Looking for encouragement
#176323 - 05/03/05 06:15 PM
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I have been reading a ton of the posts here and feel encouraged already, but I have not read of anyone who has experienced quite what I am going through. I am currently 15 weeks pregnant (first child) and while I've had bouts of IBS and anxiety in the past, they were nothing compared to what I have been dealing with since I got pregnant. I assume that the hormones and major life change triggered it, but I had non-stop D for the first eight weeks of my pregnancy and had such bad panic attacks when out and about that I have basically become agoraphobic. Whenever I have to go someplace that is more than walking-distance from my apartment (like my midwive's appointments & sonograms etc.) I have non-stop D all day until I get back home. I have taken a few immodium but nothing psychopharmacological because I didn't want to endanger the baby. Now I can't take it anymore and am going to see a psychiatrist next week. I understand that Prozac is safe to take while pregnant, but I don't know if it can stop what is going on in my brain. When I don't have to go anywhere I don't have any bowel problems, but as soon as I have an appointment it's just non-stop bathroom visits! Can Prozac really help something like this? Any other ideas? Anyone ever been through something similar and recover? The worst part is the humiliation of having to explain why I can't go anywhere at this point. Thanks 
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DO NOT FEEL HUMILIATED! People all over the world have IBS and yes, it sucks, but it is nothing to ashamed of. It is a medical problem. Re how to explain it to people, you can just tell them you have severe stomach problems brought on by your pregnancy. Your pregnancy should give you extra ammo for people to "accept" how you're feeling.
I've never been pregnant, so perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about here. Several people on this board have taken prozac - i'd be curious to hear what they have to say about it. I'm fairly stable, but still anxiety can give me attack (awful ex-boyfriend reared his head via e-mail at work today and i had a mild attack not 20 minutes later.)
Well hang in there girl. (and just think, when your child misbehaves, you can say "do you know what I went through to have you?")
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Hang in there and just think positive as hard as it may be to. Things do get better sometimes it just takes longer. Just concentrate on having your baby and how beautiful he or she will be. Try to concentrate on what your eating and eliminating certain foods that may be a trigger. I have anxiety and it affects my IBS a lot. I have been going through a hard time the last few months especially with the change of seasons. I am starting to try to get pregnant and have anxiety about how my IBS will react to it.
Take care
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I haven't been through *exactly* what you're going through, because I've never been pregnant... but having dealt with non-stop D and also having been treated with antidepressants/anti-anxiety medication, I can say that, yes, it really CAN help. I noticed a dramatic improvement in my symptoms when I went on AD's, although be warned that as your body gets used to them, there will be unpleasant side effects... hang in there, they pass!
I have to say, also, that sticking to Heather's IBS diet religiously really, really helped. I don't know if you've started the diet yet, but if you haven't, definitely read up and give it a try.
There are also non-pharmaceutical ways of dealing with the anxiety, of course. A therapist can help, as can something like hypnotherapy.
Finally, I know it's hard, but as you make these adjustments, don't stop going places! (I know, you have to keep your appointments, so that's a given.) As you start to improve health-wise, you'll notice fewer problems when you leave the house, which will boost your confidence in going places... which, in turn, will cause even more improvements in your IBS. It's a wonderful cycle. It just takes a little bit to get it moving.
Good luck, and feel free to vent here - we all know how it feels, at least some of it! 
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Well for starters, pregnancy has been discussed quite alot lately and I understand that the D should ease as the baby grows! So hopefully you'll do a bit better soon.
SFSs, herbal teas, yoga and hypno are all completely safe during pregnancy (check with a yoga teacher tho for specific poses to avoid) and these will help you alot. The diet will also help...if you can calm your GI tract down with the right eating patterns then it'll be less likely to go into D overdrive with anxiety.
If Immodium is safe during pregnancy (check with your doc I guess) then take as many as it takes...some people on here take LOADS in a day and that's fine.
Good luck!
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Hello and welcome. Use the search button at the top for anti-depressants, they have been talked about a lot! I am going through fertility issues myself. I have had three miscarriages in the last year and now I'm on LOADS of hormones and trying again. I am IBS C but also very prone to panick attacks and depression.
I have been on some sort of AD for about 15 years now. I have treid several times to stop and I do very poorly. The current RE that I'm working with for the fertility says the low dose of zoloft 50mg I'm on is fine to take during pregnancy. I have also been told that prozac is fine also but I didn't like that one very much. I still have issues with my IBS but yes the AD's really do help! Good luck and feel better!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Thank you everyone who replied, I really had not ever met anyone before who had the lucky combo of anxiety and IBS! I have tried everything I can so far without taking medication (except for hypnosis), including yoga (which I do at home about 5x a week), Heather's fantastic diet (which is helping dramatically so far, unless I have to go to an appointment, and then I instantly get non-stop d, which makes me really think the brain is to blame here), breathing exercises, and meditation and positive thinking. I have a therapist whom I do phone appointments with who pretty much believes that at this point what is happening with my anxiety is so biologically based (both parents and aunts on both side suffer from it as well) that it's out of my control and I should go on meds. I was hoping to read here that they have been helpful in controlling the IBS, and it seems like there is hope.
Best of luck to both you who are trying to get pregnant- keep trying, it took me several months.
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Up to now I never had met anyone either who has IBS and anxiety. I think as well that most of the symptoms are brought on by the anxiety and in return anything I eat bothers my stomach. Both my Mom and my Dad have anxiety. I do Yoga as well and take nice warm relaxing baths. Good luck with your pregnancy. I am just starting to try.
Take care
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