Tired of trying to manage IBS
Hi everyone!
I‘ve tried so many different things from diet to medication and breathing exercises and much more, nothing really helped other then avoiding certain food that I just can‘t stomach well and mental health stuff.
But I am really disappointed. There are still so many options that I didn‘t try and other illnesses that could correlate.
I am still bloated (especially when I‘m out for a walk or to run errands), have a mix of constipation and diarrhea, pain and an irritated feeling in my left lower belly.
I don‘t know how to phrase this next part, so I hope I make sense:
I am always swinging between me thinking that I have to manage my symptoms as much as possible and to know what to do when I get certain pain or bloating or avoid things to prevent symptoms, and thinking that I have to accept my IBS and that I can‘t be perfect or get totally rid of it.
But this is so difficult. I can‘t really accept it, because it interferes so much with my life and that results in me trying to manage it even more. (Does that make any sense?)
It‘s a constant cycle of watching over myself to optimize myself so that I can get a grip of my IBS. And I know that isn‘t helpful either, because I need to let go more, but I am just so tired of my IBS and feel alone with it. I have no doctor that really understands, or friends or family that does.
I think it doesn‘t help either that I am embarrassed of my symptoms…
Now what I am trying to say is, I try to make myself feel better, but also get really burnt out by doing so. Though letting go and relaxing a bit more feels like I am not doing enough, especially when getting unsolicited advise from people around me.
So how do you cope with getting symptoms even though you really try to avoid triggers and manage your IBS?
Does anyone else know this vicious cycle that I described above?
Any tips or advice would be appreciated.
And thank you for reading! (I hope I made sense)
I completely understand what you're talking about. Sometimes I feel like if I just did everything right, I would be able to get rid of my IBS. But in reality, there's no way to control everything (I have a particularly hard time managing stress) and flares do happen even when I try to avoid all the triggers.
I certainly don't have the perfect answer because I still struggle with this all the time, but what helps me the most is trying to have a healthy(-ish) lifestyle while also accepting that I won't always feel great.
For example, I'll try to eat nourishing foods, avoid anything overly processed, try to get outside and practice stress management techniques etc. But whenever I feel like these things are creating more stress (for example on days where I just don't have time), I let them go because I tell myself that I need to prioritize not creating additional stress right now.
When I end up having a flare, I try to tell myself that it's okay, and I don't have to know exactly what caused it because there are so many things going on in my body that I might not even be aware of. So I just tell myself that I'll feel better tomorrow.
In my opinion, it's about trying to manage symptoms and improve my health but without letting it take over my life. And then accepting where I'm at with my IBS and do the best I can to enjoy my life even with symptoms - which is obviously not possible in the middle of a bad flare, but whenever I'm experiencing mild symptoms, I will still try to play with my kids or watch a movie or read a book or do something else that brings me joy, if I can. Basically, I try to remind myself that I'm allowed to enjoy life in any way I can even with IBS. I don't need to wait for perfect health to do that.
I don't know if this helps at all, I hope it does at least a little bit. Wishing you all the best, Karina (team member)Ah, it‘s such a relief that I am not alone with this! Yeah, I pretty much try this as well - being healthy-ish and taking good care of myself. I only lack in being gentle
I know what you mean about having to manage symptoms and it sorts of takes over your life. Is that what you mean, or have I misunderstood? I get weary of it all too.
I can never eat for fun any more, or just have what I fancy for dinner. My dinner choice is usually decided while I am washing my hands after my morning bowel movement, and is totally dependent on the results of that. I hate it. It feels like my life revolves around this strictness and all the fun goes out of my thoughts about food.
It's like 'eating by numbers'.
I have IBS-D. So if things aren't too good in the morning, I know I will have to eat more 'binding' foods, and to the degree that things were bad. Now that's okay if it's just for a day or two of the meanest blandest most restricted diet, but what I really hate is when I get a longer time of symptoms, if it continues for weeks, because then I get worried about how much I have had to restrict my diet or eat things that aren't very nutritious in an attempt to calm my gut.
I always take a multivitamin and mineral supplement daily so I am pretty sure I won't get deficiencies as that tablet supplies 100% of the RDA, and even though that's a base line not optimal, it will be a great help.
But there's nothing like getting nutrition from food.To be honest -and I am not making light of those who get IBS constipation as that is an awful thing to bear -but I am much happier if I am ever so slightly on the 'C' side of things. It makes my day because then I can eat many more healthy foods and I feel such relief mentally to escape the awful restriction and worry about what I am eating
Yeah it‘s kind of taking over my life, but more so I am too harsh with myself and then end up in a cycle of trying to be perfect so I can avoid symptoms even though I know that there is sometimes nothing that I can do and I will have a flare up nonetheless. Does that make sense?
I totally get not being able to eat for fun and I also thought about taking a multivitamin but I sometimes get stomach aches from them… so… maybe I still need to find the right one yet.
I thought I only had IBS-D as well, but after sometime I noticed it was more of a pattern for me, where I either go trough days with the D-variant or the C-part of it and even though it‘s nice not having to run to the bathroom all the time, constipation can get really painful really fast as well.
Hey!
I do get you 110%. Since my latest/bad flare-up ~3 months ago, I struggle to add anything to my diet that isn't covered by my "safe" +/- 10 foods. Even with those I experience symptoms. I meditate, I try to stay calm (and mostly I succeed, I'd say) but it's frustrating beyond belief to have my life so controlled what is basically a basic human function I shouldn't really think about so much.
I also started to lose weight over the last 3 months (to a point that everyone is now telling me to please eat more because I'm on the verge of malnutrition) and my skin is getting dry/bad and I developed another form of eczema I don't yet had.
That being said the only thing I can do is stay positive and celebrate the smallest little "break-throughs" like f.e.: Vitamin D supplementation finally seems to work thanks to D3 liquid drops instead of tablets (that gave my symptoms), me changing back to flaxseed for cooking to get more B3 (never knew flaxseed oil had such an advantage over olive oil in that department) and finally: Not fetting dirrhea but just lose, yellow stool for trying 8 salmon fishsticks the other day (which is an improvement looking back those 3 months).
