First time here!

Hi and welcome to our community! We're so happy to have you here. 😀
I can only speak from personal experience, but for me, actual flares usually only last a couple of hours. However, I do get periods of several weeks sometimes where I don't feel well overall, get lots more symptoms and can barely eat anything without getting sick. That's usually related to stress for me. The only time I had an actual "flare" (= having cramps and diarrhea all day long) that lasted that long it ended up being an infection...
When your doctor ran all the tests again, did they do a stool test as well? What did they say about another colonoscopy?
Since you said that dairy is a problem for you, I'm wondering if you started taking anything new recently, like a supplement or medication? I'm just asking because I'm breastfeeding a baby with a dairy protein allergy and I had to change all my supplements because there was dairy in them...
Have you tried cutting out gluten? It's another common trigger for many people (even if you don't have Celiac disease).
You could also try keeping a food journal to see if you've started reacting to a new food (here's a free one: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/food-journal-download).
I hope other people will share their experiences with you! Please keep us updated if you like.
Hugs, Karina (team member)

Thanks for your comments and warm welcome Karina.

I appreciate your comments on what flares look like for you. Thank you.
Yes the Dr did do a stool test, bloods that also checked for ovarian cancer (something I wanted checked because symptoms are so vague), gluten intolerance. I am going back in a few days and having more tests which include for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s, he said that if those tests come back clear that the next step would be a psychologist to explore the gut-brain axis further and how that affects me physically. He hasn’t mentioned anything about another colonoscopy – it’s something that my husband wondered whether it should be another step towards going back to the gastroenterologist.
I have tried cutting out gluten and it doesn’t make a difference, while I know that gluten is in a lot of products I don’t eat a lot of the foods that gluten in commonly found in.
I having been using the low FODMAP app for tracking all food and symptoms etc after eating, bowel habits, feelings etc.
In terms of new supplements, I haven’t started any but for the purpose of exclusion I have stopped taking calcium magnesium recently (although I have been taking it for years) to make sure that this isn’t triggering anything as magnesium can trigger diarrhoea.

For me, the worst part of flare ups can last me 48 hours or so, and usually start to die down on the 2nd day. What I mean by the "worst part" is having to go to the toilet 9 times in 24 hours and having very upset gut and very loose stools. Sadly, during all this I start to get hungry as usual, and can hardly eat properly at all. Once that passes, I can go back to most of the foods that generally suit me and will have some days at least when I'm not too bad overall.

But I also get low grade flare ups which can drag on. I'm in one now which has gone on for 5 days and could last longer yet. That's when I get discomfort (not really "pain"😉 but a horrible feeling of distension and stretching in my lower tummy a few hours after food in the evening, swelling of the lower abdomen which comes and goes, lots of rumblings, and one loose stool every morning, plus extra tiredness. This can come with a feeling of sadness too, and I can feel like crying.

That kind of flare can and sometimes has, lasted for an indeterminate time, such as two, three weeks or off and on for a month or two.

In between I can get periods of 90-99% normality!! When I feel like my old self and fine except for the odd quick glitch. I am lucky to have that I know. Those can last for days, weeks, or even a couple of months or more.
I trialled giving up gluten for 8 weeks and it made no difference to me.I only eat a bit of gluten (a piece of toast in the morning) anyway. Otherwise I never eat it and eat plain home cooked food.


You could try finding out if you are sensitive to fructose maybe?

Hey there 😀 Flare ups and such can be very different from person to person. Normally I have dirrhea and eat even safer for 2-4 days until I get better.


My latest flare (which I'm still crossing my fingers isn't SIBO) already lasts for more than 4 weeks now (no dirrhea but bloating after every meal/gas a.s.o.).


I feel you 😀