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I think I've had IBS since my teens - called the nervous stomach. It really flared up after the birth of my second child and two and half months after he was born I was in a serious car accident. That was seven years ago and I still deal with neck and shoulder pain and a year ago through counseling I realized I never recovered emotionally from the car accident.
Lesson learned in all of this - never let emotions rot inside you, because of the amount of physical problems it can cause.
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Hi Carlaveg
My IBS started after a horror year in 2002. My marriage nearly ended, I got GERD (reflux disease), I was stressed to the eyeballs at work, one close work associate died of stomach cancer aged 37, another committed suicide aged 41, and then I changed jobs after 24 years in the same job. One week after I started the new job I got severe stomach pains, nausea, shortness of breath etc etc. Had all the tests and bingo - IBS
All the best. 
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Boy can I relate! Fear of going out the door and getting in the car! <:0 This is my first day on this site--I just found this site and info. What a relief to read that I'm not the only one scared to death to be no where near a bathroom!
My IBS started gradually in 1997 when I got on the birth control pill, moved, and went through a period of terribly stressful events (moving 3x, child had brain surgery, children in car accidents, lived across from Columbine, etc., etc.). I think I have pooped in every possible location and type of bathroom or non-bathroom on the planet. Lived in the west at the time where there may be miles and miles of road with no facilities. More embarrassing moments than I can remember! About that time the panic attacks started and I was thinking of just killing myself so went to the doctor to see if she could figure out what was wrong with me. She ran all the embarrassing tests, made the diagnoses and eventually we decided the birth control pill had been the trigger, but I had tended toward constipation all my life, so it may just be in the genes (?)(many other women in both sides of my family have this). Put me on Metamucil, Levsin (but told me to take as needed--didn't help much, so don't know if I used it right), and put me on Effexor XR. Moved again to another city and a less thorough doctor who left me on the Effexor XR too long (2 1/2 years) until it started to make me crazy. Tapered that off and am done with it and now the IBS is returning gradually again. Had quit taking the Metamucil, but just started again.
I am a Christian and am beginning to find relief from the panic attacks with intensive Bible study, focused meditation, and listening to praise music--gradually seeing results after focusing on this for the last 6 months. Don't know whether or not to go back to the doctor, find a new doctor, or wait until the two books I just ordered from this site arrive and see how the diet helps.
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Hi, and welcome! Instead of returning to Metamucil, which can cause bloating, try one of the other soluble fiber brands instead (Benefiber, Citrucel, Equalactin). It's important that you work up to a high enough dose, and take a LOT of water all day long. That's crucial for the fiber to work and especially important for constipation. There's info here web page
Levsin can also cause constipation as a side effect for some folks - it's best for cramping pain if you have that.
Since meditation is helping you, you might want to try yoga. It's worked wonders for a lot of people in controlling symptoms, and also in reducing stress and worry overall. Check out the yoga board if you have questions.
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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I think I've always had it to some extent. I can remember being in elementary school and having D attacks. I also remember having to watch what I ate going places like the beach because I didn't want to have to go while at the beach. It really became a problem I think after I got married in 1999. I had an inner infection two weeks before my wedding, the flu before my wedding, no voice on my wedding day, another flu the week after my wedding, and another cold the following week. Then after the colds/flu were gone I got kidney stones. About four months later I was laid off from my job. I started having trouble then with the chronic D attacks, so I started the diagnosis quest. I was officially diagnosed in September/October 2003. I was on Lotronex until November when it was yanked off the market. I then started trying to eat soluble fiber and cut dairy and the rest. I discover Eating for IBS and used it. Then I found Heather's other book. A little over a year ago the IBS was slowing making me homebound and has given me alot of anxiety. I know I can get my life back and I will.
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Laurie 
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission - Eleanor Roosevelt
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Hi
I'm going to get them but not anytime soon. They cost so much.
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One of those moments that I remember -- 2nd semester of 2nd year in university. 9:30 in the morning waiting with some friends to go into a Comparitive Politics class, I all of a sudden felt like I had to go. I exused myself and did my thing, but at the end I still felt a bit wierd. Once I got into the class though, everything just worsened, and I spent the entire time pacing myself until the class ended. Once I got out, the symptoms subsided, but reoccured every time I had another class to go to. Ended up just avoiding most of them. It wasn't very great for my grades, and I ended up just squeaking out the graduation in the end.
It wasn't until I moved the US that it got to the point where it was bad all the time and I really had to go hardcore on the diet -- until then it was just being in confined public places without a way 'out' that would bring it on.
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Hi,
I'm wondering what Zelnorm is? Did it help?
Thanks
Quote:
In January, I was having bad diarrhea, and then I would be constipated and it wasn't going away, so I went to my doctor at that time and he only spent 10 minutes with me and he gave me Zelnorm and told me to take 1 a day and if i'm still having problems in a couple weeks, start taking 2. Also I start taking Metamucil, which really helped and I eventually switched to Citracel. I decided to go to another doctor and she was really cool and told me that I had a spastic colon and increased my Zelnorm to 2 a day. The Zelnorm took a while to kick in but once it did, it worked. I don't take it anymore, but I still take a fiber supplement every day.
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Hello everyone!!!
Well it seems that a lot people started getting the IBS after a stressful period of time. Mine did, I know stress is not the cause but a trigger. So maybe, if we could decrease our levels of stress then we may see improvements. I used to do yoga all the time... and it helped a lot. Now I don't have much time to do it. But I definitely need to find the time.
Thank you all for your replies. It has been really interesting reading your posts!!
Carla
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Can it start because of too much meat in my diet? That was ages ago...I would eat lots of meat, all kinds, and not much veggies. Didn't know about healthful eathing back then 
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