Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Doctors, IBS and Anxiety

I think the frustration evident in your post is completely understood by everyone here on this board. I was lucky enough to have a great GI back when I was diagnosed 7 years ago. Since that time, I have been only dealing with my family doctor because he is the most understanding and always takes time to listen and help in any way he can. I hope you can find a doctor you are comfortable with as well. It really helps.

My main trigger is anxiety so I know how hard it can be to control( plus I teach 5th graders all day, a stressor in itself). I have lived for months at a time in the vicious cycle of IBS making me anxious and anxiety making my IBS worse. I have tried may natural remedies: yoga, exercise, etc., but I really needed the help of medication. Over the years, I have taken Paxil which worked really well, but caused a lot of weight gain. I was on and off of Paxil about 3 times (which I would not recommed, it is very hard to come off of and then takes a while to kick back in when you start back up). Now, I control anxiety with Xanax XR (1mg in the evening and .5 mg in the morning) This, along with Heather's diet and good sleep keep me feeling good for the majority of the time. I still struggle a little during certain times of my cycle due to hormone fluctuations, but other than that I an much better than before.

Christy

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