Dealing with Painful IBS Flare Ups

Watch what you eat, get plenty of sleep, stay hydrated and manage stress. I find that stress triggers really painful bowel spasms making me have to use the bathroom a lot. I have to avoid spicy foods, even mildly spicy foods, fatty or greasy foods, fried, acidic, or sugary foods as much as possible.

It is hard especially when it isn't always the same things that flare it up. It is exhausting and people don't understand it. Lots of fluids after a bad day help me not have as bad as a day after.

Hi, are you being followed up by a gastroenterologist? Have you ever had a colonoscopy? It could be that what is defined as IBS is actually IBD and then there is a treatment for it. For years I thought I was suffering from IBS and it was killing me, I tried diets, drugs like loperamide, and all sorts of other things and nothing helped. After a comprehensive investigation that included blood tests and a colonoscopy, they found out that I actually have IBD, I received treatment and since then, I feel much better.