New to IBS? 3 things you’re going to become very familiar with

After living with IBS for a while, there are some “taboo” subjects where the taboo part just melts away and it becomes BAU (business as usual). Maybe you’re new to IBS, maybe you suspect you have it – either way, this may enlighten you as to some of the key symptoms of IBS that will become part of your life.

For starters, here’s a quick list of symptoms of IBS:

Physical

• Crampy abdominal pain
• Change in bowel habits
• Mucus
• Flatulence and bloating
• Incontinence
• Nausea
• Indigestion

Neurological

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Headaches and dizziness
• Joint pain
• Muscle fatigue
• Lack of energy

Now the neurological stuff is pretty tricky to talk about, because it really does come down to the individual… and what I really wanted to get into here was the low down, nitty gritty, yucky stuff that most people would rather not talk about. So here goes 3 things that are going to become a big part of your life, and you really just need to be OK with talking about.

#1 Change in bowel habits – aka pooping

It’s not just you who will need to get used to spending a LOT more time in the bathroom; those who live with you, travel with you, and work with you will too. Now some good planning will enable you to carry on getting out and doing things (here’s some handy advice), but be prepared to dedicate a lot more of your day to pooping. That’s part one of the journey, and you may go solo for a while, and just deal with it. The next part of the journey is acceptance – which means talking about it. You know you’re in there a long time, and so do the people around you. Find an appropriate way to acknowledge it, normalise it, and it will become a lot less stressful. We’re not saying you need to invite someone in there to hold your hand during (though it *has* happened), but awareness breeds understanding, which will generally decrease any tension caused by your prolonged occupation of the bathroom. Maybe also try live somewhere with two loos!

#2 Incontinence – aka the mad dash

Ever abandoned a trolley full of groceries because you just had to find a loo? Or had to walk out part way through a meeting? It’s the worst. But you know what? You can handle it, if you’re prepared. Step 1: always know where the closest bathroom is – if you’re going for a walk to the supermarket, know where the toilet stops are along the way. Step 2: preempt – get into a routine of going to the loo before doing anything that you don’t want to dash away from. Even if you sit there for 5 minutes and nothing happens, it’s a good habit to try minimise unplanned dashes at unfortunate times. Step 3: get good at explaining – it really does help if the people you spend time with know what you’re going through… if you’re not quite there yet though, it really pays to get good at excusing yourself from places, or quietly slipping away.

#3 Flatulence and bloating – aka gas

You know what? Everyone does it; you may as well embrace it. Your gas will be more uncomfortable than most, but again if you can normalise it, it will release a lot of figurative and literal tension. You could start playing “toot” at home – hear a fart, say “toot”. One word to the wise though – we’re always cautious of trusting a fart… a lesson learned pre-IBS while travelling in Africa.