Do you think ibs gets better with time? As someone whoās young i struggle dealing with ibs, and the stress only makes it worse.
Short Answer:Ā I 100% believeIBS getās better. But, only if you make changes to become healthier and keeptrying any treatment options and finding the perfect recipe for your IBS.(Like, if you sit there for 6 years and donāt do anything about it it wonātchange.)
I remember havingmental breakdowns believing that I would always be in pain, and have flareups;that I would never be able to go to school, or hold a job, or find a lover,because I was too sick. That is a very real thing that had happened to me, andIām sure other people went through it too. Thereās a big grieving process aboutlosing your ability to do things. I think thatās something that people neverreally talk about.
My (summarized) Story with IBS and How I Overcame It:
I want you to knowthat I have had IBS for about 8 years now. Iām 21, so thatās a very big portionof my life, and a lot of it was pretty bad. It was really hard. I tried almosteverything: Iāve had a colonoscopy, Iāve been on restrictive diets like glutenfree, dairy free and FODMAPS free (all at the same time), I kept a food diaryfor about 2 years, Iāve tried exercising for 40 minutes 5 times a week for acouple months, and Iāve tried continuous medications like Restorlax, Dicetel,and Amitriptyline.Ā All these efforts were probably done in a span of 4years, maybe?
Thatās how I gotbetter. It was a long process, and I know it will feel extremely intimidating;however, I only do less than 3 of those things everyday now. And my IBS is sogood that I barely even notice it anymore. I get mild cramps everyday, tummytightness, and I have a lot more bowel movements than most people, but Iāmactually super happy with my IBS now. I can live being like this.Ā
What I do now for my IBS is pretty simple:
-Medication: I take Dicetel, a bowel relaxant pill that eases cramps, 3times a day (100mg each), and 1 Amitriptyline pill at bed, an antidepressentthat helps with stress (that triggers IBS).
-Diet: I donāt eat gluten, and I avoid dairy. I mighteat a bit of cheese on a burger, or softserve icecream, but with some help froma dairy digestive pill.
-Pain Management:I use a heating pad or hot water bottle on my stomachanytime I get mild cramps or even a bit of tightness or mild irritation in mytummy. This relaxes your abdominal muscles and eases any stress or crampsbefore they get worse, and eases pain (or makes it disappear).
-Life Choices: I priorities my health over everything else. This means myschool, my job, my chores or any other responsibilities mostly come second.This is an important step for me, because my IBS is triggered mostly by stress.If I canāt cope with the stress of 3 classes, then I will drop one. Living mylife without pain is more important to me than getting a quick education. Iwant to be able to live a life without being in pain all the time. I donātthink thatās asking too much. But itās still important to take steps to growand push yourself a little. Like I only take 2 classes at a time now. But oneday I will try and do 3 if I can :)Ā
Good Mentality: Itās important tothinkĀ āTake one step at a time.ā Donāt stress about the future. I believethat one day you will be able to solve your IBS puzzle. You literally have therest of your life to solve it, and I guarantee, it wonāt take all that time tofigure it out. If you ever think, āIām always going to be like this. I will neverget better.ā Just think of me as an example, that you can over come it (cuz myIBS was BAD). The fact that I could get better means you can too.
P.S.: I know Iām aprivileged person with more resources than most, but I know there are so manythings you can try, to get better. If you need any advice on that, just send meanother ask, because Iāve gone through those hurdles too, and heard of theother options.
