Describe your worst flare ever. 😖

My worst flare was in April, just less than 2 years ago. This started about 4 hours after my dinner in the evening.

I felt just awful suddenly. First there was this terrible sense of "doom" which came on me, and hot flushes (I am way past menopausal, so not caused by that.) Then my heart started skipping beats. I tried to ignore the feelings and stay calm, breathe nicely, listen to gentle music. I'd no idea it was from my gut at that stage, and thought it might be some kind of mild anxiety thing though I had no stress going on at the time. It was a beautiful evening with stars and a quarter moon, and I tried to focus on those things.

I went to make a cup of China tea which I like in the evenings, and it was just as I came back to the living room with that, the gut started. I kept having to pass wind, and had a pain a bit like a period pain used to feel, very low down.
The worst feeling was it was like my whole world was going really bad at that moment and my feelings were dark and scary.
Suddenly, I had to go to the toilet.

I am not sure what triggered it. Possibly a small amount of cabbage with dinner or a bit (2-3 inches) of the green part of a leek which I had eaten steamed with my fish and white rice (the last two are always definitely "safe" foods for me.)
But a few days earlier I had happily been able to eat a bit of steamed cabbage and green leek with no problems.


It lasted from 10.30pm until about 4am with me constantly going to the toilet, passing what felt like a LOT of stool which was formed at first, then partly formed but after a few times, ended up more like diarrhea, and feeling so weak, shaking, and freezing cold, shivery. (I had been to the toilet well that morning, and everything had been normal! I hadn't been constipated days previously. I don't know why my body produced so much stool! I'd not over eaten that day.
I tried to keep hydrated but whatever I drank, my mouth was so dry like blotting paper. I had the weak China tea, peppermint tea, and spring water with minerals. I also licked a tiny bit of salt and had some honey.
I got 3-4 hours sleep and then it all started again, and it went on all through the next day too. I can't remember how many times I went to the toilet in 2 days. 2nd day I was hungry and just ate 1 hard boiled egg for dinner with white rice and dry white toast, but that set it off again. Then by evening my gut decided it couldn't produce any more so it all stopped.

There was nothing I could do to find relief. I didn't have Imodium or anything in the house. I did take some herbal tincture (Tormentil) so that may have helped.

The next days things were calmer, and I could gradually start to re-introduce tiny bits of vegetables with my white rice and fish or eggs. But I could only eat green beans, spinach, or a couple of lettuce leaves. Within a few days I could eat fairly normally again, but only within my usual range of foods my gut tolerates best and very bland and boring food really.

I don't know if it was a virus or not Karina. I have never been susceptible to tummy viruses all my life, but also I don't mix in any company very much at all, don't go out shopping (get things delivered)m or ever eat out at restaurants or cafes
.
I do visit my friend in town sometimes but if she's caught something she lets me know, and she hadn't caught anything the next few days when I phoned her.
I wash my hands a lot too. Whenever I come in from being outside working or even going for a walk (as I touch farm gates when I go for a walk) I re-bag all my deliveries then wash my hands. I did that since Covid and the habit stuck.
It wasn't food poisoning either.
All I know is I have had a few flare ups like that, with no other discernible cause.
I am having one now that feels pretty rotten, but not as bad as those particular 2 days. I hope it doesn't get that bad!

That wasn't a silly question you asked. Viruses are so common, especially in the winter, and it's only because of my really unorthodox lifestyle that I only ever have rare exposure to peoples' germs!
Having little children is a real workout for the immune system, I think! I guess it has to be good for their immune systems too, to come in contact with all these bugs, do battle with them, and build up the T cells.
Yes I had a bit of a flare but it wasn't too bad. I think what helped me was taking Tormentil tincture (herbal) But it can give me a side effect of a bit of weird type of constipation if I take too much. That's what happened so I ate brown rice instead of white tonight and we'll see....


I don't mind a tiny bit of constipation because in my case it means I can afford to eat a few different veggies and can even try out other things again like nuts! Yippee! But I haven't quite arrived at that stage yet.
Managing IBS is such a tricky business. I would never have guessed "IBS management" was to become my "career" haha....

How did it feel?

My lower tummy felt very bubbly, painful and windy




Do you know what triggered it?
Lots of different greasy/rich food I had at a new years eve party the night before




How long did it last?
The whole of new years day




What were your symptoms?
Bad tummy ache
Wind
Gurgling and bubbling guts
Silent eggy farts I kept doing all day




How did you finally get relief?
It eased up a bit by next morning. Rubbing my tummy in a circular motion or from side to side was really soothing. The farts were very unpleasant though, painful whenever one was coming, felt hot to pass, and left a rotten eggy smell around me.


I had to keep apologising to my husband and son, saying "pardon me" each time I farted, because of the rotten smell. But I couldn't help it.
I went to bed early that night just so I could lay on my back and rub my poor tummy for a long time. The farts were still coming every like 10-15 minutes.