Woman, 35, with IBS calls for an end to stigma around the condition as she reveals its life-limiting impact, including collapsing in agony, being too scared to leave the house and having to take time off work

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A woman whose irritable bowel syndrome flare-ups are so painful she's collapsed in agony and felt too scared to leave the house is urging fellow sufferers to seek help and calling for an end to the stigma.

Lucy, 35, from the Midlands, has battled the incurable condition for over 10 years and says it's intensified by her stressful job as a chef.

She began suffering from IBS in her twenties and told how symptoms during an attack can range from abdominal cramps, fluctuating temperature and bloating to dizziness, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Lucy struggled to open up about her IBS for years due to embarrassment, but when she finally spoke to friends, one recommended Buscopan, an over-the-counter solution which she claims helps to ease her cramps, making it more manageable.

Lucy, 35, from the Midlands, has battled IBS for over 10 years and says it's intensified by her stressful job as a chef

A recent study by the healthcare app Babylon and Sanofi found three in five Brits suffer from IBS due to anxiety. In addition, 64 per cent of sufferers have never sought treatment while 30 per cent of those surveyed were not aware of the connection between the condition and anxiety. 

Speaking to FEMAIL, Lucy said her IBS gets worse when she feels under pressure.

'The pain can be so excruciating that I have fallen to the floor in agony,' she explained. 

'The abdominal cramps have been so severe they have made me physically sick. They start as a normal attack but then progress into something much more severe and last considerably longer than usual. 

'Fortunately on the occasions this has happened I have been at home and not had to suffer the embarrassment or worry that this is happening in public as it has been very debilitating.

Lucy struggled to open up about her IBS for years due to embarrassment, but when she finally spoke to friends, one recommended Buscopan, an over-the-counter solution which she claims helps to ease her cramps, making it more manageable

'At least three or four times a week, I will get some sort of stomach discomfort and in the past, I would be too scared to leave my house.'

Lucy admitted her IBS has got progressively worse as she's got older, and a flare up usually lasts a minimum of an hour.

'My worst attacks have lasted four or five hours, with discomfort throughout the duration,' she added.

'Living with an illness you have minimal control over does make you worry about leaving the house. 

'When an attack happens you can try your best to get through it and although, obviously it is better to have one in the privacy of your own home, you also don't want to feel like it is dictating your life, so you have to learn to take back control.'

Lucy admitted her IBS has got progressively worse as she's got older, and a flare up usually lasts a minimum of an hour

A chef of 18 years, Lucy said she's come to realise her main 'triggers' are temperature and stress-based. 

'There is a certain irony there most definitely,' she admitted. 'I have explained to my employers that I have an illness I have no control over and they have all been very understanding. 

'On occasion, when I am suffering a particularly bad attack, I've had no choice but to go home. Relationship wise, I tell people I truly trust and have been fully supported. 

'It has been disruptive on many occasions, so I've always felt, however embarrassed I've felt at the time, that honesty is the best policy.'

When Lucy confided in her friends, she said she was surprised to hear that many of them also suffer from IBS. 

When Lucy confided in her friends, she said she was surprised to hear that many of them also suffer from IBS

'There shouldn't be a stigma around this condition and the only way to shed that is to have an open conversation,' she added.

'It also makes you realise how common this is. It's been a great help because people can offer tips and advice on how they cope with an attack.

'A friend recommended Buscopan IBS relief, and I've been using it ever since. It's not always effective, but I think that's down to the severity of the attack I'm suffering with at the time. 

'For the most part, it helps to ease the abdominal cramps, which in turn help settle my stomach, and once the pain starts to subside, the flare ups become a lot more manageable.

'I take the medication as soon as I feel my symptoms coming on as it often gives me a good head start on the road to wellness.

'Although there is no cure for IBS, I have learnt to manage my anxiety, which really helps to relieve my symptoms.'  

Babylon and Sanofi has joined forces to raise awareness of IBS, the life-restricting condition that is thought to affect more than one in five people in the UK, and provide UK sufferers with quick information via Babylon's AI symptom checker.

Users can input their health concerns and the checker which will provide triage and information.