Sorry about the subject but bowels!! Some advice would be appreciated!

[Loyaltyplease]

Im not a poo troll I promise, this maybe should go under health, mental health? Who knows but I feel it’s so unusual that sod it, I’ll put it in chat for traffic.

So, I’m 52 and for about the past 5 years I’ve had this weird issue that whenever I leave the house, visit people, have visitors to the house, basically any situation where I’m not just sat on the sofa watching TV or in my home I’ll urgently need a No2.

I get really windy, cramps and the urgent need for the loo happens. I can’t hold it, I almost have a panic attack and unless I can find a loo pretty sharpish I will soil myself.

If I have to catch a train, go shopping, drive somewhere, go to work, go on holiday, have visitors to the house (including family members) I will need to go - I may need to go a few times then (which is loose and copious with lots of wind) until I’m clear.

It’s like an anxiety issue, I genuinely cannot go anywhere unless I’m surely there’s a toilet. Every trip out is marred by this and I carry emergency wipes, pads, underwear etc. I often take Imodium which backs me up a little bit at least firms things up so I have half a chance of holding it.

I have had so many close calls it’s unbelievable and if I know there’s no loo I’ll want to go all that more - it’s torture.

I’ve had tests done for blood in stool etc, all clear, GP allowed me to try amitriptyline but that just made me drowsy and spaced. They say it’s IBS. But it’s situational - i can literally eat anything of if I don’t leave my house.

What the hell can I do? This has taken my life over - a close toilet rules my life on a daily basis. No long walks, trips out, travelling etc all has to be done with so much planning.

Any advice welcome!

Nervous shits?

It does sound like IBS. There are some studies showing hypnotherapy can work for some people. The mind gut reflex is real and it becomes a vicious circle.
There is also an app called Nerva which I’ve tried and had limited success with.

Stress shits. Eat fodmap. Don’t deviate from this. Take probiotics, lay off coffee, chocolate etc.

I have had this since my early 20s, I’m now 44. The amitriptyline really does help but you need to take it about 2 hours before bed and persevere with it. The groggy feeling wears off after a couple of weeks. I take 10mg a night and it really helps; I do have lupus and bladder issues so take it for that really but the bowel side effects are worth it for that alone.

I had this and the Dr prescribed Amitriptyline which worked brilliantly. I have weaned myself off them recently after taking for over a year and the symptoms haven't come back yet so I'm hopeful.

Ah my dear, this is anxiety. It happened to me suddenly in my 20's.

I've had some embarrassing situations of needing to shit in bushes and all sorts.

It almost stopped me leaving the house.

The only way to stop it is CBT and maybe some short term anxiety medication.

It's very common

Have a look at the fodmap diet. It's a list of foods that are easiest to digest. Yoga might help with anxiety.

Anxiety.

It's anxiety. The fight or flight response to a perceived threat (which for you is being away from home) makes your body automatically want to rid itself of faeces and/or urine to become lighter.

It's called 'toilet anxiety', if that helps with Googling solutions (which are typically anti-anxiety medication and therapy).

Same mine started early 20s. Sadly amitriptyline didn’t help me. But another tablet Pizotifen which I’ve been taking for headaches has done!