buscopan tablets, which I think work great.

MerylStreep

Are you sure it’s IBS and not diverticulitis. There is no definitive test for IBS whereas there is for diverticulitis, which I have.
There symptom's are much the same.

True. And you can have both together.

Avoid Lentils - it can trigger IBS

My daughter had very similar problems after having her gall bladder out in 2012. She had terrible pain after eating many food items. She was originally diagnosed with IBS but a consultant finally diagnosed her with bile acid diarrhoea. She was prescribed colestyramine and now she is on colesevelam. She can now eat without worrying or pain and is much happier. she will probably be on this drug for life. So many people including doctors do not know about this condition. I hope things get resolved for you. A gastro-enterologist should help.

Are you sure it’s IBS and not diverticulitis. There is no definitive test for IBS whereas there is for diverticulitis, which I have.
There symptom's are much the same.

Back of the packet reading is eye opening and I now try to eat as little as I can of ultra processed food. However, not everyone has that choice. But I do wish someone would tell me why there is milk in a packet of crisps and dextrose in a packet of frozen chips. That makes it back to the free from aisle for me.

My mum is having similar issues - it seems to be dried fruit and berries (especially strawberries) that seem to be the culprits, along with stress and anxiety. She uses Loperamide if gong out, but that can also cause a bit of constipation on occasion.

I've been doing a bit f reading around it and it seems probiotics can help, but also a dietary supplement called Ashwagandha (Indian Ginseng) Have a google, think we may try it ..

Wyllow have you found a low in fodmaps diet has helped you loose weight? I felt like someone had blown me up with a bicycle pump. When I went on the diet, I slowly lost two stone. I find I now have no trouble in keeping it off although I still blow up like a balloon if I mistakenly eat something high fodmap.

Maya1

I'm the same with onions, garlic, salads and apples. The thing that has helped the most is changing to lactose free milk. It was a game changer for me, it tastes the same as normal but what a difference. My bloating disappeared after 10 days or so and the gastric symptoms are a thing of the past.

Mayal, all those foods are high in frementable sugars. Would it be worth asking your doctor if you can see a dietician?

Doctors vary in what they can/will do but you can do it by yourself and GN friends are really good at forming self-help groups. Monash University has a lot on line about how to start an elimination diet and then how to add back the things (or not) that you may find you can't tolerate so you "test" the foods and decide what to exclude or eat in very small amounts, of your personal intolerances.

Definitely look into the FODMAP stuff. it doesn't make it go away but my goodness it has helped reduce symptoms. Watch out for too MUCH fibre.
FODMAP is all a bit bewildering at first but is you google a food and FODMAP it will tell you if its low or high.

Also definitely trying low lactose and low gluten over time.

Yes stress is a major trigger for many but not all. I've had 3 tummy ops that doesn't help tho. like a wide zip running down from tummy button to groin.

There is a drug so far not mentioned that has helped me a great deal. I can recommend it very strongly. it's GP prescribed. Its called mebeverine here is the NHS page

www.nhs.uk/medicines/mebeverine/
Good for bloating and bowel spasms.

LRavenscroft if you can mange to find 10 mins and this is within your capabilities (remember its just doing what you can not the perfect pose) then its worth trying this

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKq-cyumhcc

very easy peasy yoga - she's doing it on her bed!

I was diagnosed with IBS about 30 years ago, but can trace flare ups back to my late teens (I am now 64). My symptoms got worse as I got older as did the frequency of flare ups to several days per week with a big impact on my life.
I tried eliminating various foods, with varying levels of success, but invariably the symptoms would return after a period.

Last summer it had got so bad that I paid for food sensitivity testing. This showed me to be lactose intolerant. I immediately removed all lactose products from my diet and within a couple of weeks there was a very marked improvement. It is now 9 months and it has been life changing for me. The only attacks I have had were when I attempted to reintroduce lactose products into my diet, following a reintroduction process I was given at the time of testing.
The only downside is that I can no longer have any diary without an IBS attack 2-3 days later (apparently it takes up to 4 days for food to fully pass through and for me it seems to be 2-3 days). This isn’t much to tolerate given the huge improvement to my quality of life. Non dairy products are available in all supermarkets these days and a lot of mainstream food is actually dairy free, e.g. Flora, McVities digestives and hobnobs. It does mean having to read the back of every packet and having limited options eating out, but, for me, even with the lack of cheese, it’s absolutely worth it.

I have to take calcium supplements now as I haven’t been able to successfully reintroduce any dairy.

I'm under investigatory treatment for Bile Acid Malabsorption. I've not been having a fun time either.

I was diagnosed with IBS 40 years ago. I manage the symptoms by avoiding onions, garlic, peppers and any spices. I am used to it now but is causes problems when eating in restaurants. I also try to prepare meals with fresh ingredients and I don’t eat ready meals or processed foods.

I'm the same with onions, garlic, salads and apples. The thing that has helped the most is changing to lactose free milk. It was a game changer for me, it tastes the same as normal but what a difference. My bloating disappeared after 10 days or so and the gastric symptoms are a thing of the past.

I’ve had IBS both D and C alternately. For the last six weeks however it’s changed to all D, needing to go several times a day and accompanied by vicious acid reflux at night in spite of being on daily Omeprazole. Managed to see GP who ordered blood and faecal sample tests ( sorry ladies) All came back clear except bowel cancer test very slightly raised so waiting to see if I have to have another horrible colonoscopy. Last two revealed polyps which had to be removed and sent for biopsy, all ok so don’t know what the problem is but I do sympathise. It governs every day if your life. Had my cataract op a few days ago and just dosed myself with Imodium for the day which isn’t the answer long term but worked for an important day.

It may not be appropriate for you, and you'd have to consult with your doctor, but I have found that a daily 200mg dose of progesterone has made all the difference for me. (2 x Utrogestan 100). With one Utrogestan (or none) I have difficulty tolerating salads and fruit in any quantity, they just seem to go straight through me within an hour, but 2 slows my digestion nicely down to the right level.

Squiffy

I was diagnosed with IBS in the late 90s, plus, I have also had my gallbladder removed (years ago).

I found that onions and I are not compatible!

Also, going gluten free has made a huge difference.

Other than adding garlic to those, I would take a bet on many more than know it being lactose intolerant.

I eat gluten free, but it is because I am wheat intolerant not coeliac. Monash (the University that did the fodmap research) don't put it particularly high, but do recommend leaving it out for a period and then reintroducing it to find out if it is a culprit. This is because it is in so many foods, often for no reason other than as a filler, that the safe portion is "layered".

There are some really good Fodmap groups on Facebook by the way.

Couple of ideas - anxiety - when its been crippling I've used a YouTube binaural sounds track. Pick one you like, lie down shut eyes and just follow the sounds - 15 to 30 minutes is enough to steady you. Gastro symptoms (agree with the others who've said basically everything affects everything). You are aiming for a quiet predictable life until you are more comfortable. I avoid wheat - it gives me a hangover type of headache - it is a very common sensitivity. Read about L Glutamine - I take a teaspoon of Nature's Best LG powder each morning - keeps the tum happier. Really hope life gets easier soon!

Thank you so much for all your lovely replies. I really can identify with them and will look into suggestions. Very much appreciate you answering.

MayBee70 I can relate to all of that. I’ve tried all sorts of relaxation techniques but even when I’m looking forward to something my stomach will tell me “oh no, you’d better not risk going there, much safer to stay home”!!

I was diagnosed with IBS in the late 90s, plus, I have also had my gallbladder removed (years ago).

I found that onions and I are not compatible!

Also, going gluten free has made a huge difference.

Grandyma

I don’t have IBS but do have various gastrointestinal problems. My worst trigger for flare ups is anxiety. If I have any commitments either social or medical I go into panic mode in case I have a flare up and the panic causes the flare up. I take Lansoprazole every day & Gaviscon Advance also Cyclizine (all on prescription. It’s a bit of a vicious circle and I really do sympathise. My consultant told me that the stomach is like a second brain and anxiety & gastro problem’s are very common. Good luck with the Doctor’s appointment. 💐

I will say to my digestive system ‘I’m fine’. And my bowel will reply ‘ no you’re not..’. Theatre or cinema trips are a nightmare. As for bus journeys, there have been many times when I’ve been waiting for a bus and, just as it’s about to arrive I have to rush home and then catch the next bus. A day out anywhere means changing what I eat and drink for a week beforehand.

There are the two often quoted types of IBS, i.e., IBS-D and IBS-C. We need not go into details. However, it does look as if there is more than one cause for what is called IBS.

In trials, they trained sniffer dogs. This was done in the way that they do for some types of cancer. Interestingly, the people picked out as positive for IBS by the dogs, where the people who responded best to a low FODMAP Diet. This seems to have led them to think that there is more than cause.

I have suffered quite badly from anxiety in the past although it seems under control at the moment. I have never been told that anxiety is a cause of IBS. It certainly seems to be a contributory factor though.

If you find you are getting a hangover type state after an IBS flare up, it is well worth looking into fodmaps. Food high in fodmaps is high in fermentable sugars. This does not mean you cannot eat any sugar, indeed, some sugar substitutes are high FODMAP. If you cannot digest these fermentable sugars, they ferment in your gut and ultimately lead to the cramps, pain and constipation or diarrhea individual guts use to try and get rid of the problem.

This fermentation leads to brain fog, hangover sensations and dehydration. Whatever the cause of your IBS water will not do you any harm. I would certainly recommend rehydrating yourself as a first port of call.

Unless your doctor is a specialist in this area I really would request seeing a dietitian. Not all of them have caught up with the Australian research but many of them have.

I agree with with sassysaysso. Most people who use low fodmaps to control their IBS have both onions and garlic at the top of their list of problem foods. I cannot tolerate either of them and just would not go near them. Much as I love them it is not worth the pain, or the days of recovery. It may be worth having a look the research that has been done by Monash University, that brought the FODMAP diet about. If you're interested you could ask your doctor if you could see a dietitian. Help in the early stages is certainly worthwhile.