I just had another IBS attack that started yesterday at 4:30 pm. Wondering when it is okay to drink fluids and/or eat? I sipped on small amounts of water last night. I tried tea with a little sugar (sugar probably not the best idea) last night and ended up with more cramping followed by bloody mucus. Lasted all night every hour until 6:45 this morning. Now I'm afraid to eat or drink anything. I am sipping on small amounts of water this morning. When is it okay to move on to more?
If you are passing bloody mucus and going every hour it's more likely to be a bug or food poisoning than IBS. Drink lots of fluid and start with plain food like crackers or toast and see how you go.
Thanks for the reply, leeniepie! I had the bloody mucus one other time with an attack last August. They ran blood tests and stool samples and said it wasn't food poisoning or a parasite. They said it could be a tear or a hemmorroid, but a colonoscopy revealed no tear. Might be the later. I talked to my GP last night and he thought it might be too. So, is it okay to start crackers or toast anytime? I think it's been 4 hours since my last symptoms.
As, everyone is different, your body will tell you when it is ready. Reintroduce foods when you start to feel hungry. If your are still symptomatic, your body is not ready for food. We all recover at different times. When I have had severe flare ups. I can eat and drink normally once my pain medication has taken effect which is usually within a few hours. Food is not a problem with my IBS, so I don't lose appetite.