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As I was sitting on the can today, I asked myself if I'd give up my life savings of about $100,000 to get rid of IBS. And I decided I would. Who penned that saying "When you've got your health, you've got everything."
I tried Elavil and it was awful for me. I was in a daze all the time, lost all libido and was totally impotent. I had to consider which is the worse problem, and decided THAT was much worse than the IBS. It is an eirie thing to have the most erotic hot nasty pictures to test the libido and finding yourself as limp as a wet cigarette in a mud puddle. Forget it, I'm not old enough to throw in the towel on a sex life, so I had to stop taking it. My partner was thrilled: we smashed them together. Now I am on Lorazepam and Paxil and do not have these problems. Paxil delays an orgasm but once you have it, you are grateful you worked at it.
Are there other ailments like this where what works for one does not help another at all? Or is this the norm in modern medicine?
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It's not the only ailment...look at anxiety. Paxil has been great for you and your libido, but for another, it's Mr. Rogers in the bedroom.
I hear you. What's worse, the disease or the cure? And then there's the meds that increase your symptoms (Prozac gave me panic attacks). It's great that you found meds that work for you.
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Well, if the needle sticking part is accupunture that may actually help, but the rest of it sounds horrendous. I skimmed the link you provided - I wouldn't go either.
Your "coloring" approach to IBS made me smile, When I was color-coding my days, I had red and orange "D days" to distinguish ones that were a total loss and ones that were just D. As for your new approach, someone suggested something similar to me a while back: wake up, figure out what you feel well enough to do that day, and do it. Don't wait until you feel totally fine to do something.
And I don't think men need to be cuddled any more than women - I just think women tend to feel like they shouldn't ask for it.
Take care. I wish you nothing but green days on your calendar.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Quote:
Your "D" is clearing all the toxins out of your body for free! Hurrah! I'd try the IBS self-hypnosis tapes before spending any money on a clinic that wants to roto-route you up the wazoo.
Talk about a positive attitude. And I love your "roto-route you up the wazoo" - ROTFLUTS - what a great image! 
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Hi, Sand et al. hit it right on the nose! One D-day after 4
weeks without symptoms seems great to me. In fact, I had
a D attack(well actually, I don't know if it was an 'attack'),
and I was elated. I had been soooo C that I thought I was
totally losing the ability to deficate. As a last ditch
effort, I decided to try drinking ample prune juice, and
either it worked or the Paxil is kicking in and causing
it. In any case, to have an empty bowel after weeks of
bad C feels wonderful. I haven't felt this good since
after my last colonoscopy when I was still full of Demerol.
Anyway, there are lots of people a lot worse off than you,
you should be pretty happy. -Bob
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<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
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Hi Anthem
it's funny, I've just spent the last two weeks freaking out at the return of my IBS-D and feeling anxious, not wanting to go out, scared, blah blah. It's like you say: WHY is a day with D a 'BAD day'? It's not as if my head has dropped off? Plus, since I'm emetophobic, it's definitely the lesser of two evils!! 
It was also cool to hear you mention God: as an Orthodox Christian I get huge comfort from my faith, as well as giving mysel a hard time (WHY are you ill? Is your faith not enough? etc.etc.). Anyway, I was reading an awesome book which discussed modern spiritual elders in Greece and Elder Joseph (1898-1959) said this (which made me cry, but I'm a girl)
"Don't fear sicknesses, even when you suffer up to the edge of death. As God is constantly present, why do you worry? 'In Him we live and move'. Our struggle is in His embrace. We breathe God, we are surrounded by God, we touch God, we mystically eat God. Wherever we turn, wherever we look, God is everywhere: in Heaven, on earth, in the abyss, in wood, in rocks, in your mind, in your heart. So doesn't He see what you bear? That you suffer? Tell Him your complaints ad you will see... healing in your soul and your body."
HTH - it certainly helped me to breathe a little easier this morning.
Katherine
p.s. I routinely avoid scary movies etc. cos even if my 'conscious' mind is ok with it, I know that it will affect my nervous system without my permission...
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Hi Anthem,
I can completely relate to your catastrophying the situation. When I am stable, I can be so strong mentally and view my IBS as an inconvenience, but not something that I want to run my life. I think about how (and this is only my opinion) IBS is a part of my life because God wants to teach me something, or wants to bring out a part of my person that needs to be exposed, or wants me to gain strength etc... I can be so clear and calm about this disease UNTIL......................
I have the dreaded attack.
then all of the above goes out the window, and I visit the ugly world of "why me". I have gotten a bit better about it though. I have a few mantras that I repeat to myself. The main one being "this will pass as it always does and I will feel better soon". It is just so hard to feel positive when your body is so out of control and nothing you do seems to help. It's really scarey. Just keep telling yourself that it will get better. Your diet is better so your attacks will be few and far between. Also, know that sometimes we have attacks out of the blue, despite our best efforts at diet, etc... Unfortunately, it just happens.
Just know that you will get better and that you have friends here that you can come to anytime for hugs and encouraging words.
Hang in there!!!
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Dana
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Quote:
Hi Anthem
it's funny, I've just spent the last two weeks freaking out at the return of my IBS-D and feeling anxious, not wanting to go out, scared, blah blah. It's like you say: WHY is a day with D a 'BAD day'? It's not as if my head has dropped off? Plus, since I'm emetophobic, it's definitely the lesser of two evils!!
It was also cool to hear you mention God: as an Orthodox Christian I get huge comfort from my faith, as well as giving mysel a hard time (WHY are you ill? Is your faith not enough? etc.etc.). Anyway, I was reading an awesome book which discussed modern spiritual elders in Greece and Elder Joseph (1898-1959) said this (which made me cry, but I'm a girl)
"Don't fear sicknesses, even when you suffer up to the edge of death. As God is constantly present, why do you worry? 'In Him we live and move'. Our struggle is in His embrace. We breathe God, we are surrounded by God, we touch God, we mystically eat God. Wherever we turn, wherever we look, God is everywhere: in Heaven, on earth, in the abyss, in wood, in rocks, in your mind, in your heart. So doesn't He see what you bear? That you suffer? Tell Him your complaints ad you will see... healing in your soul and your body."
HTH - it certainly helped me to breathe a little easier this morning.
Katherine
p.s. I routinely avoid scary movies etc. cos even if my 'conscious' mind is ok with it, I know that it will affect my nervous system without my permission...
I appreciate every single comment everyone offers, although I only respond to a few of them.
Thanks for the words above. I belong to the Unity Church but also study the Course of Miracles, which seems to believe that the entire universe was sort of a mistake, and that if we were awake, it would be like leaving the movie MATRIX, except instead of finding yourself in a horrible world we'd find ourselves ONE with God. We are each then on a path (for 1 life or millions) to awaken. It takes time to become timeless.
I say to myself "I am the body of Christ" and "Thank you God for my health, wealth, spiritual wisdom, peace and strength". My church, the Unity church, suggests that prayers be affirmations rather than pleading requests, so instead of affirming "I am scared, God help me" I tend to depersonalize it and say something like "my mind and body are feeling fear and tension, and the love of God is soothing me now."
Of course, as my minister said recently, God works through us. So if there is a medication that helps, take it! Who knows what inspiration and guidance helped produce that medication for all of us still inside this "dream"?
Today I did volunteer work for the church. I never told the senior minister about IBS. He stopped by and asked how I was doing. Usually I give him the routine "Fine" response but today I told him. He came around to the back of my chair and put his hands on my shoulders and said a long silent prayer and hugged me, which touched my heart (because he is not a touchy feely kind of guy).
Bless all of you who are suffering yet take time to respond to me. My medication, Lorazepam and Paxil seem to have married each other and relieved anxiety attacks that usually accompanied "D". However, in their wake I have a lot of drowsiness, so I go through the day like a teenager who was out carousing half the night or like an old geezer who needs an afternoon nap. I guess it is a mild trade off to panic and hyperventilating.
Today was a miracle. Yesterday I had a "D" flareup - took immodium right away. I assumed this would shut down the system for a day or more....instead this morning I had a bowel movement and the stool was a perfectly formed large smooth torpedo, as good as it gets. For an IBS person, that's a miracle!
I think if we can emotionally get a handle on this, that is at least HALF the challenge. I also ask what I am supposed to learn from this, where is God in this pain, how can I reduce the symptoms? Who would I be without this IBS? Will there be a post-IBS me (in terms of being more mature about it and having a life without or inspite of it?). It is definitely a deepending experience for me, and since I intend to begin chaplain training in the fall, it has increased my empathy for the physical pain of others.
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I'd just like to chime in and say that I know exactly what you mean. As a C, I strongly feel that I will never have any long number of days without an "attack." For me, an attack is when I get mega bloated for no reason and feel awful. And really, most times it comes out of nowhere. I follow the diet to a T, exercise, do EVERYTHING that is suggested and still am not "stable" - honestly, I don't think I ever will be.
Want to know something interesting? My IBS is much worse since I started this diet. It got better for a bit in the beginning, but since then, it has been downhill.
Well, done with my rant. Good luck to you, because from what I've read, D's have at least a better chance at controlling the attacks, so know that it is possible. 
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Elizabeth
all those years it wasn't IBS - it was celiac!
send me an email: liz@dopple.net
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Elizabeth, how do you deal with this emotionally? How do we come to the acceptance that this will probably be our life from now on? How do you not get totally depressed, frustrated, and tired of trying to feel better and not making any progress?
I am so very tired...and the thought of life with this pain and constipation is just too much most days. 
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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