New Job, New Day.. Need to get stable
#75775 - 06/03/04 05:09 AM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Hi all,
So I got my new job that I have been waiting and waiting for, and I am so happy about it but I am really scared of the journey out to work every day. I have been so unstable lately, especially in the mornings, and I am really scared to be getting on public transport for any period of time.
I really need help getting stable.
I am going to be _super_ careful with my diet now.. I have been eating some things like packaged sauces (teriaky) where I thought the ingredients were okay, but maybe they weren't. I am taking an anti-spasmodic three times a day, taking Acacia fiber and have re-started the hypno program today. I will also be re-starting my food diary today.
I go to see my (entirely useless) GI on Tuesday, so _maybe_ I will find some help there but I won't put all my eggs.. or even a few of them.. in that one basket.
If anyone has any suggestions, I will take 'em. I need to get stable, I cannot give up this job because I want it so bad! I was on peppermint capsules and tea, but got told I have reflux now so I am just on fennel tea instead. Help! Help! Help! I am out of ideas and so desperate to be able to take this job.
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Good luck!
Personally for me surviving the day at work seems to be a constant battle and the half an hour drive down a busy road doesn't do anything to lower my stress levels! IBS is definately evil, as I can cope with feeling constantly sick, but it's the constant tiredness that is really really depressing. Oh well only 4 hours to go!
Rice, fish and bananas are always good in becoming a bit more stable ... boring but worth it in this kind of situation.
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Congratulations Steph! It sounds like you are doing everything you need to do to get stable.
I always rely on rice when I have stress issues, new ones, old ones, any ones. If you arent doing so now, and you probably are, take a bowl of rice with you every day. I am always comforted to have my old buddy 'rice' with me.
Hope your day is great!! gayla
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Hi again,
So I am trying to get stable, but will have to wait 'til tomorrow now for a good start of it. I've had 3 D attacks today and am feeling really defeated. I was going to go shopping to get some new clothes for my new job, but was feeling my third attack coming on as I got to the bus stop and couldn't make myself get on the bus. So instead, I went into the pub I work in and quit my job (yay, that was a good part of the day) and sat there for a bit. When I was coming home, I looked in some little shops and felt another attack coming on and hurried home.
I've had white toast, pretzels and some plain noodles today. And fennel tea. *sigh*
I really need to figure out why I am getting so sick so I can fix it, this is not okay!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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girlfriend, the stress is eating you alive!!! I feel so bad for you, I know what it feels like to have to turn around and go back home. You had that positive attitude and everything and the D turned around and slapped you in the face!
Do you take anti-depressants, or anti-stress meds??? I know we have talked about this before, humor me please. I forget who said what sometimes. Hope your day gets better!!
gayla
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Hiya,
I am not on any anti-depressants or anti-anxiety or anything like that. When my GP here said that if my anxiety got any worse, we would talk about it, my boyfriend really freaked out. Now, I don't want to sound like "My boyfriend said don't, so I will do what he says" but the problem is - I have always been really against anti-depressants in the past. My sister went on them after she lost a baby, and when she tried to go off them she just lost it. She couldn't even function without them after that. I was always opposed to going on them, for fear of being stuck on them.
Then when my boyfriend voiced the same fear, I got really anti-meds again. He's a bit worse than me, he says it totally changes who you are and suppresses your real personality and stuff, which I know isn't exactly the case, but I would be so scared of getting hooked on 'em. Plus, I've heard so many stories about terrible side effects.
I am feeling really down now, I've had my 4th attack of the day after dinner. I'm hoping that if there is a silver lining, it's that I have gone so many times today that I will be running on Empty tomorrow when I have to go to work.
Plus, my boyfriend wants me to go and visit family with him tomorrow night but they are a long car ride away and will probably be going for a pub meal, so I said no... I know I am disappointing everyone but I am just too unstable right now for any of that. Oy... I just wanna crawl under a rock.. a rock with a toilet, maybe..
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Steph,
We are so happy for you that you are in a new job that you can be optomistic about. We are all pulling for you! Good luck on the diet and remember also, as much as you can, don't rush when you're eating - relax, chew alot, more than you think you need to. I'm not good at that one, especially when I'm eating at work, but I know it helps when I can do it. Watch what you drink too - caffein, carbination or alcohol can be some of the WORST triggers. Good luck and let us know how things are going.
Min
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Hey Steph,
Congrats on the new job. It sounds as if it'll be really fun. I too am not a fan of public transit. I used to take the subway to highschool everyday, but now I hat ethe thought of a long drive to work and am really happy I don't have one.
The first piece of advice I have, and you may have done it already, is before you start, travel the route a couple times so you can see what to expect on a day where you're not in a hurry. Take some time and figure out where different emergency washrooms would be on the way. That way if you are having a really bad day one morning you know ok, I just have to make it another 10 minutes to this stop as opposed to 'oh crap' it'll be another 45 minutes til I get to work. One other thing, especially for the first week, give yourself lots of extra time, that way if you do feel you've got to take a pit stop, you're not putting more pressure on yourself.
Mornings suck for me too. I have gotten relatively stable, although getting paged to go on a flight in the middle of the night like last night doesn't help, but that's another story.
The things that I have found that help me the most on the mornings are:
1- being really careful about what I ate including making sure I have my fiber
2- getting AT LEAST 8 hours of sleep. that means going to bed pretty earlier some nights even thought my roommates are up watching a movie (I wear earplugs if I have to)
3- Giving myself extra time in the morning. If I have an early morning, I will try and get up 1 and a half to 2 hours before I have to leave for work. Sometimes that means I'm up at 5am or earlier, however, it helps give my stomach time to do its thing.
4- Then, last resort, if it's one of those mornings that things just are not sitting right I'll take an Immodium or two to get me through.
With regards to the anti-depressants, that's a tough call. Although I know you love your boyfriend and I'm sure he has your best interests at heart, don't not take them simply because he doesn't want you to. The girl I dated in highschool had really bad depression, and even though I think I did a pretty good job helping her and dealing with it, I really didn't understand the pain that she was going through.
On side note, and I'm sure I'm starting to sound like BEv  (which isn't a bad thing) have you tried the hypnotherapy? I'm about half way through and although I don't find that it will suddenly stop the D, I do find that overall I'm less stressed out about things. You seem to have a lot of stress on your plate right now and it may help you to calm down. One other thing, and I know it's super tough to do. If you don't find you're feeling a whole lot better. Take some time, like a month or two, for yourself. It helped me a lot.
Good Luck,
Jamie
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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Hi Steph,
I think a lot of your D problem has to do with stress.  I always freak out when I have to do something new. When do you actually start your new job? The anti-anxiety meds might be something to check into if you have time before you start. A quick working one is Xanax but it would be a good idea to take it for a couple of days before you started working just to make sure it agrees with you. It helpes me through panic attacks but I only take it once in a while....it can be addicting. Ask your doctor what he thinks???
Otherwise, I don't know what else to tell you  except to eat especially non-triggering foods and try to chill out and take immodium.
Good luck
Barbie
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Steph,
For what it's worth, I think some people's brain chemistry is simply out of whack--either short-term or long term. In my case, I spent a year on anti-depressants, and it was the best thing I ever did for myself. I feel more "me" now than I had in so long, because the truth is that I had forgotten what it really meant to be me without the depression!
If it helps, it helps, and you'll still be you.
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Christine
Those who can do; those who want it done better teach.
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Couldnt agree with you more msmizzle. i was skeptical too, but its true. some people have a CHEMICAL IMBALANCE which you cannot help. besides, you can start on a low dose and depending on side effects, increase your dose or change medication. you won't know til u try. if you and your doc think it could work, maybe you could give it a try. 
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Steph,
Congratulations on your new job!!! Sorry to hear things aren't going well - yet. I just wanted to say that I'm thinking of you and I hope you feel better soon.
I think in a post way back Linz had said that she used Immodium quite a bit to get stable - not sure. I'm a C so a trip to the bathroom would be a time for me to celebrate - quite the opposite for you....
Feel better soon!
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But you and many of the other wondeful people one here are what make these boards so great!
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Honey, its ok if you dont go tomorrow night. You need to take care of you, you have a new job that needs to be taken care of. Right now, you are not stable, take care of you and get better soon! You still have to get some new clothes, if I was there I would come by and pick you up and take you shopping. And we would have fun!!! So much fun that you would temorarily forget you have IBS. (just a few inutes, maybe).
The anti-anxiety meds may work for you, I totally understand your feelings. Dont wait too long to take care of yourself. I went through a phase, I did not take care of myslf, had a nervous breakdown,(8 years ago) lost peices of me (good peices, I used to be a painter, now I cant hold a brush correctly. I used to sing, now I cant find a pitch)that I will never see again. If I had had some anti anxiety meds, I dont think I would have been so deeply depressed.
Not to talk about me here, just want you to know I care,and am watching out for you!!
gayla
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For Jamie
#76113 - 06/04/04 01:52 AM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Hi Jamie,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply, it really meant a lot to me. I think LauraSue is right, you really are a prince for offering such kind words and advice. I am sending you a big hug right now!
I think it is a good idea about travelling to work before I actually have to start. One reason is because I found out I can either walk 15 minutes, get a train for 15 minutes and then walk a bit more. Or walk 5 minutes, get on a bus for about 20 minutes and then walk further then from the train station. I'm not sure which would be better. I am leaning towards train because 1) they don't lurch and heave like the busses do here, which makes me want to be sick 2) they have bathrooms on them.
You are a brave guy to take a job where you can get paged at all hours to go to work, and hope your tummy will make it a pleasant journey - I know I couldn't do something like that. I am the type of person that just waiting to be paged would make me all anxious.
About what you said about mornings... Do you take your fiber in the morning? I ask because I usually take mine before dinner (am only one 1 dose a day right now, body went bloody nuts when I tried to increase it) because I figured it's the biggest meal, most likely to cause upset... but maybe I should be taking it in the morning since that's my worst time. Hmm, dunno.
I think I will do the getting up real early thing, my boyfriend and I talked about that for when starting the new job. If I get up early enough, I should be able to get at least one or 2 attacks out of the way before I have to travel which would hopefully let me be safe until I at least get to work. Guess I'm gonna have to turn into a morning person!
I am still on the fence about anti-depressants.. I have read everyone's responses about that, and I know in one part of my brain that if there is a chemical imbalance, it makes sense to treat it. In fact, when I am arguing with people about them, I am always defending depression medication, etc.. going on about how it's a medical problem, and needs to be treated properly. I always said it's like having anemia and taking iron.. I guess I just never thought I'd be on 'em.
I am doing the hypno program, though I did stop for a while. I started up again yesterday so we'll see how that goes.
Thanks again for your reply. I am off sick again today.. after having 4 bad attacks yesterday, I couldn't face a busy lunch time in the pub. They didn't sound too impressed when I called in, so Thank God next week is my last anyway!
Talk to you soon, darlin',
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Re: For Jamie
#76246 - 06/04/04 11:02 AM
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JBI
Reged: 01/25/04
Posts: 579
Loc: BC, Canada
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Hey Steph.
Ya I'd take the walk then the train then the walk. There's just something psychologically better about trains. The fact that they've got bathrooms is even better. Plus a 20 minute walk to start is good, that way you know that if you've walked for 5 minutes you can turn back around quick and get home vs. being stuck on a bus.
I will usually take my fiber around lunchtime and then in the evening. That way it's had some time to settle in my stomach and its there for the morning. I generally can't eat anything in the mornings. But I will have Immodiumin the mornings if I need it, usually after a BM or two. One thing that my not so helpful GI said to me was to take one or half an Immodium before you go to bed to slow things down in the morning. I have done that on occasion, but you'll have to figure out what works for you.
The big thing for me psychologically is to have a plan set up in case I am feeling like crap. Getting to bed early, and waking up early even when you don't have to is crucial for me. That way I don't feel so crappy when I do wake up because my body is used to it. Then I've planned ahead with the fiber and with the extra time and if all else fails, start with one Immodium and then take more as required. After all that if I still feel like crap, then maybe call in sick. But so far since getting back to work in february I haven't had to (although I felt like crap on a couple flights).
Make sure you stick with it. It'll be tough cause friends will want to go out and you'll want to stay up or have a few bites of 'bad' food. but it WILL make things worse if you do that. I became a bit of a social hermit for a while and you may have seen some of my posts complaining about it, however, I am feeling way better. And that makes a HUGE difference with things.
Let me know how things go,
Jamie
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Yay Steph!!!!
#76713 - 06/07/04 12:50 AM
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Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
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Finally! This is so cool - be HAPPY about this honey.
Okay... a couple of things that work for me (I've been doing a 75+ minute commute into London for over a year).
Immodium. At a low dose. It REALLY, REALLY helped me, and it seems you're just having loads of D attacks atm. I did one tablet every morning and that swung me JUST to the C side, but I was happy with that. But my GI said that you can get Immodium in liquid form, which means you can take even tiny-er amounts. Give it a go...you need to stabilise.
Also, carry a bottle of water with you and some IBS-safe snacks, even if it's just a plain roll. And take whatever meds/painkillers you find helpful. And if life is bad, Andrex fluhable wet wipes are a godsend - just stick a pack in your bag.
Obviously, a SFS and the diet - be GOOD! But you know all that!
Re. anti-depressants, I am definitely pro-them. I definitely have a serotonin deficit in my brain - without my meds I get do-lally. My MIL-to-be was on meds for ages and she came off them. She said she had hell for a while, but then it settled down. The thing is, if you do have a chemical imbalance and it's STILL THERE when you come off the meds, then of course you'd be a bit screwed! I'm definitely not ready to come off mine. When I missed a week last summer cos of prescription problems, I was a wreck - agitated, crying, depressed.... I needed my serotonin!
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Linz!!
#76717 - 06/07/04 02:06 AM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Hey you!
I thought you'd disappeared! I made a post specially for you on this Eating board and you weren't around, so I bumped it and you STILL weren't around! Oy! Good to see you back, though!
Thanks for the post, I am really excited about my new job. I need to stop this liquid D, but if I can do that, I should be okay. I can even deal with being sick once I get to work a bit, but need to make that journey!
I went one day (yesterday) without an attack, but the liquid D is back today so I just dunno. I gave in and took an immodium today because I want to make another attempt at shopping. Doesn't seem to have started working yet, but we'll see.
As for the anti-depressants, I talked to my mom on the phone from Canada yesterday and she gave me a big lecture about anti-depressants, how I NEED to ask my doctor for them.. she is convinced my stomach won't get better without them so when I go see my GI tomorrow, I am going to ask for a prescription. What ones are you on over here? They're all different names on the other side of the pond, I think... My mom said to go on a really mild one (she's a therapist), but I dunno what that would be. Boyfriend won't like it, but.. he doesn't like the crying 'I hate my life' me either, so.. 
Bah, tummy hurts a bunch so I am gonna go take a bath and see if I can actually get myself to Bromley today and get some new clothes. If not, at least it's sunny today and I can lie in the garden and read a good book!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Re: Linz!!
#76719 - 06/07/04 04:02 AM
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Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
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Hey Steph! Sorry I missed your post - I'll hunt around for it. I had a couple of days off sick (Fibro) last week and otherwise I was at my new huose where we haven't got a computer yet! So that's why I was AWOL.
Try taking Immodium every day as a preventative. This really works and it helped me stabilise so much. Just take one tablet and if that's making you C, ask for the liquid stuff.
I reckon your Mum's right. Btw, my fiance HATES it when I forget to take my little pill and go all crazy on him, so he's always checking I'm taking it, etc. It can help just so much, it's unbelievable. I'm on Citalopram, which has been good for me - it's an SSRI. I was on a very low dose of a different drug before that for the IBS, but apparently this is better for the IBS AND depression. Really honey, I couldn't live without mine now - and that's in a GOOD way.
You go enjoy the sunshine. But I wouldn't go shopping tomorrow - it's going to be a SCORCHER! 29C in London if not 30. That's 84/86F. Whew!
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Hi - Congrats on the new job. I have an hour's commmute to work and to get me through it I have made a 'mental' map of all the toilets en route - from picking the right train in the morning (ie those with loo's), the stations which have facilities (Always carry 20p coin in case they charge you)and any public toilets which aren't too unsanitary! I find even if I don't use any of them every day, knowing they are there helps a lot.
I am more D than C and find my attacks in the morning the hardest to deal with. I have started taking Immodium Plus for the bad days, combined with Fybogel twice a day. I always carry plain rice cakes with me or a bread roll in my bag as I get terrible cramps if i go to far between meals. (Little and often helps these pains). I have also started taking the Homeopathic medicine 'Nux Vom' which I have found helps me calm the nervous tummy ache I often get before I get on a train or when I'm entering a situation that I am not in control of. I don't know if this would work for everyone, but it helps me.
I'm not stable every day and I do avoid social situations, but I did find telling my work colleauges about it really helped. If I am having a bad day they know to leave me alone!! Plus I don't have to make up excuses anymore not to go out with them when I am having one of those days!
I don't know if any of this helps you but I'm sure once you get into the routine of going to your new job, things will stabilse a bit for you. I hope it all goes well for you. 
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Linz, Thanks for the tip about the liquid Immodium. I've had trouble stabilizing after the flu last week and can't seem to get my stomach back on track. One Immodium seems like too much and none is not enough. I had my Dr. write me a script for Immodium and I am able to get them in generic about 60 pills for $5.00 with my insurance paying for some of them. But still that price is great compared to the Immodium brand name.
Luckily I'm currently at a job I love where I can take many bathroom breaks if I need to and I live only about 15 minutes away. But still my social life is suffering lately with all my stomach troubles. This flu really did a number on me and Im having a rough time getting thru this.
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Flu
#76757 - 06/07/04 06:48 AM
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Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
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Try some probiotics (dairy free of course). I bet that flu wiped out your friendly bacteria in your gut.
What you can try with Immodium is taking one every other day, or one a day for two days and then a day off. But the liquid stuff would be better in the long term I bet.
I get the generic stuff too! OTC Immodium is sooooo expensive! 
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