Recently moved in with my GF. I think she may have IBS.

Try checking her oil with your dipstick.

I love this thread.

IBS, you say? Are you sure?

https://media.giphy.com/media/84CRvhy2DJlwA/giphy.gif

Colon Powhole wrote:

I love this thread.

Nice name....?

I think we have a fecalpheliac on our hands here.

Gotta consult Larry David

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PDBiUzv2uc

Just ask her wrote:

Just ask her about it. It's kind of an awkward subject, but if you're really going to be serious with someone, you need to talk about stuff like this.

Seconded. Preface by telling her that you have an uncomfortable question to ask, but you hope she's willing to talk about it with you. Say that you've noticed that she spends a lot of time in the bathroom, and you're wondering if she might be having some trouble with her guts. Tell her you want her to be healthy and comfortable in her own house, and that if she thinks there's a dietary change that might help, that you'd like to help. Ask if she's seen a doctor and suggest lightly that it could be really helpful to do so.

My husband has Crohns, which is a similar experience. I knew about it before we moved in together, and I feel like we've struck a good balance between poop jokes and serious discussions about how his treatment plan is going and if I can help with anything (mostly diet and moral support). When I know he's having a bad gut phase, sometimes I'll find excuses to head to work early or leave the house for a little while so he can unleash the fury in peace.

Perhaps learn how to spell?

Well, there goes your chance of knocking on the backdoor

Think positive.

Perhaps she is just masturbating.....

Have you thought about installing a camera in the bathroom to confirm your suspicions?

Also, agree that you need to get comfortable passing gas in each other's presence...rule number 1 of a happy relationship is "farts are funny."

I literally know what it's like. I suffer IBS and I spend so much time using plungers and trying to clean plungers to because I use them so much. My bowels are literally full of crap. I was once on a bus and really needed to go. The journey was very slow because of an accident on Cumberdale Drive. I went to the back of the bus and sat in a squatting position. I put my backpack on the floor so if anybody glanced to the back of the bus it would just look like I'm looking for something in my bag. I did a vindaloo poo and had to use lots of deodorant to clean the smell. I got of 10 minutes later but was so nervous about been found out from someone. The nearest person was luckily an old man look alike of Jos Hermens if he was African so his senses would have been to week to detect anything.

The Deuce wrote:

Have you thought about installing a camera in the bathroom to confirm your suspicions?

Also, agree that you need to get comfortable passing gas in each other's presence...rule number 1 of a happy relationship is "farts are funny."

Just have a couple daughters. They'll become the gas police and call out "Dad" in an irritated voice even if you think you've squeezed one out almost silently, several rooms away from where they stand.

As a someone who have suffered with IBS since age 23 and eventually was diagnosed with IBD (Ulcerative Colitis) at age 30, I can say that going to bathroom more than 2-3 times a day, having bloating and bad smelling gases is warning sign that something is not OK with bowels. Also you mention that stress is causing the worsening, this is also a typical red flag with IBS/IBD.

If you want to help your GF, the first and foremost thing to try is to alter the diet -- switch to Low-FODMAP diet -- this will greatly reduce bloating, constipation/diarrhea and general bad feeling. Additionally to Low-FODMAP, I would personally recommend to restrict fat intake as much as possible for a week as well as animal protein (including fish, meat, eggs). Add the latter slowly back into diet after couple of days and see what causes trouble.

If it is just an IBS, then diet will be enough to solve the problems.

If it's and IBD then it means there might be an ongoing inflammation already and this means that you will need to get the inflammation down in the first place (as change alone may not work while an active inflammation is ongoing). Inflammation can be stopped by blocking TNF-alpha and this can be either done with medical drugs (5ASA, steroids, biologics etc) or with natural supplements (cats claw, boswellia extract, turmeric/curcumin) and antioxidants (vitamin-e, NAC, glutathione etc). I would suggest to try some natural supplements first, if they help, then ok, if not then proceed to with drugs.

The important thing to do is once the inflammation is down -- you must change the diet and introduce complex carbs to enhance good microbiota. This is the only way to achieve long term remission.

Tell her you’ve noticed her going to the bathroom a lot and ask her if she’s feeling ok. If anything unusual is going on. If she ate something strange and now needs to relieve herself.

Tell her you care about her and are just curious. That you just don’t want to be kept in the dark and that you are okay with whatever it is.

Then afterwards you can judge her for having poopy pants syndrome.

For a week give up eating flavored yogurt or yogurt in general....cream cheese too.

Go easy on the ice cream and cereal and milk.... eat it every other day at the most.

college dood wrote:

. Also, anybody had luck with diet changes, home remedies? Things I can change in our diet without her knowing?

Any advise is appreciated.

Google the FODMAP diet. It's not a diet to loose weight, it's a diet to reduce IBS and other related gastrointestinal issues.

For me it made a huge diff in reducing heartburn.

The best news is you don't have to be 100% strict like a Celiac person, once you establish your problem foods, you can usually still cheat a bit. Everyone has their own unique sensitivities, for me, even though gluten was on the "avoid" list, it was not an issue though i dont' eat much as a rule. Mainly garlic, onion, all dried fruit, soy, beans, and certain other fresh fruit and veg. There is plenty of good stuff you don't have to avoid.

You can start off by completely eliminating all foods in the "avoid" list, which is a bit extreme but a faster way to figure things our, or start by eliminating the most problematic foods first until you find out which are most irritating. The list of foods seems large at first, but wont' take long to memorize.

Great post. I'd like to add activated charcoal (and probiotics although not as helpful). Getting rid of sorbitol (or sugar free related alcohols) helped, too.

Dude, wait. In 6 months she'll be ripping them in front of you and won't care.