👋 A Little Bit About Me! · It’s Only IBS

👋 A Little Bit About Me!

"Don't worry, It’s Only IBS!”

Sound familiar? That’s what my doctor told me all those years ago; dismissing my symptoms like they were no big deal. But if you’re here, you already know that IBS is more than “just” IBS.

🚀 The Beginning of My IBS Journey

I was around 15-16 when I first noticed something was wrong. It started with small stomach cramps, urgent trips to the toilet and feeling bloated after meals. I chalked it up to too much sugar and cut back on snacks. But the symptoms didn’t stop. They got worse.

Suddenly, I wasn’t just avoiding junk food, I was afraid of eating anything**.** Foods that seemed harmless one day would cause agony the next. My life became a constant guessing game of "Will this meal ruin my day?"

Then came my mock exams. Sitting in a silent room, stomach churning, praying I wouldn’t need to make a mad dash to the bathroom. The fear of that moment became bigger than the fear of failing my exams. That’s when I knew something was really wrong.

🔎 Searching for Answers (And Hitting a Dead End)

I went to the doctor, hoping for clarity. After a quick stomach exam and some blood tests, they ruled out anything "serious" and shrugged it off as exam stress.

Fine. Maybe they were right. Maybe once my exams were over, this would all disappear.

But it didn’t.

It only got worse.

I started avoiding social events, football with my friends, even family gatherings, anything that involved being away from a toilet for too long. My life shrank.

So I went back to the GP, determined to get real answers.

Their response? "You're probably stressed about your results now."

At this point, I was furious. How could this still be about stress? I’d been dealing with this for over a year. My frustration must have been clear because, finally, they mentioned IBS.

“If it’s not Crohn’s or Colitis,” they told me, “it’s nothing to worry about. It’s only IBS.”

Only IBS? Really? A condition that’s forced me inside and to hide away from the world, is reduced to sounding like a mere inconvenience? That one sentence shaped my entire experience with this condition (and would later form the title of this community and my site: ItsOnlyIBS.com!)

🥗 The Trial & Error Phase (AKA: Let’s Try Everything)

Now that I had a name for my condition, I did what every desperate IBS sufferer does - I became my own detective.

I cut out gluten, dairy, processed foods, sugar, and FODMAPs.
I tried Buscopan. It barely made a difference.
I went to therapy. My first CBT therapist believed my IBS was entirely in my head and suggested I eat a chocolate bar and "just focus on the taste." I’m lactose intolerant. You can guess how that ended.

Each approach felt like a false start - small improvements followed by more setbacks.

💊 The “Medical Mystery” Phase

I kept going back to the GP every year between 2017 and 2019, hoping that this time, they'd have something new to offer.

They prescribed SSRIs. Didn’t help. I wasn’t depressed, I just had IBS.
They sent me to a Low FODMAP workshop. Useful, but I’d already figured most of it out myself.
They ran more tests. Everything came back “normal.”

By university, I’d just accepted my fate. I avoided social events, stuck to my “safe foods,” and assumed this was my life now.

💡 The Turning Point: Whacky ‘Nutritionist’ & Figuring It Out Myself

In 2022, after suffering with IBS for 7 years at this point, I decided to take things into my own hands. I booked an appointment with a nutritionist, hoping science-backed guidance.

Instead, she placed random vials on my arm, tapped my elbow, and claimed to diagnose me through whether my elbow reacted to her tapping it. She called it "quantum physics”. Apparently, my IBS was caused by “parasites,” and I needed to take specific probiotics - chosen based… you guessed it, how my arm reacted to her tapping.

It was the moment I realised how much misinformation and scam-practices are out there. I got out of the appointment as quick as I could.

So where did this lead me? After years of trial and error, I finally figured out what actually worked for me:

✅ A structured Low FODMAP approach to identify triggers

✅ Balancing diet & gut-brain strategies rather than extremes

✅ Recognising stress as a factor - but not the sole cause

✅ Refusing to accept “It’s Only IBS” as a valid answer and to feel shame about the condition

🔥 Why I Created This Community

Because I don’t want you to go through years of trial and error like I did.

For years, IBS was treated like some minor inconvenience, by doctors, therapists, and even unqualified nutritionists who should have known better. But if you’re here, you know it’s not minor. It impacts every part of your life.

This group exists because you deserve better answers than “It’s only IBS.”

💬 Let’s Talk - What’s Your Story?

I know my journey isn’t unique - so many people go through the same cycle of dismissal, frustration, and trial & error.

💬 Drop a comment below and tell me: