# Does IBS come and go?



## theonesnoopy (Jan 20, 2004)

Someone told me that IBS tends to go into "remission" and then relapse--that you can seem to be over it, and then it will come back. Is this true? Because I seem to be getting gradually better. I had a bad stomach virus in April of last year, with 2 bad relapses--only to be told that it was IBS, not a virus. Since then, like I said, I have been improving. I only had the really bad diarrhea in April, May, and June--for 2 weeks each time, with nausea so bad I could not eat. I got very weak during each of these attacks. But I thought I was SICK, the kind of SICK that you get over. Are those periods of acute sickness going to come back? I hope not; I really thought I was dying when I was that sick. I can't stand to lose another 20 pounds either--I am only 120, at 5'5". Is it possible those really bad attacks WERE aftereffects of a virus? I didn't think IBS lasted 2 or 3 weeks without relenting; I thought an IBS "attack" only lasted a few hours or so and then went away.


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## sadone (Dec 17, 2003)

heya woods,well, ibs is very different for each individual, but i have heard of people going into 'remission' type periods--with very few symptoms. although, this has not happened to me. however, my symptoms have improved considerably over the last few years since i've been conscientiously eating better.i think with ibs that (for most people at least), it's a life-long ailment. symptoms will come and go and change, but i think once you 'have it,' you will be prone to stomach problems throughout your life. these are just my thoughts after reading stuff and talking to people.but, if you're feeling relatively symptom-free, go with it! don't think about it too much...that will just cause stress--which commonly triggers symptoms.


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## theonesnoopy (Jan 20, 2004)

Do you mean I will have stomach problems as well as intestinal problems? Is this part of IBS too? And what do you mean by "eating better"--no dairy, no junk food, what?? I have read so much about IBS and diet, but what I eat seems to have NOTHING to do with my symptoms, and neither does stress. I can have a horribly stressful day, eat all kinds of junk, and be fine. Or I can have a lazy day of watching TV and drinking water and feel sick! The only things that seem to trigger symptoms for me are my menstrual cycle and being constipated (this can sometimes result in a bout of diarrhea).


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## soundie (Jan 29, 2004)

Yep, that sounds just like me. Stressed out with no symptoms, not stressed and sick, and all variations of the above. Plus I have had "remissions" of up to 2 years where there are little to no problems only to have it come back again.I always get the nausea too. I lost 5KGs over a three week bout once because I couldn't face eating most days.Diet, stress relief, and stable eating patterns help me. Plus I have been lucky enough to have had some success with SSRIs. And I think the hypnotherapy helped with the anxiety/stress and am thinking of having another go at it as a sort of "top up" as it has been a few years since I tried it last.Good luck.


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## sadone (Dec 17, 2003)

hey woods,are you sure you have ibs then? have you gone to the doc?


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## theonesnoopy (Jan 20, 2004)

I have had all kinds of tests and the doctors said I have IBS. Of course, since that diagnosis is only given because other conditions are absent, maybe I don't have it. Maybe they just couldn't find what is really wrong. I am just so scared of getting really sick again and again, with no way to stop it.


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## snoopy1239 (May 19, 2013)

This sounds very familiar. I was sick for nine days, with a combination of symptoms, and after a couple of weeks of feeling better (although my feces didn't fully return to normal), I was hit again and felt sick for a whole day with sludge-like feces in the mornings followed by stomach cramps. It's frustrating not knowing what's going on; whether this is meant to happen or whether you should return to a doctor; if it's your diet or just a random attack; or if you even have IBS in the first place.


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