IBS & anxiety.....

[Courtney10891]

Hi,

Where do I start. When I was about 17 I was diagnosed with IBS. I am now 30 and I've just had enough. It's really affected my life and I want to do something about it. When I was 18 I had a accident in the street and let's say I've never been able to forget about it. My anxiety is getting so bad that I'll have an accident when I'm out that it gives me the worst cramps and constantly needing to run to the toilet. Over the past 12 years I've taken so much Imodium which helps but I don't want to rely on it. I know my symptoms get worse when I'm stressing about it but what can I do? When I have to take a long car journey or something I'll get myself so worked up that I was have the worst diarrhoea. What can I do? Anybody have any advice or anything that's helped them? I have two young children and I want to be able to do fun things with them without stressing about where the nearest loo is!

Have you examined the impact of your diet on your IBS? I was quite skeptical because it took me years to find my triggers because they are so random but finding them has really helped.

For me, they are legumes and things like figs and chilli.

I keep a change of clothes etc in the car in case of emergencies, which I have never had to use but the reassurance helps. I also find that generally when it comes down to it, I can hold on if I absolutely absolutely have to. I have only failed to once, when I woke up with issues and didn't make it to the loo in time. That knowledge reassures me.

Obviously you don't want to rely on loperamide. I have to eat quite a lot of white flour etc to keep things slow enough but if you have an extremely fast transit time it might be worth trying some antispasmodics (like mebeverine, or buscopan) to help. I use these on bad days, along with loperamide if required. Ultimately I would rather rely on loperamide than not be able to go out.

If it's really impacting your life (as it sounds like it is) I would consider going back to the doctor to push for further investigations.

Thanks for your reply!
I know the psychological side of it definitely makes my symptoms a lot worse. When I'm in the house and have no plans or anywhere to be more then usually I will be absolutely fine but when I know I have to be somewhere that's when the cramps and urgent runs to the toilet begin.
Especially at the moment with lockdown a lot of public toilets are closed so that's been really adding to my worries and anxiety.
Alcohol and spicy food definitely make my stomach a lot worse. X

Anybody got any ways they have dealt with this successfully?

I take a loperamide before bed. Start work at six and have to keep reminding myself it's all good because I've had a tablet. I'm on day 9 now of not having to do the mad loo dash. I just have to convince myself as I've had my tablet I'm fine. It is very much so in the mind.
And yes it is wearing and debilitating. I'm fine at home to, it's just long journeys and work that set me off.

Thanks so much for your reply! Was you prescribed it by the doctor? For me it's definitely a psychological thing. Once I'm somewhere where I know there is a toilet etc I'm fine but the travelling or the unknown will give me diarrhoea and terrible cramps. It's such a awful feeling.

I asked the doc if I could take one a day and she said it would be fine. Some days it's more peace of mind than need. But it works.
I've cut out the stuff that causes the problems so everything else is definitely psychological.
It's hard work isn't it?

You sound exactly like me. It all started age 13 and at 18 I was diagnosed with IBS and brushed off.

I got extreme anxiety around the issue. If I was inside I could go all day not needing the loo. But if I had to go out then my stomach started churning and I got cramps and diorreah. Purely brought on by the anxiety.

I was OBSESSIVE around knowing where every loo was. I got a “can’t wait” card which gave me some confidence as I knew I could use it in shops where there weren’t customer loos but I could hopefully use the staff loo.

Breathing exercises. They’ve got me through some tough times. Breath in Through the nose for two and out of the mouth for three. Repeat and repeat and repeat. That has helped me loads of times when I’m sat in a car that has stopped on a motorway or something.

When I have to go, I have to go. I can’t hold it. I did get some adult nappies which I wore extremely rarely, and never actually “used” but they gave me some confidence.

Anyway it turns out I didn’t have IBS. My parents paid for me to have a colonoscopy privately after Getting some blood appearing and the GP fobbing me off and I have ulcerative colitis.

I could have written your post and I sympathise so much :( It sounds like you’re like me and the anxiety is more of a trigger than the actual bowel problems! So treat the anxiety! I take citalopram for anxiety and it changed my life. Ask your GP. It takes a few weeks to start working but it was a life saver.

My biggest tips otherwise are the breathing exercises, and actually being able to come to terms with the fact that if you have an accident the world won’t end. I keep a bin bag and loo roll in the car in case I ever need to quickly jump into the boot or back seat and poo in the bag.

But treat the anxiety. Because without that you’ll be half way to normality.

It’s really horrible isn’t it? I get envious sometimes of people that are able to go travelling etc because I think I’ll never be able to do anything like that. Just wish I could lead a normal life without stressing about a bloody toilet. I spoke to the doctor today, she wants me to go in for some bloods and for them to check my stools and then go from there. Trying so hard to do some excercise and calming techniques every day but with two babies life is stressful lol.

I’m glad you saw a dr today. This isn’t the final deal you’ve been dealt. There will be options, keep pushing.

If it’s colitis like mine was there is effective treatment. I’ve been in remission now for years and am a different person to when they were giving be useless IBS treatments.

Also the citalopram for the anxiety really helped because without the anxiety I don’t need the loo more than any other person, it’s the anxiety that makes me poo!

I thought I’d never ski again (imagine taking a chair lift!!) but I have, due to effective anxiety control. 10 years ago I couldn’t walk to the end of my drive without needing to poo and now here I am once a year sitting on chair lifts. Keep pushing the gp and don’t accept that there is no help. You just need to find something that works.

You could also really push for a colonoscopy as that would tell you if it was IBS or colitis/crohns. Symptoms are similar but treatment is very different.

I had bloods taken and took stool samples in. Rules out chrohns, colitis and cancer. Said I maybe a little gluten and dairy intolerant. I'm to avoid sugar, alcohol, caffeine, fizzy drinks, ibuprofen and too much wheat and dairy.
I'm too exercise more as that encourages the gut to work.
Eat a more plant based diet and ear little and often.
My cramps and bloatedness went and I wasnt going to the loo seven times before I left the house.
Physically fixed. I've found when I feel like I need to go to the loo I tense my bum, which makes me want to go more. As soon as i relax the feeling goes for a bit. Breathing helps lots. At work I list five things I can see, hear and touch. That takes the feeling away too.
Hope the tests at the doctors go ok for you.

I could have also written your post op. You’re not alone. For me it’s every time I get in the car. I’m ok going out for a walk to the shops or if I’m home all day but soon as I need to go in a car journey my hearts racing, hands sweating and that awful knitting in my stomach that makes me feel sick. I’ve never told anyone this before but it all stemmed from when we went to a festival and I really needed the loo. The ques were so long I had to crouch at the back of our car in the field and go outside, in front of DH who had to look out to make sure nobody walked past. I felt so ashamed but it was literally that or go in my pants.

A few things that help for me are, cutting how many hours use bushes there are in the journey, having my headphones on with some music I like to sing along to playing, breathing techniques.

I am very much at the same stage as you though and I get so upset that I can’t enjoy being outdoors like I used to. I feel I am letting my kids down because I can’t go out with them.

I have vowed now we are starting to emerge from lockdown I am going to do something about this anxiety and these bowel issues. I really wish you the best of luck from the bottom of my heart because I know how terrible this is and how debilitating it gets xxx