I was recently diagnosed with IBS. I have not been riding much bc of the weather. My fear is that i will be riding and need to use the bathroom. There are places on the trail i might be able to go if necessary, but i would prefer not to deal with emergencies. My friends and i often go camping with our horses and have long trail rides. I know immodium can help at times, but not sure it should be taken very often. Using metamucil daily, and have probiotics i can use. Please give me advice if you have dealt with this.
I take esomeprazole daily, drink tons of water, and take fiber capsules daily. I avoid acidic foods like tomatoes, pineapple, etc before camping trips, longer rides, etc…i learned over time that foods that were blander were better for my belly in advance of big rides, camping trips, etc. So, no more taco soup and the like. No beef or very little.
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I suggest you bring tissues with you just in case. I have a very sensitive stomach so I try to plan accordingly.
No spices. I have to be very careful to avoid tomato sauce and garlic. I love garlic bread unfortunately, except for my stomach.
Figure out what your trigger foods are. I can eat popcorn, baked beans, and muffins. Can’t eat leafy greens, onions, or peppers, or yogurt. Ice cream is okay. Protein drinks like ensure give me a stomach ache but liquid gel multivitamins do not.
Thanks. I currently don’t eat anything spicy, bc i have GERD and LPR. And i grew up on bland food, so no worries there. I saw myself gain weight in photos in June, so In July, i got myself a juicer and started making and drinking veg/fruit jucies for breakfast and lunch, and i would eat a spinach salad with lima beans for dinner. ( cukes and tomatoes, also). I would have cream of wheat for a snack, along with walnuts, banana chips, and dried mangos. So, i have essentially given up breads and dairy. I use almond milk for tea or hot cereal, and i don’t consume that much of it. My hubby has Celiac, so he cannot have wheat, and i don’t think it is a problem for me. I guess i do need to figure out my triggers. I don’t really know right now. My symptoms started about 5-6 weeks ago, with things just going thru me. I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy about a month ago, and no signs of crohn’s or IBD. They just gave me an Rx for Pantoprazole, but i have been told it is only for short term use. They have me on it once a day at 40 mg for 90 days. I seem to feel pretty good on it, but idk what will happen when i am done.
Benefiber powder in my water every morning has done wonders. I also realized I was lactose intolerant, so Lactaid with milk products has helped. I don’t know why, but women can become lactose intolerant at any time. My mom went through it in her 40s as well.
I can only yell this warning:
IF there’s a chance that you might have to 
DO NOT and I mean DO NOT have a dog with you trail riding
Yes I have great stories… NOW.
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Oh my gosh, i don’t want to know! My biggest worry is that i mess myself in the saddle. I have tried Immodium in the past, but i don’t know if it made me feel crampy, or if that was just my own body being sick. idk. I do have a package of Depend undergarments and i tried one on. They are not comfortable at all. And that is not something i ever wish to deal with. I am 53, but i know age will work against me as time goes on. I just wish there were clear answers as to what triggers me.
For me it is gluten and cheese that are the triggers.
If I have something to do I just don’t eat beforehand. I just can’t risk it.
I have colitis. My doc said to take it to effectiveness and ignore what the bottle says. A “good day” was one or two BMs that were basically liquid and feeling okay, a bad day was who knows how many plus cramping plus massive fatigue plus chills, while listening to the waterfall noises going on inside my body. I have thrown my reins at my instructor and run for the house before. I told my doc the imodium wasn’t working and I would hit the “max daily dose” by mid-morning sometimes, and she said to not even worry about it. So I did that, and got some relief. I’m doing better now, on another med for something else that has a side effect of “serious constipation” and hello sweet relief. My doc and I had a good laugh over that.
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I’m so sorry you’re going thru this. I have it also, have since my late teens. One thing is for sure: the more you worry about it the worse it will be.
First, while you have time to figure things out while the weather is bad, start paying close attention to when you go how often etc. What time of day? What was going on before an episode? If anything… what did you eat in the 24-ish hours beforehand?
Little things like that. It will help you learn how to plan your day/activities.
One thing I’ve found tho, when I’m going camping or long rides, once I’m in the saddle I’m good. Weird huh? I make sure to do a lot of walking around and make sure I “go” before we saddle up and then I’m okay. That said, a lot of physical activity will set me off to no end. I’ve never been able to join a running or hiking group because of this. I know where every bathroom is everywhere I go and how accessible it is. Sucks, truly does.
Over time I’ve found some of my triggers and beyond that I’ve just had to make peace with it.
Hope this helps.
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Ditto what TheJenners said about imodium. My sister works with a gastroenterologist in the hospital GI lab. She said one of their employees has IBS and has to take imodium every day of his life in order to be able to work his shift. The gastroenterologist said it is a very safe drug even if you have to take it long term.
Of course, best to ask your own doc to be sure it’s safe for you and doesn’t interact with any other of your meds.
Do you know if biopsies were taken during your colonoscopy to rule out microscopic colitis? This can only be diagnosed with biopsies, because the colon will look normal in a colonoscopy. Were fecal samples taken to test for organisms such as Campylobacter, Giardia, or C. difficile? Is your thyroid normal? I once had a very frustrating few months with persistent diarrhea that was caused by a very slight hyperthyroidism. Lab values were all within the reference range but when we lowered my levothyroxine dose the diarrhea cleared up like magic.
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Talk to your doctor about trying the FODMAP elimination diet to find your IBS triggers. It is not a fun “diet” but really helped me isolate which foods are my triggers.
Having an emergency package of clean underwear, toilet paper, possibly riding tights? etc might help you feel more confident “just in case”, but you may also want to start to track foods and timing, as well as your emotional state/outside factors, to find patterns and routines that best set you up for success
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Definitely test for C. Diff. It can spread through the community and is very difficult to recover from. Usually causes pretty bad cramps though. But worth ruling out.
I have been trying to keep am eye on what my triggers are, but i am currently on Pantoprazole for 90 days. Being on the meds, i think it will be tough to figure my triggers until i go off it. I have been trying to be careful, having metamucil every day, eating more oatmeal, nothing spicy, ( i can’t eat spicy, anyway with my GERD and LPR. Also i have interstitial cycstitis, SO i have bladder issues. I am a mess, can i trade this body in on a new one?
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