Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: constant pain and depression, need help

Hi, Marla!

I've read everyone else's posts and don't have much to add regarding the food issue - it's trial and error. A couple of thoughts, though - I don't know your history, but did you self-diagnose or have you been thru any testing, i.e., colonoscopy? endoscopy? others? Is any of this "new" or is this pretty much a chronic condition? Either way, if you've never had a checkup from a board-certified gastroenterologist, you might want to consider it just to make sure you're dealing ONLY with IBS - especially if these are new symptoms. (In Feb & March, my "d" flared up badly - couldn't work - had a colonoscopy which was painless and discovered that I had "mild acute colitis". The doctor put me on a course of meds and at my last checkup she said she believes the meds have worked - it's not a chronic condition. Just wanted to encourage you to not let things go on too long without checking back in with your doctor - catching things in early stages is a blessing).

You mentioned depression - some people with IBS benefit from taking a low-dose antidepressant (the gut is sometimes called the "second brain" - and it produces 95% of our serotonin - which helps us feel good). Also, many people on the board say that they benefit from the relaxation techniques, like yoga and hypnotherapy. Personally, I use deep breathing and stretching when I'm having a bout with pain. As difficult as it may seem at the time, I try really hard not to double over when I'm cramping - if I breathe properly (as opposed to holding my breath!) and stretch gently, it seems to help, whereas if I give in and double over, the pain seems worse. A therapist taught me the breathing exercises and also told me that we can't be tense AND relaxed at the same time - physiologically impossible! So, the concious effort to relax really can work. One of the best things I did when I was having a rough time was to get some good "talk therapy" - helped me deal with reality instead of the cascading, negative emotions which were keeping me stuck - and helped me regain my perspective - and hope.

I'm a Christian and for me, the very best counselor is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter - and I find a lot of comfort and hope in the Bible. The Psalms are particularly soothing - even the rhythm of the verses is calming. For me, the Scriptures reveal the hope anyone can find in God through Jesus Christ. Jesus promised that He would never leave anyone alone or comfortless if they called on Him. I hope you can find the same comfort. I'll be praying for your health!

Blessings,
Kaybee C

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