Dating with IBS

Help!! So I have just started dating this guy, and I don’t know how to cope with my ibs! He is such a nice guy but I keep canceling the dates due to the fear of my ibs! Since meeting him my anxiety has gone through the roof and so has my Ibs symptoms, does anyone have any advice? I feel as if I’m never going to have a life and who would ever Want to be around me if I’m constantly on the toilet! 

What are your IBS symptoms?

The guy probably thinks you are blowing him off and if you think there is potential don’t run it.  Just be honest with him, make a joke out of it.  If he is into you he is not going to care.  And if a medical condition is going to make him not like you, he’s probably shallow and not worth dating anyway.  

Maybe you can have a date that accommodates your ibs, maybe tell him you want to cook for him and do dinner and a movie at your place.  Get creative.

Tell your boyfriend about your IBS.  Try Buscopan for the pain and Imodium for diarrhoea.  Concentrate on enjoying your date; the more you do this, the less you will think about your IBS.  When your mind is on something else, this will help your IBS to subside.  Distraction techniques work for me. 

I have painfull cramps, bloating, constipation with diarrhoea,  feel sick, tired, light headed. 

Hi Shelby, it's a tough one to tell your new boyfriend what is wrong but just ignoring the symptoms or pushing through them will make your IBS symptoms worse. It's possible you may need an alteration of medication to cope with this potentially lovely thing, be honest tell him you try to put up with this the best you can. Do what you can. After 10 years marriage I have made days out to not be all about food or places that serve food. Make things as light and as fun as you can. Good luck hope it works out for you.

take buscopan and immodium before you go out. the more times you go out and are ok, the less your anxiety will be, and therefore your symptoms. find out where you're going to go and look at the menu online so you can suss out what foods are likely to be safe to eat.

if you decide he's worth keep seeing, then tell him about it. if he doesn't get it then he's not worth a long term relationship.