GRIME artist Skepta has reached out to fans asking for help with his chronically painful stomach condition.
In a candid post, Skepta – real name Chief Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr – revealed that he has suffered with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) since his 20s.
The 39-year-old said it had “steered his life”, affecting not only his physical but mental health.
IBS is a lifelong problem that although can be helped with medication, largely falls onto the patient to control with lifestyle measures.
Symptoms of the condition include pain in the abdomen, bloating, bouts of diarrhoea or constipation, and wind.
It fluctuates, often in tandem with bowel movements, but never really goes away.
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Skepta, who won MOBO awards for his tracks That’s Not Me and Shutdown, also said he has had stomach ulcers.
Ulcers cause agonising pain in the belly and are usually a result of long-term use of ibuprofen or aspirin, or an infection.
They can become very serious and even life-threatening.
Skepta wrote on Instagram on August 9: "Through song lyrics or word of mouth some of you know I have suffered from IBS/Stomach Ulcers/problems since my early 20s.
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"Apart from me not being able to maintain a steady weight, depression, short term memory loss it also controls my moods which has ultimately steered my Life.
"I've had an endoscopy and nothing was found but I still get crippling waves of pain in my stomach.
"So I think the next thing for me to do is to book an MRI scan but if anybody has any experience or advice about this kind of thing I would love to talk still.
“Sending strength to anybody that has had to deal with stomach problems kmt smh [kiss my teeth, shake my head] the internal fights, the mood swings, losing things etc are normal symptoms, just don’t let it ruin your Life please get help.”
It comes after Skepta revealed that he had been admitted to hospital in July.
Sharing a photo of him from the ward, the grime MC was seen wearing a patient's gown and wrote: "Say a little prayer for me."
How common is IBS?
Skepta is far from alone.
According to Guts UK, IBS is one of the most common reasons for a visit to the GP.
As many as one in eight people have symptoms of IBS at any one time.
How is it treated?
A GP will first offer advice on dietary changes and may refer a patient to a dietician.
A dietician may suggest trying the low FODMAP diet, in which a person cuts out foods that are known to be triggering before slowly introducing them to see which ones cause irritation.
Small tips that can help IBS include eating small and regular meals, avoiding hard-to-digest foods, such as cauliflower, and avoiding foods that are high in fat, processing or spice.
Regular exercise, hydration and managing stress levels are all part of the lifestyle commitment to controlling IBS.
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Treatments, such as laxatives to relieve constipation, can be bought over the counter.
But sadly, there is no cure or medication that can remove IBS symptoms.
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