Whether you’re embarking on a road trip, jetting off to an exotic location, or simply taking a weekend getaway, travelling with IBS can be a pain in the you-know-what.
From unpredictable bathroom breaks to limited food options, it can be tough to tame IBS symptoms on the go. But with a little preparation and some insider know-how, you can navigate your travels with ease and enjoy all the adventures that await you.
So pack your bags and buckle up because if you follow some of the travel tips below, you’ll probably have a fantastic vacation!
Know your symptoms
The best way to prepare for travel and maintain a calmer gut on vacation is to know your symptoms and triggers. One way to get well acquainted with your gut is to keep a food/lifestyle and symptom journal well before travelling.
Understanding your gut and its triggers will enable you to manage your symptoms both day-to-day and on vacation.
Eating while travelling with IBS
Know your food triggers
Food is a persistent challenge when travelling with IBS but it doesn’t have to be if you know your food triggers. This will help you make the best food choices for your body, which will in turn minimize digestive distress.
Go low FODMAP for 1 week before travelling
You may also want to consider going low FODMAP for a week before travelling. This will clear high FODMAPs out of your system and quiet your symptoms so the first few days of travel are a bit smoother.
Hit a grocery store
Once you arrive at your destination, hit a local market or grocery store and stock up on IBS-friendly foods you can carry with you or keep in your hotel room. If you don’t understand the language on the packaging, stick to foods with few ingredients, like fruit, hard cheese, plain peanuts, plain gluten-free bread and peanut butter.
Drink water, stay hydrated
Drinking enough water is a must for both IBS-C and D. Water keeps stools soft and prevents dehydration in the event of a diarrhea attack.
How to manage your eating while travelling will depend on the degree of dietary restrictions you want…
Tips for enjoying local foods without too many restrictions
- Savour it. Digestion starts in the mouth so eat slowly, chew well, and remember to enjoy each bite.
- Keep symptom-suppressing treatments in your purse – eg. enzymes, peppermint oil, Gas-X, pain meds – so you can indulge a little and know that if your symptoms kick up, you have a backup plan.
- Bring an enzyme that will help you digest the local fare. For instance, if I were going to Italy I would definitely NOT skip out on the pasta so I’d likely bring some Fodzyme. Alternatively, you could use FODmate or Intoleran.
- Eat small portions of foods you might not tolerate. If you suspect a rich chocolate dessert in Switzerland might trigger some gas or cramping, consider sharing it with a companion.
Tips for eating when you’re at high risk for a flare-up, or need more restrictions to manage your symptoms
- Stick to foods you know you tolerate.
- Avoid new foods you’ve never tried before, or at least only take bite size “tastes”.
- Limit alcohol and coffee. Since the compound in coffee that stimulates bowel movements is chlorogenic acid rather than caffeine, you may want to limit even decaf coffee. Opt for tea instead.
- If coffee is a must for maintaining morning bowel movements, then make sure you can easily access it when you need it.
- Watch the spicy food. If you’re travelling in a country with lots of spicy food, know which dishes are mild and stick to those.
- Research restaurants in advance and check out their online menus to determine if there are foods you can tolerate.
- Carry a food restriction card in the local language to give to waiters in restaurants.
Tips for Flying with IBS
Flying can be easy, convenient and fast, or complicated, arduous and stressful. I plan for the latter and hope for the former. Here are some tips for making plane travel a bit more bearable when you have IBS.
Book an aisle seat close to the restroom
This will make it easier to bolt to the lavatory if you experience a sudden urge to use the toilet. You don’t want to be stuck in the window seat next to napping neighbours when nature calls.
Bring a portable carry-on bag
Bringing carry-on luggage will allow you to carry any necessities to get you through the flight.
If you’re prone to diarrhea, make sure your carry-on contains worst-case scenario items like a change of clothes, extra undies and some wet wipes. It also gives you space to bring low FODMAP snacks and over-the-counter medications you may want to bring.
Now, bringing a carry-on is one thing, but ensuring it’s light and portable is another. I recently made the mistake of cramming (seemingly) all my earthly possessions in an over-the-shoulder duffle bag. It was torture carrying it around the airport during my 3 hour layover. Never again.
Pack gut-friendly low FODMAP snacks
If you’re going on a long flight, pack some low FODMAP snacks that won’t upset your stomach. I tend to pack a firm banana, homemade muffin and a little baggy of nuts.
Consider bringing:
- rice cakes
- gluten-free crackers
- low FODMAP granola bars
- low FODMAP fruit, like yellow-green banana
- low FODMAP nuts, like peanuts
- Make a low FODMAP sandwich, like peanut butter and jam on gluten-free bread (or sourdough bread)
- Homemade low FODMAP muffins
Bring a refillable water bottle so you can stay hydrated at the airport and throughout the flight.
Move and stretch on the plane
Walking a few laps up and down the plane every time you hit the restroom can promote blood flow which delivers value oxygen and nutrients to your body – including your gut. Doing a few yoga poses or simple stretches in your seat can help you feel better too.
Stay rested
Crossing time zones can wreak havoc on your energy levels and sleep schedule.
Try to be as well-rested as you can before your flight (easier said than done if your flight departs at 6am!), and after you land, stick to your usual sleep routine. So if you land at 8am after a red-eye flight, don’t go to sleep right away. Have an easy first day and go to bed at roughly the same time as you would at home. This will help your body adjust quicker to the time change and reduce stress on your digestive system.
Plan your trip to allow for the best sleeps possible.
For instance, as I’m planning our trip to Paris this year, I’m planning “days off” to walk about the city and visit at our own pace in between busy, energy-sucking day trips to nearby towns.
De-stress when on the move
If airports and flying are stressful for you, engage in some pure-pleasure activities:
- listen to music you love
- listen to guided meditation when you’re seated on the plane waiting for take-off
- bury your face in a good book or magazine
- get lost in a movie
- play a card game with your travel companion
Distracting yourself with enjoyable past times can take your mind off the hub-bub and chaos of the airport and boarding process and make travel more enjoyable.
Lodging with IBS
Maintaining a healthy bowel routine while travelling with IBS may depend in part on your lodging situation. Here are a few tips…
Book lodging with a private washroom
This may seem obvious, but it’s not. I was researching back country resorts for a possible hiking trip and was quickly turned off the idea of when I saw that washrooms were shared. This is a deal-breaker for me.
If you need your own private washroom, aim to stay in a hotel or Air BnB apartment and avoid hostels, bed & breakfasts and guest houses where you may have to share the john with others.
Have a chat with your lodging companion
If you’re sharing a hotel room with a partner, friend, or relative, have a frank discussion about your toilet access needs. Talk about how you two can share the bathroom. And be courteous towards your roomie by flushing immediately after each “drop in the bucket” to minimize odour.
Create a make-shift squatty potty
If the toilet is high or you’re used to using a squatty potty, propping your feet up on the kleenex box cover or washroom garbage can may work in a pinch.
Book a hotel room with a mini-fridge
A mini-fridge will enable you to store well-tolerated foods and snacks like cheese, yogurt, gut-friendly take-out, etc.
Managing your stress
Stress levels can ramp up when travelling with IBS, what with the logistics, schedules and uncertainty involved. Make sure you have a game plan for keeping stress under control – like following some of the tips in this blog. 🙂
Plan ahead
Being prepared for logistical hiccups is part of that game plan, so for instance…
- Give yourself extra time to check-in and go through security at the airport, especially if you’re travelling during high season.
- Avoid booking flights with super short layovers where there’s a fair chance you might miss your connection. Running through Toronto Pearson Airport is a nightmare, trust me.
- Rent a small car in Europe rather than an SUV so parking will be a breeze. And make sure you have good car insurance. We once blew a tire in rural Scotland and the experience was fairly smooth because we had excellent car insurance.
Practice stress-management strategies
- Listen to a session of Nerva’s gut-directed hypnotherapy. (In my experience, it took a month of daily sessions to start feeling less abdominal pain, so get started with this strategy before you travel).
- Listen to a meditation session on an app like Headspace.
- Practice diaphragmatic breathing for 5 minutes.
- Practice mindfulness (you can do this anytime, anywhere. I once heard of someone who practices mindfulness whilst waiting for the bus!).
- Maintain your exercise routine the best you can, especially if you find it a great stress reliever.
- Soak in a hot relaxing bath.
- Take some time for yourself if you need it – read, watch some teli, enjoy a cat nap. It’s OK to slow down on vacation.
Managing bowel emergencies
OK, so you’ve implemented a lot of the tips above and done your best to avoid an IBS attack, but bowel emergencies can still happen. Here are some ideas for dealing with an urgent situation…
Know how to get to a public washroom pronto
Toilet-finding apps, like Bathroom Scout Pro, can be life-savers if you feel impending doom is upon you. Keep change handy in case the public toilets are pay per use. Knowing how to ask where the washroom is located in the local language is only useful if you can understand directions given in said language as well. Google Translate could help in a pinch.
Carry a mini survival kit
Carry a mini survival kit in your purse for when you’re out and about.
Pack tissue, wet wipes, extra undies, and a plastic bag you can later use to wrap up any sullied knickers.
Include supplements or over-the-counter medications than act fairly quickly. Examples include pain medications, Gas-X, and Iberogast (though a bottle of Iberogast is, admittedly, not the easiest thing to carry around but do so if you find it tames your gastrointestinal symptoms promptly).
Appeal to the kindness of strangers
A lot of people are pretty open to helping strangers who approach them in a kind and courteous manner. I took advantage of this during my bowel emergency in Ireland…
Fearing rejection at the hotel, I approached the barkeep with a pleading expression and a hand on my stomach – hoping he’d get the hint – and then in honey tones I begged, “Excuse me, can I please use your restroom?” (see story above).
Bottom Line
We travel for fun, so don’t let your gut take over and spoil the party.
Pick a destination you’re excited about. Know your symptoms. Be prepared. Devise an action plan. And keep emergency supplies on hand. Show your gut who’s boss!
Got any tips for managing symptoms while travelling with IBS? Leave them in the comments below! 🙂
xoAndrea, RD
