I remember the first time I farted in front of my husband (then boyfriend). It was over a year after we started dated and I was sitting on his lap. It was loud and he could feel it vibrate his leg. I was embarrassed, however, I laughed so hard that I ended up farting again, which is probably why I remember the moment so clearly. It wasn’t that I always hid my flatulence from him, it’s just that I didn’t have gas that often.

Fast forward to 10 years, and possibly 100,000 farts later, I look back to the moment and realize how lucky I was then. Gas and bloating is a common, daily occurrence when living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and I am no exception to the rule. Not to mention the constipation and diarrhea that take their turn messing with my digestive system.

Here are the common IBS Symptoms:

• Gas (Flatulence)
• Bloating
• Abdominal Pain
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Mucus in the Stool

The symptoms of IBS are hard to deal with on a daily basis and they can make you crazy. For me, the abdominal pain, gas and bloating are the worst and I have spent countless days and evenings curled up on the couch in the fetal position. I am lucky to have a job in which I can work from home whenever I wish, but many other people don’t have that luxury. IBS symptoms can make you miss many days of work or school and make it hard to lead a normal life. It can also put a big strain on your relationships because it’s difficult to be happy or social when you’re in severe pain. I realized that I needed to take more action when I canceled plans with a friend three times in row because of my IBS symptoms.

1. Disclaimer – I am not a doctor, so if you have these IBS symptoms, you should first seek medical help before taking my advice.
2. Disclaimer – I use humor to make light of serious and sensitive issues, so instead of the awful pictures you see on other IBS info (a too-skinny woman holding or stomach, an interior shot of the intestines, a sketch of bodily systems), you will NOT find here.

So what’s causing this constant distress if you have IBS? Briefly stated, the items that you’re putting into your body, which is food, drinks, medicine and even gum. Your body is reacting negatively to something you’re ingesting and it’s important to figure it out to get the symptoms to subside. For me, I have taken kindly to the low FODMAP diet, which is difficult to get started, but the relief I feel is well worth the trouble.

Stay tuned for more posts on how to pin-point what is causing your symptoms of IBS.