4 replies to this topic

[gledhirb01]

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Hi, after some trouble with my health for quite a while i was finally diagnosed with IBS about 3 weeks before I was due to set off on a solo round the world bicycle ride to raise money for charity.
I decided to go despite the diagnosis and see how I coped.
I am now nearly 7 months into the trip, in Mongolia and have cycled 14000km.

At first, although the mornings gave me trouble (I am camping most nights and in the mornings I generally only had about 30 seconds to get out of the tent and hidden behind a bush) all went well for the first few months.

Unfortunatly for the last few months I have been getting steadily weaker with loss of appetite and cronic diarrhoea, to the point where I almost passed out on the bike 2 days ago from dehydration and lack of energy (when having a D 7 or 8 times a day I may aswell have not eaten as my body is not soaking up the neccesary calories and vitamins it needs to pedal).
It now seems that no matter what I eat, including foods that I know have not caused me problems in the past, I cant stay off the toilet for long. This is happening even despite taking rest days. I took 2 weeks off and have felt no change and am still losing weight.

Ive seen a doctor and I have no other ilnesses, virus, parasites so it is definitly the IBS.

my questions are, does anyone have any experience and advice for those ;
travelling
Excersising very heavily
And is it possible that by continuing this regime that I could do some permenant damage?

I am doing this for a good cause and am willing to suffer as much as it takes, but not to the risk of doing permenant long term damage.
I only have 3 months left to make it to New York, my end point. So if the only option is long term rest then that is game over unfortunatly.


Thanks, and if anybody is interested please see my website below.

www.worldwidecycle.org

[jaumeb]

Passing out on a bicycle sound dangerous.

Ibs is more a label than a disease. It's different for each of us. It takes a lot of learning and trial and error to manage it.

The fact that you are losing weight seems to indicate that you are not absorbing the nutrients in your food. It happens to some of us.

Now I am exploring home fermented foods.

[annie7]

i agree with Jaumeb--passing out on a bike is very dangerous.

 

i'm no doctor of course but the chronic dehydration that you are experiencing coupled with such heavy exercise is also dangerous.  and yes, you could very well be doing permanent damage to your body.  per this article from the mayo clinic, dehydration  can lead to swelling of the brain, seizures, hypovolemic shock, potentially life threatening heatstroke (my aunt died of this)  kidney failure and even coma and death.

 

 

              http://www.mayoclini...ns/con-20030056

 

 

 

your dedication to a good cause is admirable but please please for the sake of your health and your life,  listen to your body--it's trying desperately to tell you something--stop the marathon,  see a doctor ASAP and rest rest rest.  please.

[gledhirb01]

Thanks for the replies, I am currently in a resting phase but am continuing with the cycle in due course.

I am now taking Nifuroxazide stomach antibiotics and that combined with the rest seems to be helping a lot,meaning I can put some weight back on.

I am once again able to eat Pasta and Rice which is a good sign and my diet is returning to as normal as it ever was. Fingers crossed Ill be fine with some more time. I have made the decision to pack it in if I have another flare up at any point on the road.

[annie7]

please do be careful....  good luck with everything...  

 

and yes, fingers crossed for you....