Hi, I'm new
#346921 - 06/06/09 07:23 AM
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Orlando
Reged: 06/03/08
Posts: 26
Loc: Atlanta, Georgia
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Hey, I'm new to the IBS community and I am just amazed at how many people have the same condition I have and are willing to be open and talk about it. I currently have IBS-D and my story is eerily similar to a lot of people in this network. I have dealt with it for a majority of my life and have learned to cope with it and just recently I purchased Heather's book Eating for IBS. My main attacks come from anxiety and traumatic experiences related to school. I got through high school and two years of college but did not finish. I am currently going back to the University of Georgia to finish a degree in Financial Planning, but I am terrified about how my anxiety will affect me. I am just looking for any help anyone can provide because I have researched all the medicines, techniques,forums etc. and any help anyone can give will be great. My anxiety is so great it keeps me from focusing and I feel like the walls are closing in on me. I just want to be able to go to class, excel and not have to worry about these things. Will the eating for IBS book help me to control this once I completely eliminate all triggers from my diet or do I need other assistance? Will First Year IBS help? I apologize if anyone has commented on this before. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys. If Heather could respond, that would be awesome lol My email address is weisor05@gmail.com. Thank you everyone.
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Welcome Orlando. Take a deep breath because it is a lot of info to take in all at once. The boards are a wonderful place to get support and help. It is very comforting to be someplace where everyone understands what you are going through.
I think many of us suffer from anxiety. Read Heather's books and start following the EFI diet. I am IBS D and when I started the EFI diet and cut out the triggers I was amazed at how quickly I started feeling better. I also started taking a soluable fiber supplement which has been a big help.
Congratulations on going back to school. Try not to look at the whole picture which can be overwhelming. Deal with each day as it comes and it will be easier to handle.
Good luck!
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Janey
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Thanks
#346929 - 06/06/09 08:28 AM
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Orlando
Reged: 06/03/08
Posts: 26
Loc: Atlanta, Georgia
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Thanks Janey. I will try to do that. Hopefully cutting down on trigger foods will reduce my bloating and gas and also the possibility of an anxiety attack while at school. Do you also recommend the First Year IBS book or any of the supplements to aid with my overactive colon? It leads to me having a lot more gas when I am anxious. It's funny because in all other ares of life I am fine, its just quiet settings that drive me up the wall.
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That book has been the only one of Heather's I've read so far. I got it from the library and I found it to be EXTREMELY helpful. There were a few things I found that I don't apply to my lifestyle, but I just skipped those parts and concentrated on the food, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
Since adopting the Eating For IBS plan I haven't taken any Imodium in over a month, where before I was taking anywhere from four to ten tablets every couple of days. It can be tough but it is not impossible, and you'd be surprised how quickly your mind adapts to it once you get used to the "rules". I do keep Imodium in my purse in case of an emergency (the last time I took some was an emergency!) I take Fibercon before each meal and a probiotic acidophilus tablet each day, and my symptoms have GREATLY improved. Plus, I've lost twenty pounds!
It can be difficult to not be anxious, especially when your mind gets used to your gut reacting a certain way. Sometimes I get so worried about having an attack (if I am in a store or an unfamiliar situation) that I bring on an attack. I think, in time, one learns to trust the eating plan to not affect your gut in the same way the old food used to, so you worry less about an attack, which is a great stress-reliever in itself. If you do have extremely serious anxiety that is perhaps chemical in nature, could seeing your doctor for meds help? Or perhaps an OTC herbal or homeopathic relaxant or herbal tea (IBS-friendly, of course)?
So I'd say the First Year book would be a great place to start. 
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IBS-D since...well, a long time
(probiotic acidophilous, SF supplements, IBS eating plan)
my blog
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Try the hypnosis cd's. They may help you even more than the diet, especially if stress/anxiety are your biggest triggers. Good luck!
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Re: Thanks
#346947 - 06/06/09 07:00 PM
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Janey
Reged: 10/25/03
Posts: 1716
Loc: Maryland
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Both of Heather's book have a lot of good information that I found useful. Eating for IBS has a lot of good recipes and you can also find wonderful, safe recipes on the IBS Recipe board here.
I drink peppermint tea, fennel tea, I take acacia for my soluable fiber and I have done the the hypnosis program. I also take amitriptyline (Elavil) for migraines which also helps with my anxiety and my IBS D. Besides D one of my other main symtoms is nausea and amitriptyline helps.
Once I cut out my triggers I didn't have as much gas. I have found that if I eat foods too high in fat I will have more gas. The trick is finding what your triggers are. My main triggers are high fat foods, dairy, coffee and alcohol.
I do carry immodium with me always. I just feel better knowing that I have it with me. I used to take immodium as a preventative but I find I don't have to do that anymore.
We all have situations that cause anxiety. Hopefully once you start feeling better you won't feel as anxious going to class. Scope out the bathrooms at school and come up with a mental plan if you need to leave class and that may relieve some of your stress.
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Janey
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Thanks. I thought about giving those a try. They are a little expensive and I'm a struggling student lol so it may be a while on those. I thought about giving my first semester back a chance and taking a light course load and see how I handle with the diet. If that doesnt work, then hypnosis may definitely be the way. Thank you, Im glad I found somewhere where I can actually talk to people about this stuff and not feel embarassed.
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Re: Thanks
#346958 - 06/06/09 09:27 PM
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Orlando
Reged: 06/03/08
Posts: 26
Loc: Atlanta, Georgia
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Thanks again Janey. You are awesome. I am going to buy first year IBS and definitely change around my diet. Im so glad I could find someone I can talk to about my condition. I will definitely keep you posted as I start school in August, but will have countless anxiety based situations I will come across before then. I have to start buying some of this food for my diet.
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Re: Thanks
#346959 - 06/06/09 09:33 PM
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Orlando
Reged: 06/03/08
Posts: 26
Loc: Atlanta, Georgia
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I am going to get the first year book. I currently do not have a doctor and I dont want to take meds as I have been down that road before and it was not a pleasant experience. I am going to totally revamp everything and use the diet, the tummy teas and hopefully that will calm my stomach enough to wear anxiety does not affect me. I really only get anxious in quiet settings as lecture hall classes do not bother me and the teacher talking or AC unit in the classes help. Test anxiety is where I have my major problem. I wish I thought about the library before I bought the eating for IBS book lol. But I will keep all of you guys posted on my situation as time goes along.
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Hi, I'm relatively new too. I'm a freshman in college and although I've had and suffered from IBS my whole life, it suddenly got really bad when I started college - literally D every day for my first quarter. I was diagnosed in 6th grade but like so many people was never taught the difference between insoluble and soluble fiber so I continued to suffer.
I went to the doctors on campus and, after every test imaginable, was re-diagnosed with IBS. They thought it was the stress of college and gave me anti-depressants and "seratonins" - which I found out is essentially Valium. I did not get better, worse if anything during Winter Quarter until I stumbled on Heather's site in March. I immediately changed my whole diet [ not without difficulty since I live in a dorm with no convenient access to groceries] and have been feeling better and better and I'm in the middle of finals week and I was able to go to two already with NO fear!
So what I recommend it A) Follow Heather's diet, even if you can't eat at the dinning commons [as I found out, it was 99% the source for all the IBS symptoms, since I have been eating ALL my own food based on Heather's guidelines I've had almost no problems even though I'm going through the most stressful week of the year!]
and B) My school, and I'm assuming your school as its a state university, has a disabled students program. I am trying to join mine over the summer because it will allow me to do two things: I'm still experimenting on what I can and can't eat [for example, I just found I'm not able to digest soy which made me really sick] so if there were days I get attacks, the University pays students in my classes to take notes for me. Also, for tests and finals, I could get a proctor - so I could run to the bathroom if I needed to, and take it at a time that works for me - mornings are when I feel worst.
Also c) You can talk to your professors before your classes begin and explain your situation to them - humiliating but a huge help. Mine have all been understanding - everyone understands D - I let them know before my finals this quarter and they all gave me special permission to use the bathroom during my finals - without even having to see a doctor's note. I have another final this Thursday, and although its a huge class [500 people] my TA will be walking around and we worked it out that all I have to do is raise my hand and she will let me out to use the bathroom if necessary.
So don't let IBS stop you from going to college - there are so many ways you can be successful. And college is so necessary for IBS patients in the sense that a college degree allows you to have greater flexibility choosing jobs that have lower stress or a more stable work life.
Good luck!
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IBS-D, Trying to make it through college
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No, no worries, no embarrassment!  Yes, for sure, start with the diet. But, if you find that your trigger is a bit more mental than food related, the cd's will help greatly. I caught them at a time when they were on sale, but I do understand cost. We try so much with IBS that doesn't work, that it is hard to spend more money. But, if you decide to try them, you won't be sorry. HTH
Lynn
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Thank you, I really appreciate your feedback. I am going to follow the diet strictly and see how that works for me. I was using the disability resource center when I was in college previously but am not sure if I will get in now as I have no doctor. But you are a lot braver than me because unlike the rest of my life, in class I just want to blend in and telling teachers about my condition and etc. really makes me uncomfortable. In some respects that makes me even more anxious. I think I will follow the diet and see how that works for me. I really appreciate all of the info that you have given me. If you dont mind me asking, what school do you currently attend?
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Hi, Janey. I had a question for you. I recently started the IBS diet, and I mean very recently. I ate the blueberry oatmeal recipe. Now I dont know if my stomach is conflicting with anything else I ate, but I feel a bit anxious right now. I guess my question is, does my body have to get used to these new foods, or what? I dont know if I asked you, but do you recommend the hypnotherapy as far as helping me with my anxiety and school?
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For sure!
I assume your school has either a medical center or at least a clinic - can you get a doctor there to recommend you to the program? The doctor that diagnosed me at my clinic unfortunately was very old and a "its all in your head" doctor and refused to put me on the program. Luckily I still have Kaiser insurance through my father's company so I'm having a non-university doctor fill out the forms for me.
Or if you don't mind, you can see your schools psychologists [which are almost always free] and they can diagnose you with general anxiety and get you on the program as well - all you need to do is demonstrate to the program that your anxiety influences your school work and that should be pretty easy to do. I was given that option when my doctor refused, but I was worried about hiring discrimination - as mental disorders as compared to physical disorders are viewed less favorably, fair or not.
And I assure you, it was so hard for me to tell them as I'm incredibly shy. But the week before finals I had a mini breakdown -due more to lack of sleep and studying for 12 hours in the same room than fear of IBS - and I sent all my teachers explanatory emails. Its amazing what inhibitions you lose when you are desperate.
And they were surprisingly understanding - most of your professors have been teaching for a long time and have had plenty of students with embarrassing disorders. And to have that security -that you can leave at any time- walking into an exam is really helpful. I just finished all my finals and didn't have to use the bathroom once, but it was nice to know I had that option.
I go to one of the 10 Universities of California, I won't say which one this being the internet, but its a fun place to go to school:)
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IBS-D, Trying to make it through college
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Thank you. I will definitely do that. Thanks for all the help
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