Tips for Traveling With IBS: How One Woman Manages Symptoms on the Road
Key takeaways:
Traveling with irritable bowel syndrome is possible with preparation and the right strategies.
Avoiding your food triggers, packing the right supplies, and being open about your needs can make a big difference.
Julia Warter shares how she has reclaimed her love for travel despite her condition.
When Julia Warter was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) 10 years ago, she had no idea how much it would disrupt her life.
“I didn’t know what it was for a really long time,” says Julia, now 34 and working in commercial real estate in Costa Mesa, California.
Doctors were less familiar with IBS at the time, she says. They told her: “This is your diagnosis. Good luck. This is a really strict diet you’re going to follow for the rest of your life. There’s really no solution.”
For years, eating out wasn’t an option. Garlic, onions, and even sweet potatoes triggered her symptoms, she says.
“I was so sick,” Julia says. “I had diarrhea every day. It is such a true, chronic illness, [but] nobody wants to talk about [IBS], because it’s not sexy. Nobody wants to be shouting that from the rooftops, but a lot of people are affected by it.”
A long road to answers
Julia’s symptoms began in childhood, with frequent bloating, constipation, and sinus and ear infections (which can sometimes trigger other inflammation in the body). A bad case of food poisoning in her 20s and an illness after a trip to Mexico worsened her condition.
“I never felt normal, I guess,” she says.
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By her late 20s, her symptoms included bloody stool, extreme bloating, and incomplete bowel movements.
By age 28, she says, she had every symptom of colon cancer. Unsatisfied with her doctor’s recommendation of fiber supplements, she insisted on a colonoscopy. The procedure revealed a precancerous polyp that required removal.
She remembers her doctor saying, “If you hadn’t pushed for this, you would have had full-blown colon cancer in 5 years,” she says. While the polyp explained some of her symptoms, others persisted. Over the next 2 years, doctors found additional polyps, requiring further treatment.
Learning to travel with IBS
For years, Julia avoided traveling altogether. She is still trying to figure out what works for her. She’s working with another specialist who is running more tests — breath tests, urine tests, stool tests. It’s a journey.
“I’m very passionate, because it’s scary stuff,” she says.
But she’s learned how to manage her IBS on the road and is more confident about her adventures.
Here are Julia’s top four tips for traveling with IBS.
1. Prepare before you go
Drink bottled water: Avoid tap water to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination.
Stick to a safe breakfast: Julia starts travel days with her usual smoothie to avoid surprises.
Pack IBS-friendly snacks: Bring foods that you know your body tolerates.
Avoid carbonated drinks: Julia skips them on flights because they can cause bloating and discomfort.
2. Bring essential supplies
Stock Imodium for emergencies: While Julia rarely needs it, having Imodium on hand for diarrhea or gas gives her peace of mind.
Try an IBS meditation app: Julia swears by Nerva, which helps calm her digestive system during stressful travel.
Take digestive supplements: Julia uses Fodzyme, a digestive enzyme that allows her to eat more diverse foods.
3. Find food options that work for you
Visit a grocery store: Stock up on easy-to-digest items.
Avoid street food: Stick to foods you know are safe for your gut.
Be mindful of portion sizes: Even healthy foods can trigger symptoms if eaten in excess.
4. Figure out which supplements are right for you
Julia has also found relief through a few supplements that she never travels without:
Pack a prebiotic: She likes a prebiotic called Sunfiber (similar to Benefiber) that doesn’t cause bloating and helps keep her regular.
Consider a triple complex magnesium: This is a magnesium supplement that keeps her digestion regular without triggering diarrhea or constipation.
‘Being honest about IBS helped me’
Julia has learned that openness about her condition makes traveling — and life — easier.
“I was so ashamed about my IBS,” she says. “I didn’t tell anybody about it. I remember talking to my dad, and I was like, ‘I will never find a partner. Ever.’ I was ashamed because it was all-consuming, and I was sick all the time. I was constantly running to the bathroom.
“But the irony is, like, the day I posted about it on social media, and I received such an overwhelming response of, ‘Thank you for talking about this. What else can we do?’ — the shame kind of went away. My friends know, and we laugh about it.”
Julia is grateful for the improvements she has made in her gut health and hopes her experience will help others on their journeys, both at home and when they travel.
“Find people you can talk to about it,” she says. “You don’t have to be alone in it.”
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