Flare ups

Sudden flare ups are horrible. I get them too. I can be fine one day and flare up the next. It baffles me to be honest.
I keep a strict food diary and when I flare, examine what I ate for the past 2 days before it.
Sometimes that might show food triggers. Sadly, in my own case, it doesn't.
I look at all kinds of stress which I or my body has been under. Again that doesn't always come into the picture. But it definitely does for lots of IBS-ers. Stress can even involve too much exercise or not enough sleep, or some very late nights. It doesn't have to be emotional stress.
When a flare happens I have basically no choice but to ride it out and accept it. The "9 times a day on the toilet" routine.
I make sure I drink fluids and take some sugar and salt water to replace electrolytes, and eat whatever I can that is very very bland indeed and "binding" foods (I have IBS-D). But a drink like Pedialyte is better because it contains more minerals which are needed.

For constipation flares, the whole thing is quite different of course, and very much the opposite in many ways to what someone with IBS-D would need.

Any calming thing will help. It won't cure of course. The flare has to just ride itself out, but any calming routines will help a bit. A flare does activate the fight-flight response I think. Gentle deep breathing, soothing music, and something else to focus on if focus is possible.

Butt wipes. Choose something soothing or you will get a hard-worked butt in a flare. Hands too get dried out with constant washing after toilet, so have a good hand lotion or cream on standby.

Eat as I said before, any low Fodmap foods which suit you, but it isn't the time to experiment. Stick to really safe foods, and eat smaller amounts. A HUGE dinner will make things worse.

Have a blanket, socks, anything to snuggle into especially if it's the middle of the night and you are awake and waiting for the next toilet call! I find I can get quite cold doing that.
Put on a soothing video, TV program, or gentle music to keep you company and keep your spirits up as much as possible.
Know that flares do pass in their own time, and probably a bit quicker if you know you have eaten something that triggered you. It is just passing out of your system.

Hi, Yvonne. Great answer from HateIBS! I’ll share some of my techniques for sudden flare ups.


For pain: One strategy my doctor told me to try (but check your doctor on this) is to “layer” two different types of over the counter pain meds. In other words, my doc is okay with me taking two acetaminophen and two ibuprofen at the same time. He says since they are different chemical substances, I am fine to do this. If I am able to do so, I take this combo and then lie (for as long as possible) in a warm/hot bath that covers my abdomen. This often reduces the pain considerably, if not completely.
And, of course, before or after the bath…..use of a heating pad. If you can tolerate caffeine (and some IBS sufferers can’t), drink a cup of coffee after taking your OTC pain relievers. Caffeine is known for it’s pain reducing effects.


As far as preventing sudden flare ups, I have not found any strategy that consistently works. I do try to avoid foods that are known for causing gas, but I’ve also learned through trial and error, that some of the foods that are usually to be avoided with IBS, are not a problem for me, so every individual is different, so a food diary, to track when flares occur and what foods were consumed, can be very helpful. From me, avoiding “gassy” and spicy foods is a must. I try to eat bland foods (but hopefully with some flavor!). There are foods that are okay for me, even though the same foods are often on the “no” list for others.


One activity that helps me (if I am not suffering bathroom “urgency”), is when the pain is starting, but not severe, I take my dogs on a long walk (probably 30 minutes). The exercise of walking, plus the calming sight of nature’s beauty often will help. But for many,, bathroom urgency prevents a strategy like this, for obvious reasons, and definitely at least half of the time, I can’t get far from a bathroom during a flare up.


I hope that some of the suggestions on this forum will work for you to ease the effects of your flare ups and perhaps diminish the frequency of flare ups.

Thanks very much for your reply and for your concern

when you said: "not only food and stress can be the trigger but also relax after a long and constant stress. When your brain and body finally relax, you are happy ad chill attacks can also happen."
That reminds me of what can often happen with migraine. That is quite classic for starting a migraine attack.
I have also been diagnosed with migraine about 3 years ago. But the kind I get isn't a usual form. It's a lot more of an "abdominal migraine". So it makes me wonder about if this is the main cause of my IBS. Or if my IBS is actually part of migraine!
I definitely agree that 2 + 2 never =4. So often I get an IBS flare out of nowhere, even though I haven't eaten any trigger foods or any other triggers. And sometimes I can eat unsafe foods and be just fine! The problem is never knowing what the result will be!