Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: I guess it's true...when it rains it pours..I just need some support

I'm so sorry about your grandfather.

I would definitely see a doctor but let him or her figure out what would help best. A low-dose anti-depressant might help your IBS directly by acting on your serotonin. However, if the IBS flare is primarily a result of your anxiety, you might do better with an anti-anxiety medicine. Something like Valium would ease the anxiety and thus ease the IBS as a secondary effect. Also, my experience has been that low-dose Valium has far fewer side-effects than low-dose anti-depressant.

Assuming that you have time to get a decent night's sleep, you could also try Donnatol at bedtime. That's an anti-spasmodic plus phenobarbitol, so it does make me sleepy, but it also eases my gut and I do get some carry-over effect.

(Both Valium and Donnatol carry a risk of habituation, so be sure to discuss this with your doctor.)

Beyond meds, if you can be super-careful with your diet (difficult in times of stress, I know) that might help, too. I find that the more closely I adhere to the diet guidelines, the more stress I can tolerate - although I have to admit I haven't even approached the level of pressure you're under since I've been on Heather's diet.

Last, but not least, perhaps something like yoga or QiJong or the hypno tapes would help over the long term.

HTH. Take care.

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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

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