IBS Support Group
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New to IBS
slcox7 posted:
I have recently been diagnosed with IBS due to stress. I am still waiting on all the blood work and pathology from my endoscopy. I have just started a new prescription medication that I take 4x a day and it makes me feel really fuzzy. I have emetophobia (fear of vomiting) so that makes the stress and anxiety 10x worse. I try to calm myself down but my stomach hurts all the time and I get horrible pains at night. I was just reaching out because I am starting to lose hope that I will ever be able to handle this much longer (which of course adds to anxiety). I cant find any foods that necessarily trigger the attacks and sometimes I don't even feel stressed when my stomach acts up. Is there anyone else out there that is dealing with something similar?
6 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:New to IBSI have recently been diagnosed with IBS due to stress. I am still waiting on all the blood work and pathology from my endoscopy. I have just started a new prescription medication that I take 4x a day and it makes me feel really fuzzy. I have emetophobia (fear of vomiting) so that makes the stress and anxiety 10x worse. I try to calm myself down but my stomach hurts all the time and I get horrible pains at night. I was just reaching out because I am starting to lose hope that I will ever be able to handle this much longer (which of course adds to anxiety). I cant find any foods that necessarily trigger the attacks and sometimes I don't even feel stressed when my stomach acts up. Is there anyone else out there that is dealing with something similar?
CalGal37 responded:
What specific symptoms are you experiencing, because IBS is not quite the same in each individual?
Report This| Share this:New to IBSWhat specific symptoms are you experiencing, because IBS is not quite the same in each individual?
get an incredibly intense pain in my upper abdomen first. then i have multiple bouts of diarreha with extreme nausea. i then have my usual panic attack which makes the stomach issues worse so im caught in a nasty circle. it seems also if i go without eating for too long i dont get hungry i just feel real bad hunger pangs which starts the whole anxiety. im trying to figure out a way to break the cycle but so far i cant. i had a massive panic attack ysterday that lasted about an hour and today i had one that lasted a shorter time but im still trying to force myself to eat something.
Report This| Share this:New to IBS<i>get an incredibly intense pain in my upper abdomen first. then i have multiple bouts of diarreha with extreme nausea. i then have my usual panic attack which makes the stomach issues worse so im caught in a nasty circle. it seems also if i go without eating for too long i dont get hungry i just feel real bad hunger pangs which starts the whole anxiety. im trying to figure out a way to break the cycle but so far i cant. i had a massive panic attack ysterday that lasted about an hour and today i had one that lasted a shorter time but im still trying to force myself to eat something.</i>
Your description is similar to what used to happen to me. Especially the diarrhea which was very debilitating. What meds did your doc suggest? Not all of them work well for each individual, so it's going to be a bit of 'trial-and-error.' With something like what you're experiencing, the food part of the problem may be important. But to try to figure out what will or won't help is going to take time - although I know that's not what you want to hear. But food CAN play a big part. Check out www.helpforIBS.com, a site that gives some good info.
Find out if anyone in your family has either gluten issues (celiac or gluten sensitivity) or dairy sensitivity. If there is a familial history, make sure your doc checks you for IgA/IgG intolerance to gluten and dairy - preferably via fecal antibody test. The blood tests are notoriously unreliable. And if your medical professional tells you they checked for gluten issues via biopsy and nothing was found, take it one step further and do the fecal antibody test via enterolab.com. It's 'saved' many a person years of agony when the standard tests came back negative.
Find out if anyone in your family has either gluten issues (celiac or gluten sensitivity) or dairy sensitivity. If there is a familial history, make sure your doc checks you for IgA/IgG intolerance to gluten and dairy - preferably via fecal antibody test. The blood tests are notoriously unreliable. And if your medical professional tells you they checked for gluten issues via biopsy and nothing was found, take it one step further and do the fecal antibody test via enterolab.com. It's 'saved' many a person years of agony when the standard tests came back negative.
Report This| Share this:New to IBSYour description is similar to what used to happen to me. Especially the diarrhea which was very debilitating. What meds did your doc suggest? Not all of them work well for each individual, so it's going to be a bit of 'trial-and-error.' With something like what you're experiencing, the food part of the problem may be important. But to try to figure out what will or won't help is going to take time - although I know that's not what you want to hear. But food CAN play a big part. Check out www.helpforIBS.com, a site that gives some good info.<br /><br />Find out if anyone in your family has either gluten issues (celiac or gluten sensitivity) or dairy sensitivity. If there is a familial history, make sure your doc checks you for IgA/IgG intolerance to gluten and dairy - preferably via fecal antibody test. The blood tests are notoriously unreliable. And if your medical professional tells you they checked for gluten issues via biopsy and nothing was found, take it one step further and do the fecal antibody test via enterolab.com. It's 'saved' many a person years of agony when the standard tests came back negative.
Laney60 responded:
I, also, suffer from IBS. I've been suffering from this for 30 years. My doctor put me on antianxiety medication. I take one immodium a day and when I am going to eat something I know will cause problems the next day, I also take Beano. I have been through the regime ( I took Metamucil( which caused a lot of gas) being a dental assistant, that didn't work for me. So the above is the regime I follow and it has worked for me. But, every individual is different and this may not work for you.
Report This| Share this:New to IBSI, also, suffer from IBS. I've been suffering from this for 30 years. My doctor put me on antianxiety medication. I take one immodium a day and when I am going to eat something I know will cause problems the next day, I also take Beano. I have been through the regime ( I took Metamucil( which caused a lot of gas) being a dental assistant, that didn't work for me. So the above is the regime I follow and it has worked for me. But, every individual is different and this may not work for you.
mysticalchic replied to slcox7's response:
had the same problem since my late teens, which was a long time ago. since i've been on paxil for about 10 years, i've been better. it helps with anxiety, depression and IBS. you can always try xanax for the severe anxiety attacks but you need something that you take daily, that isn't addictive and will help level off your serotonin level in your brain so you don't get so bad in the first place.
Report This| Share this:New to IBS<i>had the same problem since my late teens, which was a long time ago. since i've been on paxil for about 10 years, i've been better. it helps with anxiety, depression and IBS. you can always try xanax for the severe anxiety attacks but you need something that you take daily, that isn't addictive and will help level off your serotonin level in your brain so you don't get so bad in the first place.</i>
wellnesstoday replied to mysticalchic's response:
the medical community knows changing the angle of your colon = better bowel movements. i have recently tried a squatty potty and it has helped with my bloating, straining, chronic constipation. It's a godsend!squattypotty.com . I hope it helps you too!
Report This| Share this:New to IBSthe medical community knows changing the angle of your colon = better bowel movements. i have recently tried a squatty potty and it has helped with my bloating, straining, chronic constipation. It's a godsend!<a rel="nofollow" href="http://squattypotty.com/">squattypotty.com</a> . I hope it helps you too!
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