Hi, I’ve been suffering with IBS for a few years now (more so now than then) I have an hours drive in the mornings, I try to use the loo in the mornings but never much luck - 10/15 minutes into my journeys I’m in trouble and need to go. Sometimes I need to stop 2 or 3 times which is embarissing as the choice of toilet isn’t always great. I’ve tried seratine to see if it was nervous belly but that didn’t work? I’ve cut out nearly all dairy from my diet but doesn’t seem to be helping .. it flares up and goes away for weeks, but comes back with a vengeance! Any help would be great
Hi Pete
Sorry I am not much help, I have not taken anything when travelling.
Stress does make it worse, when I travel I am panicking where is the next toilet,
I try to take as much time as possible in the bathroom, before I go out.
Someone will offer help here, it’s a good place to talk about IBS.
Junie
Maybe not try and go if you have a long journey because by trying to go and you can't you have started the your body working I would try not going and see if that helps you can always stop like you do if you should need to go good luck
If, during a flare up, I have to be away from home first thing in the morning, I usually take Immodium the night before, at bedtime. This seems to work for me. It certainly alleviates the anxiety of thinking that I might need the loo urgently during the journey and generally means I get to my destination comfortably. Might be worth a try?
Jan
I have IBS with constipation, you appear to have IBS/diarrhea. This suggestion may seem contrary to your situation. However, what would happen if you took a dose of Miralax (osmotic laxative) the night before so you could empty your system first thing in the morning before travel? With Miralax, you would want to make sure and drink plenty of water. Just offering an idea.
hi ,when i started to get ibs ,i found out that if you take 20mgs citrolopram ,which is an anti depressants ,and after using it for 4/6 weeks i found that not only did i managed to stop having diarrhoea ,i also managed to eat more things that i could not take before using citrolopram
Hi all, thank you for the advice.
Sometimes hard to explain to the doctor as they seem to advice you just need to get on with it? In the nicest possible way.
I will try the anti depressants plus not trying to go to the toilet before I leave.
I didn’t want to rely on Imodium as I do the journey x5 times a week..
Sounds like dairy is not your food trigger. Try the low fodmap diet to see what other foods could be causing your IBS to flare up. The other possibility is that you don’t have food triggers. I have IBS and don’t have food triggers. A food diary may also help. Have you had any stress recently? Stress makes IBS worse. Maybe try imodium to,calm your bowel down before your journey. Maybe the thought of the hour’s drive is stressing you because you fear a flare up. Try an antispasmodic like Buscopan for the pain. If that doesn’t work, ask your doctor for a different one
About 6 or 7 for me so I know what you mean. I had 2 years of walking to work and it was bliss but started a role recently circa one hour drive and sometimes I am able in the morning and sometimes I am more than able. It is a bit of a mine field. I have swapped milk for water in breakfast to keep everything bland. I try to leave with plenty of time to spare to reduce stress. I also try and get in a supermarket on the way just in case. I have not been doing this long so no major horror stories yet though after a ridiculous traffic jam I did wet myself but that could have been much worse. As you know the problem is we never know when our bodies are going to take over for a few hours. Also I get up much earlier than I need I try to give myself 90 mins as in my head it gives more time for my body to come in line but as you note it doesn't always work.
I stopped eating cereals in the morning and started having eggs because I was the same. I have them scrambled most of the time but boiled, fried sometimes too. It seemed to stop after a couple of days. I was like it for about a year thinking it was serious. Never thought it would be cereals. My first doctors told me to eat plenty of fibre so I kept eating it and it made me worse. It wasn't till a doctor told me to eliminate fibre that I started to get better although he did say start introducing fibre slowly once better.
Hi Pete my Gastroenterologist told me to cut down on my fiber by half and take Loperomide (Imodium) daily on a morning and I have been a lot better,I even went on a safari last year which there was no way I could have done that before ,it’s a little trial and error to get the dosage right ,sometimes I even open the capsules and tip half out ,hope this helps .
Hi All, thanks for all the advice. Still no improvement, I’m going through Imodium like sweets - today was the first day I thought I’d try without.. didn’t work at all. I’ve started leaving 20 minutes early so I’m not late etc I have a blood test due 8th October plus I’ve done another stool sample.. the cramps have intensified but I think that maybe the Imodium? My poo is almost orange every time!
blood test didnt show anything up.. due back to the doctors tomorrow to discuss next step. still having a morning rush 