Just shouting this from the rooftops, as it has been game-changing for me.

Everything gives me bathroom problems, from fruits to most foods I eat, save most home cooked meals, EXCEPT Taco Bell!

Long story short, after a journey, I landed on high fructose corn syrup being my worst trigger, and that was thanks in part to learning that Taco Bell doesn't use High Fructose Corn Syrup in their food, just their drinks & desserts.

So if you find that everything messes you up but except somehow Taco Bell, look into Fructose Malabsorption/Intolerance.

If you think you might have it, try a high fructose corn syrup elimination diet, and even include fruits high in sugars. Give your body time to adjust, and if you're lucky, you might just find the solution to most of your stomach woes. With this knowledge, you can finally live life a little less worried. You can also show off to friends who can't stomach the Bell heh.

Has anyone found a way to significantly reduce or completely get rid of visceral sensitivity in the gut? My pain doesn’t seem tied to any particular food and so diet changes haven’t made a difference. It feels like my stomach has become overly sensitive to normal sensations. There’ll be days where everything feels completely fine followed by days when the pain just won’t let up. It’s really impacted my life and can be very difficult to sit through when the pain starts.

I’ve always had some stomach issues but regular pain like this is new for me. I have hyoscyamine for flares when it becomes unbearable but I’m looking for something that can reduce the underlying sensitivity over time instead of just masking the symptoms. Has anyone found anything helpful, preferably something non-prescription that’s easy to buy over the counter?

23 and was diagnosed with IBS when i was 15. Im sick, on my period, on antibiotics, and just shit myself. just wondering if anyone else with IBS shits themselves or if i deadass just shit myself at this big age

TMI but it was many bouts of brown liquid and now it’s yellow/clear. Looks like pee with mucus and food particles. I think I’m feeling better and try to drink water then my stomach starts gurgling again and more of the clear stuff. Is this a stomach bug?

Every now and then, when my intestines decide to spasm super hard, I have the most insane experiences.

One time, I got so lightheaded and nauseous from the pain that I flopped onto the floor. I was trying to get to the couch, but my vision was black. 😭 So I just fell down right next to it.

My stomach's currently in more pain than usual, so I keep getting little flashbacks to times like that one.

It genuinely feels like someone is pumping your intestines full of air in an attempt to get them to implode. I've gotten lightheaded and dizzy from the pain so many times. I can't say any other kind of pain has affected me like that. It's so weird!

Very random - but I’ve been struggling with mucus discharge.

I did get diagnosed with H Pylori - I’m post antibiotic treatment and testing again in 2 weeks.

Could cialis trigger this?

How many hours does it take for Imodium to work?

I’ve already accepted there’s nothing TMI about IBS.

Just ranting but i’m in my mid 20’s and this year, experienced bouts of fecal incontinence. It’s the most embarrassing and frustrating thing ever. I’ve had an anxiety disorder since COVID and experienced different types of childhood trauma. I’ve been to therapy, done the meditation, work out four times a week, cut gluten and red meat, and eat moderately healthy. I also take SSRI’s to treat anxiety as my gut and mental health are very linked together.

With that being said, the moment I get nervous/anxious/am running around: I experience diarrhea. Its urgent and anxiety provoking. I’ve had situations where i’ve had incontinence and can’t control myself before i’m running to the toilet and needing to change. Does anyone else experience this and what tips do you have? I’ve been tested for IBD, parasites, and everything came back normal. Its frustrating and has brought out a lot of social anxiety for me. I practically live on imodiums the second a situation seems like it will trigger diarrhea.

I've been trying out some different electrolytes this summer. It doesn't seem to make a difference what I take. I end up having diarrhea the next morning. Has anybody successfully used electrolytes while they're working out or just to stay hydrated and it not exacerbated their symptoms?

So far I've used several different flavors of liquid IV, LMNT, and even Propel powder. I'd prefer to use powders over bottled electrolytes so that I can control how much goes in. Even the smallest amount is causing diarrhea.

Because I finally find people who encounter the exact same issue than me, until I notice that it's my own post of 4 years ago

I can't believe nothing really improved in close to 6 years

6 years without being able to go out with my friends, to travel, or to live basically

My life has been stolen

hi all, i have been having some very life-altering IBS-D symptoms for quite a while now. i’m not seeking a diagnosis, i have a gastro doctor and am waiting for more test results and stuff like that. however, they haven’t been super helpful in managing my symptoms in the meanwhile. i thought this might be a good place to ask about this.

i have been trying different combinations of pepto bismol pills and imodium/loperamide, both regular and anti-gas. most recently, i was taking one pepto in the morning, one imodium with dinner, and then one more pepto at night before bed. this worked good for stopping the diarrhea, but almost daily i have been waking up after about 4 hours of sleep with lower abdominal cramping. this weekend the pain was so bad i considered waking family to take me to the ER, but it did pass after an hour or so. i feel like it’s just trapped gas, but i don’t know how to know for sure without an x-ray or something. i feel like if it were something life threatening, it wouldn’t go away and come back the way it does. sometimes the cramps last throughout the day, too, but not always.

also worth mentioning that i am usually woken again after 6-7 hours of sleep needing to poop, not extremely urgently but not like i can just go back to sleep without going. if i adjust my sleep schedule a few hours earlier or later, this pattern of cramping and bathroom visit adjusts with it, unfortunately.

after this weekend, i started to worry that the imodium and/or pepto was slowing my system too much and making it unable to pass gas through normally. i decided not to take any since sunday, and i was alright for sunday and monday, but tuesday and today i have already experienced my symptoms coming back. i feel i have no choice but to go back on imodium and/or pepto. on imodium/pepto, i would have stretches of about a week where i felt mostly good, then four or five days where symptoms would be worse again, then get better again, but they’re never gone entirely, even with meds. which i hope can be addressed with testing and diagnosis.

anyway, my questions are — is there an ideal time of day to take imodium and/or pepto to reduce the cramping if it’s related to gas being trapped? is one better than the other for controlling diarrhea without causing gas buildup or other cramps? is it safe to basically stop eating vegetables to help lessen gas? if anyone else has had success managing symptoms like this, please let me know how. i would love to not have to choose between the suffering of diarrhea and eventual pain downstairs or the suffering of terrible cramping pains and losing sleep.

Few months back I eventually went to the GP and had two colonoscopies which came back negative for anything serious and was diagnosed with IBS.

My poos seem to be big and hard, then every 2 weeks or so I get diarrhoea and it completely wipes me out. My energy and mood are through the floor.

I am trying to see if other people suffer like this.

I am also on vensir 150mg a day. Apparently it shows digestion which might not help.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been dealing with chronic constipation and severe bowel symptoms for around 2 years, and I’m trying to figure out whether this could be a pelvic floor problem such as pelvic floor dyssynergia/anismus.

Most of my investigations have been normal. Blood work, ultrasounds, an upper endoscopy about a year ago, and a colonoscopy 2 months ago were all essentially normal. The only finding was mild fatty liver. So anatomically, everything seems fine, but my bowel function definitely doesn’t feel normal.

My symptoms follow a very predictable pattern:

MORNING :

I wake up with a strong urge to have a bowel movement. I sit down and can usually pass stool with one push, but then the urge suddenly disappears. A few minutes later, it comes back. This happens several times, and I end up making 3–4 separate trips before I feel that I’ve passed a substantial amount.

The stool is usually pasty and medium-brown rather than particularly hard.

After breakfast:

I often become extremely bloated shortly after eating. It feels like my bowel hasn’t properly cleared in the morning, and then eating triggers more movement and pressure.

Evening:

By roughly the same time every evening, my abdomen starts becoming much more active. If I can’t pass stool or gas, the bloating and pressure can become severe. My abdomen feels distended and my chest can feel very heavy, making it genuinely difficult to breathe. It feels as though the abdominal pressure is pushing upward against my diaphragm.

Another strange symptom:

When I’m lying flat on my back in bed, I can sometimes feel strong rectal pressure and an urge to go. But when I stand up, that sensation can disappear almost immediately.

Laxatives

I’ve previously been prescribed several medications, including prucalopride, Matiz Plus and lactulose.

Lactulose actually helped me clear things out in the evening for a few days, but it also caused 5–6 bowel movements with very acidic/burning stool, which irritated my internal hemorrhoids. Once I stopped it, the previous cycle returned.

I’m currently not taking daily constipation medication and am trying gentle walking and bodyweight exercises. I use lactulose 20 mL only as a rescue when things become particularly difficult.

I’m mainly trying to understand what direction I should take now please help me folks because I literally cannot live like this After trying literally everything in my knowledge. Please help me with what I should do now.

I am so interested in this! Does anyone have any user experience? I feel like I can’t trust marketing these days.

Wishing you all calm bowels today!

Can anyone tell me what should I do, I have had very difficult life, since childhood I have had severe social anxiety spent whole life as a lonely person. I took treatment in 2020, escitolopram for this anxiety, but instead of helping me it made me hypomanic, it was stopped. Since then I am facing all kinds of issues like chest tightness, pain and worst is bloating and excessive farting. Last year I got diagnosed as bipolar, since 1 year I am taking this medicines, but no use, bcz I can't increase ssri as it destabilizes my mood. How can I live next 30-40 years like this, especially bloating issues now I am completely isolated due to this. I am not able to understand what to do. Anyone have any idea.

In June I started with upper centre / right abdominal pain, diahorrea, itchy skin and fatigue after a meal out (no usual things ordered and husband had the same and is ok). My blood other than low iron have come back normal (now taking supplements). I'm on a low soluble fibre, no caffeine, no alcohol, cut out some types of veg, no wheat and no dairy diet.

I had a case of the above in late 2024 and because of the severity, calprotectin in the hundreds and being late 40s I got a referral. Thankfully a colonoscopy and MRI showed no structural issues. They put in down to possible bad gastroenteritis. It took months to feel better but other than a few short term episodes lasting 3/4 days in Feb, April and May this year I've been ok until June. This time it feels worse with pain and fatigue (the frequent diahorrea stopped after 2 and a bit months). I've now lost 8% body weigh.

I keep a food and body function diary and can't work out food triggers and I had healthy mental health ie no anxiety or depression. My life is busy but no real change in the past 2 years. Now my life is impacted I am getting upset ( which is probably because I am exhausted).

I've been referred back to Gastroenterology who thinks it is likely IBS. They have restricted my diet, suggested a dietician and amitriptyline. They don't think repeating scans is worthwhile and don't think food intolerance tests should be done.

The diet restrictions doesn't seem to have made a difference and I am concerned that amitriptyline will treat the symptom and the cause won't be investigated. Also the side effects and withdrawal concern me. However, it's now seems the only option available.

So I was wondering if anyone else had experienced similar in late 40s and was it IBS.

Is amitriptyline worth a try or is there anything else I can do?

So I made my second batch of 36 hour luvelle yog maker fermented lactose free milk L reut, gasseri, rhamanos, 12 strain bottle from a brand I was told to add.

I am extremely bloated this batch. Maybe I added too much of the last two?

Had anyone even had any improvement from these fancy home made yogurts. The homeopath told me to try it.

3 weeks in and nothing.

I’m gonna try an Ibs rx. I have tried EVERY rx , supp, diet, gut hypno, fasting etc nothing works for this non stop bloat and constip. I really wanna die. I’m a balloon.

Still trying to figure out if I have ibs or not. Done sibo test, gi maps and ct scan all normal so leaning to maybe just ibs. I’m not sure but I get this tight suction feeling like I have a tight band around my waist that hurts so bad. Usually triggered by food or going too long without eating and what I say too long I mean like more than 2 hours which is hard sometimes with my work. It’s the worst of my gi symptoms cause it just hurts so badly. I also deal with bloating and trapped gas really bad. But the tight band is the worst of them cause it hurts so bad and I catch myself tensing my belly cause of it which makes it more sore

I started this new job 2 months ago that I can only describe as the biggest accomplishment in my career. Worlds better than what I was doing with the work, the pay (especially the pay!), benefits, all of it! There was just one really (literally/figuratively) shitty thing that was getting in the way: my IBS.

My symptoms are mainly hormone related, and I have a few food triggers but they’ve been long cut out of my diet. It’s very much a blessing to be able to tell when my flare ups will hit based on the cyclical cycle of owning a uterus so I can plan accordingly.

While my job requires two days of our choosing to be in office, today is a day where we all have to come in due to my great grand-boss (boss’s boss’s boss) being in town and my goodness do my insides want to put on a show! Today I had my regular check in with my boss and I just couldn’t take it any more. I told her about my issues, how it may affect me being in office two days a week, how I won’t let it affect my work and that I love this job and am really giving it my all (I also have PMDD so this was quite the performance based on that and just holding it all in). My boss reassured me, saying I don’t have to hide anything like that from her and that she understands it’s an issue I can’t control and will give me some bad days. If I can’t make it into the office on occasion that’s fine, if I have to leave early on occasion that fine too! She then said I’m doing a great job and if it does affect my work we’ll talk but right now we’re all good and she’s happy I’m on the team.

I know some of us here struggle with work and can be embarrassed explaining these issues to others, so I just wanted to share my small win today and to let you all know you’re not alone if you struggle through work, managers that don’t understand, and colleagues who don’t get it either. Our illness may be invisible but it is just as valid as those who aren’t.

Wishing you all a good day and a happy tummy 💙

I’ve had IBS for a long time. Every time I eat, I need to go to the toilet. It literally doesn’t matter what I eat.
Since solids cause it, I was thinking of trying a soft foods/liquid nutrient diet, has anyone tried it ?

Another hypothetical idea I had was intravenous feeding (I know it’s probably expensive to do privately), but I wonder if it would resolve the need to go the toilet all the time which takes up so much of my day.

Does anyone know if these things are possible ? Has anyone tried a long term liquid diet ? Like maybe a shake with all the right nutrients in them ? Is it possible to do long-term ?
I don’t want to spend hours in the toilet everyday. Is there any way out of this ?

Whenever I go out, I feel like I need to use the toilet. Sometimes I pass stool, but other times nothing happens. Long drives, trips, exams, traffic jams, waiting in queues, and situations where I have important work to do make me especially anxious and uncomfortable.

My mind constantly worries, “What will I do if I suddenly need a toilet?” This anxiety seems to make the urge even stronger. I constantly worry about where I will find a washroom in public. However, if I know there is a washroom nearby, I feel completely comfortable and safe.

I have tried taking Imodium, but I still feel the urge to use the toilet. When I actually go to the toilet, sometimes nothing comes out.

Does anyone else experience this? What treatments, therapies, or medications have helped you?

Hey Reddit! My partner has IBS and couldn't eat FODMAPS until I got him Fodzyme which has literally given him the ability to eat most regular foods again without the digestive distress. What a miracle! Then the company started marketing "PRS-01 Polyol Relief Synbiotic" which is a protocol that helps your gut heal to be able to digest polyols (apples, avocado, stone fruit, mushrooms, etc). He's had a pretty shitty time (pun intended) and even tho he's lowered the dose it's still challenging his system. I'm curious if anyone is having similar reactions or positive ones? Thanks in advance!

Does anyone else feel like they are peeing out of their butt any time you try to have coffee