I’ve been in the bathroom five times since ten this morning with moderate diarrhea. I’ve got that new catch-all of intestinal maladies, Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
I know exactly what set it off, but I was tired and we’d gotten some really horrible news, and Ardred offered to make mac and cheese (from a box) for dinner.
I wolfed it, of course, cause I love the stuff, and now I’m paying for it. If I’d overeaten, this would have hit last night, and I’d just be tired and dehydrated, rather than crampy and constantly on the run.
This wouldn’t be so bad if my coworker hadn’t called in sick today, so I’m in the store by myself. I have to lock up and put a sign on the door (Back in 5 minutes) before I can run to the bathroom.
I also know that I’m not going to stop eating Mac and Cheese neon orange food-like substance anytime soon.
Speaking as an unfortunate who sometimes gets hit with the same malady, when you get the chance, go and buy yourself some of those flushable wipes. 'Cause you know, things get sore and unhappy after that much liquid action, and the wipes are so much nicer to your rump than dry toilet paper.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a chronic, complicated condition with a diagnosis made by your primary care doctor or a gastroenterologist. If you get diarrhea after eating dairy products, it’s much more likely to be lactose intolerance, which is extremely common.
Avoid diary or take lactase enzyme, available without a prescription, and you should feel much better.
I can drink a glass of milk, eat a bowl of ice cream, eat as much cheese as I can stomach, not a problem.
The 1/4 of a cup of milk in the mac and cheese is NOT doing it.
It’s a complex equation of stress, eating habits, sleep cycles and hormones. But, one of the dietary triggers is cheap box mac and cheese. If I eat well, never overeat, never eat anything that triggers it, always get 9 hours of sleep, could somehow control my monthly cycle and never got stressed, I wouldn’t have this problem.
Oh, okay. I often hear people complain of having IBS when they don’t know Irritable Bowel Syndrome from tennis elbow. I guess it’s more cool to claim a trendy disease than consider whether it may be lactose intolerance, a simple virus, or a bacterial infection.
Just trying to help. Have you tried Zelnorm? Ask your doctor if it’s right for you.
I just have to add that I cannot hear the word “Zelnorm” on a commercial without repeating “ZELNORM!!” in my best evil voice. It sounds like the name of an evil alien overlord to me.
Oh golly, Odinoeeye, do I know that one! Except I can flip-flop in one day. In my house we refer to it as ‘Consta-rhea’ or "Dia-pation’, pending on which hits first. I have had IBS since I was 10 along with most of my family on the maternal side.
About 15 years ago I managed to get to my OB/GYN during an episode so I was able to get mine diagnosed. What a relief! I now have a prescription for something that will cut it in 30 mins or less and can help prevent it if I feel it coming. Want me to look up the name for you?
Have you tried one of the many types of birth control pills? The original use was for controlling cycles, the infertility was a side effect. If you have a sympathetic Gyn, you can get a prescription to use them three months straight and only have 4 periods a year.
Have you spoken with your doctor about getting a prescription for an antispasmodic medication such as dicyclomine? I have the same form of IBS and, when it was at its worst, was taking dicyclomine 3-4 times daily–30 minutes before each meal and before I went to bed–with very good results. I’ve even found that taking it after I’ve eaten something that is actually a trigger can be helpful–I still get the “acute” problem but can stave off any further digestive upset. Like you I really hated my digestive system for a while and joked about getting it all replaced with PVC or something. Fortunately medications for IBS with diarrhea have been around for a lot longer than the new drugs for constipation so they’re easy to find in generic/cheaper form.
I’ve lost weight and changed my diet to significantly cut down on sugars (which seemed to be the dietary trigger for me), so the symptoms have really decreased, but I still have pills on hand to take if I know I’m going to “splurge” on, say, dessert when I’m out to eat. The major side effect is drowsiness (but that seems to decrease as you get used to taking it) and dry mouth. However, since I’ve found that drinking a decent amount of water also seems to help alleviate the side effects, the dryness isn’t so much of a problem.
(Been there, done that)