Building My IBS Regimen, Part 2

I’ve found that, recently, my IBS regimen takes a very tactile and guerrilla approach. With every complicated meal or a long day of commitments, I am always relying on fast-acting relief. With so many options to choose from and a limited number of pockets for pill bottles and a serious lack of cargo pants in my life, I’ve grown accustomed to concealing my helpful supplements like an absolute boss. No one will suspect a thing.

My IBS medication keychain

As a thoughtful gesture, she got me some metal keychain screwable capsules in my stocking for Christmas. Now I have this thing just filled with every pill I would need a pinch, just ruined with medication. It’s durable and sleek, and confidence can make ANYTHING work. In said keychain I carry:

• Imodium
• Dairy pills
• Prescribed Dicyclomine

These 3 titans are my best contenders if I want to have a good day outside of my house.

I’ve only recently looked into Imodium and wow it has been such a lifesaver. It really does warrant its ‘cork’ status. Having the confidence to eat and not have to immediately use the restroom has seriously helped me when I have long days on a film set. Is it reliable? It is way too early to say, but I know I’m going to want to take a look at what this guy has to offer. It makes me feel nostalgic in a way. Harkens back to a time where I could eat warm or greasy foods without having IBS-D, like, hysterically quickly.

My dairy pills are a precaution that I take. I have never been diagnosed with lactose intolerance, but it’s really helped me crack down on some serious cramping thanks to milk. Haven’t had ice cream without this guy, If I have any at all! (Sorbets and sherberts are my preferred alternatives in a pinch.)

Lastly my Dicyclomine, an antispasmodic. It has helped limit my painful abdominal cramping. It’s recommended to take before your meal and takes a bit to kick in. It’s helped me out where I would have rushed to the bathroom and massaged those cramps out.

IBS medications

Getting prescribed medication is something I do not always recommend, for I’ve gone back and forth with it. Sometimes it nullifies any and all abdominal pain and discomfort, other times its warming relief hit so strong that it feels like a bodily high. It can be really disorienting and bizarre. I recommend you ask your doctor before approaching.

Pills that change the way you feel can be both rewarding and scary in the wrong context. Best to be safe and judge the risk/rewards for IBS. It is so frustrating when we go through all this preparation. We just want to be able to eat with our friends, or go out, and enjoy what we’re eating. Too many times I’ve chosen a healthier and tasteless option to avoid the perils of IBS, just to be faced with symptoms anyway! I made the decision to try and handle my symptoms to the best of my ability rather than let it discourage me.

Find your own IBS regimen

Figuring out what independent variable helps you the most is a tedious and strenuous process. If successful, It just makes us feel normal. It brings us to the level that most people live at without them even knowing how good they got it!

Everybody’s IBS is different, and my regimen is not always reliable, but I hope that you find something that works for you! I’ve absolutely fallen off the wagon and indulged in a brownie or alcoholic beverage thinking that my medication will save me, just to wreck a toilet in an awful gas station bathroom. It’s a balance that we all find ourselves dealing with.

Just an average day in the life of someone with IBS! I wish we had a cooler name, The bowel squad? The busted gut gang? I’ll keep workshopping it and get back to you!