I can relate!

Thank you for sharing your perspective. I can really relate to it. I experience a similar issue—whenever I run long distances, I urgently need to use the bathroom. It resembles IBS, but it only happens when I run.

After a colonoscopy, consultations with several nutritionists, and 15 years of trying to find answers, I've developed a theory similar to yours. This year I learned that FODMAPs do play a physical role in my symptoms, but I believe there's more to it.

My current view is that the brain-gut connection is a major factor, and I'm actively working to retrain that response. I relate strongly to the feelings of urgency and panic you described. I've been using daily meditation to help strengthen that mind-body connection, and recently I've had a few successful runs. Although I still had moments of urgency, I was able to stay calm and work through them, which gave me a huge boost in confidence.

Progress is slower than I'd like, but I'm staying committed. I'm interested in following your journey and wish you all the best.

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Aug 18, 2026

Thanks for sharing
by: Jackie

Thank you so much for sharing this. Fifteen years of looking for an answer, and still curious rather than resigned, says a great deal about your determination.
I think you're right that there's more to it than the food. The gut has its own nervous system and it listens closely to what we expect, so when we set out already braced for what might happen, the body has been told what's coming before we've even started. The FODMAPs can be real and still not be the whole story.
What stands out most in your comment isn't the successful runs. It's that you felt the urgency and stayed calm inside it. The signal doesn't have to disappear for you to stop being at its mercy, and every time we meet it calmly instead of tightening against it, we're telling the body it is safe. Keep going with the meditation. It sounds like you’re on the right track and those calm moments are the proof. Wishing you continued progress.

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