Traveling with IBS and needing public toilets

My SIL wears an adult diaper just in case. Better safe than sorry, for sure! She is extra cautious about her diet when traveling, avoiding food and drink triggers that could cause a problem.

She also monitors her fluid intake so as not to be somewhere with no bathroom when she really needs to go.

Personally, I stupidly downed a large bottle of water once after returning to a tour minibus. The driver/guide said our next stop would not be for 2 hours, which is reasonable, but man oh man I barely made it. Lesson learned.

Finally, yes, it's helpful to look at your itinerary and take a look at the proximity to a toilet. If Mary and I are hydrating properly, we usually need to go about every 2 hours.

I have never understood why it's such a kabuki dance finding a restroom in parts of Europe, and worrying about having the right coins or whatever to use one. Yes, McDonald's can be a lifesaver.

There is an AP called flush that helps locate WCs in the area when travelling. It might be of help to her.

We were just in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. There were plenty of times that finding a restroom involved quirky locations, mostly tiny, tiny stalls and often required payment; and not always easily found. I kid you not, the restroom in Honfluer at the restaurant we ate it, required hanging on to a rope. (Don't ask!) And a restaurant we ate at in Amsterdam even required customers to pay to use it! So it would require a lot of preplanning. Some required a credit card only; some required a euro. Once in the Netherlands, my husband didn't have a euro coin, so the guy said he'd take a US dollar. I wonder if he collects enough of them over time to convert to euros! Not trying to be discouraging, but trying to be realistic.

But, on a positive note, as much as it's not amazing in general to see familiar logos from the US on beautiful old buildings in Europe; we were always happy to encounter a McDonald's on our trip, because we knew we could use the facilities. (Most of the time, it required getting a code from the employees though.)

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for your honest replies. I’m starting to think this might not be a good idea. There’s no issues with incontinence so not worried about that piece, but we don’t want to stress trying to locate a bathroom either!

I travel occasionally to England with a friend who has IBS. In addition to what others have already suggested (mapping out public toilets, avoiding potential trigger foods, etc) now with the blessing my friend's doctor, they take a small dose of Imodium as needed, especially useful on long travel days. My friend's favorite is Imodium Fast Melts -- available in England but not in the USA, so they stock up when we are there.

Edited to address Question 3: In London, I think proper black cabs would be a faster trip than ride shares, in my experience. Only black cabs can use the faster bus lanes. And because cabbies have to know every street in central London from memory to pass their formidable exam, they know where they are going and the fastest way to your destination.

My tip: tell them to never be embarrassed to ask for directions to the nearest. And know what to call them Bathrooms is an Americanism, that some people will understand but the word toilet is practically universal. Always locate them when you are entering a building or public area. I'd stay in larger cities.

My thought is that having a good experience depends on how well that individual can take care of themselves in knowing what to do. For example, can they get themselves back to the hotel on their own. They should have awareness of their limitations, personal needs and be prepared with personal care products. If others have to take care of them, thats a kindness.

If your family member enjoys museums and historical sites, bathrooms in those types of places are almost always plentiful, free, clean and well marked. They are about the only place I can enjoy a cup of coffee during the day when I'm traveling. It's such a diuretic for me and and I hate being miserable trying to find a bathroom. Fortunately I do love museums, so I always enjoy a cup of coffee in a museum cafe, knowing that I'm not far from a bathroom and can use it as many times as I want.

Something else for your family member to consider is the flight over - lines for the tiny airplane bathrooms are not uncommon.

I understand the IBS concerns. We went last year to Europe with family member who struggles with it. There are different forms, issues and various symptoms with IBS. But one common thread is your need to know a bathroom can be found if needed!! Vicious cycle of feeling stress over that concern …..which then stress can induce symptoms. He managed ok and with 6 adults we could always be aware and helpful in locating restrooms. Teamwork! We used the word toilette please…often. I agree its easier in cities than maybe villages…but possible…we travelled everywhere. Wish to encourage! Its doable! Helpful suggestions offered in previous comments!

no experience with IBS, but as someone with an...older...bladder - you can duck into many cafes or restaurants and use the facilities, few or no questions asked. You can always get a coffee or a bottle of water or a pastry as a "use fee" if needed.

I’ve traveled with a friend with IBS and feel for her and others having to deal with it. Unfortunately, several trips were terrible for her and for me. She often wanted to go back to the room and was unable to do so by herself for several reasons. I had to eat by myself many times when she couldn’t eat and needed to stay in the room close to the bathroom.

See what the doctor suggests that might be of benefit as a short term use of medication.

Every restaurant and cafe will have a bathroom and if you go in and ask how much it is to use it, they usually let you go for free. It does not have to be McD or Starbucks. Hotels are great too. Just walk in like you are a guest. They never question you.

I was sitting at a table in Munich when someone tried to walk in to use the bathroom. They were turned away.

Same thing on the Left Bank.

Another vote for the Flush app:)

I do not have IBS, but certainly many times have had to find a bathroom as I am sure anyone else has. It then becomes a major concern. Sometimes all encompassing. Your timeframe and day shift dramatically. So I am thinking that if IBS is a problem, it will become a major problem. Sorry to say, but perhaps a day out and about in the public in your own home town can tell you what severity of concern it is. With IBS your whole day, every day, may be shaped by that concern. I guess it is all about whether or not that concern is a slow move or a faster move. Those cafes may not be right next to you. Maybe you are stuck in the Vatican, shoulder to shoulder. Maybe on top of the Acropolis with the hordes. Maybe you find the bathroom and there is a long line.
Not eating, not drinking, to forestall problems can have consequences also.
It is up to the individual to assess their tolerance for possible unknown bathrooms and the anxiety that may bring. Certainly I would wear some sort of underclothing that may deal in part with this. Even on any flight, it is often seatbelts on, stay seated, no bathroom on takeoff and descent for long periods of time.

I think it’s going to be very challenging. There aren’t that many public toilets left in London. Almost all will be in a museum, cafe or restaurant. There aren’t any in tube stations. Main train stations have them but they’re usually at the last platform and not particularly quick and easy to access. Trains on longer routes have toilets but not always on shorter commuter routes.

I agree with you that it may not be a good idea to take this trip. It’s more the urgent need to go that is going to be the problem. It’s different if you can plan around being near a toilet at regular intervals.

I find London is fairly good for toilets (not bathrooms) - museums, galleries, pubs, restaurants and department stores all will have them.

You ask about 'Europe' in general, so it's hard to answer for the whole continent, but continental Europe in general I find less good for toilets.

In terms of rideshare - don't assume this will be faster than public transport. And it varies from city to city.

Come to Singapore instead - it's probably the best place on earth for clean, working public toilets - pretty much every building has them.

I had terrible IBS and it interfered with hiking which is our favorite pastime. A PA suggested the FODMAPs diet, and other things to help manage it, like timing when I drink water or tea, etc. ( 30 minutes before a meal, or at least an hour after,). You want to keep your stomach from feeling too full.
It has helped tremendously and I am very grateful to that PA for the advice. I miss eating apples, peaches, onions, bread, ice cream and other foods banned from the diet, but as long as I stick to it and manage my fluid intake properly I am fine. And can safely enjoy hiking.

Bathroom is just the American way of saying toilet. I don’t think they are expecting to shower!

Bathrooms and restrooms….lol…just our very odd US lingo for word toilet/toilette which tends to be way more obvious! Our way to not use “potty talk”…..?
This IBS post is quite informative. Its a very real concern for many….even those of us who just need to “go”!

Some countries are better than others. The Netherlands and Germany, as far as I know, are not as "loo friendly." Many require a small payment, even for shopping mall or restaurant customers!
Switzerland is a little better. The best is Poland, where I found free, clean toilets often.

The very best country in this world from this perspective is Japan. Even 7-11s and other convenient stores offer free toilets. No purchase required, but of course please patronize them if possible.

I was talking to my sister in law today and asked a bit more about IBS. She said Depends are essential when traveling or if toilet access is iffy. Nothing, she said, is worth soiling your pants or dress.

Frankly, I am glad to hear I am not alone in having to accommodate my prostate issues on my travels. No morning coffee or fluids for me. Likewise for lunchtime beers. No morning group tours. Dinner reservations no more than a 15 minute walk from the hotel so I can finally enjoy a couple glasses of wine. Its a pain in the butt, but (pun) can be done.

I will second Barkinpark's recommendation of Japan. There is always a clean toilet close by.

This is a very tricky question to answer, and it's important to remember that Europe is a very diverse continent. If you decide on Scandinavia I can probably give better advice. I've never had problems finding a bathroom here, but I don't have terrible IBS so my experience is probably not that useful. But at least I can mention that all trains, apart from the Stockholm commuter trains, are equipped with bathrooms.

In most cities taxis are usually easy to find, but in any major city public transportation is often the best way to get around.

I don't have IBS, but I do have IBD, Crohn's/Ulcerative Colitis to be specific. Until I got the right medication, I had similar issues to the ones described. There were a few things I couldn't eat because they'd start a flare, but uncooked apples were the worst. I hadn't eaten any raw apples in over 10 years whe I couldn't resist the fresh apples with honey dessert I ate at a restaurant in Greece. I was terrified by the potential reaction I'd have, but nothing happened.

I have a cousin who had such severe IBS that she had to stop working. Many years later, she finally saw a real gastroenterologist. That doc put her on some kind of immodium regimen and it's been like a new life for her. She didn’t want to take any meds for it. I totally understand that, but sometimes they are necessary.

I don't know the differences between the 2 afflictions and I don't know how their treatments vary. I do know that there's no substitute for proper experts and testing, like colonoscopies. And I always take Pepto with me on my trips just in case I get exposed to something that can cause symptoms.

Toilets are always on my radar, no matter where I am. At my age (78) there are 2 reasons for that. ;-) As for toilets in Great Britain especially, I always try to use the handicapped ones. That's mostly because of my knees now, but it started because they were often the closest to the main floor in the public buildings I was in. I appreciated the signs on the doors of some that said, "not all handicaps are obvious."

Fortunately, your trip is far enough in the future that your family member has time to see a gastroenterologist and pursue some possible options to make their daily life better so that they can travel and do other activities without such worry. My cousin was literally trapped in her house and afraid to leave for years!

If your family member has already seen a gastroenterologist and been told there's nothing to be done, I'd find a different gastroenterologist.

By the way, I was first officially diagnosed with Crohn's when I was about 34 years old, so I've been dealing with these gastro challenges for about 44 years. I've had 2 surgeries that removed about 2 feet total of my colon. Over the years I've taken 4 different medications, two that didn't work at all (a steroid and an immunosuppressant) and one that worked well for the first 24 years (a sulfa based med). I finally got the best medication for me about 20 years ago and I'm still taking it. Of course, it's the most expensive of the lot. ;-) It definitely was a long and winding road, but I was determined to not let my gastro issues completely control my life.

Except just before I was first diagnosed by a gastroenterologist (I'd lost about 35 pounds, had a constant low-grade fever and couldn't eat much of anything), I was never as sick as you have described. Getting that first prescription that worked made a huge difference.

I hope your family member can find a good gastroenterologist with some acceptable solution for her gut problems, the sooner the better.

IBS and IBD are very different in etiology and severity (IBD is far more serious), but they can have a similar effect. Either condition can result in “sudden gastrocolic reflex”. This is an informative short article on this subject:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/gastrocolic-reflex-5224821#

Note that cold water, lactose-containing dairy products, and FODMAPs (including apples) can all trigger the symptoms. Stress and anxiety can exacerbate the problem, so worry about finding a bathroom triggers a vicious circle situation.

Sasha—-if you want to enjoy ice cream, try taking a Lactaid pill first.

Brittany not precisely directed to your inquiry about European toilets etc, but my sister had pretty active IBS for nearly her whole life into late middle age. She saw plenty of medical practitioners about it for a very long time and tried much different stuff. But then figured out two things on her own that significantly changed.

First a low dose SSRI (I think - the upshot is the drug keeps more serotonin in her gut). This was a MAJOR help, and not suggested by any of the specialists that she had been seeing.

And the second one is a max dose of wide spectrum probiotic capsules. After about a month on this regiment, she was significantly more improved.

Of course everyone is different; your relative very well might have already tried these things; the disease can happen for different reasons at different intensities, etc etc. But just thought I might relate what worked for my relative that was not suggested by all the GI specialists she had seen.

Just back from Northern Ireland and Italy…the Flush app was great with only a couple of exceptions when it seemed a bit confused. And as others have mentioned…have coins! As an example, we found most public restrooms in Italy were €.50. My other thought is that while most restrooms in public areas were very well maintained, the sheer volume of visitors can take a toll on paper availability, so it’s wise to keep a few Kleenex handy.

Excellent thread.

Big Mike, bonus points for the image
of Kabuki Dance

I have IBS but it's been in remission now for a few years.

There are many things you can do.....it's all trial and error as what works for one may not work for another.

What helped me was seeing a gastroenterologist who specializes in Functional Digestive Disorders. There are many new prescription meds that can help. Sometimes it's a combination of things that works and has little effect on the rest of you.

I've also learned throughout the years that there are some foods my body doesn't tolerate. And it many cases, it has nothing to do with food at all.

There are many resources on the internet. One forum that has been around forever is http://www.ibsgroup.org. You can ask questions of other sufferers that may be helpful to you.

For the UK the handicapped toilets mentioned by @Lo above often have what are called Radar Keys- I would assume/hope that it is possible for you to buy one from Overseas- https://news.motability.co.uk/everyday-tips/radar-keys-explained-what-are-they-where-can-i-use-them-and-how-do-i-get-one/ (you can but try).

In the box on the right hand page of the above web page you will see about the European equivalent of that key (now hard to obtain)- but also about the free user-led app Accessaloo, where you can find accessible toilets across Europe.

The Accessaloo app also shows accessible toilets that do not need a key, i.e. in restaurants, coffee shops and hotels, but which might use the key code system or have a key to the loo behind the counter.