Ask Me Help Desk - Irritable bowel syndrome problem

Hi.

I am a irritable bowel syndrome sufferer. I do business with my friend at a small office room(hire room from apartment). This room only have one restroom. We get 8 people also inlcude me. So, if someone who under the restroom, my tummy become get pain and I also want to go to restroom. I am afraid that I can't control in time. This is really psycho(or may be immature). Please tell me some useful ways to eliminate this mind situation. Thank you.

How many times you have to empty your bowel in a day not in the office?
If only once, perhaps you can go to the toilet before going to work. Nothing in the bowel, nothing to worry the rest of the day.

A lot of people I know with IBS has certain triggers for the more distasteful expressions of it. Some people if they eat fatty foods, or dairy, or certain veggies, then their IBS will act up. Have you done much investigation on your particular flavour of IBS? Do you know what triggers you? If you do, avoid those foods. Maybe you can get something from your doctor to help. Maybe a probiotic. Other then that I would let your office know that you have it, even though it is embarrassing. I would also scope out other options if the bathroom is taken.

Coffee is my trigger. I'm limited to 2 cups of it per day. There are medications that tend to work. Discuss them with your doctor.

I don't have IBS, but I do have to get to a toilet at least every 45 minutes, day and night, to pee (nerves hitting one side of bladder). I have a bedside type commode which I can use in emergency, if guests are here, or if I go on a trip, I can put it in my van, or if there is a power outage and the toilet can't flush. Maybe ask about use of a room or closet where you could put one? (I know, that's far fetched.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by joypulv

I don't have IBS, but I do have to get to a toilet at least every 45 minutes, day and night, to pee (nerves hitting one side of bladder). I have a bedside type commode which I can use in emergency, if guests are here, or if I go on a trip, I can put it in my van, or if there is a power outage and the toilet can't flush. Maybe ask about use of a room or closet where you could put one? (I know, that's far fetched.)

I think that your meaning of to go to toilet every 45 minutes is just for pee. AM I right? I got your ideas. Thanks for sharing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by logicfi

How many times you have to empty your bowel in a day not in the office?
If only once, perhaps you can go to the toilet before going to work. Nothing in the bowel, nothing to worry the rest of the day.

Today, I found that if I go to toilet three times before go to outside, it is work. Thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CravenMorhead

A lot of people I know with IBS has certain triggers for the more distasteful expressions of it. Some people if they eat fatty foods, or dairy, or certain veggies, then their IBS will act up. Have you done much investigation on your particular flavour of IBS? Do you know what triggers you? If you do, avoid those foods. Maybe you can get something from your doctor to help. Maybe a probiotic. Other then that I would let your office know that you have it, even though it is embarrassing. I would also scope out other options if the bathroom is taken.

OK. I got it. Coffee, some cold drinks trigger me.Thank you for your ideas

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_9

Coffee is my trigger. I'm limited to 2 cups of it per day. There are medications that tend to work. Discuss them with your doctor.

Me too for coffee. Most of the doctors from my country don't recognize IBS as serious physical problems. But when I found doctor who really care about IBS, I will go to discuss well. Thank you

My advice is Immodium. Google and see if you can buy it where you are. It works for me

Quote:

Originally Posted by tickle

My advice is Immodium. Google and see if you can buy it where you are. It works for me

Yes, I took this for several times. But sometimes I afraid that about side effect.

Imodium is a double edged sword for those of us who suffer from IBS as we swing from diarrhea to constipation without knowing which one comes next.

What is important is to closely follow your diet, find your triggers and avoid them.

Lately I've been following the FODMAP diet with some success.

The Low FODMAP Diet Approach: Dietary Triggers for IBS Symptoms - aboutIBS.org

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_9

Imodium is a double edged sword for those of us who suffer from IBS as we swing from diarrhea to constipation without knowing which one comes next.

What is important is to closely follow your diet, find your triggers and avoid them.

Lately I've been following the FODMAP diet with some success.

The Low FODMAP Diet Approach: Dietary Triggers for IBS Symptoms - aboutIBS.org

Thank you. I am appreciated your trying.

This question is a bit old now, but first, I hope you are feeling better and have been having some continued relief from your symptoms. :)

Just to add my thoughts, I've dealt with IBS for a long time, too. Stress plays a big factor for me, but I definitely agree with the comments about diet. I'm not sure I had specific trigger foods but I know I used to eat a lot of "easy" foods, whether it was fast food drive-thru or highly processed stuff from the grocery store. My husband and I started gardening a few years ago for fresh produce and we buy our meat from a local store that doesn't use any of the dyes and preservatives that many chain stores do. We make most of our meals from scratch and avoid buying stuff in boxes, freezer meals, etc. for the most part. We started doing these things not specifically to deal with my IBS, but because we wanted to make healthier choices about what we ingest. I've found that over time with the more natural diet, I've hardly had any stomach/gastro problems like I used to and I feel like that has a lot to do with it. J_9's FODMAP link interests me, and I'm going to check it out to help keep this from recurring as badly as it used to (so, thanks, J_9 for potentially helping me as well).

I have also had less stress for the most part (although it has skyrocketed recently, but I'm still doing mostly well), so if you have any stress in your life it may help to try to control that to any degree you can. I've heard back and forth that stress causes flare-ups, stress doesn't cause flare-ups... and I'm not even sure what the most recent consensus is, but I know my IBS has always been the worst while I've been stressed out (it started in high school, imagine that, LOL).

If you haven't already spoken to your doctor about it, there ARE medications that can be prescribed to help combat the symptoms. I take one myself but only as needed and I've found I rarely need it at all lately. It could be that my form of IBS is just much milder than other people's, but I'm glad to have it for the occasional flare-ups.

~tmk

A link to vitamin D deficiency hasn't been established, but there are more and more studies based on what many feel is a connection.
(There seems to be almost an epidemic of lack of it anyway.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by joypulv

A link to vitamin D deficiency hasn't been established, but there are more and more studies based on what many feel is a connection.
(There seems to be almost an epidemic of lack of it anyway.)

Thanks for your message

Quote:

Originally Posted by themisfitkitten

This question is a bit old now, but first, I hope you are feeling better and have been having some continued relief from your symptoms. :)

Just to add my thoughts, I've dealt with IBS for a long time, too. Stress plays a big factor for me, but I definitely agree with the comments about diet. I'm not sure I had specific trigger foods but I know I used to eat a lot of "easy" foods, whether it was fast food drive-thru or highly processed stuff from the grocery store. My husband and I started gardening a few years ago for fresh produce and we buy our meat from a local store that doesn't use any of the dyes and preservatives that many chain stores do. We make most of our meals from scratch and avoid buying stuff in boxes, freezer meals, etc. for the most part. We started doing these things not specifically to deal with my IBS, but because we wanted to make healthier choices about what we ingest. I've found that over time with the more natural diet, I've hardly had any stomach/gastro problems like I used to and I feel like that has a lot to do with it. J_9's FODMAP link interests me, and I'm going to check it out to help keep this from recurring as badly as it used to (so, thanks, J_9 for potentially helping me as well).

I have also had less stress for the most part (although it has skyrocketed recently, but I'm still doing mostly well), so if you have any stress in your life it may help to try to control that to any degree you can. I've heard back and forth that stress causes flare-ups, stress doesn't cause flare-ups... and I'm not even sure what the most recent consensus is, but I know my IBS has always been the worst while I've been stressed out (it started in high school, imagine that, LOL).

If you haven't already spoken to your doctor about it, there ARE medications that can be prescribed to help combat the symptoms. I take one myself but only as needed and I've found I rarely need it at all lately. It could be that my form of IBS is just much milder than other people's, but I'm glad to have it for the occasional flare-ups.

~tmk

Thanks for your message