I’ve suffered from IBS-D for over 20 years but the past year has been really bad,no real relief as was usual for me. I am used to flare ups but they usually resolved after a few days-not so lately,it’s ongoing.I’ve had a colonoscopy and nothing unusual showed up,nothing has really helped that usually did and I’m wondering if anybody else is experiencing the same thing,I’ve also noticed that it’s more troublesome when the weather changes.I’m so tired of the bubble gut,excess gas and bloating!!!

I’m so sorry your IBS is worse. I have had only troublesome IBS since about 55 yrs of age- so about 8 yrs now. I have an appt with a clinical nutritionist soon who I hope will help me plan how I can eat without making me miserable. I am an avid cook and used to be a foodie. it seems the list of foods i can eat is getting shorter and shorter. It has sapped much of the joy from my life. And taken countless productive days out of my life. I am very well read about IBS so have been doing alot of what is recommended.  It I have never recruited the help of a nutritionist to stidy my food diary and symptoms. Is this something worth trying for you too? Wishing you well!

Hi Gmilbry, i am 64 now and have suffered with IBS for over 15 years now. I was diagnosed years ago but there was no treatment for it so i just did what you're doing...lived with the pain, embarrassment, etc. After being diagnosed with SIBO and treated multiple times with antibiotics, with intermittent relief, I was referred to the head of the GI department and he prescribed Alostren. I've been on for about a year and a half now. It has helped tremendously. Before using this drug I tried the FODMAP diet as well as eating only white rice and broth with no relief. Granted my case is pretty severe and not everyone will qualify for this medication. 

Maybe ask your doctor about it. 

A colonoscopy ruled out anything abnormal, I hate to say this but I was kinda hoping something would show up so that I could be treated,I’m so tired of this.

Well, I'm happy for you that the test was normal but also understand the want of a clear and repairable diagnosis.  If I was to be honest I would have to say that you're in for some unhappy reality. It's been my experiance that you just have to try everthing you can find until something works. Hound your doctor until you feel heard too. Try everything you can; diet, meds, exercise, every thing. I find hot water bottles on my abdomen help a lot and quiet time by myself is helpful too. 

Good luck and I wish you well.

When I was reading your post, I thought did I write this.  I am turning 65 in June and I have been having the worst bout of IBS D, in my life.  I am at my wits end. I just finished two weeks three times a day of a prescription drug that was supposed to help me. It has done nothing. It actually made me feel worse. I’m eliminating certain foods, but that hasn’t helped at all. I would give anything to feel better it is making my life miserable. I didn’t like where I lived before and now I hate it even more.  I think if I felt better I would also feel better about where I live and not let everything bother me as much.  I’m usually an active person, but sometimes it’s even hard to do my cardio in the morning anyone out there with any kind of suggestion or any new findings? I am so so open to this

I’m learning to live with the changes of IBS-D and it’s not easy, I just wonder why has it changed and the doctor doesn’t have a clue so with much prayer and Imodium I just keep going,my husband passed 13 years ago and about 2 years ago I began to think about dating but now I’ve changed my mind because I don’t want any man listening to my bubble gut,gas and all the things that come with this disorder 🥲

Replying to G Milbry's post.  I am in your exact situation right now. Severe IBS-D with no relief. Also, a recent widow who has thought about dating at some point in my future.  I know that is not an option with my issues.  Also traveling with other females and sharing lodging/rooms scares me because of my issues.  After 3 GI docs, I was finally prescribed some meds that worked for me for over 3 months, and I was ecstatic.  I thought I had found the miracle cure, but I am starting to have some issues again and I am devastated. I just wanted you to know that you are not alone. (As I am sure know!) 

On 4/4/2023 at 8:16 AM, Stasia said:

I’m so sorry your IBS is worse. I have had only troublesome IBS since about 55 yrs of age- so about 8 yrs now. I have an appt with a clinical nutritionist soon who I hope will help me plan how I can eat without making me miserable. I am an avid cook and used to be a foodie. it seems the list of foods i can eat is getting shorter and shorter. It has sapped much of the joy from my life. And taken countless productive days out of my life. I am very well read about IBS so have been doing alot of what is recommended.  It I have never recruited the help of a nutritionist to stidy my food diary and symptoms. Is this something worth trying for you too? Wishing you well!

I went to my allergist and asked what foods I might be allergic to considering all my allergies. I cannot eat dairy, red meat, soy, wheat and a host of other foods that my gut doesn’t like. I learned that the FODMAP diet is very good for me. Hang in there. It keeps my feet on the ground or my bum on the toilet.  

I'm sorry to hear so many people are suffering from diarrhea.

I have had similar experience to Renee.  The FODMAP diet works pretty well. They say it's supposed to be temporary and

then you decide which of the foods you can tolerate and add them back. that makes sense because say, lentils or a small amount

of broccoli, can be tolerated. I have to remember smaller portions. I tend to serve myself large portions and then I do get gas.

If I have an appt next day, no cruciferous foods for me!  

I have to bring my food with me to the Senior Center because they put too much oil in the foods.  And they serve so much meat.

very important to write down a meal plan for each day!

good luck!

Im beginning to think there is no cure, no answer for help. Trial and Error seems to be what we do but even that is temporary. I hope we all find comfort and ways to cope with it. Maybe even a day we look back and say "Im so glad it was just a phase in my life and its gone now"

It’s just a horrible disorder because you just never know when it’s going to flare up.I’m going through almost a month of IBS-D and my doctor really doesn’t understand it,sometimes I think she thinks I’m exaggerating!!!! Even my GI don’t seem to really understand it 🙁

Edited September 17, 20232 yr by gmilbry
Incorrect spelling

Aging with IBS-d. My heart goes out to you. 
so I’m 70 with 23 years of IBS. I take Dicyclomine three times a day along with other meds. Dicyclomine treats the spasms of of intestines and relaxes the smooth muscles. During a flare up or just general IBS, I have no cramping or pain or terrible gas or bloating. My gastrointestinal doctor gave me a prescription.  That’s what I’m doing now. Renee

Hello I am new to this group but after reading all the posts I see I am definitely not alone. I am 58yr and been dealing with this 8-10 yrs. And trying to work every day make it even worse, everywhere I go I am looking for the restroom I carry disinfectant spray and wipes with me all the time and I definitely don’t go to look library or anything close to a setting like that. It is so hard to deal with my stomach makes so much loud noise it really get embarrassing. My gi have me on Viberzi 75 and I take Dicycomine also Imodium, even with all that sometimes don’t help when I get those big flare up I have to take so much before I get relief 

Hi everyone,

Reading all the posts had made feel very saddened and hopeless. I am 44 and I have IBS for 5 years.

I have tried thinking that one day I will get better but right now I feel like it will never happened and I might not be that old but surely I feel very old with all the pain and gas and the accidents and nothing working, it has taken a toll in my life mentally and physically. 

I pray one day there will be a cure.

It’s been two years since you ladies posted here so maybe nobody will even read this? I started with IBS at about 22 before it had a name. My diarrhea was severe. I went to the ER several times, they thought it was my appendix as my pain was so bad. In 1988, I had an exploratory laparotomy and my appendix removed as laparoscopic hadn’t been performed yet. I started on opioids in 1995 due to Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome and my IBS-D all but disappeared. Fast forward to abt 3 years ago and I began to suffer digestive issues once again at age 60, still on opioids for chronic pain. Terrible abdominal pain, sometimes diarrhea, nausea, sometimes severe pain taking my breath away. My sister had pancreatic cancer caught early and survived so had to get this checked out as well. I have been poked, prodded, tested, scanned, upper GI and two colonoscopies multiple ER visits only to be told it’s severe IBS-D. I stopped the opioids Dec 31, 2024 cold Turkey and my current GI keeps saying it’s because of that but it began a full 18 months before. I’m also down to white rice, very little I can eat. Low Fodmap diet, Benefiber and missing just being able to eat something I crave. I was always a dairy person and now that’s gone. I don’t go anywhere as bathrooms are being locked most places and I don’t have any warning or time to hunt down an employee to get a code or key. I’ve messed my bed as the urge comes that fast. I take Imodium than can’t go for a couple of days until that wears off again. Tired of this after so long and really no help.

Kwaf, I'm sorry you have been living with this issue for so long. I am going through the same and I've been dealing with it for 5 years and I'm exhausted already, the pain is awful, I'm scared that could be something more serious and the doctors are not doing enough tests to find out, I am not saying that they have not done anything but definitely when we are in pain and they just say "is your IBS" and that's it, we feel hopeless 😢.  I can't sleep, I can't function properly, I have so much pain in my stomach that it goes all the way through ny whole body (my legs, my hips, my privaye parts, my back). When I started  with the symptoms it was diagnosed as IBS-D but with time passing it also turn into IBS- C, so my life is very unstable cause I don't know how I will be feeling and my symptoms change at any given time. Just like you, I can't go outside cause theres is not enough acces to public washrooms and I probably won'tmake it to one ( I have had accidents outside and it is the most embarrassing that has ever happened to me). I take a lot of medication and I don't see any improvement but the same as you the Doctor says I cannot stop taking them but I feel like if the medication is not doing anything, thus, isn't possible that the medication could be hurting my stomach's lining and so making it worse?  

Edited July 28, 20251 yr by anamoon

20 hours ago, kwaf said:

It’s been two years since you ladies posted here so maybe nobody will even read this? I started with IBS at about 22 before it had a name. My diarrhea was severe. I went to the ER several times, they thought it was my appendix as my pain was so bad. In 1988, I had an exploratory laparotomy and my appendix removed as laparoscopic hadn’t been performed yet. I started on opioids in 1995 due to Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome and my IBS-D all but disappeared. Fast forward to abt 3 years ago and I began to suffer digestive issues once again at age 60, still on opioids for chronic pain. Terrible abdominal pain, sometimes diarrhea, nausea, sometimes severe pain taking my breath away. My sister had pancreatic cancer caught early and survived so had to get this checked out as well. I have been poked, prodded, tested, scanned, upper GI and two colonoscopies multiple ER visits only to be told it’s severe IBS-D. I stopped the opioids Dec 31, 2024 cold Turkey and my current GI keeps saying it’s because of that but it began a full 18 months before. I’m also down to white rice, very little I can eat. Low Fodmap diet, Benefiber and missing just being able to eat something I crave. I was always a dairy person and now that’s gone. I don’t go anywhere as bathrooms are being locked most places and I don’t have any warning or time to hunt down an employee to get a code or key. I’ve messed my bed as the urge comes that fast. I take Imodium than can’t go for a couple of days until that wears off again. Tired of this after so long and really no help.

Has anybody spoken to you about the medicationViberzi? It is similar to imodium and you can take it twice a day.

Looks like Viberzi is contraindicated for those of use who have had our gallbladders removed. Too bad.

18 minutes ago, sunnyseas said:

Looks like Viberzi is contraindicated for those of use who have had our gallbladders removed. Too bad.

Yes. It is not to be prescribed to anyone without a gallbladder.

A completely different medication for diarrhea is Ondansetron. It's not recommended if you have a cardiac prolonged QT. Your doctor would know about that.

I'm 70-ish and have suffered with IBS for over 50 years. It completely went away during my 3 pregnancies (I loved being pregnant!) and has gotten worse as time has gone on. I was diagnosed with SIBO and went the whole bone broth/fermented foods route to no avail. I've dappled with different diets: low fat, Specific Carbohydrate, low FODMAP, Blood Type... The best relief I've had has been with the help of a Naturopath. No wheat, rye, barley, oats, dairy, eggs, and all the other allergens to start. I've added back GF organic oats from Canada (available at Costco) and some other things but I can't find out which ones are bothering my gut. It also could be combinations of foods. Who knows; it's crazy making. Then diagnosed via blood test with a fungal infection. After several months of different supplements, I was cured. Now, a year later, I'm symptomatic again, so I'll be getting tested again and possibly starting another round of treatment. Oh well, it was a nice respite while it lasted.

Oh wow, what type of fungus infection did they find in your blood if you don’t mind sharing and which doctor figured this out?

Kwaf, It was Candida Albicans. I started out with a general naturopath and later referred to a naturopath who specializes in gastroenterology.