# My story and how I succeeded dealing with IBS



## ibssurvior (Jul 26, 2013)

I think I developed when I was 18. I moved back home to a south american country from living in the US. I guess my system hadn't gotten use too my country's heavy oil use cuisine and street food. In the US however I did the typical fast food diet. I always exercised quite a bit 2 or 3 sports a year.

For the first two years 16 to 18 I always got this stomach virus in the summer that caused burning pain, painful bowel movements and diarrhea. I went to the doctor and I was treated with anti biotic, a flour free diet and no oil, fried, caffeine or sugar drinks. After 2 weeks I felt back to normal. Doctor said I can eat like normal but be careful.

I moved to europe for university and my stomach had no problem with the cuisine. I watched what I ate but not very carefully but no serious pain. IN 2008 I started to get serious issues, one trip after having a cup of coffee I got burning pain for 3 days but I was on a trip with a group so I just dealt with the pain. After sometime the pain left and I stopped drinking coffee by 2009 it because a issue. Constipation, frequent bowel movements, pain, nausea and "accidents". I only had two accidents in 2010 very embarrassing but no one caught me.

In 2010 my diet changed a bit and no accidents but I had some very close calls. This past year I decided to deal with the problem head on. I researched the issue and found out some things. I didnt go to a doctor yet because money is tight. But like my screen name says I have survived it and now I have it pretty well under control. With a strict diet, the right exercise, food journal, moist tolilettes, confidence and will power.

I hope this helps someone.

My goals were: 3 bowel movements a day, healthy ones and no accidents or close calls.

*Food journal and diet:*

I took 2 weeks during vacation to experiment with my body. I knew some basic things; no coffee, no milk, no combination of fried food. I also knew that early mornings and mid afternoons were the worst times for me. Also if I ate in the morning I need two hours before I needed to move my bowels so I always made sure within that time frame I had toilet facilities. If I ate lunch at 12 or 1pm by 4 or 6 I would have to go to the bathroom. Here where some close calls as I normally am returning home in traffic at these times.

Food journal I used my smart phone: I wrote everything I ate and the time that I ate. Plus how I felt when I had a bowel movement after that meal. I wrote small little notes about how felt, did a feel incomplete, rushed, constipated. Within 1 week I had idea of what I could eat to effect me and what I couldnt. Not exact but a general idea. I still had some troubles but I managed to lower the frequency. I found out I can have some dairy products and be okay but if I had dairy that day I couldnt have anything spicy or heavily fried. Which I normally avoided.

My advice for the food journal is use a smart phone if you have it. Right down everything in a calender.

The diet, as I said I experimented, I tried out a lot of combinations of food to see what I could eat and how it effected me. I came up with some surprising things. One I could have pizza, burgers and some fried food and be 100% okay for the day and the next day. No dairy and spice in the same day, and one day a week I needed some heavy fiber which I had on a weekend when i knew I would be home near a toilet. Shockingly I didnt need to go and my bowel movements were pretty normal. That is not to say I havent had some difficult days.

My goals were to have 3 bowel movements a day and at certain time frames and avoid close calls or accidents.

*Exercise:* I found out if I eat even with a 2 to 3 hour break and I do abdominals I have to go to the bathroom. So I avoid core work unless and I have a bathroom facility near by. I dont eat after I exercise as my system cannot process it I need at least one hour. But frequent exercise like running or even martial arts helps. But set your body too a time schedule it will help.

*Mentality and will power:*

Perhaps the most pseudo science in my treatment and my personal victory over IBS. But I think it worked. Again try this when you have some free days not during work or school days. I would recommend 7 to 10 days off. Here it goes.

I was the IBS victim who had to go to the bathroom when I had the urge like immediately. If I try to hold it for a few minutes I would have a "accident". Never in public or at least not caught but I had some very close calls.

During my 10 day break whenever I was home and I had the urge I tried to hold it for as long as I could. Not every healthy people told me. But I read somewhere that IBS is also something mental.

Once I had a sudden urge I was home so I tried to hold it. I managed to for 20 minutes. Over the days I managed to hold it for 2 hours. Mentally it taught me to keep it at the back of my mind and control my body. It wasn't easy but I think it worked.

Okay here is a bad day that I had this past monday. I went hiking and I am very nervous when i go hiking with friends because of no bathrooms. I dont want to be the guy pulling down his pants in the middle of the hike. Well as we went up the trail I felt a tiny urge to go to the bathroom. Nothing major which I attribute to my diet. 2 hours later as we headed down I felt a bigger urge to go to the bathroom. I put it at the back of my mind, 30 minutes away from the cars I felt it kind of bad that I need to stop and breathe. After I composed myself I kept moving but it was very bad. Though after some serious mental focusing on my need to go to the bathroom the urge disappeared for a while. By the time I got to the cars on my drive home which was 20 minutes no traffic as I pulled up to my house I felt the need to go very bad as bad as I did when we headed down from the top. Being home I was okay I felt relaxed so I rush inside and was okay though it was very close. I though I was going to have another accident during the hike.

Mentally I managed to avoid the need to go in front of my friends and I managed to get back home. Though i wont lie 5 minutes from home I was rushing. But imagine that feeling 2 hours hike plus a 20 minute car ride. But I managed to control it and got home okay. No embarrassment and no accidents.

*Conclusion:*

I am 25 years old I have suffered from IBS since I was 18 years old and from 20 it got very bad. At 23 I had some close calls and 2 accidents.

A year ago I wanted to try to conquer it. My goals were to have regular bowel movements, 3 a day, healthy movement like no loose stool or constipation. But most importantly tell my body to wait when there are no bathroom facilities.

It isn't easy. This past week has been a bit hard because I got a stomach virus but I dealt with it and had no major problems.

I am like some of you afraid to eat sometimes. Quite a few times this past year I have skipped meals or not eaten in front of friends at lunches or breakfasts because I knew what will happen later. A few times but less the before I have use the bathroom facility 3 or 4 times in 1 hour on a bad day which i still have.

Though i keep track on my food journal and I noticed when i started this I had 3 or 4 bad days a month. With the exception of the stomach virus I got I havent had a bad day in over 4 months. If it had not been for this virus it would have been 5 months.

It isn't easy and I hope I can help someone who is dealing with this. The most important thing is to seek help and dont be embarrassed. I say to people I have a weak stomach. That should be enough explanation.

I hope this has helped someone and if you need any advice feel free to ask. I havent discovered a cure but I live a much better life now then before. I am not afraid to go out I am cautious but the most important thing is I feel better about myself and my stomach feels better too.


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