Hello just found this forum , before I start would like to say I suffer with extreme anxiety and extreme fear of doctors ,hospitals and any kind of tests which stops me going to see a doctor for anything, for about 2 years I've had bad gas and watery stools and stomach pain but only in the mornings which keeps me in bed and cant go out till it starts to wear off, ive stopped every kind of food but dont make no difference so its hard to pin point any triggers, apart from that the odour is terrible and so can never stay anywhere over night at other people's houses or anything like that , I even wait for my husband to go out the house before I go to the bathroom, to say this is affecting my mental health is an understatement, I know its hard to understand why I wouldn't go to see a doctor but this is how terrified I am of finding out whats wrong with me and would probably be sent for tests, its debilitating but I'm that scared I just cant go to see a doctor, health anxiety is a curse and I hope someone understands this, just wanted to share this ,thank you

Hi Jackie,

it's sad to know about your struggling. Can you please share more details. I don't know anything about your body.
- Since when do you have this problem
- If you have it from a long time, did this evolve
- Have you started/stopped eating something (new) in lately
- Do you consume meds
- What about your health history, family health history
- Do you believe it's an infection or a sort of allergy
- What do you usually eat, make a thorough explanation
- Do you consume substances

Only then I could pinpoint what could be going on with your gut ok

Hello , ive had to go to hospital about 3 years ago with the most awful pains in my stomach and being sick, they said i had gastritis and didnt find anything in my blood like infection or inflammation its ever since then I've been getting it on and off, I've cut out everything I can think of that might be the cause but makes no difference, but its so difficult to pin point if it is even food because its always in the mornings and eases throughout the day,i will start getting gas maybe in the evening then in the morning I'm in pain bloated and watery stools then in a few days or maybe longer it gets better and goes back to normal, I did go to the doctors once before a long time ago and they give me lampazole they did help with the sickness but after about 3 days they started to make my stomach worse, also its very unpredictable i never know when its gonna happen either and I try and think what I've eaten and it could be something I had the week before and was fine, I was told I have ibs in my 30s I'm 67 now but it wernt like this just diarrhea in the mornings, I do realise that the anxiety it gives me makes it worse so does any upset or worry does as well, but I have chronic anxiety and live with widespread chronic pain, thank you

Hi Jackie,

You don't need to be afraid of anything. Trust me, the doctors have seen it all. It's very important to think outside the box. You mentioned that you were diagnosed with gastritis; in medicine, there are constantly new insights that might help you. There are other people with stories similar to yours, so the doctor might recognize a pattern.

I also wrote an article yesterday with some tips about IBS that I highly suggest you read.

It is unlikely that something you ate a week ago is troubling you now. Usually, within 48 hours—provided you are going to the bathroom daily—it should be history. It's possible you have an allergy, have developed a new illness, or are unknowingly inflaming your gut via food or drinks. You say you experience this every morning or starting late at night; that is exactly when processed food from the small intestine moves toward the bowel.

This might suggest your bowel isn't working properly, perhaps due to allergens, a parasitic infection, or fungi. Alternatively, your small intestine may not be producing enough neutralizers for the stomach acid, or your liver might not be producing certain enzymes. It could even be something like pyloric insufficiency.

It is very important that you get a scan and a stool test so the doctor can see what’s going on. Waiting could lead to a debilitating outcome, and at age 67, time is a factor. Don’t be afraid; the doctors have seen it all before.

Hello and thank youfor your advice, I should have mentioned it also have a colostomy and a parastomal hernia and had the fear of doctors and hospitals ever since I had this done 11 years ago, the hernia has never given me any problems, im just petrified there's something terrible wrong with me and scared of any tests , I know i should go to the doctor because thats the only way to find the problem but im just so scared to go and the more I get this the more frightened I get, this fear is debilitating on its own and the fear is just making my stomach worse , not a lot of doctors understand this fear and how scary it is, I know I dont probably make much sense being scared and people think im mad not seeing a doctor but it does go away im just so worried what it could be,I just need some reassurance and wanted to know if anyone else has had this and did they find out what it was ,I think if I could get someone's opinion who has had the same symptoms and it turned out to be nothing bad I would go to the doctors ,and what tests they had , I know I probably dont make much sense but the fear is stopping me doing anything about it, thank you for your help.

Hi Jackie,

Your extreme fear of going to see the doctor certainly stems from your current difficult situation. I would like to give you some tips to make things easier and to help you gather the courage to go to the doctor soon.

Since it is well known that IBS can make it difficult to digest vegetables and fruits because gut function is altered, I want to show you how to make the best of the situation.

I suggest a diet for now that is very close to carnivore, but not completely—that part is up to you.

For breakfast: Boiled eggs, chicken, beef, or fish—either cooked or roasted in oil. Pat away any excessive oil. Use nothing but salt when you prepare these.

At noon: Only eggs—assuming you don’t have an egg allergy, as some people do—or a repeat of the breakfast options mentioned above.

For dinner: Chicken, beef, or fish fillets—cooked or roasted in oil. You can use as much as you wish, as meat generally has no bad effect on IBS. Again, pat away all excessive oil afterward. You can have a single flatbread (like the ones used in wraps) if you are not gluten intolerant. Add two slices of ripe tomato (it is very important that they are ripe) and a finger-length piece of fresh cucumber, peeled and sliced into five pieces. These two vegetables are often much less problematic for IBS than anything else.

Make sure the food is well mixed. Don't eat the vegetables first and then the meat; ensure everything is mixed together, as the stomach doesn't always mix things as thoroughly as one might expect.

Drinks: Drink only water. Since your IBS is so extreme, avoid any other triggers. Because you are not consuming sugars, make sure not to be sparse with the salt in your food.

Do this for three days and report back. I am highly positive that you will see a huge improvement.

If you do not see a significant improvement, continue the diet but remove the flatbread. This might suggest you have developed a gluten intolerance. If you still don't see improvement after another two days, cut out the tomatoes and cucumber altogether.

Follow this for the next two days, and if there is still no improvement, cut out the vegetable oil and use tallow or ghee instead.

A few important notes: If you have diabetes, you would, of course, need to maintain some sugar intake as instructed by your doctor. Additionally, I still strongly suggest you visit a doctor. If your problems are not strictly related to IBS, these instructions will not be enough and you will need medical intervention.

Stay strict with this diet and let me know how it goes.

Thank you for this is will try it, it might be more than a few days as ive got to get the ingredients in that I need then start, thank you.

Hi Jackie,

I forgot to mention that basically any meat works. I would also like to suggest sheep. Unlike beef, you can simply boil it with water and salt, as it is naturally very fatty. You can then store some of the broth in the fridge and drink it throughout the day like a soup. The same goes for chicken legs, for example. Also, organs such as lungs, liver, or others can be used for this diet.

I also want to mention that you should pay attention to your water source. Don't use municipal tap water, because the chemicals added to it can be very aggressive to the intestines and lead to severe diarrhea for those with IBS. If you are unsure whether your tap water is municipal or from a private well, use bottled water from the store. I wrote more about that in this post: https://www.ibspatient.org/community/topic/102112-living-with-ibs-lessons-ive-learned-and-my-top-tips/

Additionally, you can buy your meat frozen—it doesn't actually matter—but make sure it is not treated or breaded in wheat or corn, like nuggets or fish sticks are, for example. This would defy the whole theory.

Hello thanks, can I just ask is there anything I can snack on as im not sure this diet will fill me up much, thank you

Hi Jackie,

It would be very helpful if you could let me know what kind of snacks you were thinking of. Could you provide a small list for now? That way, we can better track any potential reactions.

Well these are probably all the wrong one's but was thinking of things like crisp, sandwich meat in a roll, a cake or biscuits things like that, these will be the sort of foods I will miss, thank you.

Hi Jackie,

Given your previous diagnoses, it is quite possible they are the root cause of your severe symptoms, especially since conditions can evolve over time. Alternatively, you may have developed a severe gluten or lactose intolerance, as both can cause the symptoms you’re describing, and at least one is present in the snacks you mentioned.

Therefore, if you decide to reintroduce snacks, it would be wise to isolate them by category. You could try introducing rice and homemade rice pudding while skipping bread, or do the opposite and strictly avoid lactose. Ultimately, a visit to the doctor will provide the most clarity without the need for repetitive dietary trials.