Anyone else suffer from anxiety AND a bad digestive system?

[HowdoIgetbacktothe80s]

I know many people with IBS/sensitive guts also have anxiety and the two often go hand in hand but I’m struggling so much with both and it’s a bit of a vicious cycle. The more anxious I feel the more my digestive system seems to go haywire but the more that plays up, it causes me so much anxiety because of the symptoms.
It’s such a vicious cycle and I try everything to help.
I follow a special diet (low fodmap), avoid all of my known triggers, I only drink water. I exercise. Listen to gut directed hypnotherapy every day. I do guided mediation. I have tried various probiotics and IBS meds. I have tried several antidepressants but they exacerbate the gut issues which then made the anxiety worse and on and on the vicious cycle goes………
Has anyone experienced this and successfully tackled it.
It is driving me insane and controlling my life right now.

Which meds have you tried? I take amitriptyline for the exact same issues, it was tough for the first month getting used to them but my life is completely different now after 2 years of taking them. I also follow a diet but less strict as I found that cutting everything out was counterproductive, I only eat gluten free pasta but normal bread etc same with oat milk for my coffee but can tolerate small amounts of normal cheese.
I still get attacks here and then, normally during stressful periods of my life but it is so much more manageable.
I hope you find a solution, it's miserable to be stuck in the anxiety-stomach pain-stress-back pain cycle.

I can't offer advice but solidarity, I could have written your post myself. My anxiety comes and goes but is on a real high at the moment about everything, I spend the whole time out of the house thinking "don't need the toilet, don't need the toilet" which inevitably makes me need to go. Hugs OP

Thanks PeterRabbitt I tried amitriptyline as they had worked so well for my sister but had to stop after 6 months as they made me feel so spaced out and I drive for a job so that wasn’t ideal. I then switched to the sister drug Nortriptyline but again stopped this time after 3 months as had the same issues which was a shame as I think they were starting to help. I’ve also tried Sertraline and Citalopram but they made my tummy issues so much worse. I still have the Nortriptyline in the cupboard and may have to start them again, perhaps I could try halving the tablets to start with.
Freshair87 Oh God yes, that’s what I get, it’s so hard to concentrate on anything with that nagging feeling, I really feel for you. I hope you (we) eventually manage to find something which helps.