Trying to control IBS episodes

[Jorelaxed]

Hello everyone, hope everyone's doing good today.
As you all know, In addition to my urinary incon, I have IBS that flares up, especially during morning and afternoons.
I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but I do not get much or any warning of sudden flare up, even if I am sitting down, I suddenly feel an intense, cramping pressure and my bowels just come out due to immense pressure and cramping and just end up using my diapers for the ibs episode.

 

[slimjiminy]

So far, my experience has been limited to IBS-d (diarrhea) in addition to U-IC. By research and experimentation, I have learned to control it mostly through diet. I had to give up anything oily (like hash browns especially, including french fries or oily cooked meat), anything spicy (like black pepper steak or spicy chicken sandwiches), apples and pears (high on fructose) including their juices, and cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower etc. (no great loss for cauliflower ). To help firm things up, I find that having a piece of cheese or cottage cheese for lunch helps considerably.

With diabetes, I am already crossing off a lot of things but IBS-d has my attention. After you sh*t yourself a few times, you stop horsing around with the diet.

There is also IBS-c (constipation) that some folks suffer from, which I don't suffer from as a rule.

 

[Lukas]

So far, my experience has been limited to IBS-d (diarrhea) in addition to U-IC. By research and experimentation, I have learned to control it mostly through diet. I had to give up anything oily (like hash browns especially, including french fries or oily cooked meat), anything spicy (like black pepper steak or spicy chicken sandwiches), apples and pears (high on fructose) including their juices, and cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower etc. (no great loss for cauliflower ). To help firm things up, I find that having a piece of cheese or cottage cheese for lunch helps considerably.

With diabetes, I am already crossing off a lot of things but IBS-d has my attention. After you sh*t yourself a few times, you stop horsing around with the diet.

There is also IBS-c (constipation) that some folks suffer from, which I don't suffer from as a rule.

There is also IBS-a (alternating) which is always a ton of fun. It's like playing the lottery never know what the day is going to give you.

For me it has been a total crap shoot as I am a creature of habit and tend to like eating the same things pretty often. Unfortunately I have had both ends of the spectrum from the same meal.

I have had an upper abdomen ultrasound and a HIDA scan come back clean, same with a few other tests and blood work. Still scheduled for a lower abdomen ultrasound next month to check for issues with blood flow.

 

[slimjiminy]

There is also IBS-a (alternating) which is always a ton of fun. It's like playing the lottery never know what the day is going to give you.

I didn't know about that one. Diarrhea is the one I can't always control. Even a small amount of applesauce today has made my bowels unhappy this afternoon. Very disappointing, since I like applesauce, or apple-almost anything.

 

[MaxSyd]

I have bladder and bowel IC and IBS. With the help of my continence nurse we have come up with a bit of a management plan. It includes the following.... I'm in Australia so not sure of the different brands around the world

- Fibre 1 table spoon (benefiber) in water 3 times a day.
- A probiotic (inner health plus) in the morning
- Daily bowel care at night with Coloplast Peristeen plus (1 letre of warm water) basically cleans me out every day so there isn't much in my bowels.

I still have accidents a couple of times a week but it's tremendously better than it was before. I still wear diapers 24/7 for my bladder so when I have bowel accidents it's a bit more manageable.

This is what is working for me but there are so many options. I would suggest if you can, reaching out to a incontinence nurse. One of the ones I went to was free and funded by Coloplast.... I guess they get my business fromt the products but you can take their advise and use something else.

 

[sport1]

I was just urine incontinent for several yrs then developed bowel also usually in the mornings.

 

[rennecfox]

Navigating ibs episodes is quite a bit like learning the cues for musical chairs, and responding similarly.

 

[Minih]

- Daily bowel care at night with Coloplast Peristeen plus (1 letre of warm water) basically cleans me out every day so there isn't much in my bowels.

How do you get on with the Peristeen? I'm due to try it in a couple of weeks.

 

[MaxSyd]

How do you get on with the Peristeen? I'm due to try it in a couple of weeks.

Good luck hope you post an update after you try.
Yeah I'm still using it, it's helping quite a bit. Its recommended to use it either daily or every second day depending on the person. They also have the anal plug thing to help with stopping accidents but I didn't try that.

The probes are 1 time use and can get costly if you are self funding it. Approx $20 Australian each... Not sure how much they are elsewhere. luckily I have them covered under the NDIS (insurance).

 

[Minih]

Good - I'm hoping it will improve things for me. Fortunately, I'm getting it on the NHS. I've already got Renew Inserts, which I've had mixed success with.

 

[sport1]

Navigating ibs episodes is quite a bit like learning the cues for musical chairs, and responding similarly.

I was slow at that.

 

[MaxSyd]

Good - I'm hoping it will improve things for me. Fortunately, I'm getting it on the NHS. I've already got Renew Inserts, which I've had mixed success with.

Yeah fingers crossed for you! Do you have a continence nurse coming out to demo the Peristeen for you?

A recommendation from me would be NOT to pump the balloon more than 3 times. It says it can be done 4 times but each time I do it 4 times it either pops or leaks air into the bowel and falls out!
When it pops it's quite the experience! Not harmful but can catch you off guard!

The renew plugs look a little small from what I can see online. The Peristeen plugs are more like a tampon if I'm not mistaken so they expand once inserted. There is a string to be able to pull it out.

Hopefully they are approved under the NHS! Lucky that we live in countries that do have this support for people with health issues / disabilities!
I'm so thankful for having the NDIS here in Australia! They cover almost all of my expenses of having a disability. They cover anything that is deemed "reasonable and necessary" for someone with a disability.

 

[BlameBaby]

Hello everyone, hope everyone's doing good today.
As you all know, In addition to my urinary incon, I have IBS that flares up, especially during morning and afternoons.
I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but I do not get much or any warning of sudden flare up, even if I am sitting down, I suddenly feel an intense, cramping pressure and my bowels just come out due to immense pressure and cramping and just end up using my diapers for the ibs episode.

That might actually be epi

 

[Pantyman]

I have rare cases of IBS d. My doctor believes mine is triggered by stress. Though sometimes I have an episode and I don't feel that I had much stress before that. Usually I have extreme cramping followed by explosive diarrhea. Most times I have enough warning to make it to the bathroom. But sometimes I just have a mild discomfort followed by a bout of diarrhea. Before I started wearing diapers there were a few times that I thought I was just going to pass gas and instead filled my pants with loose stool.

 

[sport1]

I have rare cases of IBS d. My doctor believes mine is triggered by stress. Though sometimes I have an episode and I don't feel that I had much stress before that. Usually I have extreme cramping followed by explosive diarrhea. Most times I have enough warning to make it to the bathroom. But sometimes I just have a mild discomfort followed by a bout of diarrhea. Before I started wearing diapers there were a few times that I thought I was just going to pass gas and instead filled my pants with loose stool.

I had a bad bout yesterday couldn't make it and filled my diaper what a mess.

 

[Pantyman]

I had a bad bout yesterday couldn't make it and filled my diaper what a mess.

The mess is the worst! I love to pee my diaper. That brings me a lot of pleasure. But cleaning up a bout of loose stool is not my ideal of fun.

 

[sport1]

The mess is the worst! I love to pee my diaper. That brings me a lot of pleasure. But cleaning up a bout of loose stool is not my ideal of fun.

You are so right.