Here's a weird pattern I've experienced- anyone else?
#186891 - 06/17/05 09:21 AM
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Granted, I am in my second trimester of pregnancy so I'm sure that is making my IBS 100 times crazier than it ever used to be, but ever since I got on the ball and cut out most of the IBS culprits, when I'm not having D or C here's what happens: I wake up, have my breakfast, go about my business and there is no sign of any BM. As soon as I leave my apt. and try to go anywhere it hits me after about 10 to 20 miuntes. WIthout fail. If I don't go anywhere it generally doesn't arrive. I do yoga at home almost every morning before I leave, so I don't know that it's exercise that triggers it, but perhaps.
This strange pattern is making me think that my psychology is really responsible for a lot of what is going on, because I HATE having to go in public, and it casues me a lot of anxiety. So, wouldn't you know it, my body keeps forcing me into this situation. Does anyone else experience this strange pattern? And if so, (or if not) can you think of something I can do to change this? (P.S. I'm on day 22 of the hypnosis CDs, but nothing has really changed for me yet) Thanks again for all of your help 
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Oh, yeah, that's me. I'm fine at home; when I go out, I suddenly have a D attack. There IS a psychological component to IBS, so for me I'm sure that's what it is. I'm anxious about going out because of the D and the anxiety about going out actually triggers the D - which makes me more anxious the next time I go out. A vicious cycle.
I'm straight D, so Immodium helps a lot for local trips or trips with no time constraints and 1 tablet is enough so I don't suffer rebound from it. (And I actually went out twice last week without Immodium or any other med. Yay!) For longer trips (in other words, I don't know where the restrooms will be), especially when I have to be somewhere at a particular time, using Immodium to stop the D is like using a traffic cone to stop a freight train. I'm trying other meds. My GI guy prescribed Donnatol and that helped a lot; my Family Practice physician has suggested Xanax or Valium just to take the edge off - I haven't tried that yet. I'm going to try the hypnosis program eventually.
I have noticed that this problem is not as bad as it was before I went on Heather's diet. Apart from the meds and the hypnosis, I think that as I do well on Heather's diet, I'm beginning to trust my digestive system more which relieves some of the anxiety which in turn makes an attack less likely which in turn increases my trust. I guess that's whatever the opposite of a vicious cycle is.
HTH.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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It's definitely a vicious cycle of anxiety- that's why I'm hoping the CDs will eventually help, although I do have an appointment to look into antidepressents.
I would not suggest relying on Xanax or a similar drug for a problem like ours, because you'd end up needing it almost every day, and it makes you spacey and exhausted. Not easy to drive with or to be at work with if you have a stressful job that requires a somewhat normal attention span. I know that many years ago I took antidepressants and didn't have this problem, so I'm thinking more and more that they can really help with this weird aspect of the IBS. Good luck to you
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Oh yeah, same here!!! It is soooooo frustrating! 
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Thanks for the caution on Xanax. Because the Immodium is enough for me most of the time, I would use the Xanax only for "special occasions", like I do the Donnatol now.
I took Elavil for a while and it helped my D to begin with. Eventually the D came back and my doctor upped the dosage. It helped for a while, then wore off, upped the dosage. Unfortunately, by the time I got 75 mg(?) I was having real trouble with the side effects, so I stopped taking it. If you don't suffer with the side effects, though, it could be a real boon. For as long as the relief lasted, it was heavenly.
I talked about this whole anxiety about D making me more anxious in an earlier thread and very few people seemed to feel the same way. It's seems so normal to me, but I guess it is weird.
Good luck to you, too.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Oooh, yeah. My usual pattern is feel good sitting at home, have to go somewhere, get in the car and start feeling gross, and then grit my teeth and feel lousy while I'm out of the house. The worst part is that it didn't miraculously feel better once I got home - my belly was in such an uproar I'd feel crappy for a day or two afterwards.
The hypno program has helped, but it's a gradual thing. A couple months after I finished it, I started feeling anxious on the way to the grocery store. I then thought "Hey, clenching up makes me feel worse; why don't I just remember some hypno stuff?" And, by god, that worked! I still felt a little shaky, but just relaxed and I felt fine 30 minutes later.
I had tried before to talk myself out of an attack, but it didn't work. The hypno was really the key there. It really does train your mind and body to work in a less dysfunctional way.
I finished the hypno 6 months ago, but I'm going to start it up again this week. I'm going out of town for a family occasion that will require much socializing, and I *will* need to remember how to relax. And I'm not going to be afraid to bow out early and return to my lovely hotel room and stack of novels. Reading is my favorite form of self-hypnosis! 
--AC
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