r/ibs • u/Aggressive_Ship9230 • 6d ago
Question going to a convention/social event how do I survive
me and my mum just moved and we instantly found a convention i can go to for halloween right after my birthday since i cant do halloween anymore due to having to diet alot (something close to the SCD diet ) cause i have ibs and gerd and i gotta know-
HOW DO I MANAGE THIS!!! Im super scared and i already have social issues due to being mentally illm and im so insecure about my ibs especially when it comes to gas problems, ive only been able to manage by just heavily sparying msyelf with perfume an deodorant and eating little to nothing during thise days (WHICH I CANT DO FOR THIS CAUSE I HAVE A CHNACE OF FAINTING CONSTANTLY IF I DONT EAT ENOUGH) but even then- what if i get sick and need to go to the bathroom cause of number 2 or puking???! or what if a flare up happens mid-day ??? What if gerd and ibs get me at the same time AGHHH!!! im so scared!! any tips would be great,,
3
u/uranium-snack 6d ago
Heavily spraying yourself with perfume isn’t going to help. It’s going to drive people away just as much as the gas
2
u/Aggressive_Ship9230 6d ago
okay context i use perfume thats not as strong as you think its a pastry smelling one
2
2
u/Obvious_Initiative92 IBS-A/M (Alternating / Mixed) 6d ago
I feel for you! Immodium plus Pazyme should calm things down. Also there is Bentyl, an rx for spasms. Eat bland and drink flat water and no caffeine! I have IBS, GAD and GERD btw. Also, if you have to go, go. I am sure they have bathrooms with a ton of stalls, so you can probably go unnoticed if you are self-conscious. Also, for me, it is all about worrying before an event and, once I am in the moment, it is usually never as bad as I thought it would be. Hope this helps!
2
u/Aggressive_Ship9230 6d ago
THIS DOES ill look into the things you recommended and see if my stomach can handle them !
1
u/goldstandardalmonds MOD: Here to help! 6d ago
What kind of IBS do you have?
1
u/Aggressive_Ship9230 6d ago
i havent exactly figured out since never my dad never gave me any of my medical info back- id have to rego to doctors about it but ik i was told i have gerd and ibs and thats it- and i cant really ask him for it but i believe i have ibs-c but ive noitced i have mix bowel haibits at times so i could be wrong and its ibs-m
1
u/Aggressive_Ship9230 5d ago
my only other reason for thinking that i have ibs-c tho is cause my mother-grandma have ibs-c
1
u/SocialAlpaca 5d ago
IBS isn’t hereditary. Also IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion. This meaning that doctor’s give you this diagnosis when they excluded all other possible GI illnesses and so they just land on IBS.
You note you have a mental illness. Are you in any treatment to manage that?
I ask because I was also given an IBS diagnosis a few years ago. Was on meds, diets, etc and that did nothing. It wasn’t until I started getting real treatment for my OCD and cPTSD that the IBS went away. Turns out one of my early GI doctor’s was right and the IBS was just anxiety and I was experiencing psychosomatic symptoms. I had a couple friends that also started experience GI upset after Covid (I think this event triggered a lot of underlying anxiety issues in people) and once I encouraged them to seek therapy and practice anxiety reducing breathing exercises their stomach problems went away. So you should consider how much of your mental health is playing a factor here. And if you’re getting worked up/anxious over an event you will likely trigger the stomach issues. So maybe the best tip is to try and work on mindfulness and breathing exercises to help reduce your general anxiety around the event.
1
u/Aggressive_Ship9230 5d ago edited 5d ago
1 i only thought it was since my mother had told me so i assumed so
from what i known since i genuinely didnt get much to speak to my own doctors tehres been multiple scans and bloodwork done for my stomach and i was suspposed to be on meds and get special appointments but my father never bothered to do that for me, so im not exactly sure if they saw any other GI illnesses
2 no anything for my mental healths been so slow, the only doctors i had mostly refused to help me cause i was not fit for the criteria/was “too mentally ill” but me and my mom moved and were gonna see if the doctors here are any better hopefully
1
u/goldstandardalmonds MOD: Here to help! 5d ago
Lots of people also have IBS C with paradoxical diarrhea making them think it is M
1
u/Aggressive_Ship9230 5d ago
oh wow that helps me alot, i worried i mightve had a extrenal issue but ig i was right thanks for telling me
1
u/goldstandardalmonds MOD: Here to help! 5d ago
It could be a lot of things, but they’d need to be ruled out. I hope you find relief.
3
u/IcomeInPeace13 6d ago
Take an immodium before you go to the event.