Does one HAVE to be STRESSED to get IBS?
#131472 - 12/18/04 07:56 AM
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Hi. My name is Steve. I am 32. I have had bloating, belching, and gas, as well as fatigue for at least five years. I am a type B personality, who has plenty of income, a stable marriage and loving wife, good family support...I really have nothing to worry about. And I am not the type of guy who looks five years into the future..I more or less have the 5 minute plan. So what gets me is that people keep telling me I have IBS because I am stressed. I am not stressed and am not even a worrier. If I was, I would be very, very depressed by now. No doubt I'm frustrated, but the insistence that my IBS is related to worry, is the ONLY thing that really gets me upset. On another note, do you think Fennel could help my symptoms. I know I might not get an end all cure, but I am looking for something to help some of the symptoms, as the fatigue and laziness from this does hamper my personal life.
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For me it's all stress. I can eat anything when I am calm. But if I am the least bit stressed all trigger foods cause a bad reaction. Hope you feel better and good luck findindg answers!
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and yes... I think fennel might help, so can gas-x.....
--------------------
Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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Steve,
My husband has had IBS-A for about 5 months. He is 41. We are comfortable financially, he has a firm that he co founded, we have a great relationship, we have four children, and a supportive family. We are also very busy.
We believe his triggers are travel related. He is on airplanes, in hotels, a different country almost every week.
So I would say that stress to the body, if that is your trigger, could come from external stimuli. Everyday occurrences that affect your sympethic (sp?) nervous system without you realizing that it is happening. Traffic to and from work, loud noises, not enough sleep etc. these things have a silent influence on our guts. For IBSers it is not so silent as you are starting out with a sensitive gut.
My understanding and so I agree with everyone else - IBS is something you get. It is not something that you're doing to yourself and if you would just stop you would not have IBS.
You have IBS and so what triggers you - will get your gut going out of whack. For some it IS worry that triggers them.
That is what is great about this diet. If my husband knows that the workweek is going to involve travel he eats very carefully as to have his gut be in the best shape possible.
Hope this helps,
Lefty
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Hi Steve, I'm Nel! I can be fine on stress and get an IBS attack. But I am more prone to have attacks when I am stressed, though, and stress will lengthen the severity and duration of an attack when one does happen.
I can wake up in the middle of the night and be in the full throws of an attack. Or be on vacation and lying on the beach and an attack happens. The only way to modify and predict my attacks (besides diet and lifestyle) is staying away from non-food triggers, which include for me: heat, pressure on the stomach (tight jeans or a seatbelt, whatever), jarring noises or motions, being jolted awake, or strenuous impact exercise. I try to avoid as much of these as I can!!
The good thing is that a good feeling tummy tends to stay good. The longer I can stay stable, the weller I stay if I happen to encounter a trigger!!
Good luck identifying your stress triggers and non-food triggers! It gets easier over time, once you figure out what these are for you!
~nelly~
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