Newbie IBS-d and anxiety.
#359420 - 06/23/10 12:04 PM
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Hello,
I have been told by my GI specialist that I most likely have IBS. So far the only testing that has been done is a CT and blood test which both came back ok. I have been following the IBS diet as well as being on a low fiber diet and am still having pain and problems. I am taking Bentyl which doesn't seem to do much for my stomach and gives me blurry vision. I am 26 and am without a doubt in denial that I can have IBS and that this is my life. I have major anxiety problems going anywhere anymore. My husbands family is going on vacation over the 4th of july and I am terrified because they are going to be spending most of the time on their boat which = no bathroom! I keep hearing "don't stress" but not knowing how to fix this is causing me stress! I don't want to stop living my life or hold my husband back from doing things. Just feeling frustrated and hopeless as nothing I am trying has given me much relief  Any advice for the big 4th of july boating adventure? Should I dare go or just stay home?
Edited by peanut545 (06/23/10 12:04 PM)
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i would be afraid to go as well. being on a boat would give me such anxiety. maybe ask your dr about lomotil. i switched from bentyl to librax but i don't see much difference in them. i take a lomotil when i get that uneasy feeling at work and just walking from my office down the hallway starts me on my urgency runs..it's the worst!! the lomotil stops that feeling. i have tried to take it very sparingly b/c i'm so afraid my body will get used to it and it will stop working. it's not like immodium which makes me feel bad the next day..hope it can help u...
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Thanks for your response. I will def ask my doctor about switching meds. I need to find a way to get over being so angry about all of this. Sad part is I am actually a therapist myself! I know what I need to do and what I would tell others to do but somehow it just doesnt work when you try to fix yourself. I am so mad that this is going to be my life. I feel like my life has been stolen away from me and I have to live around IBS. I am still hoping they find something wrong with me that is fixable but my doctor is pretty sure it is IBS. How do you get through the bad days?
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Hi there, I'm sorry you're feeling so bad. I know some might not agree with me, but if your D is not completely out of control, I would go on the boat trip. I'm kind of in the camp of refusing to let IBS run my life. Sure, there are times that I just feel so bad that I don't want to do anything or go anywhere, but I try not to let the fear of what could happen keep me from things I enjoy. I know it's embarrassing, but IBS is very common and a lot of people know about it, so you could just explain to one or two understanding people on the trip that this is the condition you have and you might need to be taken back to "shore" for a bathroom break (if this is possible). The more you talk about your IBS to others, the less embarrassed you'll be, and I don't mean you have to give them all the intimate details. Everyone I've talked to about it is completely sympathetic and they've expressed that they can't imagine living that way, etc. No one has ever mocked it or made fun. As far as getting through the bad days, just remember that IBS is usually cyclical and it WILL get better. Eat what makes you feel good, get more rest, take a day off work, whatever you need to do. One more word of encouragement: over the years, my body has sort of adjusted itself to the IBS. I remember about 10 years ago, having to pull my car over on a country road because of an attack of D. But that was probably the last time. It seems these days that I might feel a twinge, but the horrible urgency doesn't hit until I'm safely in the bathroom. There is a strong connection between your brain and your gut, and for whatever reason, I just feel like my body has adjusted and has learned how to "wait". Don't look at this as a life sentence or a ruined life. I live a very normal life - I travel, I eat in restaurants, I work fulltime, I go shopping and do pretty much anything I want. SO much of your anxiety will come from thinking of the disease itself and the limitations you're picturing. When I shift my focus from my symptoms to something more pleasant, they always improve. God bless!!
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Thank you for your encouraging words. I need to do some soul searching and rally my troops so I can find a way to get through this. I am still in the denial/anger phase and am having a hard time getting out. I am still going through the very slow process of testing all the other things that could cause me to feel this way. I guess I am holding on to hope that there is something that can be fixed I don't know how you all do this. Maybe I just need more time as this is all very new to me still.
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I definitely feel your pain on this one. In my opinion the embarrassment and lack of self esteem caused by IBS is far. far worse than the actual symptoms (at least for me, my symptoms are occasionally moderate but usually mild - just constant). Also D with anxiety. I'm pretty much always anxious at a slow burn, I never have spikes like panic attacks, but every single time I eat, and every time I am away from home my thoughts always drift to what if what if what if. I'm one of those who has let IBS control me to a degree because no matter how many platitudes I hear about living my life etc. I've always been the type to want to be safe and not sorry.
That being said, I have found that while it cannot be cured or totally controlled *in the long term*, I have had a lot of success controlling it for short term things, and am sure you can do so for your boar trip. I don't know how much support this will get here, but in my own circumstances I have found just fasting for awhile before the activity in question (I probably do this more than I should, but hey, it works for me, and I never feel low energy or anything) usually does the trick, but also in a pinch I pop a half serving of immodium. I'm not saying you should start with it, but if all else fails it's something to consider, at least until you understand your triggers and the different ways your body will come to react to your ibs.
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hey... i am also 26 with ibs-d. i struggle with the vicious cycle that is ibs symptoms which brings stress which brings on more ibs symptoms. i definitely understand the feelings of frustration and helplessness.
you could go on the boat trip; start the day really early and have a very simple breakfast of maybe some plain french bread with peppermint tea, go to the bathroom before leaving home and if you are still feeling a bit iffy pop half an immodium (or whatever drug works best for you). take some saltines and water or other safe snacks (check out the list) to munch on if you get hungry.
having said all that i will also say this... never let anyone talk you into anything that you aren't totally comfortable with. if at the end of the day the thought of the boat trip totally stressed you out, then don't go. simply explain to everyone that you cant join them and sit it out. cuz then you will just be sitting there for the whole trip completely terrified and you won't have fun at all.
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“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”- Mary Anne Radmacher
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Thank you for your response. Can you direct me to the safe snack list? I know it is on here somewhere but have not found it yet! I think maybe it is too soon for the boat adventure. I need to stabalize myself first (if that is even possible). It will be sad to miss out but I think I would be terrified and stressed the whole time and what fun is that. This is all still very new to me so I need some time to figure out my limitations and I think jumping into a trip would be too much for right now. Thank you for your support and advice.
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Safe Snacks
You can find this post on the first page of the 'eating for IBS diet board'. As the post cautions, please take your own intolerance for certain ingredients into consideration. For example I'm good with Chex and Honeycomb cereals, but not Cheerios because of the high fructose corn syrup. Another person might not be able to have the Honeycomb cereal cuz some ppl with ibs can't have honey.
I totally understand your not wanted to do the trip, 3 years ago I would not have got onto a bathroom-less boat if you paid me a million dollars. And to be quite honest i would still think twice about doing it today. Just concentrate on getting yourself stable (u will!!) and maybe next time around you can join them 
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“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”- Mary Anne Radmacher
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Thank you for the safe snack list! I have decided to not go on the boat trip this weekend. They are going again towards the end of the month so maybe by then I will be stable enough to go. Right now my GI doctor has me on an antibiotic Xifaxan for 10 days to rule out any infections. I am also going on a short trip to CT on the 16th of July :O I am already super nervous about that one because we are flying! So I will focus on getting ready for that and hope to make the next boat trip. Thank you all for your support it helps a great deal!
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