[onyx]

I've had IBS-D for about 6 years, and in the last year and a half I've recovered enough to start getting a bit more active in life again. One thing I'd really like to do is do some limited traveling overseas. However I'm really afraid that if I pick up a foodborne bug (which is more of a risk in certain countries) I may "reactivate" my IBS back to where it was previously. Is this a significant risk I need to be concerned about?

 

[IanRamsay]

HiTake probiotics daily, and dont eat anything that isnt cooked and piping hot when it gets to you, especially salad and fruits, and dont drink any water that isnt out of a sealed bottle. I recon any kind of GI illness can trigger a relaps.CheersIan

 

[blondeoverblue24]

Depending on what area you are traveling to, some doctors will prescribe prophylactic antibiotics and recommend you take them along with pepto bismol while you are away. Once again, this depends on the area you are going to and your physicians preferences. However, there is always the risk that antibiotics can interrupt the GI flora and cause some issues themself. I would recommend speaking with your GI doctor and hear his/her recommendations. You are correct in saying that an infection could potentially trigger these issues - A lot of people find that their IBS starting following gastroenteritis (it's called postinfectious IBS or PI-IBS). But I would strongly urge you to not let that possibility keep you from being active. Essentially you could get an infection by eating things or coming into contact with people where you are. I know it's hard, but I think it's better that we IBSers try and live our lives as normally as we possibly can while we're feeling well.

 

[onyx]

Thanks for the info and encouragement guys. I'm pretty sure an infection didn't originally trigger my IBS, of course I have no idea what did. In any case you're right, although any GI illness might cause more problems, it's true that it can happen anywhere (the sickest I ever got was from some fish here at home). I like the idea that we IBSers should try to live as much as we can whenever we're feeling good enough. Sometimes I get afraid to do anything for risk of getting worse, but on the other hand, sometimes you have to feel like you're living, not just surviving. And anyway, what drives me crazy is most the time since I don't really know what's going on, I don't really know how to be smart about it, so maybe at those times it's better just to try and live your life and not be too preoccupied with the unknowns.

 

[blondeoverblue24]

Well put...And I know at times far easier said than done. I know that I never would have been able to write that 4-5 years ago, and a lot of that is because I have more control over everything right now. It's hard to live with the reality that a flare could occur at any time, but I take a lot more risks than I used to. Over the summer my husband and I went on a zip line in the forest with no bathroom in site for several hours. I loaded up on imodium beforehand, but I did it and no incidents occured, so I was lucky. That's something I wouldn't have done years ago and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to.