This is hard work!
#288626 - 10/31/06 06:16 PM
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line415
Reged: 09/09/06
Posts: 976
Loc: New Jersey
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I am so frustrated and just need to vent for a moment. I can totally see now why it takes people so long to get stable. There is so much to consider! I did as some of you suggested and didn't take the probiotic last night or digestive enzymes today. This morning I felt fine, had my soyfee with acacia, a bowl of oatmeal with bananas, and an ounce or so of orange juice diluted (I thought I'd give the juice a try again as my IF). No BM. Then lunchtime I had a blueberry/banana smoothie with soy milk and acacia along with a piece of white toast and smart balance (something I've been very successful with these last weeks). So it figured that the IF gave me a bm. No biggie, right? That's the idea...only after it happened, I started to have a panic attack about going trick or treating around the neighborhood today with my kids and neighbors/friends. Then my belly started to gurgle and I laid down only to start feeling worse. I know it was stress-induced. I'm almost sure of it. It's because in the last week I have had so many bms per day that I would never be able to trick-or-treat just in case. So I took 1 immodium...I figured just one b/c I didn't want to screw up my system so much now that I want to see how it does with just the Acacia. So a few more minutes pass and I'm still freaking out, so I take a tranquilizer type pill (1/2) that my doc. gave me in emergencies (can't think of the name). I've only used it like 5 times in the last year (twice on to and fro plane flights and one other time for a big event). I used to be on Lexapro for the anxiety but I feel much better now and the anxiety is strictly situational. Especially with the Acacia and diet awareness now, I feel more confident so I'd rather not go back on anything. It's not that strong anyhow for those intense anxiety moments. I already take Librax which has some anxiety medicine in it. Anyhow...I digress...so then I take another immodium b/c I'm still nervous, stomach is gurgling, and we go out. Successful trip...my husband was with me so I could have left (would have been a bit embarrassing but so what) but I what I was nervous about was being blocks away from my house. Of course we joked and said I could have said, "Trick or treat..can I use your bathroom?" lol...i wouldn't put it past me. Anyway, my point is, I feel so ridiculous that I "wasted" an anxiety pill and 2 immodium which will now throw off my whole bm system just for HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREATING!!!! IT'S SO STUPID...IT'S NOT LIKE I WAS FLYING ON A PLANE OR HOSTING SOME HUGE BANQUET OR SOMETHING.  I feel like it is going to take me so long to figure out what works with the SF and IF b/c I'll keep getting thrown into real life situations that I can't "chance." If I knew my body and system better, I'd feel less anxious but I'll never find that out if I keep readjusting what I ingest both foodwise and medicine/supplement wise. Some of you have suggested taking just 1/2 an immodium or one so as not to throw me into c for a few days, but see what happened? I wasn't confident that a small amount would be enough assurance for me not to have an accident. I'm not there yet. When will I get there????????!!!!! Sorry...just feeling silly for getting so worked up over a little candy collecting. Thanks for letting me vent. Happy Halloween 
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I feel your pain.
If you're wondering why I am on these boards after being stable for 10 months now, it's because I still think and worry about it 24/7. The good news is, the panic doens't affect me as much as before (thanks to the diet) and I don't usually go into attack-mode. But I still panic when I feel gurgling in my stomach when I'm out to eat, at a movie, in a meeting, anything where I feel constricted or far from a bathroom. And like you, I pop the Imodiums if I'm freaking out too much (sometimes suffering the C consequences later  ).
I have to say now this doesn't get in the way of my daily activities anymore, so keep up the good work with your diet and understanding IBS and you will feel relief. I'm now working on for once waking up not thinking about it, and not panicking during certain situations like restaurants and meetings.
I started doing the hypno tapes, which I think will help a lot. It definetly helps me sleep and calm down at night, so hopefully as I go through the program that will transfer over into my daily life. After my brain has been programmed for so many years to freak out when my stomach churns, I'm sure it'll take a little while to retrain my thoughts.
Keep patient and don't give up! And hope the kids got some good halloween treats tonight.
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Kat
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I sympathize. The first month or so was pretty frustrating for me, too. I think I called my mother up in tears a couple of times to get some advice (she's quite the alternative medecine guru). Not stressing about IBS is still a bit of an issue for me, even though I'm mostly stable. It gets easier with practice, though.
It sounds like you're doing all the right things with regards to diet and supplements. Hang in there!
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-Carol
IBS-A
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Thank you both for your support and empathy. At least I wasn't stressed out this morning at an activity that I had b/c of the Immodium cushion. K2...what do you usually do the day or two after you've taken the immodium? I took 2 yesterday so today I still had SF normal breakfast but added much more IF to my lunch than I would have normally (still along with the same amount of Acacia). No BM, but I don't expect one until at least tomorrow...that's usually what happens. I also usually take Librax AM and PM so I skipped it last night and this morning, as it slows down your intestines. Do you take the same approach of adding more IF the day after the immodium or should I stay more consistent with small amounts of IF and more SF which was what I was doing to try to get stable? I don't want to go into D mode but I also would like to have a BM the sooner the better so that I don't get so backed up that D mode will be inevitable. I was even thinking of eating a small salad at dinner tonight (with sf). What do you think?
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I definetly don't go the next day after taking 2 Imodiums. I may up my IF a little bit. I usually don't add 'new' IF, or add it in at new times of the day, I just try to take more IF when I normally eat it. For example, oatmeal in the morning I'll put more berries. Sandwich at lunch I'll put more lettuce and tomato. Dinner I'll eat more veggies than usual.
I never eat salads so I'm not sure what I would recommend. If you don't normally eat them then it's probably best not to. Like I said, I don't introduce 'new' IF to get me to go, I stick to what I normally have and just try to eat more of it. Also lots and lots of water & tea, and some situps helps.
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Kat
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I just found this site yesterday, and it is all new to me. I have had the chronic D for years and it gets worse every year. My doctor said to try Benefiber, which worked till this summer. Now I find out they changed their formula.
How long did it take you to quit popping the immodium every time you felt the churning? My husband wants to eat out, and I say let's go home. It is SO stressful!!
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I found this site sometime in September and it was good timing because my life became hectic and stressful again with the kids' activities, scheduled events, lots of things to make me worry about getting d. It is Nov. now and I have come a long way but I still have a LOOOONG way to go b/c I'm realizing that there are so many factors that impact on how you get stable. But I am determined to stick with it and check this board tenaciously b/c everyone is so supportive and has concrete advice for you. The problem is that we are all different so the diet and supplements may affect everyone differently...good news is that at least you should get some improvement while you're working out the kinks.
As for the immodium...well, I still take it, but I'm really trying to less often partly b/c I'm becoming a little more confident/relaxed that my body won't betray me if I eat the right things and partly b/c I want to see what will happen if I don't take the immodium (not that I want a bout of d but maybe it won't happen after all). With that said, before finding this site, I had muddled through years of events in pain, embarrassment, and basically torture to get myself through until last year I had a changed mindset. I decided that I couldn't "accept" that much stress anymore and just stagger through everything to be the perfect wife, mom, friend, worker, whatever. I decided that I would only attend functions if they were absolutely necessary or I would insist that my husband and I drive separately (not following anyone) to go somewhere. For those necessary events, I still tend to beat myself up and feel like a failure for breaking down and taking the immodium when I might not even have d at that moment, but if it helps me actually "enjoy" what I'm doing, then it's worth it.
My advice is to start taking another SF since the benefiber has changed (before taking the acacia, I took fibercon but I would definitely recommend buying the acacia...I am a skeptic to things like this but the acacia can only help..especially I think with d). I would also recommend getting Heather's books or reading all that you possibly can from this site (not just the boards..the info from the home page). I would also recommend eating something soluble when you have d or are afraid of d. That is the biggest thing that has helped me along with the acacia for my mornings in particular. I used to starve b/c I was so afraid of d or the d was so bad that I couldn't imagine eating would help. But now I realize that eating something soluble is necessary (oatmeal works for me but not everyone...try cream of rice...think sticky...picture it absorbing the water in your bowel to help with the d). And if you need to take immodium, others have suggested taking less than normal (ie.,1 pill instead of 2) but I'm not there yet...if I'm that stressed, I have to "know" that I take enough to be safe to go out. Stick around and don't worry so much about "when" you will become stable. Just know that knowledge really is power. Having some control/direction over your IBS is a success in and of itself when you first start out. I'm not even stable, but look...I'm giving out advice  ...that means that positive changes have already begun. Hope that helps. good luck.
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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Oh, thank you so much for the reply. I am reading everything on this site, have been on it for about 16 hours total. I ordered the book, Acacia, peppermint something. I carry a change of clothes with me it is so bad. I have always been a big veggie lover, and now I can't eat any salads, or most veggies. I've had to tell my husband we have to leave places quickly, and he is very good about it. But it is most embarassing! You take two imodium, I've taken as many as 6! My doctor said they won't hurt you, so I take him at his word. I had chemo five years ago, maybe that makes me a more difficult victim. But I love this site and thank you so much for replying. I'm learning, and I don't give up!
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I just read about your chemo. You must have gone through a lot and now this is terrible that you have to deal with this too. I have taken 6 immodium too during my worst days! But now what I try to do if I have something major is take two immodium before bed that evening (even if I feel perfectly fine) and then 2 as soon as I wake up. That helps a little b/c it gives some time for the Immodium to kick in. Also, others have suggested taking the chewables which work faster. You should definitely see a difference when you start taking the acacia, especially as you increase your dosage. Make sure your mornings are safe (I had been drinking coffee) and don't overeat at your mealtimes. I am curious as to what links have been researched between cancer and IBS later on. If there is any info. out there, maybe there is another piece of the puzzle for you. Hope you feel better.
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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Re: sualeksa
#288881 - 11/03/06 06:06 AM
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K2
Reged: 01/29/06
Posts: 1191
Loc: Canada
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Are you taking a probiotic? I noticed on another post you said you were trying yogurt, and would be switching to dairy-free. The reason doctors recommend yogurt is for the probiotic. It may be beneficial to go and get a probiotic on it's own. Someone suggested BIO-K (dairy-free kind of yogurt form), others take various probiotics in capsule/pill form.
As for the veggies, you'll probably not be able to tolerate a lot right now, but once you've stabilized you'll find that you can start eating more of them. Remember that some veggies are safer than others, the softer-cooked the better, fruits can be purreed, and always to eat with a lot of SF base.
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Kat
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