Anxiety induced diarrhoea is driving me INSANE! Anyone been there, got over it?

[gettingfedupofthis]

I have been suffering from bouts of anxiety, panic and diarrhoea since Christmas. My panic and fear was getting quite debilitating and when I have loose stools in the morning too it makes life so hard to fight through.

Recently I think I've made good progress with the panic problems. Have read one of the Claire Weekes books and have been putting some of her suggestions into practise with pleasing results- though still some fears to conquer. After a great 10 days with minimal anxiety and normal bowels, I started a bout of morning diarrhoea. I am a bit of a baby I know, but with each passing day of this I get more and more upset and start to lose confidence in myself. Today I feel really down and angry about it. Will I ever feel right again!

GP prescribed me mebeverine on Friday and I have started drinking peppermint tea. Felt good yesterday but not good today so it's probably not going to work. Can anyone relate to all this rubbish?

Oh, I tried sertraline and citalopram briefly earlier in the year but couldn't sleep on sertraline at all and it made me vomit as well as feeling spaced out.

Hi Getting

I think I could have written almost the same post! I've had IBS for about 20 years and anxiety for about 8 years.

I used to be constantly constipated (lucky if I went once a week) but the last few months I've had bouts of diarrhoea and literally have to leg it to the loo This has heightened my anxiety especially when at work and has led me to go home or not even go to work on some occasions as I just don't know when 'it' will strike!! If I wake up feeling like its going to be a dodgy stomach day then it's game over.

I went back to the docs last week to get my citalopram dose increased from 20mg to 30mg to try and help the anxiety and have downloaded CBT for dummies to see if I can conquer some of my fears.

I feel a right whimp to be honest but once the spiral starts I just can't get out of it.

I've done the whole thing with avoiding certain foods but that hasn't helped. I'm taking vitamin b at the moment and aloe Vera but it's early days so who knows.

Exercise is meant to be good and I keep meaning to get back on the treadmill but have found that sometimes i have to stop halfway through as it seems to bring on the diarrhoea!!!

One thing is for sure, I will keep at it and keep trying to find what works for me, but it is hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel at times.

I wish you luck

I'm sorry you're feeling the same way. I feel pretty normal throughout the day unless I stop and think about my tummy- then it rumbles. Makes me certain this is all anxiety. Its normally just in the morning for me. However, a couple of weeks ago I had bad diarrhoea after a meal out with my family. The feelings came on in the car and we only just made it home in time. This experience is really haunting me at the moment. I am so messed up. Like you, I always tended to be constipated before all this though I quite liked that! I used to eat lots of fruit and veg and go every 2/3 days. Feel like I'll never get back to that again. Good luck to you too. Keep me updated :)

At least we are not alone!!! It's been hard for me to say how I feel to friends without them looking at me like I'm some sort of freak. Until you've had a personal experience of it it's hard to relate.

I've had the same needing to get home as fast as possible to get to the loo (never sure if it's wind or not (tmi)).

I've started on camomile tea during the day to see if that makes a difference along with lots of water - though I always make sure I drink at least 2 litres a day and have done for the past 4 years so not convinced by that at all.

Let me know if the meds make any difference. I think I've tried them before but have been on so many I can't be sure.

You could ask your gp about trying a tricyclic antidepressant. They are quite good for anxiety and have the bonus effect of slowing your guts down. A downside is that they are rather sedating til you get used to them.

I used to get the constips. But I am exercising now and thats sorting out the anxiety and the constips.

ohyou yes my GP mentioned amitrypline the other day. Tbh I think I need something sedating. I was on citalopram for three days and only slept for two half hour stretches each night. And when I'm having a bout of loose poo like at the moment, I keep waking up at night worrying about my tummy in the morning and feeling very tense. I feel so negative after my experience on AD's but don't know what else to do. I don't want my panic to get out of hand again because of my bowels. Oh it's all so rubbish.

I've found amitriptyline to be utterly wonderful, most recentely to help with my arthritis pain, but in the past for ibs. Unfortunately I'm not allowed it anymore cos it speeds my heart up. In the past I've tried ssris and to be frank they sent me bonkers, (exceptionally anxious)

Is there test which you can take to know that your diarrhoea is related to stress and bnot to some food sensitivity?

I was given amitriptyline when I had sciatica a few months ago but I was too scared to take at as I thought it would interfere with citalopram. Still have it in the cupboard.

I just wish I could find a cure for the ibs and anxiety

You have all my sympathy, op. I suffered from the same thing for years and years. Tried special diets, CBT and daily Propanylol (which I stopped because it made me clumsy and dippy). I settled on occasional Propanylol whenever I had a difficult event coming up and lots of Imodium. Finally, after it being part of my life for so long, I took Citalopram for depression and it had the miraculous side effect of curing my IBS. I have been symptom free ever since! It really is like a miracle. You say you only took it for three days, but that means you only experienced the negative side effects without waiting for the benefits to kick in. It took two to three weeks for me to begin to feel better and I had to get through feeling pretty rough first (and it made my IBS worse at first too).

I am now on a regular low dose (10mg), which is enough to control the IBS without making me spaced out. I did find that when I was on 20mg I was forgetful and not quite 'with it', which I hated. I still occasionally take Imodium for big events, but sometimes I forget these days because it is just not a problem anymore.

Oh, and you are not being a 'baby' about it. It is a terribly confidence-sapping, debilitating condition. I never felt able to tell people about it because I was embarrassed, so I always felt I had this terrible secret. I used to have to avoid certain events just because I couldn't cope with the worry of needing to rush to the loo. The fear dominated my life. I had 'loo maps' in my head all the time in case I needed to make a dash for it. There was so much I couldn't do because of it. Even walking to school was dreadful because there were no loos on the way, particularly in the morning (always worse in the morning).

Mebeverine and peppermint tea both helped and I still take Mebeverine when I go out for dinner because it gives me confidence (I have never ever had to rush to the loo if I have taken it).

You should go back to the doctor to see what else they can offer. If you are really not sure about Citalopram, see if there is another AD which you could try. And also give yourself a break from stress in your everyday life as much as you can for the moment. You are obviously overloaded at the moment and you need to give yourself time to recover.

I hope you find a solution soon.

Happy- if I remember I will ask the GP about a food sensitivity test. TBH though as this has been on and off for months, I don't think it's a food thing. I eat quite healthily and only ever really have the same couple things for brekkie and then a sandwich and salad and crisps for lunch etc. Some weeks I'm fine,other weeks Im not.

I don't think mebeverine is helping. I'm not surprised as I think this is a nervous tummy issue rather than IBS. I am soo fed up of diarrhoea. I know it's only once a day but I hate it, have a bit of a phobia of it- seriously. It's weird as all my other fears of being in shops and motorway driving have totally abated at the mo and I am fixated on ending this bl**dy stomach hell. I know fixating on it is the worst thing to but it's just ruining everything. I can't watch tv without thinking 'I couldn't do what that person is doing' - quite normal things btw that I wouldn't have thought twice about doing before!!!

Due start CBT in about a month. Just seems so far away. Was looking for a counsellor earlier online but no idea where to start. I have such a weird problem :(.

Really unsure about trying AD's and cross because I'm doing well on lots of other counts. Not sure going on amitriptyline just to try and firm up my BM's is a good enough reason, tmi I know

But is not just for that is it? It's to also help with your anxiety which must be pretty unpleasant to live with.

Yes you're right but am scared after getting absolutely zero sleep on sertraline! Also want to address this properly and scared AD's will just be a sticking plaster.

I'm so glad there are others out there.

Are you suffering too pmgkt?

My husband has for nearly 3 years, following loads of cameras, and investigations we are no further forward and can't seem to find a food link, but I have noticed a stress connection although I think he takes more convincing. Interesting what tablets people have tried, anitriptyline is what he has been put on but I may try and suggest others if I can get him to see the link. It all started following a serious bout of food poisoning which landed him in hospital hence the reluctance to see a stress link, plus he has no issues with big presentations and speeches but I want him to try and see that different people are stressed by different things not always the obvious.

I have IBS, OP, so I can sympathise...one thing jumped out at me, though - Aloe Vera has quite a strong laxative effect (I have the constipated-type IBS and used to use AV myself for that reason) so it may making you prone to the runs.

Just a thought!

Hi all

I know this is quite an old post but it gives me some comfort that I’m not on my own with the above situations.
I thought I must be the only one who sits and sees everyday things on the tv thinking I can’t do that. I used to be very out going and would try most things. Now I spend 80% my time feeling sick and tired or have such bad stomach problems.
I’ve done all the tests and cameras etc but nothing can be found. Stress related is the best they have now come up with.
I’m recently divorced along with other life stressers, but meeting new ppl seems out of the question with my current stomach issues which adds to the axienty of being permanent lonely

Any help or advice welcome

I suffered with crippling panic disorder when i had my first son 10 years ago, my second son 4 years ago i was fine but 5 weeks ago i had a baby girl and my god the panic attacks are frequent and absolutely debilitating. I have loose bowels every day, accompanied by trembling, severe dry mouth enough to interfere with swallowing, burning hot flushes, dizziness, chest tightness...the whole shabang! I have just started on fluoxetine which is originally an ssri for depression but can also be used to treat anxiety. I feel it is helping me to feel stronger through the attacks therefore shortening them. Will be requesting CBT at my next appointment to try and get through this. I feel for you all. It is very life limiting. You are not alone

Another vote for amitriptyline over here. And industrial amounts of propranolol. Between them they've put a stop to mine.

I read an article that talks about how this relates to the gut-brain connection and that hypnotherapy can help: www.mindsethealth.com/learn/diarrhea-with-anxiety-whats-the-cause - I haven't tried hypnotherapy but it may be worth a shot

One may never understand the struggle of having Diarrhea cause by anxiety unless they experienced it firsthand. I've read in one Article that changing your lifestyle may improve your condition.