IBS Stories from People with IBS
How reading someone else’s story can make you feel better about your own.
© Can Stock Photo
So you’re wondering if you’re all alone. This IBS thing must make you a freak right? WRONG.
There are a lot of real people like you out there. People with IBS.
Why read other peoples’ IBS stories?
I’ve noticed that a lot of people come by my site to read the “My IBS Story” page. In fact it’s one of my top pages.
That means there is a need for people who have IBS to feel like they’re not all alone. A need for people like you, to read about someone else that has your problems… People that have your IBS symptoms.
So you can stop feeling like a freak.
But if you’re looking for lots of IBS stories, I don’t have that (yet).
But I know where you can find them.
Here are some great places to find or tell IBS Stories:
Sophie has a vast site full of stories by people with IBS. People like you and me.
The nicest part of that is that she has the stories broken down into happy stories, sad stories, and even funny stories!
So I went there, and I saw some of my own IBS experiences. And somehow that helped even ol’ Shawn, (me), the long time writer of THIS site.
I like Sophie’s site because it’s got a personal feel to it. Sophie is an IBS sufferer of 20 plus years, and her empathy comes through.
She’s even written a book, Sophie’s Story, where she writes about her IBS experiences and things that help.
You can share your story by using the Contact Sophie form.
The IBS Forum at IBS.About.Com by Barbara Bradley Bolen, Ph.D.
Dr. Barbara Bradley Bolen also has a site with a personal feel.
The IBS forum on her site is full of people with IBS that know what you are going through. They are going through it too.
It’s a great place to tell your story and get feedback from other people with IBS.
Dr. Bolen is a practicing clinical psychologist and an IBS educator. She’s been using those skills to help people with IBS for many years. She has written two books on the subject, which I have to get my hands on!
“Your Story” over at www.ibsgroup.org
This site is a giant support group for IBS. The “Your Story” section is a place where people with IBS, just like you, share their IBS experiences.
This site doesn’t have Sophie Lee or Barbara Bolen’s personal feel, but it’s a great place to find stories just like yours.
And that can make you feel normal!
Well, more normal, anyway.
Why you should tell your IBS story:
Because having someone to talk to, or share with, can really make you feel better about your situation.
Also, you can get feed back that may point you in the direction of help.
Besides, your IBS story will no doubt help some other poor soul, so share if you can!
Just make sure you come back. I’ll miss you! :)
and of course you can always share your IBS story in my comments section on any page. I’d love to hear from you!
6 Replies to “IBS Stories from People with IBS”
My sister has been suffering from this and she is pretty much embarrassed by it. Thank you so much for sharing the website. I will be sharing the site to my sister and I’m hoping she would check it out.
Does any one with IBS or IBD along with gluten allergies suffer from Chronic weight loss when they have a flare up or are accidentally glutened? I have been going thru this for 5.5 years and was perforated accidentally during a colonoscopy to get a diagnosis. Docs denied the small perforation until I became spetic. Claimed I had Crohns, then said one test came back negative but they thought I did have IBD.. never gave me any type of treament or diet to follow. Just told me not to eat brocolli and eat 6 small meals a day. I feel as if My small intestine and transverse colon are on fire when I have a bad flare up, but a normal day to day life for me is chronic pain in my gut. I have been thru several scopes upper and lower and I feel like I’m going in circles! They also thought I was celiac but biopsy was negative but I caught gluten one day in the only thing I ate for breakfast that caused me severe nausea and pain 2 hours after eating (a english muffin with cheese) I looked at the ingredients and realized I can’t consume wheat gluten and god only know what else. I eat less to stay sick less but have been getting sick of staying thin. To thin. When I have what I call a flare up I lose weight in spite of watching that I don’t eat gluten! Often a lot of gas, pain but inflammation pain. bloating with constipation and diarhea. Any suggestions?
I lost 45 lbs and was told it was IBS but turned out to be SIBO. I have IBS but I maintain weight now that the SIBO has been treated
Bowel retraining has also been helpful for me. I have a different diet than Nancy, but I found that scheduling my BM attempts each day (and because I COULD NOT GO on my own, that meant scheduling my enemas AFTER trying on to go on my own) was really helpful. Also drinking more water like Nancy said, and my new diet (SCD) has helped a lot as well.
I also did a few months of biofeedback for pelvic floor dysfunction, a condition I believe many IBS-er’s have but don’t recognize. My pelvic floor muscles were CLOSING rather than OPENING during BM’s (like pushing against a brick wall). Within a few months I was finally able to poop and open the muscles. The training was no fun, and I had to drive an hour and a half away for therapy every two weeks. But it worked and now I can poop, so I’m a happy camper!
Gutsy Girl
Hi MY name is Nancy and I have been dealing with IBS since 1996 and probably long before I knew what it was called. I have IBS-A but tend to have the chronic constipation part most of my life. Back in early March of this year I was looking for ways to combat the chronic constipation naturally without the use of any kind of laxatives to prevent lazy bowel syndrome on the internet and found an article about retraining your bowels. I read it thoroughly and started on the retraining program the next day. It took a week to establish a set time and daily routine. I found that one of main problems is that I don’t drink enough water and eat enough fiber so I increased both dramatically. I also found that taking Citrucel twice daily helps promote regularity and softer stools to pass. I sit on the toilet for 30 minutes everyday at the same time to have a bowel movement. Using slow deep breathing exercises helps my body to relax and keeps me from pushing and straining to pass stool.I eat oatmeal with flax seed, and 6 stewed prunes. Eating yogurt and taking a probiotic help maintain the healthy bacteria in the intestines. This has helped not only the chronic constipation but it helps eliminate the severe abdominal cramps and explosive diarrhea episodes. I have a lot of food allergies so I have to watch what I eat which in turn helps reduce the IBS symptoms dramatically. This routine for me is daily commitment because if I don’t follow it then I pay for it dearly the next day.
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to share your story Nancy. There is some GREAT information here, that I’m sure is going to help people. It’s people like you that keep this site alive. I’m going to have to look into this “bowel retraining” program. I haven’t heard about it.
All the best!
Shawn