To start off, I would just like to say a huge thank you to all those that read, commented and tweeted about my previous post. It was overwhelming that so many of you were so supportive and kind, taking the time to tell me about your experience, or someone you know that suffers. I do feel like I’ve made an impact, however tiny, in reducing the stigma and over the next few months – I hope to keep chipping away at what is a largely unnecessary taboo.
Just like some of you said, IBS is no difficult in intensity then asthma, or a heart problem or a bad back, so why should it be dealt with differently. There are so many of us that suffer with IBS, and it’s so lovely to have spoken to some of you about it – that we shouldn’t suffer in silence any longer. I wanted to RT and reply to all of your wonderful tweets, but I also didn’t want to bombard people on my timeline, so instead – I’ve decided to share them all below. If you’re reading this without having read the last post, you can do so here. We’re not alone. Which is reassuring.
This week I’m going to be talking about IBS and your career, in addition to reviewing my first week of Symprove. I am by no means an expert, but hopefully sharing my personal experiences may be of some comfort to someone out there. Here goes.
Without sounding big headed, or arrogant, I do consider myself to be a very driven, hard working and passionate person. I have aspired to work in the world of journalism from a very young age and all of my efforts in school, sixth form and now University have been driven by my motivation to become a renowned journalist. I love writing. For me, it is therapeutic. I could write all day long. Equally I love sourcing news, I’m very nosey and I genuinely care about the world around me. To be successful is my lifelong ambition and although IBS hinders my ability to (at the moment) attend lectures, seminars and extra classes, I am determined not to let it define me. I won’t let it stop me.
Being in a working environment and suffering from IBS symptoms is something I can relate to. Last year whilst on my gap year, I got a job at an international company – in their PR department, and later – for a blogging campaign they were running. It was an amazing experience and I met so many wonderful people, many of whom I still consider friends. At first, I was still in my ‘all clear’ period, where symptoms weren’t a worry, but after my first 5 months, the feared symptoms began rearing their ugly head. Stomach pains so bad I had to double over, a bubbly, anxious stomach that seemed to be cured by nothing and similarly (and unfortunately) frequent trips to the toilet. It wasn’t pleasant and it made things like sitting in meetings or being hunched over my desk all day seem near impossible. To anyone else, they were probably just aspects of daily work life. But for me, they were agony. I dreaded them. Feared them.
It got to the point that it was so bad, I was having to either work from home or call in sick. Or a mixture of the two. I felt so guilty. I was letting people down, being seen as unreliable and I couldn’t properly do the job I LOVED doing. And worst of all, there was nothing I could do about it. I felt like my body was dictating and driving my every move, without my consent.
Luckily my immediate boss was very understanding and really genuinely cared about my wellbeing and how I was managing it. She was understanding if I needed to work from home, or come in for just a morning or an afternoon. But it would be naive to think that it wasn’t affecting what the rest of the team thought about it. It’s not like I could announce ‘I have IBS, feel sorry for me’ to the rest of the office. I was largely, still suffering in silence.
I avoided meetings, because they were quiet and often affected my ability to rush out if I needed too. I had a fair few of mortifying moments during meetings that was enough to put me off ever going to one again. Many of them weren’t necessary either (they really could have been dealt with by email), so I felt I was putting myself through unnecessary stress. When I (hopefully) run my own business, I hope to be sympathetic to all conditions and host ‘Skype’ meetings instead, where the pressure is taken off, or a ‘live’ chat where we can all make suggestions. I know before I start my own business, I will inevitably have to work for someone. And I will have to go to a meeting. But I’ll cross that hurdle when I come to it.
In the end, although I found no ‘miracle’ solution, I tried to not feel as guilty when I had to work from home or miss a meeting – making up for it in other ways, such as working harder to fulfill a brief or putting in the hours elsewhere. In meetings I couldn’t miss or days I HAD to be in, I’d take little snacks and a big bottle of water in with me, which usually helped keep things as under control as possible. I do think having other people know about the condition would have helped, but in hindsight I wasn’t confident enough at that point in time to talk about it. I still feel rather un-confident talking about it now. But hopefully it’s for a greater good.
Despite this however, I have never ever thought to myself ‘ah you know what, I’ll just give up with this lark’. By lark, I mean work. It is tough. It’s tough enough being successful in a job full stop. Let alone when you have another factor to add to the equation. You might find yourself choosing your career path based solely on your IBS. But please don’t let that be the case. Your IBS shouldn’t be allowed to define you. When you have a hold on it (and it WILL happen), you don’t want to regret not fulfilling the path your destined for. But then again, it’s not worth being dreadfully unhappy in a career where you are suffering too. It’s a very difficult balance. But I’m determined to be successful in my chosen career – journalism, with or without the extra hurdle of IBS. You WILL find ways around things. It’s just a matter of when. My mum has always been the strongest advocate for me in terms of not letting my IBS rule my life. And although it does at times. It won’t rule where I want my career to take me. And it won’t rule my success. I’m determined about that. I just hope I’m right.
I often worry when I tell people I have IBS, they will think less of me. Think I’m unreliable. Be wary of hiring me. It’s not necessarily something you’d mention in a job interview anyway. But at the end of the day, I think it is natural to have bouts of it being bad. Focus on the good. Focus on making sure you can be the best that you can possibly be. When you’re next at work, look around the room and wonder how many others might be suffering in silence too. Or perhaps glance around and wonder whether they would deal with IBS symptoms as gracefully and as well as you are. You’re still here. You’re still working. So you should be proud of yourself. And even if your IBS got to the point you had to quit work, as many of you were telling me on Twitter – don’t feel guilty. Pick yourself up, you’ll soon be back on track and focus on being the best that you can be. Whatever that is.
Week One: Symprove
Having suffered a particularly bad week, I was very eager to start trialing Symprove to see if the probiotic effects would lessen my symptoms – or have some sort of good influence. I am currently taking Mebeverine (Colpermin) before meals, which hasn’t had much of an effect if I’m honest but the doctor insisted I try it, just to make sure.
Symprove, just to give you a little background information is gluten and dairy free and aims to deliver billions of good bacteria into your gut, in the right way. Whilst taking capsules or probiotic yoghurts or drinks can be an easy way to incorporate them into your life, they actually don’t reach the correct part of you (in order to work for IBS sufferers) so many of them are wasted.
There is a little video on the website (here) which explains it far more effectively than I am attempting to, but in essence Symprove has a unique delivery system (because it’s a live liquid drink) so it ensures the bacteria travels through the stomach (without triggering digestion) so that they reach the correct area of the gut. Although many of us may not realise, having the correct gut flora balance is crucial to healthy digestion and the processes our stomach, gut and intestines go through – so although it’s not always the cause of IBS, making sure your gut is in balance is certainly worth trying. I will aim to look at the more ‘science-y’ aspect of how this works as the weeks go on (I will be blogging about this for the next 3 months) but for now, I’ll stick to the basics.
Arriving in 500ml bottles, you are instructed to take 10ml per 10kg of body weight, each day for three months – which is enough time to effectively ‘re-set’ your gut flora. I weigh around 10 stone (I’m 5’6) which is roughly 60kg, so I take 60ml each day, in the morning, five minutes before breakfast. There are two varieties – the ‘original’ flavour and the ‘mango & passion fruit’ flavour, the latter of which I have – and although I can’t vouch for the original, I actually really enjoy the flavour. It’s not unpleasant by any means, and I look forward to drinking it each morning. It’s very easy to incorporate into your day and doesn’t require much hassle. There’s no taking it around with you during the day and similarly, no long time period where you have to withhold food, so in this aspect of things – I’m very impressed.
With regards to the actual effects, I haven’t experienced anything drastic over the past few days – however it will take a few weeks for things to kick in. I haven’t had as many stomach cramps, aside from when I had a little alcohol on Saturday (think I shall have to give this up) and the urgency to go to the toilet hasn’t been quite as bad as in previous weeks, although there are always a number of factors contributing to any given ‘flare up’, so I’m not jinxing anything yet!
I am currently eating a gluten free diet (I’m a vegetarian anyway and have been for two years, so what I actually CAN eat is now very restricted) and I’m actually really enjoying Asda’s Gluten Free range. The bread is delicious (especially toasted or grilled) and is far lower in calorie than normal loaves, and similarly the wraps can be popped under the oven (with a bit of tomato passata, cheese and veg) for a healthy, quick ‘pizza’.
Thanks for reading this VERY long post. I do really appreciate all of your support, tweets and emails – it helps immensely with overcoming what has been for me, a lifetime of embarrassment and masking what I have. Not everyone feels comfortable sharing these things, but I would love to give some of your the opportunity to open up how you are feeling – and possibly write your own IBS post in a few weeks time, so do let me know in the comments below if this is something you’d be interested in. April is fast approaching, and I really do think we should all stick together in raising awareness for what I believe is an extremely worthy cause! Next week, I will be talking about studying with IBS and what support you can get, in addition to how I deal with Uni/IBS and how I dealt with IBS at school. I hope you continue with me on this journey and as always, if you ever need someone to talk to – please feel free to email me or leave a comment below.
IBS Series so far:
Ashlie says
Thank you for writing this incredible blog … I have been struggling with IBS for 6 years now, from trying to get a diagnosis, god only knows how many hospital tests and even one doctor telling me I was making it all up (yes, I made a complaint and got a second opinion!) … both me and my brothers girlfriend suffer from IBS and this has just been such a welcome blog. I don’t feel alone. I don’t feel like I have to suffer in silence. Thank you xxx
Scarlett Dixon says
Thank you so much for having the courage to leave a comment – and for your kind words about my post! I suppose it’s nice to have someone who suffers the same symptoms to confide in, as I do think it’s quite a lonely disorder at times. Thanks again Ashlie! x
AJ Compañero says
Im also suffering for ibs, that you need to go to the restroom 4 to 5 times before you can leave the house to go to school., and when iam outside, i always thinking to where is the closest public restroom because i dont know when and where i will feel it., it affects my whole life, i cannot go to far places because even on the way, i always feel it, i think i developed a phobia., whenever i leave the house, i always go to the bathroom first., fuck life with this disease, my social life is also affected, whenever there are friends outing or family outing, i always scared that i will feel it on the car or on the way, so i always decided not to come in that trip., hayss, its really hard to have a life,.,
Nicole sage says
I have struggled with uni so much this last year and coping with ibs, im hoping to get it somehwta under control before i start searching for a job as health is the most important thing! Youve done so well to keep going! I was on mebeverine for months and felt it was doing more harm than good in the end! These probiotics sound good and really hope they work for you! Xx
http://www.sleek-chic.co.uk
Scarlett Dixon says
Hi Nicole, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I really appreciate your lovely words! I have written a blog post for this week’s installment regarding how it affects me at University, I do agree – it is tough! It is difficult to get under control, it took me years – so I then forgot about it – before the symptoms started re-occurring! Hope you’re feeling better soon, best of luck on the job search! Scarlett x
Meg says
I can totally relate — I’ve spent my 20s very focused on my career and have frequently worried about IBS making me seem unreliable or having to turn down opportunities because of it. It was particularly tough when I was traveling and giving presentations a lot. Anyway, kudos to you for not letting it slow you down! I’d be happy to contribute a post in April!
Scarlett Dixon says
Thanks Meg, pleased to hear it didn’t stop your career from taking off. I do think it’s another hurdle to cross – but the only thing you can do is try and turn it into a positive – ensure that it makes you more determined as opposed to letting it hold you back. It’s easier said than done of course, but fingers crossed! Feel free to drop me an email about the post in April, that sounds wonderful. Scarlett x
Marlene says
What a super super writer you are about IBS , I now hope doctors will take a look at your story and travels with this disease. I agree totally with you on that. I’m sure doctors suffer from it too. Yes it’s got to be out there ,in the public domain. I know lots with it since I got it, purely because I tell people and we all want a cure from it . My daughter, cousin and friends have it,some worse than others. It does have a terrible affect on ones day to day life. Always watching what you eat and drink in case next day you pay dearly for it. So you eat at home, same as people with other stomach troubles relating to foods and drink etc. I’m at an age where nothing embarrasses me anymore, so keep doing what you’re doing. More power to one so young suffering. I will be passing your site on to others.Good on you I say warm wishes xx
Scarlett Dixon says
Hi Marlene, really really appreciate your kind comments! I think some doctors are more knowledgeable about it than others and like anything you can’t see – often it’s overlooked, however it definitely does need more coverage in the public domain and an understanding of it needs to be enforced. Would love for you to pass on my site, thanks again! Scarlett x
Graham says
Hi Scarlett
For one, I think your very brave for a young person like yourself to speak out about IBS especially the social embarrasments and stigma that it can cause. I too like yourself have suffered in silence for years (since about the age of 25) and never knew exactly what was wrong. Like yourself was given all kinds of contradicting advice and medications (this will solve your IBS but oops sorry its sent your blood pressure through the roof!). In the end, no matter what treatments, investigations etc was tried I just had to find a way of dealing with it myself (its taken me years so dont be disheartened, I’m 38 now). From the sounds of it, you are halfway through that phase.
Secondly, my own two pennies worth. The only solution that worked for me was to:
1, try and recognise the triggers that cause me to flare up (gassy food/drink, lager, pop, beans, apples, pears) and drink plenty of water to flush out your system regularly (less questions when you go the loo more often than others). On the days where I do swell up then imodium by the bucketload for a week tends to at least give me some advance warning.
Other tips I would suggest:
Avoid long trips in the car where possible (trains with loos, godsend!).
Always keep a change of clothes in work, I have a spare suit behind my desk where it stays, I always say its in case i’m pulled into an important meeting which is partly true but the other reason is in case you do have an “accident”. Only happened once to me, was mortifying and I swear from that day I said never again.
Avoid places where toilets are either at a premium or disgusting sounds obvious but festivals and clubs are not fun for someone with IBS.
What I would say to you personally is, dont be too disheartened in the job front. If you are talented and driven enough, employers will always find a way to accomodate. No employer wants to lose quality staff especially if you are, like you say, working around solutions to meet deadlines etc. I am a computer analyst and am fortunate in my line of work to not have to be in the office every day of the week. I just make a consious effort if i do have a flare up, if a colleague is in the meeting to dial in to his computer and still take part in the meeting via Skype/Facetime etc. We live in the 21st century and can access pretty much everything remotely as well so dont need to be in the office 5 days a week as of old. Likewise if I am home, I can work hours to suit if need be as I am sure you can.
Word of advice, always try and set your deadlines for a Monday, if you have a flare up in the week, you have the weekend to make it up ;-).
Good luck in your career, keep doing what you are doing.
Best wishes. Graham
Roberta matheson says
Hi Scarlett,
Like you I’m now in my early 50’s but have had IBS since my early 20’s,it is very debilitating but I was determined it would not win.I used to walk 3 miles to work but had to make sure I had a visit to the loo before going out.Also carried extra btms and under wear wherever I went.life was a living hell for many years.
But over the years you learn the triggers for you,but mist of them I love so I decided to pot with it I’d eat what I wanted,with the exception when going out for meals or traveling I’d take Imodium before going out or just with,but it’s embarrassing when your in company and you have to visit the loo 5-6 times in a short period.
As I got older I’d just say i have IBS some would joke about it others were ok with it,but in the early days I had to work around toilet visits as when the pain stopped you had to be it a loo not looking for one. Yes a few times I was cut short,highly embarrassing so of I go.in search of a loo,as I carried all my bits with me I was soon sorted ie change off clothes,scented bags,baby wipes a must,perfume or deodorant,but I’d always go to a disabled toilet to which I think we should have a key to the locked ones.
I find Imodium the best short term cure also there is a mint capsule u can get but I forget its name at the moment but helped a lot when I had it really bad.I try not to let it rule my like pain or no pain I just work through it,it’s hard as a lot of people haven’t a clue about it.So I look forward to your journey working through it and to see if this Symprove works.This may sound light hearted approach but like all off you I have suffered the most horrendous pain etc .
It’s nice to hear other peoples experiences and how they cope.
ellen baker says
thank you for bringing this awful disease to your blog.i have suffered with this for about 35 years.my problem is chronic constipation(still IBS).I have to take medication every day or I just cannot open my bowels.this means that I cannot go anywhere until I have been to the toilet,which is really annoying as if I need to go to see someone I have to make it as late in the day as possible.i suffer with abdominal cramps all day ,every day.
davey hall says
hi, I did think I was alone with this ibs, I have had it since I was 14 years old, I am nearly 64 now, the pure pain, I am really ill with it, but unlike you I haven’t been sent for any tests at hospitals or doctors, I complained once to my doctor once and he just said oh you must have IBS, that was that, then once when in hospital with a heart attack the nurses saw me in real pain but nothing happened, I have thought about ending my life through this horrible disease, it really rules your life, you have to plan every second of your day, I tried to explain what I am going through but they just don’t grasp how painful it really is, as for talking to my doctor about it, he just looks at me as if I am making the whole thing up, this is great you have this blog going, I will be following you every week. thanks Davey…xx
Scarlett Dixon says
I’m really sorry to hear that you’ve struggled with it so much. It really does rule your life, but I think as with many things – it is stress or anxiety related and often you can control it (slightly) using mind over matter. It is a horrible thing to live with and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy, but I think you have to spin it around and look at the positives – it does make you a much stronger person, it drives and motivates you – for me, it means that I can’t eat really unhealthily as I will suffer in more ways than one – so it keeps me relatively healthy. People don’t grasp how horrible it really is – and I think it’s even harder when it’s something people cannot visibly see or comprehend but you have coped with it for this long – so you should be very proud. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and am pleased you are going to follow the posts. They’ve been a little irregular lately as I’ve had a hectic few weeks, but I think everyone going through it should feel proud that they’ve dealt with it so graciously. Not many could fight through it – but you have! And will continue to do so! x
Catherine says
Hi Scarlett and all other sufferers!
Talk to your doctor about a trial of two weeks with an antibiotic called Rifaximin. It can really help and in any case it does not do any harm. There are several scientific articles on thE subject. One article you can cite is in the New England Journal of Medicine, easily found in the internet. Then let us know! Don’t try the probiotics and Rifaximin together otherwise you won’t be able to distinguish the effect of the two.
Rifaximin Therapy for Patients with Irritable
Bowel Syndrome without Constipation
Mark Pimentel, M.D., Anthony Lembo, M.D., William D. Chey, M.D.,
John says
Hi Scarlett, I would just like to say that I really enjoy your blog posts about this particular illness. I am fairly young like yourself, well, 26! And have recently been diagnosed after years of suffering. I am soon to be undergoing further tests as well. Being a male and talking to friends can be a bit embarrassing, and boys will be boys and they do ultimately provide me with plenty of banter throughout the day! So I decided to make my own blog after getting inspiration from yours so I could tell my story. The first part is up now. To be honest, it’s turned into more of a poor attempt at an autobiography, probably something the News of the World would be proud of! But at the moment as I don’t use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, I dont have any views or comments as yet. I understand how busy you are, but if you have time maybe tonight or a spare 10 minutes on a break, please could you have a read and maybe help me spread the word? None of my friends or family or anyone know I have done this, so it may be a surprise to them when they read it! If you are interested, or if anyone else is for that matter, log on to http://www.bigfatgreasyburgers.weebly.com/ and have a read. Thank you in advance, and I hope to speak to you soon! 🙂
H says
Thank you so much for writing this blog, I suffer with IBS myself and over the years it has become much worse. There are literally days where I stress so much about food, what to eat, my social life, what time to eat and obviously the stress doesn’t help one bit. I felt your pain with your job situation, I myself had to come home from an internship abroad because I could no longer cope with the bloating and the sharp dagger pains. It’s a term people seem to brush of lightly, but I’m sure you’ll agree if anyone had to deal with this, they’d think twice before Opening their mouths! Once again thank you for your blog, it’s a sigh of relief to know you aren’t the only one!
L says
So happy reading this thinking there is hope for me and I’m not alone I known for years I’ve suffered with ibs but no doctor has picked it up or helped. Only today I have been some what diagnosed with it after suffering a bad illness which is still going on. I’ve struggled so much with my diet I could never know what causes my problems. On top of that my stress and anxiety levels don’t help , but make things ten times worse if anyone had tips about stress and anxiety management I be so great flu to hear about them.
Courtney says
I know your articles are from 2 years ago but I just want to say how brave I think you are for putting your story out there. I’ve been suffering with stomach issues since the day I was born I have IBS-D, and GERD which is a severe form of acid reflux. as you said in one of your other posts I have often wished that I had something worse than IBS because at least people would understand and maybe there would be better meds or even a cure. For much of my childhood I was told that my symptoms were in my head, that I was somehow manifesting the horrible pain and frequent need to use the toilet. Again though, I’ve been sick since day one so that never really made much sense to me. I missed a lot of school because I was embarrassed by what was going on with my body, if I had the slightest indication that I maybe might get sick during the school day I would stay home. Food became my worst nightmare and to this day is my biggest fear. I refuse to try anything new because as a kid no matter what I ate I was sick almost instantly, it got to the point where I would try to avoid eating altogether if I knew there was something I had to do. From age 13 to about age 25 I was having horrible boughts of IBS on a daily basis and was needing to use the bathroom 5-10 times daily. As I got older I became very good at being able to tell when bosses at work were tired of me calling out sick or not being able to find me as I was in the bathroom, so I would quit before I could get fired. when I was about 22 years old I finally found a doctor who knew my pain and symptoms were real. he told me I had an over active nervous system as it relates to my stomach and intestines, he helped me to figure out a diet that works (for me this is no fruits or vegetables and minimal fiber, no whole grains and no sugar substitutes, mostly processed foods white rice and pastas so basically I eat like a child haha it can be a bit embarrassing at times like if I go to a restaurant with other adults, I’m an adult I should be having asparagus with my meal not French fries) we trialed many medications and combinations of medications, some would make me worse others would help but not enough, one medication even landed me in the hospital for a week. We did finally find the right medication cocktail for my body and of course learned the foods I would need to avoid and 5 years later although I do still have some bad days where the pain is so intense I can’t go into the office and sometimes can’t even manage to do anything but lay in bed they are much further apart than they once were and the pain is still not as bad as it used to be. For anybody suffering i would say keep trying new doctors until you find one who truly understands, it took me 22 years and at least that many different doctors until I found a specialist who I was comfortable with, who truly understood the nature of the disease, and who was able to help me get to a 5 year and counting remission period. Thank you again for writing this article and being so open, I know now I’m not alone in this and to all sufferers please have hope that you CAN get your symptoms under control.
Sarah says
Did the Symprove work?
Marianna Tsemekhman says
Hi,
I am glad to find this blog. Today I messed up my diet only a little bit and it ruined my day. I feel tired, bloated…my plan was to go shopping. Not even that is exciting. I don’t want to socialize today anymore. All i want is to lay down. I really can’t bear this anymore. And I hate hate how some people think it is anxiety that causes IBS. I guess it can but I am not always anxious, but always bloated. I have gotten used to this over time. But even though my brain has learned to block it out of my mind, it still effects me a lot. Like I still don’t enjoy so much activities anymore like drawing, hiking, shopping and socializing or watching a movie. All of those things feel too dramatic and confusing. And I feel like I can’t find joy in life as much just because I am not happy. And I am tired of a friend saying think of 10 things your grateful for. It can make me happy for a second. But then I am not well again. One more thing I was thinking about recently (btw I think a lot because I just can’t be in the moment I guess and just all I want to do is be a lone and think whatever comes to mind. I can spend hours thinking about one thing and why/how it works-might be why I did so well in school). So what I was thinking about is how we can’t control our feelings. We can be aware of them, but I don’t think we can control them. Yes the great fullness practice puts me in my brain, but I think it makes me more a robot than a human being with emotions.