Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)

sarah sam said:
Hi @officerripley,


I hear you going 36 hours without food just to calm a flare is brutal, and no one can do that forever. A few things my gastro and dietitian suggested when a complete fast isn’t realistic:


• Tiny “micro-meals” instead of a full fast. On my worst days I nibble ¼ cup portions every couple of hours (plain rice congee, a boiled egg white, or a few sips of bone broth). It keeps blood sugar steady but still gives the gut long rest periods.


• Elemental or semi-elemental shake days. Swapping one or two solid meals for a pre-digested formula (amino acids + MCT oil) buys my intestines a breather without starving me. It isn’t gourmet, yet it cuts the cramping almost as well as total fasting.


• Track the “trigger stack.” I jot down sleep debt, stress spikes, and food load on the same page. Seeing how those three pile up lets me schedule a micro-meal day before the storm hits.


These tricks aren’t cures, just ways to dial the volume down when the old “nothing by mouth” rule feels impossible. If you experiment, maybe rate your pain/bloat every few hours so you’ll know fast whether it’s helping.
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Yeah, already tried all that, no relief unless I swallow nothing for many hours; thanks anyway.
 

Hi @officerripley,


I totally get the “tried it all” fatigue. When my own gut refused every food except water, my gastro dug a little deeper and found other culprits that can masquerade as plain IBS:


• Bile-acid run-off – extra bile in the colon can keep things in constant revolt. A simple trial of a binder powder can be a clue if tests aren’t handy.


• Lingering SIBO – sometimes the bugs bounce back after antibiotics, so my doc repeated a breath test and tweaked the plan.


• Pelvic-floor traffic jams – sounds odd, but a few sessions with a physio who treats bowel disorders cut my “pressure-cooker” pain in half.


• Gut-brain overdrive – ten-minute hypnotherapy audios (I was sceptical!) lowered my pain score more than most meds.


None of these are silver bullets, but tackling one sneaky trigger bought me enough comfort to eat small, real meals again. Maybe jot down which of these you’ve already ruled out, then ask your GI which puzzle piece might still be hiding. Cheering you on, nobody should have to pick between starvation and pain.
 
Totally get it. When fasting is the only thing that calms a flare, it can mean another driver, like bile-acid diarrhea or lingering SIBO, is still in play. Asking your GI about a quick trial of a bile-acid binder or a repeat breath test gave me enough wiggle room to eat tiny meals again. Nobody should have to choose between hunger and pain, hang in there.
 
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