r/ibs • • Oct 01 '25

Hint / Information Just a reminder if you have IBS C or chronic constipation

183 Upvotes

A lot of people who are diagnosed with IBS C or chronic constipation, especially if they aren’t responsive to diet and lifestyle changes, often end up having one or more significant motility disorders.

Many different things can cause these.

When you have chronic constipation, there is an order of operations you/your doc should follow.

  • first try dietary and lifestyle changes (ALL of them); if that doesn't work...
  • then try over-the-counter medications and supplements. If those don't work...
  • then you need motility testing done. Depending on your results of them...
  • then you go to prescription medication. Try them in different combinations and try all of them. If those fail, as well...
  • depending on your diagnosis after your motility testing, you may be eligible for non-invasive and invasive treatments to treat it. If those don't work…
  • again, depending on your diagnosis, then surgery is an option

If you are seeing a gastroenterologist and this isn’t laid out for you, chances their specialty isn’t motility. Unfortunately, many people get sent to GIs who have a speciality in something other than what they need. For motility, you need to see a motility specialist or a neurogastroenterologist.

There is a PSA I wrote and it is stickied above. I’ve been living with this since I was born (over 40 years). I also have worked in this area, as well. I try to spread awareness and this is often falling off of the radar and patients are just told to eat fibre.

With motility disorders, fibre is often the menace.

Testing for motility includes, but is not limited to:

  • esophageal manometry
  • antroduodenal manometry
  • gastric emptying study
  • 72 hour emptying study
  • upper gi series barium swallow
  • there was a wireless motility capsule but it’s been discontinued. There are a couple new ones in trials. Don’t hold your breath.
  • sitz marker test (also called a shape study)
  • colonic manometry (very key test but hard to get)
  • anorectal manometry
  • defecogram (mri or xray)

If you have any questions on testing, treatment, where to go, and so on, let me know.

Edit: because this post is now archived, please feel to send me a chat about any of the into here.


r/ibs • • Nov 25 '23

"DO I HAVE IBS?" Megathread

215 Upvotes

If you think you might have IBS, ask your questions here. No self-diagnosis or requests for diagnosis - see your doctor.

Please read the section on Irritable Bowel Syndrome in the Rome Criteria IV before posting: Rome Criteria IV. If your symptoms do not meet criteria, please post to the appropriate subreddit. There are relevant subreddits in the sidebar.


r/ibs • • 1h ago

Question Visceral hypersensitivity, did amitryptiline or any SSRI help you?

2 Upvotes

I have pretty bad visceral hypersensitivity. I feel the pain, the gas, the gurgling. If i don't poop EVERYTHING OUT, I can sense it still in my body. I poop every single day yet I wake up every morning feeling constipated ?? Mornings are horrible beause I can feel all the poop sitting in my colon, even the tiiiiniest bit. I don't really struggle with going to the bathroom, I have prucalopride in case of emergencies too. But, wow I feel everything and it clicked when I realised i really shouldn't feel this raw sensation.

I have SIBO so it makes everything worse cos I feel so uncomfortable by the end of the day, though strated herbals this week so we'll see with that. Though I don't think it's only SIBO that's doing all this and the hypersensitivity got worse over time. Defs have IBS M.

Started the Nerva app + pelvic floor therapy as well, tackling this at every front.

I've taken atidepressants when I was younger and I'm not scared of them tbh, so i'm curious, did ami or any SSRI help you out with this?


r/ibs • • 22h ago

Rant Ibs literally have cooked my life

29 Upvotes

I mean i went thru the process of checking for everything ibd, colitis etc colonoscopy etc everything that itself took 2 years since at first i put it off as stress and tried to just raw dog thru it and now there was no condition to medicate and nothing was found so basically ummm you just have to live with it…

But genuienly it has f up my appetite, i dont eat with ppl , i dont go out to restaurants, i dont leave the house for long times, i havent worked in an office job since 2019… Ive done remote - im very social and i absolutely fucking hate the remote work so i quit and im looking for going back to sales again…
But this stresses me out since ive gone from taking a shit 3 times a week to 4-15 times a day… And it is all random like wtf😭 lk a job sounds impossible…
I really like traveling aswell like roadtrips etc but ibs has fucked it up aswell to and nerfed me badly🤣 , i went on a two week road trip with my family and we had to stop 11 times a fucking day for me to take a shit… WTF. and … Like i dont live my life i just exist and have anxiety and depression because of ts… Aaa hell naa


r/ibs • • 7h ago

Question Life after resection due to sigmoid volvulus in 82 yo f?

2 Upvotes

Hello all! My mom, an IBS sufferer for years, was taken to the ER last week as everything had "stopped". Turned out she had a sigmoid volvulus, which was untwisted via scope, then a resection to remove the limp noodle section of the colon 2 days later. She is 2 days post op and actually feels great and is on solid foods already (this surprised me, I had assumed she'd be on a liquid diet for some time.)

She has had a small appetite and apprehension for years towards eating many things out of fear of exacerbating her gut issues. I am wondering for those who have had a similar surgery - did this actually improve your IBS? She seems to be feeling so much better in regard to symptoms now, and I'm wondering if this is more of a temporary relief after having such an acute event, or what the long term outlook for this may be?

Just wondering about peoples' experiences as I have very little resource or knowledge on the subject. We haven't even been able to ask the surgeon any questions directly due to the overextended medical system here, but I am wanting to make life as easy for her as possible. Thank you! 😊


r/ibs • • 8h ago

Question Has anyone tried this?

2 Upvotes

Hello! I’m wondering if anyone had tried this medicine for ibs it’s called Libertrim Alfa which contains trimebutine maleate, simethicone, and alpha-D-galactosidase.
I saw a doctor in Mexico for a second opinion on my gastrointestinal issues and she prescribed it to me so I’m just wondering if anyone had had any luck with it or bad effects. Thank you!


r/ibs • • 18h ago

Rant Enough is enough

10 Upvotes

Listen guys. I've had it. I've had enough. It's been 11 years with constant anxiety and fluctuations regarding my digestion. I'm having these repeated diarrhea flairs with depression and fatigue afterwards. And if I dont have a downright flair, I still struggle with discomfort and pain in my abdomen and also mood problems and cognitive disfunction. I've been providing for myself and others while having these severe symptoms. And I've had enough now. I'm 30. I want to enjoy my life again. Don't wanna have to think about this constantly. I have developed severe anxiety regarding what I eat because of these constant problems. And I literally feeling everything inside my gut. That's not normal. And I have to be treated. I don't care about what the doctors say, I know this is not life threatening on a physical level, but wth these symptoms I kinda wish it were. And I would finally be taken seriously and the fucking doctors would get off their asses to actually try to help me. I don't even feel comfortable having people over, because I sometimes have these absurdly gassy evenings, when I can't even fall asleep because I'm literally passing gass every 10 seconds for hours. And the gass stinks like hell. Like I feel so embarassed. I can't even talk to anybody about my symptoms because it's so embarassing. Literally wanna die right now. I've made an appointment with my doctor next week. And this time, I'm not gonna hold back. I'm gonna say, i want this to be over completely. Like I literally don't wanna have to think about my digestion ever again. I'm gonna do the FODMAP fuck for two weeks with a dietary person. Probabaly I wil still feel like shit. Then I'm gonna go back to the ritalin dose I had before my symptoms started. Who the fuck knows. Maybe my systems is so used to the constant stimulation through these meds, my digestive systems just doesn't know how to cope without em anymore. If all this doesn't work. I wanna get a test for my gut microbiome. Cause who knows. Maybe somekind of bad bacteria spread. My IBS started summer 2015. The year I graduated high school. I literally thought, wow, I'm free to do anything I want now and then these symptoms started. I had a second antibiotics treatment for a severe tonsilitis. But I also quit my Ritalin and started going vegan. So yeah. I have no idea what started it. But I'm going to find a cause. I hope it's not the Ritalin, cause I hate that stuff. But if it helps with the IBS, I don't care, you'll see me taking those pills for the rest of my life.

What I've done so far:

- Various tests regarding food intollerance: lactose, fructose, gluten, all negative, gluten one I did twice

- MRI of the whole intestine, Colonoscopy, all clear

- Several Stool- and blood-tests, all negative

- SIBO negative

- I even tried the antidepressants on my own accord, they didn't alleviate the IBS

- Therapy, sure felt good, but didn't have a lasting healing impact on my system.

It's weird cause I've also had times when my symptoms were manageable, and my stools were almost normal. But I don't know the cause. And that's whats crazy. I can't rely on my self anymore. How am I supposed to live like this?


r/ibs • • 13h ago

Question My doctor is ghosting me and I still have symptoms

2 Upvotes

I am basically looking for reassurance that I am justified to try reaching out to another doctor at this point?

Long story short - I got PI IBS and SIBO in June. I have got a LOT better, but I still have some lower abdominal spasms/cramps and my stools are pretty much yellow, not fully formed, with lots of food in, floating etc. I haven’t had a full on loose stool/diarrhoea in two months.

All my test results have come back normal (stool/blood/colonoscopy/endoscopy) and my doctor has said the yellow stool is just due to fast transit time. Based on the food in the stools my transit time is about 1-2 days which isn’t that fast…

So, I think there’s more at play (an issue with gallbladder/liver (pancreas test was good), bile, SIBO remaining). I have flagged this to my doctor and he kind of just ignores me or says it’s just fast transit time. I did try Cholestyramine in the summer and I spent two days throwing up/diarrhoeaing - no clue why!

At this point should I just go to another doctor for some screening of my other organs and do another SIBO test? Tbh I don’t know why I’m asking - I know something is still wrong I think I either want some agreement/support or reassurance that this is just likely PI IBS healing.


r/ibs • • 11h ago

Question SIBO and Disbiose during Accutane

1 Upvotes

I'm on 20mg isotretionin a day and experiencing gut issues like constipation (my bowel habits are all over the place, though thankfully I don't go more than 3 days without one), really loud and foul-smelling gas, and some stomach pain.

I drink a cup of coffee and immediately get stomach cramps and loud gurgling.

I eat an apple and instantly bloat up with gas.

It feels like I can never catch a break.

My gastroenterologist prescribed two antibiotics: rifaximin and neomycin. He mentioned that I have SIBO and dysbiosis, both of which are being exacerbated by Accutane.

Does anyone have experience with this? I already tried probiotics and they made things worse. I'm anxious about taking these antibiotics because of side effects and several posts I've read on Reddit about potential die-off.


r/ibs • • 17h ago

Question Frequent constipation and weird feeling around anus I am quite frightened

2 Upvotes

19 female 40kg 5'3, for more than 3 month's I am facing constipation sometimes it's worse sometimes things gets okay but now it's getting more and more worser and weirder, my stool right now is normal but someday it's loose somedays hard, even after letting all out i feel something is stuck there I feel slight itchiness sensetion like pinworms around the anus, there is no blood in my stool. Maybe it's because my frequent habit of eating raw rice I was addicted to eating atleast 2 tablespoon around raw rice 7-10 times a day and now i am thinking of overcoming this,

I searched up my symptoms on the internet and it frightened me as my symptoms are not normal and I can even have Ibs

Please help me to understand this.

What should I tell the doctor so he can better treat me in right direction


r/ibs • • 13h ago

Question Constant loud stomach gurgling and gas noises with no pain. Has anyone fixed this?

1 Upvotes

For the past few months, I've been dealing with extremely loud, uncontrollable stomach gurgling, bubbling, and gas noises (borborygmi), mostly on the left side of my abdomen.

It usually happens after eating, sometimes even during meals, and can last for hours. I don't have any pain, just occasional bloating, trapped gas, and constipation.

The strange thing is that my stomach becomes completely quiet for hours after a proper bowel movement.

My doctor diagnosed me with IBS and prescribed medication, which helped about 50%, but the noises returned after stopping some of the medications.

It's honestly affecting my daily life. I'm constantly anxious about eating around people because the noises are so loud and embarrassing.

Has anyone experienced something similar and actually found a long-term solution? Could constipation, SIBO, or something else be causing this?

I'd really appreciate hearing what worked for you..


r/ibs • • 21h ago

Question IBS and tattoo

3 Upvotes

Hi all, I’m looking for some tips or just guidance on how to manage this.

I’ve dealt with IBS for over three years and within that time have had three tattoo appointments where my ibs has been completely manageable and I’ve not once been anxious or had any thoughts that it may be a problem whilst getting tattooed.

Recently my IBS has became much worse and I’m experiencing odd symptoms such as whining/rumbling sound from my bum ( I’m not passing any gas or feel the need to) it’s just the noise.

I feel extremely anxious over this as I’d be sitting for over an hour and I’m genuinely thinking about cancelling the appt over fear it’s going to happen.

Has anyone experienced this or got any tips on what some safe foods could be over the next coming days to hopefully prepare for it to not happen?


r/ibs • • 19h ago

Question Chronically anemic because of ibs?

2 Upvotes

I’ve been struggling with anemia most of my life, along with ibs. I’m wondering if the two could be related. The last three times I’ve been to the doctor for bloodwork and a status on the anemia, I have been told I’m still anemic despite taking supplements. They tell me it’s because I’m a menstruating woman, and I’ve repeatedly had to explain that since starting birth control many years back, my periods a so light it’s basically just spotting. I’ve also been anemic since long before I went into puberty.

I don’t really see any particular reason I would be anemic. I eat meat daily, including red meat and liver fairly often. I take my iron supplements (50-100 mg) with vitamin c, and I avoid coffee and dairy 2 hours before and after taking them.

I’d like to find the root cause of the anemia mainly because the supplements are really rough on my stomach and worsens my ibs d. I’ve experimented with lower doses and liquid iron, but it doesn’t move the needle on my blood tests. Right now I’m taking my supplements only when I’m on my period and I guess that’s why I’m still anemic.

I guess my main question is if anyone else has a similar issue and how they manage.

Additional information; my ferritin is 9 and my iron is 6. I asked my doctor if I could get an iron infusion to help me along and spare my gut, but I was denied because I had a ferritin of 3 and iron 3 last year so technically I’ve been worse.
Also I’ve tested negative for celiac but I have a gluten sensitivity.


r/ibs • • 19h ago

Question What to say to gastro

2 Upvotes

Hi friends!

I’m going to the gastro finally to figure out what the helll is going on.

I’ve been dealing with IBS-C on and off for years. I was hospitalized in 2020 with colitis. They did a colonoscopy etc and everything generally looked fine. The major outlier was very low ferritin.

Anyway. I’m dealing with this again and it seems to be aggravated by running! Whenever I try to work out it gets worse. I also feel better when I avoid gluten. My ferritin is pretty normal now though still low.

Any tips for advocating for yourself at the gastro, or anyone else dealing with something similar??

TYIA


r/ibs • • 21h ago

Question PHGG/Sunfiber anyone with good results?

2 Upvotes

Hello

After a 6th fail of Psyllium husk (IBS-M), I will try the PHGG again.

I'm starting with 2gr today.

Anyone got good results?

My issue is mostly incomplete evacuation (Cramps, bloating, brainfog, tiredness, food intolerances)


r/ibs • • 18h ago

Question IBS-C coffee

1 Upvotes

Coffee helps me have BM, I have never taken a laxative, magnesium citrate or anything else for it.

I’ve heard that it can irritate your stomach. Should I continue drinking it?


r/ibs • • 1d ago

Question IBS?

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I recently got told by a gp I have IBS after spending the last 3 months on the toilet and struggling to leave the house. I had a colonoscopy due to a positive fit test which was clear and no biopsies taken, I then got a reffered to gaestronology due to my symptoms not improving after following low fodmap etc. I have had 2 calprotectin tests, one came back at 90 and then the most recent one a few weeks later came back at 988! The gp then gave me an urgent refferal to gaestronology, a few days later I got a letter from gaestronology saying due to my colonoscopy being clear, they think it's ibs and prescribed me colesevelam without even seeing me. Surely IBS doesn't make your fcp test come back at 988? I'm just very annoyed as I'm still not seeing any improvement, I'm unable to go to work, enjoy time with my family etc and now gaestronology won't even see me. What would you do? I want answers to why my fcp came back at 988!


r/ibs • • 1d ago

Question Bidet

20 Upvotes

Any of those with IBS use a bidet? Debating on getting one for christmas 😅 if it's amazing for regular people, must be life changing for us huh?


r/ibs • • 1d ago

🎉 Success Story 🎉 Accidentally “Cured” my IBS-C

67 Upvotes

I’ve been obsessed with Trader Joe’s European style yogurt, but ever since I moved to an area where the closest TJ’s is 2 hours away, I’ve been looking for a decent substitute. Someone on another subreddit recommended Stonyfield Organic Probiotic Whole Yogurt so I gave it a go. Turns out it’s similar in texture to the TJ’s Euro yogurt, though less sour, but I was mostly happy with the substitute. I had about a 1/2 cup with/after dinner for three days, and y’all… I’ve never pooped three days in a row before in my LIFE. Correlation doesn’t prove causation I know, but the one day I didn’t use the bathroom was the only in the week that I had skipped having yogurt the night before. I mean??? Something is adding up, right?

Anyway, I was just so excited to not be bloated and full of dookie for once. Crossing my fingers this lasts a while, but I figured I’d share in case this helps any of my fellow IBS-C havers.


r/ibs • • 21h ago

Question IBS came back ?!

1 Upvotes

Hi F, 33.

I had IBS for as long as I can remember but never got diagnosed. Severe cramping after eating certain foods, lots of gas and constipation. Then one day I went to an endometriosis specialist and had a surgery, I was told I had lesions attached to my bowels.

The next day it was pretty much gone. But it wasn’t the end of the tunnel, I had a relapse about 9 years ago, severe lactose intolerance. Then I reduced my coffee intake and it started improving and eventually disappeared. It was a relief and I thought here I am free.

But about a month ago I had a severe episode of diarrhea and stomach cramps. I thought for sure it was food poisoning. But it didn’t go away daily diarrhea, then stomach cramps and soreness all over. I didn’t think about IBS right away it was variable improving and then reappearing and I had no other symptoms. I eventually did a stool test and nothing. I went back to my NP and he said it could be IBS but I needed a colonoscopy and Gastrointestinal refferal to confirm so here I am around here it’s about 3/4 months.

I don’t know what to think .. I am nervous. Could it be back ? Could I have been misdiagnosed ? Could it be endometriosis again ?


r/ibs • • 22h ago

Question Looking for advice

1 Upvotes

Hi all! I’ve had IBS-D for a long time, probably over 10 years now. For the past six months or so I would say my symptoms have gotten worse however where they used to be manageable. I think in part because I’ve been dealing with a lot of stress and emotional upheavals.

I’m working on improving that but in the mean time any suggestions or advice that you’d recommend to help me?

I’m starting to try to cut out fast food/junk food, I occasionally take Imodium but that is it as far as it goes medication or supplement wise.


r/ibs • • 1d ago

Question Did I just ruin my colonoscopy prep?!

19 Upvotes

what the title says, I’m new to this area of my life unfortunately, I’ve been suffering with IBS and Gerd for the better part of a year and a half - We’ll it’s finally time for me to get this all checked out and I have my colonoscopy on Wednesday morning at 11 AM. Now here comes the question if anyone can answer it as the office is closed so I’m going to call first thing in the morning. I have two very small children and I’m beyond stressed. Given the circumstances of having young kids, I just now finally got a chance to look at my prep paper this morning and in big bold letters it says no ibuprofen for a week before the procedure. And no corn among many other things listed. The Gasp I GUSPED while reading those lines. Mind you, I was eating small bites of my son’s corn as I was reading it. The last time I took ibuprofen was last night around 7 PM 600 mg to be exact. I’ve also taken it a couple of times this past week due to period cramps. Unbeknownst to my silly self, that is on the top of the list of medication’s not to take for a week before due to bleeding risk. So Has anyone here made this mess up before? Does this automatically mean that my procedure will be canceled Wednesday morning? Am I possibly in the clear? help ya girl out! ty!!


r/ibs • • 1d ago

Rant does anyone else feel hopeless?

36 Upvotes

Hello! I’m 20F and I’ve been struggling with IBS-D since I was around 13. Started off as anxiety then progressed into it. Over the last year for no apparent reason it’s developed into something worse. Bathroom trips 6+ times a day etc.

Now that it’s getting worse I’m starting to feel extremely depressed and hopeless, I’m terrified to eat food because no matter what I eat it genuinely goes straight through me very painfully. Even thinking about eating gives me anxiety. Not only that I’ve had to quit my job and I can barely leave the house due to being ill on the toilet.

I don’t see many posts with people my age and wanted to see if anyone else felt the same. It gets to a point where I don’t know how to live with this condition. Does anyone else feel extremely depressed?


r/ibs • • 1d ago

Question Anyone had SIBO bc of antipsychotics/antidepressants? If yes, did you remove SIBO?

1 Upvotes

Hi all, if you are among these people, we're you able to remove SIBO \*during\* the antipsychotic/SSRI treatment?

Basically I already had before this annoying constant blosting I have even before eating anything, IBS which was handled really well by sleeping well. I mean that IBS was caused by a sleep disordered breathing I have and sleep breathing protocols (which make me sleep better) really handled well the IBS.

And if these drugs are the root cause, by removing them (ill stop the antipsychotic in noveember) can we day we create the best condition in treating the SIBO?

Thank you


r/ibs • • 1d ago

Question Is immodium dangerous if it's being taken everyday ?

0 Upvotes

Recently I got a stomach Infection and had to use the school bathroom a couple of times and my experience was bad af fast forward a few weeks later I'm okay whenever I dont have school don't need the toilet more than once but as soon as it's a school day my stomach goes mad and i went to school on Monday without taking immodium i felt like i really would need to go but i had some immodium i took it and was okay it's like I'm stressed about going at school so i take immodium and i have a normal day after taking immodium

But is it dangerous if taken everyday? Has anyone here been taking immodium for a long period?