IBD Survival Guide for Women: How to Hide Crohn's Symptoms

When you're having a Crohn's flare, you'll be dealing with symptoms that include abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea that can be both sudden and explosive, gas, bloating, nausea, and more. If you have a career and can't just stay home, or if there is an event that you simply must attend, and can't get out of or postpone, or an important meeting, you may want to keep the fact that you have Crohn's disease to yourself, and hide the symptoms that you're having as best you can. It is probably impossible to completely hide all your Crohn's symptoms, but the following 20 tips may help.

1. Take the medicines your doctor has prescribed. This sounds like it should be too obvious to even list, but not everyone is "med compliant," to use the term a physician would. Some medications, like steroids, have side effects you may not enjoy, but this isn't the time to choose what you will and won't take. Use your prescriptions as they are prescribed. This is also the time to ask your doctor for other medications that may help you hide your symptoms. For example, a medication such as Bentyl ^TM can help stop your abdominal cramps, so you won't be doubling over in pain. A pain medication, especially a low-dose of a narcotic pain medication, might be appropriate at this time too; some of them have the added benefit of slowing diarrhea, making it less obvious. and 2. Ask your doctor if you can use a gas preventative like over-the-counter (OTC) Beano ^TM or something like Gas-X ^TM ; you should always ask your doctor, because OTC medications could have adverse affects with your prescribed medications, and only your doctor will know what is best suited for your Crohn's symptoms.

3. Wear loose-fitting clothing. You may be wearing extra undergarments that you want to keep hidden, and you also may need or want to hide the bloating that is characteristic of a Crohn's flare. Besides, you'll be much more comfortable in looser clothing.