Take the pain out of next year's Christmas dinner

Many IBS sufferers dread the annual feast...but there are solutions

- Chris Riches

FOR many with a common digestive condition yesterday's Christmas dinner would have been agony - but an expert shows how to enjoy such feasts pain-free.

Some 13 million suffer irritable bowel syndrome, which causes stomach upsets, particularly with certain foods.

Symptoms vary but largely involve diarrhoea, constipation, gas, bloating and stomach cramps, which can be managed and reduced with effective IBS medications.

Now GP Dr Alexis Missick, who works with online pharmaceutical company UK Meds, has shared her top tips with the Daily Express on how to alleviate the condition when preparing for next Christmas.

And she even gives our readers a suggested three-course festive meal, including turkey and the trimmings, that will not leave IBS sufferers in agony afterwards.

Dr Missick explains: "Every person is different so it's important to learn your own illness and patterns (perhaps with a diary).

However, there are some foods that it's wise to avoid when making a Christmas dinner.

"A lot of people with IBS are lactose intolerant, which means that eating dairybased food, including a Christmas cheese board, can worsen symptoms and cause diarrhoea.