OT: Cycling and IBS

[Red Tornado]

I was diagnosed with IBS roughly 10 years ago. Initial symptoms were a minor irritation and I hesitated to even to to the doc about it; glad I did though. Over the years I have been able to manage symptoms with diet control, sometimes less successfully depending on willpower at the dinner table or restaurant, but overall fairly successful. I know what I can and can't eat, sometimes it's just worth it to enjoy a yummy treat.

I hesitate to take prescription drugs for this due to experiences with prescription drugs earlier in life for other issues. They addressed the symptom(s), but I always had problems with the side effects, some fairly significant. So I prefer to just deal with the devil I know.

The latest IBS issue that has reared its ugly head is the affect of a.m. riding. Mornings are my favorite time to ride, especially since relocating to Texas 18 years ago. Unfortunately, my condition prefers that I don't exercise until at least noon. Any time after "lunch", I can do what I want with no repercussions. Any meaningful exercise in the a.m. will result in "issues" that could last the part of, or sometimes, the rest of the day. There are occasional exceptions, but late-day exercise is what the gastro-intestinal part of my body now prefers. I know through research that mornings can be difficult for IBS sufferers.

I would think others here might also have IBS/IBD/etc. issues. Curious what ya'll do to mitigate symptoms and if you have experienced any changes in your conditions over the years.