why is my car so scary to me?
#310293 - 07/02/07 01:01 PM
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does anyone else have this issue? i am a vegabond through and through, i love to travel, i love to go....but over the past year since i started dealing with ibs, my car is the pit of hell....just thinking about getting in my car makes me have to go to the bathroom....my husband has a very hard time understanding this, and i feel like i am missing out on my four year old growing up...as i cant go to the park, outings, etc....i do not want to be a prisoner in my home.
i can eat according to the diet, get sleep, cut stress, etc. but as soon as i have to run an errand that requires me leaving my home my guts wrench....i get nauseous, then about 30 seconds down the road i have to either turn around, or find the closest restroom. driving to work is like flipping a coin as to whether or not i can make it all the way or not. is there a reason as to why being in the car is such a huge trigger for ibs? could i be dealing with agoraphobia instead? just the prospect of this makes me sad beyond all reasoning. does anyone else deal with this? and how long does it last....i have been having this problem for almost a year straight now, with no ending in site....thank goodness i am pregnant, so at least when i waddle into places i don't get stared down as i run to the bathroom....hahahaha...
do we all deal with this on some level as folks with ibsD?
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Have you tried the hypnosis CDs? They're a little pricey but can really help with all that unconscious anxiety.
Also, you might try taking an imodium as a preventive for a while. Just take a pill or even half a pill before you leave the house. Once you have a few successful outings, some of that anxiety should subside.
Good luck to you!
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Christine
Those who can do; those who want it done better teach.
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i will ask my midwife about the imodium...i am highly allergic to pepto bismol, so ill have to check and see if that that would be a problem also. but im willing to do almost anything at this point to get back out and about again.
the hypnosis cds are really pricey, so ill have to look into that probably after the baby is born...
thank you so much for the info.
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Yes, Imodium works! And it doesn't contain the same ingredients as Pepto Bismol (which contains bismuth and aspirin). Imodium is the brand name for loperamide.
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thank you....i checked with my midwife, and ive got the go ahead...maybe this will work for me....i hope so. ill keep you posted...thanks yall.
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I do understand you. I was like that too in the beginning when my IBS got bad. But I have learned to deal with it. It is not all good, but I am so much better. I have problems with incontinence too due to a previous paralysis and I am waiting to get help with that now. I think once the incontinence issue is sorted out I will be able to dramatically decrease the mental triggers of my IBS even more.
Loperamide is my lifesaver. I take it daily. So I hope it will work for you too. It helps to make the bowels slower, the stool drier and it also increases the anal sphincter muscle tone making it easier to hold a BM until you get to a bathroom.
For every time you succeed in going out it will get easier. Good luck, and congratulations on being pregnant.
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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Hi. I'm not so sure it's the car that's scary to you it's the leaving the house and not having free reign to the bathroom at a given moment. It happens to me too. I can be fine all day and when I decide to go out shopping or whatever, I drive a few miles(sometimes not even a few)and I feel a "movement" in my bowel coming on. It's definitly the anxiety that triggers the stomach. I try to tell myself that there is this store or this gas station on the way IF I were to need it and then when I get to the store there is always a bathroom so why do I get myself so worked up? Who knows. It's definitly mind over matter.
We had a car drive this weekend to a baseball tournament for my son and it was gonna be a 45min to 1hr ride. We left the house at 7:15am(which is the worst time for my IBS)and I was so worried about the ride. Lo and behold I made it with NO problems at all. I went to the bathroom before I left and just told myself that I went and that I'm good to go for the rest of the day. That time it worked. It doesn't always work depending on I guess the mood or situation. I keep Immodium in my purse for "just in case". I haven't had to use it yet but it's in there for a piece of mind. Do whatever it takes to ease your mind. Heck I even have a paper bag in my car(for anxiety and hyperventilation which I've NEVER had to use but I have it in case. Plus I keep a plastic grocery bag in there too for God forbid I not make it to a bathroom in time(which mind you again)has never happened! Just trick your mind into thinking differently and it will work.
You poor thing being pregnant and still having IBS issues.
I fortunately was lucky and was IBS "free" for both of my pregnancies.
When are you due?
Hang in there. It will get better. Once you train the mind you'll see it can work.
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~~~Lisa~~~
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I just wanted to add that I also carry imodium in my purse. You never know when you'll need it! It's a good idea to keep a few with you.
BTW, if you've never taken it, start with a very low dose. For me, because I take it so infrequently even when not PG (I'm expecting right now, too), all I need is half a tablet. Some people have developed a tolerance and end up needing many tablets, so the lower the dose you find that works for you, the better.
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Christine
Those who can do; those who want it done better teach.
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For me, Imodium generally takes about an hour to kick in, so you may want to take it when you get up or even the night before for full effect.
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If you're not dead, you've still got time.
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Definitely experiment and see what works for you. It kicks in within minutes for me. 
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Christine
Those who can do; those who want it done better teach.
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things seem to be doing better....i have been taking the imodium about an hour before i have to go out to run errands and what not, and ive been doing alot better with car trips....thank yall so much!!! i made it to the grocery, did my shopping, and got back home without even an urge!!!! this is a super big deal for me, cause that would usually involve 3 trips to the bathroom..
is it bad to have a crush on a medication....hahahaha....
once again. thanks. 
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