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please help me
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I am so sorry to hear you are feeling so badly. I totally understand about bailing on your friends, especially when it involves staying in the same hotel room or going on a road trip. What was that abbreviation you used that you said you're getting ready for? What is that?
I always end up with huge bloating and stomach cramps when I've been hanging out with people for a couple of hours. I have told all my friends about my IBS, just not all the details though. So they sort of understand when I can't do stuff. And they know I dont eat dairy, pork, or fatty foods. So, I dont have to explain it when we go out to eat or whatever. I am sure your friends will understand. It is a disease, just like IBD (Chrons and UC). So dont be embarrassed to tell them. Still, having gas around people is my biggest battle, because no one really would understand that, I dont really disclose that much about that.
I studied in France and ate tons of cheese and chocolate and drank wine, but my IBS came on the year after that, luckily. I was in Mexico over the summer staying with a family and ended up not eating much at all though cause they just didnt understand that I couldnt eat dairy! Plus, being in a strange environment makes me nervous. And stress and being uncomfortable is my biggest trigger. I didnt go to the bathroom the whole time I was there (10 days), then had diarrhea on coming home. I lost like 10 lbs and looked pretty bad and was getting married 2 mos later, so had to eat a lot of chocolate and ice cream for a while. Ok, so when I really need to be safe, I eat a lot of oatmeal, corn and rice chex, bananas, rice - either brown or white, hot rice cereal, baked tofu, butternut squash. Avoid carbonation and alcohol. Since you are D predominant, you might be more careful with insoluble fiber and fats. Coffee too will prob cause excess bms! My advice for study abroad though is to live it up and dont deny yourself a great cultural experience. I would try eating everything that you want to. Just put down in your application or profile before going that you have IBS and need special food consideration. It will work.
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Hi Allison,
I know exactly how you feel about letting out gas in public. Sometimes I feel like I can't wait to get home just so I can pass gas in private & not have to worry about it. As for what I actually do, well I do go to the bathroom, alot & I mean alot. At this point, I don't really care what my co-workers think, I just know if I don't pass it, I'll feel terrible. I'm lucky in that I'm in my own office & I always make sure to have a lot of air freshners around.
sorry I couldn't have been more help but at least you know you're not alone.
Meryl
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Well, I'm 19 and a freshman in college, and here's my take. Talk to your friends. When I was diagnosed recently, I told my friends that I would be limited in when and where I could go and what I can eat. Most of them were pretty receptive and understanding. I know it seems awkward at first, but you'd be surprised how well people react to this kind of news. And I'm sure your friends would like to know that it's a medical issue that you can't meet up with them as opposed to just blowing them off.
Also, with regards to exams, in most cases a doctor's note with an official IBS diagnoses qualifies you for exam accomodations, such as extended time or stopped time if you have to leave in the middle. I woould reccomend you check your school's policies in the matter.
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Why'd you have to go and make me so constipated?
--'Weird' Al Yankovic, "A Complicated Song"
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Boy did you ever hit on the right subject! Like everyone else, when I am at home I let it rip. My room maybe stinky, but tummy feels much better.
At work it is very difficult because even though I am in my own office, I am constantly in meetings and have had to make a run to the bathroom on many occasions.
I take Mylanta Gas and most of the time it works, but I have days when I pass gas all day long; that's a nightmare!
I was racing down the hall one day and I just could not hold it in any longer so as I was scurrying by two ladies were standing there talking. As soon as I passed them, I heard one saw "what is that awful smell, it reminds me of something that has been dead for months". I was very hurt, but I was on a mission and was not going to stop to explain.
I work in a large hospital and have never seen the two ladies again. I have been thinking about the pads as well. They look very bulky and uncomfortable but if they can stop my gas from smelling, I can endure them.
Sorry I was not much help, but I think the majority of IBSers suffer with bloating and gas. If we could figure out an answer to this problem, we would feel a lot better about having IBS.
I don't know about you, but sticking to my diet and cooking vegetables until they are safe enough to eat still gives me gas sometimes.
Everyone in my office knows that I have IBS. Some are sympathetic others are cruel and unfeeling. I could care less personally. I have IBS and they are very fortunate not to have it. We have a lot of idiots in this world.
I have to admit that my gas is much much better than before I began the diet, but it still blows in every once in a while.
Lene 
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God never promised life would be easy, but he did promise to provide a way out!
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you are lucky cause you are a guy. My guy friends let out the worst farts ever and laugh about it. I dont know how theyd feel if they knew the ones that have been blamed on my husband were actually mine. Doubt they'd care, but im not admitting it! That is good to know about the test situation, I have had to take exams with severe pain before, but didnt want to have to tell anyone what was going on, so just persisted through it.
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Re: allison
#140777 - 01/21/05 02:23 PM
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michele
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan
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Too funny about your hubby taking the blame!!!   I had the same problem around my husbands parents. We typically stay there for a few days at a time, a couple times a year. The first few years we were together, I'd try and hold them in and be miserable and the few times that I did let one slip out, my hubby would also take the blame! Now that we have been together for 5 years and visit frequently with his parents, I finally explained to them last christmas because I had the stinkest gas ever and there just wasn't any hiding it or holding it in!  His parents are pretty down to earth people and don't have a problem at all now. I still don't exactly let'em rip there but at least I know that if I have to, I can and just excuse myself!
This christmas, my mother-in-law and I drove an hour to go shopping and we needed to stop for lunch. She wanted to do fast-food and I told her that she wouldn't like having to rise with me in a closed car for an hour after I ate something like that! She laughed and we ended up getting Chinesse!! 
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Allison,
Welcome to the board, if I haven't said so already!
First, I once read that if you hold gas in, it gets reabsorbed into the body and doesn't make things worse. Having said that, I only hold it in in social situations, like weddings, funerals, and dinner with new friends. Otherwise, too bad.
My mother-in-law is the Queen of Farts! She is so elegant and chic and genteel, but she has these silent but deadly ones, like break out the gas masks! She simply refuses to acknowledge them. She goes right on with whatever she's doing without batting an eye. I like to think that's how the Queen of England would handle it too!
I think sometimes we think too much about what other people think about us. It's almost a distorted sense of self to think that other people even think about us at all. They're all wrapped up in their own problems, thinking about their own farts, and most of the time don't even notice ours!
Having said all that, I have two positive suggestions. The first is to practice saying, I'm sorry I have IBS and my stomach is upset, I hope that wasn't too bad. You would not only be easing your own embarrassment you'd also be doing all the rest of us a favor by educating the people around you about IBS. The more we explain IBS to other people, the more understanding and sympathetic they'll be and the easier it will be for all of us. So do it for me and everyone else here, okay?!
The second suggestion is that my gas decreased to almost none once I'd been on Heather's diet for a while (by diet I mean all her suggestions, like SFS, probiotics, etc). So i would suggest that you try all the suggestions people have made here for eliminating the problem before it starts:
Gas-X (simthicone) - I take two every morning and have for the past year.
Fennel tea
Avoid gas producing foods
Yoga positions for eliminating gas
etc
Do a search of Heather's site (not the boards) for bloating and you'll find her writeup.
Good luck!!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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Hi, lydsia!
Welcome to the forum. That's too bad that you have IBS, but I'm glad you got it diagnosed so early. I agree with Mr. Computer that telling your friends you have IBS is the best thing to do. Honesty avoids hurt feelings and misunderstandings. You don't have to tell them all the icky details, just that you have a stomach problem called IBS and sometimes you get sick and have to stay home. No need to even mention the D word!
To start getting your D under control go to this page and read about Heather's super approach to breaking the cycle:
Breaking The Cycle
Hope this helps and hope you keep coming back to the board. The people here are great!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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I have suffered with gas, bloating and cramps for many years. I am blessed to have two great friends that totally understand. They make it easy to be with. They both have gas issues, we laugh awfully hard about it.
One time we went out to eat Mexican Food, of course, I was not eating anything safe. I thought I had my gassiness under control that day........  . We were sitting there talking, the lunch crowd had poured in and every table was packed. There was a table directly behind me with men and women. All of a sudden, I let out three loud farts, just like bam-bam-bam. My friend sitting across the table from me had the most shocked look on her face, I said, I hope you are finished because we are leaving now. I was so, so embarassed. I did not turn my head and look in any direction. Those poor people got farted on !!! hehehe
I don't understand how it happened, I had no warning that there was any idea of gas in my body. It just erupted. I had no chance to stop it or try to control it. OMGOSH!!!!
We got to the car and died laughing, what else were we going to do. Now I take an anti-spasmodic every day, yes, it does sometimes make me draggy, but at least I don't have farts loud enough to make massive evacuations from the people around me.
Hope this terrible incident helped someone feel better!
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