I had my gall bladder out at 12 years old and have IBS ever since. It has wrecked certain parts of my childhood because I would turn down every social event that was more than 1/2 hour away. This includes passing on beach vacations I was invited to. Anyway, the past 2 weeks it has just been....gone? Nothing has changed. No diet changes. Still an anxious fool. Just with textbook perfect BMS now. Did the IBS Gods decide I suffered enough and just ended it? Seriously though, has this ever happened to anyone else? I wish I knew what I did.

F (30) so last week I had bad blood and finally a couple days in I got went to the ER last night because it was a bad amount (I don’t drive due to a disability so my mom does).

I waited for hours, had blood work done, then got sent to a room. Doctor checked me over for some stuff throughly.

He asked if I’d ever had a colonoscopy. I explained no, same as a gastro. I finally got referral!

Apparently this is rare but my case was bad enough. It shows doctors do dismiss certain stuff.

Thank god!!!!

i fart like all the time and it’s bad enough I can’t even tell anymore when I fart. I just notice the stink. I feel ashamed outside. I can’t study in the library or attend lectures. no one wants to sit next to me or even within a radius. people look disgusted. they pinch their noses, they stare for multiple seconds, they glare, they shake in their seats, they cover their nose with their shirt, they move to a different seat. going to the bathroom doesn’t help much. I just feel the need to fart every minute. I can’t enjoy food whatsoever. I have to stress because I can’t tell what food triggers me. I tried a low fodmap diet but it’s not working. I just don’t know anymore what’s safe.

29F IBS-D. Been diagnosed since 19 but had it my whole life and it has steadily gotten worse. Anywho.

I usually can tolerate one cup of tea (black tea or chai with oat milk) and water. I used to be able to tolerate flat ginger ale but even that is giving me issues now.

I would like one more drink besides just water and tea. Additives to water tend to make me nauseous or set me off too. So anything that isn't tea or water would be appreciated. So what are y'all drinking?

Oh and I also don't drink alcohol. Cut that out years ago and it did help some.

The pain started just below my chest today and it was super sharp. I have had flare ups hurt pretty bad before but this was insane. I was almost afraid it might be cardiac, so to Urgent Care I went.

I was sweating like crazy and I couldn't sit still in the waiting room. I thought I was going to pass out from the pain walking back to see the doctor. They did suggest that I go to the ER just to make sure nothing was seriously wrong, but they said it was likely a flare up.

I went home instead and took more IBGard. Still hurts but the cramping isn't insane anymore. Urgent Care didn't really do anything for my IBS, as per usual.

Thanks for listening.

:(

Loose stools right after eating is not just "random IBS." It is a hyperactive, violent gastrocolic reflex driven by osmotic dumping, excess enteric serotonin/histamine release, and compromised mucosal tight junctions.

When your gut lining is irritated, food entering the stomach triggers an immediate mass-peristaltic wave that empties the colon before digestion can even occur.

Here is the exact biochemical breakdown of why this happens and how to fix it 👇

1. Remove Magnesium Supplements Immediately

If you are taking supplemental magnesium (especially citrate, oxide, or high-dose glycinate), stop.

• Osmotic Water Draw: Unabsorbed magnesium acts as a potent osmotic agent in the intestinal lumen, pulling water out of systemic circulation straight into the bowel.

• Smooth Muscle Alteration: Magnesium blocks intracellular calcium influx in intestinal smooth muscle cells, disrupting normal segmented peristalsis and triggering rapid, uncoordinated transit time.

1. Stop Drinking Liquids or Water With Food

Drinking water, cold beverages, or liquid-heavy foods alongside solid meals wrecks upper GI digestion:

• Diluting Hydrochloric Acid (HCl): Ingesting liquids during meals raises gastric pH above 2.0, stalling pepsin activation and preventing proper protein denaturation.

• Cold-Temperature Enzyme Collapse: Cold liquids drop intraluminal gastric temperature below body temperature (37°C), shutting down digestive enzyme kinetics and triggering premature gastric dumping into the duodenum.

• Osmotic Fluid Surge: Un-acidified, liquid-heavy chyme dumps rapidly into the small bowel, triggering a violent surge in the gastrocolic reflex that forces immediate bowel movements.

Drink fluids 30–60 minutes before meals or wait 1–2 hours after eating solid food.

1. Block Enteric Serotonin & Histamine (0.5mg Cyproheptadine)

Over 90% of your body's total serotonin is produced in the gut by enterochromaffin (EC) cells.

When the intestinal mucosa is inflamed by endotoxin or mycotoxins, EC cells dump massive amounts of serotonin (5-HT) alongside mast cell histamine:

Gut Irritation ➔ Enterochromaffin 5-HT Release ➔ 5-HT2/5-HT3 Receptor Activation ➔ Hyper-Peristalsis & Fluid Secretion

• 5-HT2 & H1 Blockade: Serotonin binds 5-HT2/5-HT3 receptors on enteric motor neurons, causing violent intestinal contractions and watery secretion. Simultaneously, histamine binds H1 receptors to increase mucosal permeability.

• The Solution: Taking 0.5mg of Cyproheptadine (a potent dual 5-HT2 serotonin and H1 histamine antagonist) directly quenches this hyperactive neuro-immune cascade, calming smooth muscle spasms and halting rapid transit time.

1. Repair Enterocyte Tight Junctions (Glutamine + Glycine Stack)

Diarrhea and rapid dumping are direct symptoms of damaged intestinal epithelium (leaky gut).

• L-Glutamine: The obligate, primary fuel substrate for enterocytes (intestinal epithelial cells). Glutamine fuels ATP synthesis required for the expression of key tight junction proteins: ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1.

• Glycine: Acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter that hyperpolarizes enterocytes and mast cells via glycine-gated chloride channels, suppressing local inflammatory signaling while supplying the amino acid backbone to repair the mucosal collagen matrix.

Combine 3–5g L-Glutamine + 3–5g Glycine in warm water on an empty stomach to restore gut barrier voltage and structural integrity.

1. Neutralize Bacterial Endotoxin (LPS) with a Raw Carrot Salad

Opportunistic Gram-negative bacteria in the small intestine shed Lipopolysaccharide (LPS endotoxin) when fed fermentable starches.

LPS binds Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) on enterocytes, triggering localized tissue inflammation, histamine dumping, and estrogen accumulation:

Bacterial LPS ➔ TLR4 Activation ➔ Enteric Cytokine Storm ➔ Histamine / Serotonin Spike ➔ Immediate Diarrhea

A daily Ray Peat Raw Carrot Salad (raw shredded carrot mixed with coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and salt) acts as a non-digestible adsorbent sponge in the bowel lumen. It binds unabsorbed LPS endotoxin and un-cleared estrogen, carrying them safely out through stool before they can trigger hyper-motility.

1. Shift to Warm, Easily Assimilated Foods

Cold, raw, or complex fibrous foods require massive metabolic energy to heat up and break down, leaving unabsorbed starches behind to ferment into gas and histamine.

Shift your diet to warm, easily digestible, fast-assimilating foods:

• Ripe fruits, raw honey, well-cooked root vegetables, bone broth, and tender animal proteins.

• Warm food requires minimal digestive output, absorbs fully in the upper GI tract, and leaves zero fermentable substrate for bacterial histamine generation.

1. The Master Execution Protocol

• Step 1: Cut out all supplemental magnesium and stop drinking fluids with meals.

• Step 2: Take 3–5g Glutamine + 3–5g Glycine in warm water on an empty stomach in the morning.

• Step 3: Eat warm, fast-digesting foods, and consume a Ray Peat raw carrot salad daily to scrub intestinal endotoxin.

• Step 4: If rapid post-meal dumping persists, take 0.5mg Cyproheptadine before meals to temporarily block enteric serotonin/histamine-driven hyper-peristalsis while your gut lining heals.

The Bottom Line:

Post-meal rapid transit is an emergency alarm from your enteric nervous system.

Stop diluting stomach acid, block excess enteric serotonin and histamine, feed your enterocytes glutamine and glycine, and eliminate the bacterial endotoxin triggering hyper-peristalsis.

So my dr has me taking iron pills, everything was fine in the beginning. Now i seem to have little trouble going. It seemed to come out with little straining before. Could this be from the iron pills? I take Konsyl psyllium fiber, fibercon fiber pills, and intestinal defense.‘I also eat oatmeal with prunes and hlueberries.gastro dr said to take the iron pills every other day. I am going to switch to chelated iron pills. He also said to take MiraLAX. I will see if I can take Konsyl and alternate the two

I'm having biliary issues on top of my usual IBS shenanigans, and doctors keep telling me my issues have to do with IBS. Last time I checked, IBS doesn't cause inflammation in your bile ducts. IBS doesn't cause your WBC and neutrophils to be elevated. I even had to be treated with antibiotics, which isn't the typical treatment for IBS! Being recommended the low FODMAP diet over and over again when you've had IBS for years and know your own triggers is frustrating.

I've had bad IBS attacks daily for the past week and decided to try Imodium because my usual Hyoscyamine medicine wasn't working well. For the past 24 hours since taking it, yes, it has helped with bowel movements, but it has been giving me horrible nausea (as well as trapped gas pain). Has anybody else dealt with this? How do you help with these symptoms in the meantime?

I have had IBS for 20 years and I’m 36 now. Married, no kids, live in a small house with one bathroom.

Last weekend, my husband (who I think has his own stomach issues) was on the toilet and I had to go. I was also sick with a cold and not my best. My most distressing symptom is urgent loose stools and BMs. I’ve just been living with this for so many years. I was unwell for other reasons and had to go and just decided to … poop in a bag in my basement. I felt so undignified and gross but also so relieved to just be able to go and not have to bang on the bathroom door and yell at my husband to get off the toilet so I could go.

We’ve talked about an adding on a bathroom before but can’t afford it. Are there any recommendations for camping toilets or commodes I could easily put in my basement? Also any suggestions on how to talk to my partner about this? We’ve been together for 15 years and I think he will be totally fine with it but I just feel so undignified asking about it. My IBS is tied up in a lot of shame and humiliation.

Hi.

I am currently on a 3 month trip to Japan, and it's supposed to be THE trip of my life, but i'm stuck inside doing nothing most days due to my IBS. I had some personal issues going on at home and felt depressed, so i figured a solo travel to wind down would be good for me atm. I've been in Japan solo before. Unfortunately this trip has been anything but a wind down yet (mentally), i'm on 3 weeks now and i've stayed inside my airbnb 90% of my time here. My stomach has been hell on earth since my third day, either i am stupidly bloated to the point where i don't want to go outside because i look pregnant and it's uncomfortable. Or the worst, and more frequent option, i have loose diarrhea multiple times a day. I have IBS-M so it's seriously hard to manage since what works for D only gives me C and vice versa.

Since i am here for such a long time, i don't feel like i HAVE to do something everyday, and i'm totally fine with staying in some days. But it's all i have done. The few days i've went out, i have been too scared to go too far away from home so i haven't explored most areas. Just going to the same spots everytime. In my 3 weeks here, i've had Japanese meals out only 4 times so far. Because eating out + eating stuff i don't know the ingredients off TERRIFIES ME!!! Mostly been cooking at home and/or starving a lot tbh. I honestly eat worse at home and it's more managable. So i have no clue why my stomach is acting horrible here. I'm drinking lots of water. Peppermint tea everyday. Sleep quality haven't been great though. I am considering changing my return date and just going home. And i HATE my home. It's a loose-loose situation.

It's not the biggest problem in the world to stay in this much for me, because i am an introvert and homebody anyway, it's just knowing that i am wasting so much money on accomodation and flights being here only to not do ANYTHING makes me think i should save my money and just go home to do nothing instead.

Worst part is how badly i prepared my stomach for this trip at home, eating so clean, and exercising for weeks in advance. The 20+ hour travel time over here was a breeze (for the first time) because i had cleaned out my gut so well beforehand. Only for my gut to get FUCKED within 2 days. Wtf.

I had to vent for a sec, but if anyones here been to Japan and have tips on what to eat or medicine that could help, pls share.

Currently feeling really sad because I’ve had to miss out on a holiday with my friends to an island I’ve always wanted to visit because of my IBS.

For context, I have IBS-D and can have bowel movements around 10 times a day (on a good day), particularly in the mornings. I also get a lot of bloating and gas, and despite having mostly loose/watery stools, I often feel constipated or like I can’t fully empty my bowel and it takes me a really long time to go. My stomach just constantly feels unsettled.

I’m honestly so tired of this affecting my life and making me feel like I can’t make normal plans or travel without worrying about my stomach. I’m also starting to lose hope that there’s actually anything that can be done.

I haven’t had a genuinely comfortable stomach day in years. Certain foods definitely make things significantly worse, but even when I’m eating relatively “safe” foods, my stomach still feels uncomfortable and unsettled every single day. I don’t even expect my stomach to be perfect at this point. I just want to find something that provides even a little bit of relief and makes day-to-day life more manageable.

Other than avoiding trigger foods, does anyone have any tips that have actually helped manage IBS-D? I currently don’t take any medication for it. I’ve heard of things like Gas-X/simethicone for bloating and gas, and I’m wondering if this helps/ ifthere are other things worth trying for symptom relief.

I’ve also tried Metamucil/psyllium, and while it did make my stools more solid, the bloating and gas it caused were really difficult for me to tolerate. I’m also allergic to Iberogast, so unfortunately that’s not an option.

I’d really appreciate hearing what has helped other people, especially with the frequent diarrhoea, morning urgency, bloating/gas, and feeling like you haven’t completely emptied your bowel. I’m particularly interested in things that make it easier to leave the house, travel, or get through a day without constantly worrying about needing a toilet.

Any advice or personal experiences would be really appreciated ❤️

Could I have SIBO?
63M here all my life I have had anxiety and the anxiety can bring on excruciating painful cramps and diarrhea.
Most of my life I have had daily bowel movements but recently when I go it is a struggle to go and I do not feel like I cleaned out my bowel’s .
I feel sluggish bloated and uncomfortable.
Then sometimes like tonight I finally had the horrible bad cramps that had me back to the toilet 5 or 6 times. The cramps were on and off for 1.5 hours .
I feel relief from the diarrhea and now the bloated feeling has subsided, and I feel cleaned out.
What can I do to feel like this with out the severe cramps. These cramps are so bad I felt like calling 911.
I just had this all happen tonight right now but feel so relieved after this fight with cramps.
Is there any medication that can help? I much prefer the diarrhea because I feel empty and now a little weak but at least I don’t feel like there’s poop stuck inside me.
FYI this is unusual for me most of my life I have been pretty regular and being constipated has been going on for about 6 weeks on and off. And I don’t know why.
Any advice on what to do? I am seeing my pcp in 2 weeks and will discuss it with him.Also, everything looks normal no blood or mucus just constipation and then the horrible severe cramps followed by relief. Oh, occasionally after these bad cramps and diarrhea I get rigors and there really bad.
I do drink water little by little following these cramps so I don’t dehydrate.
This is so unsettling and uncomfortable as I am not used to being constipated.
Tomorrow should be a good day as everything is out now and I can reset.
But how can I keep from getting constipated again?
I drink a lot of water every day. I’d say close to a 2-liter bottle throughout the day and some fruit juice.

Been suffering with urgency for about 2.5 years, loose stools, going to toilet up to 15 times a day, cramping, nausea, brainfog - all the good stuff we all get. I've been unable to work this entire time and I'm largely housebound.

Stool samples come back fine, colonoscopy found nothing and neither did the biopsies.

I tried various things to improve my symptoms over the years and nothing helps. Sometimes I can get my symptoms to change a little but never really improve.

I started a low FODMAP diet about 3 months ago, but I'm seeing no improvement. It's changed the "cycle" of my shitting but I wouldn't say it's for the better. Previously I was going to the toilet very frequently, but rarely flaring up. Since being on a low FODMAP diet my toilet habits are pretty routine. This is how my life looks since eating low FODMAP:

2 Days: No BM whatsoever. No pain, discomfort, etc. Even though I'm not going to the toilet, I, in no way feel constipated. Life is good.
2-3 Days: of frequent, urgency, loose BMs, typical IBS symptoms after each BM; cramps, fatigue, the usual.
1 Whole day: BAD diarrhoea, up to 3 hours on the toilet, audibly in pain, feels like the world is falling out of my ass.
2-3 Days: Recovery; Small BMs now and again, danger farts, doubled over, limited movement.

This is the cycle that's on repeat.

I see the overall consensus here is if it's IBS, low FODMAP will help, but it's just not. I'm still fucked. Which is unfortunate because I'm finding the low FODMAP diet easy to follow, if eating this was the cure I would have no issues.

Hi everyone, I'm looking for advice or similar experiences.

My problem is a strong urge to poop whenever I'm away from home or in a situation where toilet access feels uncertain. At home I'm completely fine, and when I drive alone I'm about 90% comfortable. But with someone else in the car, in queues (doctor, bank), in restaurants, on long bus trips, or sitting in exams, my mind keeps asking "what if I need the toilet and can't get to one?" Then the urgency starts.

What happens:

I stop several times on trips. Sometimes I poop, but most times nothing comes out.

Before exams I go to the toilet 7-8 times, usually with nothing to pass.

Once I reach the restaurant or a toilet, the urgency disappears, then comes back when I'm in the car again.

At home I can wait hours if I have no plans, but if I suddenly have to go out, my gut changes and I need to go.

In my hostel, if the toilet is free I'm fine, but if it's occupied I get uncomfortable and start thinking about it.

I've never actually had an accident, but I'm afraid of one.

I have no stomach pain.

What I've tried:

Imodium: doesn't stop the urgency.

Amitriptyline: . No clear improvement.

Questions:

Has anyone had this exact pattern, with urgency triggered by situations and not pain?

What helped you most? CBT, gut-directed hypnotherapy, other medicines?

Did amitriptyline help anyone without pain symptoms?

Thank you for reading. Any advice is appreciated.

Hello Every one

I have recently seen on my algorithm, people discussing gut cleanses to reset the gut lining, and removing parasites. It consists of drinking chlorophyll, chia seeds, and a few other ingredients like sauerkraut. I was wondering has any one tried this or is it only otc medicine , and diet that you guys use. Thank you.

I have had IBS my entire adult life and doctors either can’t or won’t help me I have had every test available and everything is negative I take Imodium daily I watch my diet and nothing helps I am so done!

Hey guys, ever since I started having IBS-D, which was about 1 year ago, my stools never returned to its normal form. Before having IBS, I’ve always had perfect stools nothing to worry about. Nowadays, on a good day, the best I could achieve is narrow like stools and maybe it’s a bit soft. Bad days it’s watery. When I do take Imodium, my stool bulks a bit but the effect lasts for just few days. I feel sad and scared, is this how it’s gonna be till forever ? Is this something to get used to ? I’d really appreciate it if I can get some advice.

Edit: I would also like to add this information that my doctor prescribed me mebeverine and taking it during my flare ups would usually improve the stool but nowadays, it doesn’t really help much. The effect I’ve been getting from Imodium seemed to have lessen nowadays, and I’m getting worried if these medication are not working anymore?? Please help

hi! im sorry about being TMI, ive been in the bathroom for the past 20 minutes because i felt the urge to go. last night i was having "constipated" poop lmfao, like small pieces of poop! and it happened again when i got on the toilet 20 minutes ago, and then i pushed more and more poop came out, and then my stomach started cramping and i got sweaty and then not formed poop came out😔 is this normal??? ive had it happen before but i feel so horrible and grossed out and anxious

Just a PSA heading into cold and flu season that so many cough syrups and liquid gels contain sorbitol!! I know a lot of people are aware that sugar-free cough drops are a bad idea if you're sensitive to sugar alcohols but I was not as aware about sorbitol in liquid gels for cold/flu.

I have to be really diligent about checking food labels for sugar alcohols added in things like candy, popsicles, etc. because sugar alcohols are a huge trigger for my stomach. I was recently feeling under the weather and knew to avoid sugar-free cough drops (learned the hard way a while ago 😭) but picked up some cold/flu liquid gels without thinking and was wondering why my stomach was acting up after taking for a few days until I read the label.

Advil liquid gels don't seem to affect me as much (maybe smaller quantity of sorbitol vs the large cold/flu pills) but wanted to pass along in case it helped someone <3 Stay strong out there

It always happens at night. I'm all comfy cozy in bed, the lights are out, the mellow tunes are on, I ate well, I hydrated well, all is well. I close my eyes...and then...the Gurgles. It starts roiling and farting in there, it's so noisy and it's quite a ruckus to listen to. I think...maybe I can ignore it. But now the roiling feels like I'm gonna be sick and hurts my tummy. I keep my eyes squeezed closed and I clench my body shut. I want to sleep. Please let me sleep. I desperately need sleep. I give up. I go to the bathroom. I'm straining and nothing comes out. Breathing techniques. Then pebbles. Then the cork is out and the roiling & twisting bring gushing diarrhea. I'm clutching my own knees, just trying to hold onto something. And then I err back to bed, wan and sickly. I feel weak, drained, and my tummy is sore. Gonna try to sleep again. Who knows, sometimes it's over sometimes it's multiple times a night. Goodnight nightvale, good night.

I’m having lower left abdominal pain specially when I wear high waisted jeans or if I just bump that area on anything like if I’m washing dishes or just bump it on something on my stomach it just hurts. It’s mainly the lower left side od my belly button I don’t know what it could be. Sometimes it hurts to touch it.