Symptoms caused mostly by lack of sleep and stress? Not food? PLEASE help/ give input!
#252238 - 03/14/06 07:01 PM
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I've had symptoms of IBS since having my son. I've asked this before, but I'll ask again and expand on my questions. After his birth, I would have bad stomach problems on and off, but nothing the symptoms never seemed to follow a food pattern. By this, I mean that when I was feeling better after a period of stomach distress, I would eat whatever I wanted and be fine, for weeks usually. I've never been one to binge or anything, so when I say that I ate whatever I wanted, including candy bars, ice cream, grilled cheese sandwiches, and pizza, I mean in normal/moderate/healthy quantities. Still, I had NO problems. It seemed like whenever my son was sleeping his worst at night (getting up every hour, so like 9 times a night!) I would have D, bloating, pain and discomfort for a week or so; my whole, tired body would be out of whack. Anything I ate would bother me. The doc said my symptoms seemed just like IBS. I agree because there is nothing else "wrong" with me after taking all the tests. I'm only 21, and never in my life had any sort of pain or discomfort compared to that which I have experienced on and off from the IBS, thus I live in constant fear of the next pain. IT really stresses me out! I wonder if this and lack of sleep (since my 11 month old still doesn't sleep through the night and keeps going through periods of terrible unrest due to teething-- I actually have not had one full, uninteruppted 7 hours of sleep since April 2nd of 2005!) that I get the symptoms. Otherwise how can I eat trigger foods and be completely fine? My body has never been so tired in all of it's life and it's probably just taking a toll on my stomach? Does that make sense. Then, going on from that, I wonder if I am setting myself up for never being able to eat dairy again by cutting it out completely. Say as my son gets old and sleeps through the night my stomach seems to be fine. If I add dairy back in will I have trouble digesting it and tolerating it because I cut it out of my diet for so long? Again, I don't really miss much but my low fat cheeses and low fat ice cream, but I worry that I may never be able to eat them again because I am training my body to work without them. Does that make any sense? Does anything think that my problems might be sleep/stress induced? Do any of you think my body will reject dairy in the future if I ever want to add it back in after not having eating it in so long?
Thanks for any input, I'm so confused these days!
Amber
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Sleep and stress, or lack there of, definately effect IBS. My stomach hurts all day if I miss too much sleep. If in the future you reintro dairy, start with very small amounts and work your way up. Your body will have to readjust to it. Just like if a vegetrian decides to eat meat again. But there are many dairy alternatives out there that are very tasty. Sometimes IBS comes and goes. Some people will go through periods of having attacks and then not have them for a while.
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Wow! 21 and a mommy! You are definitely a much tougher gal than I am! I can barely take care of myself and my two kittties 
My biggest trigger for stomach problems has always been stress, and being in law school, there is plenty of it to go around! To cope, I tried to get more sleep, do yoga and other exercise as well as pay close attention to what I ate. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. A great amount of stress would instantly bring on D and an attack! Overall, like you, stress is worse for me than what I eat.
I found that what helped me the most was getting my anxiety under control. I started taking Effexor and since my serotonin levels became controlled, my IBS has practically disappeared. I don't know if you're breastfeeding or not, but if not, maybe you could look into some sort of anti anxiety medicine to help you with your stress.
I hope you feel better soon!
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Re: I agree...
#252246 - 03/14/06 09:27 PM
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gigi
Reged: 03/21/04
Posts: 1442
Loc: South Texas
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I am proof positive that stress and anxiety cause flare ups, and IBS. I have had IBS since I was 17, I am {{{49}}}. I have gone for years at a time with no symptoms, eating whatever I wanted. Every time something stressful would happen, (parents divorcing, children having children,children having divorces, loss of a loved one....)I would get sick and suffer like everyone else with this dreaded illness. For the last year I have had several flare ups, and recovered. Right now I am doing fine as long as I watch what I eat. I am definitely lactose intolerant also, I don't miss the milk, have never liked it and I have the bones of an 80 yr. old woman to prove it. Take your calcium if you can  . Anyway, as I ramble...I stay away from ice cream and yogurt, they both cause lots of problems, and no red meat.
I think that in time you are going to get better. Maybe an anti-anxiety, or anti-depressant might help you, careful on some of them though because they will make you drowsy,and you can't afford that right now with those little ones. I am taking Lexapro and it has helped me more than anything.
No sleep can defintely cause health problems. I hope that baby starts sleeping better soon for your sake, and that you can get some rest soon.
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Re: I agree...
#252313 - 03/15/06 10:42 AM
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Dajara
Reged: 12/01/05
Posts: 347
Loc: Medicine Hat. AB. CAN
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If I have to get up for a 6am meeting or if my fiance comes to bed at 3-4am and keeps me up for awhile and then having to go to work @ 7am, I will be in pain all day long. it's not happy, and stress totally makes me ill.
I was very very excited to go on a trip and ended up only being able to eat chicken breast or chicken fingers the entire time because everything else was hurting too much.
Also there was a night where my father in law got side swiped by a car and I was sick for about three days.. (he was ok, just a scratch on his hand but still stress is a major factor..)
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Some people may disagree with me but when my son was teething and not sleeping through the night we let him sleep with us and he slept all night long. Eventually after his teething phase was over he was used to sleeping in our bed that he did not want to sleep in his crib, so we just put him in there after he fell asleep and would wake up in there in the morning. He finally realized that that was his bed and it was safe and comfortable. Good luck and hang in there.
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