Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - diet lifestyle and medicines

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

There's no single diet or medicine that works for everyone with IBS. But there are lots of things that can help if you have been diagnosed with it.

You can buy a key from The IBS Network shop or Disability Rights UK shop that can help you access public toilets if you get symptoms while away from home.

• eat oats (such as porridge) regularly


• eat up to 1 tablespoon of linseeds (whole or ground) a day


• avoid foods that are hard to digest (like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, beans, onions and dried fruit)


• avoid products containing a sweetener called sorbitol


• ask a pharmacist about medicines that can help, like Buscopan or peppermint oil

• cut down on high-fibre foods like wholegrain foods (such as brown bread and brown rice), nuts and seeds


• avoid products containing a sweetener called sorbitol


• ask a pharmacist about medicines that can help, like Imodium (loperamide)

Important

If you keep getting diarrhoea, make sure you drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

• drink plenty of water to help make your poo softer


• increase how much soluble fibre you eat – good foods include oats, pulses, carrots, peeled potatoes and linseeds (whole or ground)


• ask a pharmacist about medicines that can help (laxatives), like Fybogel or Celevac

Find out more

• The IBS Network: diet and IBS


• The IBS Network: IBS medicines

See a GP if: