ibs worry

[Iworryalot]

Hi there i have been diagnosed with ibs had this for over 2 years now , last year had flex sigmoyodoscpy and all blood s done and biopsys all came back normal , and last sept had bloods done again all normal .
i do also suffer with Health anxiety and have had in the past , since xmas my weight has droped not alot but clothes seem looser , i have given up alcohol and feel better for this and my bm had improved and in which making my stress and anxiety better ,only now im worried something bad is going on and cant stop worrying ... and now my bm gone bad again .... i feel fine eat well .can anyone help ..
i saw my gastroenterlogist end Nov. and assured me all was fine and was happy i have IBS nothing more ( as he knows how anxious i get )

could it be because i have stoped drinking ?
Please help if can ..
tearfull and scared ..

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I am so sorry you are feeling bad - did not want your posts to go unanswered.
Just need to answer the front door but will be back x

Has anything triggered your recent fears or has it just slowly escalated over the last few weeks?
Just wondering if it would be helpful for you to record how you feel for a few days or so and see whether there are any links between your fear and stress with any other factors?
I presume they had given other dietary advice? Also, have you tried any of the support ibs forums? they are full of people going through exactly the same fears and worries.

Rest assured - there are a lot of people out there with slightly weird digestive system symptoms all worrying quietly that there is something terribly wrong with them but too nervous to go see a doctor. You have done that and been brave enough to face up to it. The tests have come back clear and your specialist has told you that his best professional judgement call is IBS. You are on the right track to sorting this out and should be proud of yourself for asking for help xx

Thankyou for reply . and kind words ...
I am trying to keep perspective of this and not worry but i have real issues with anxiety and since iv had bowel problems have always looked at the worse case senario ..
my bm are no differant than they were this time last year ,but in turn are no worse ..which im hoping is a good thing its now the little weight loss im worried about thinking all sorts ..
im going to see a holistic therapist on friday recomended by a friend , she recomends i try reflexology and hypnosis , as this could help reset my train of thought and help me regain control .
as all i think about now is have i got BC ...

If you've given up alcohol then this could well explain weight loss - it's very calorie-heavy!

Are you eating properly? Do you know what foods trigger an attack, or is it emotion/anxiety that triggers one?

Just worrying and obsessing over your BM or if you've got BC will not help you as it creates a cycle of stress/anxiety and suffering - although I'm sure you know that.

If you need to get your weight up (oh how I wish that was my problem!) can you supplement your diet with calorie rich milk drinks - things like Complan (assuming that you can tolerate dairy).

I am eating well . and have energy , but i am a worrier ...
i know im making it worse by worrying but i really cant help it ... i feel so worried all the time , i wasnt to woried till i saw something on TV last week about BC and then it sent me off again in total terror ... what if the doc missed something etc ... and the cycle of anxiety continues ..
sorry to boar you with all this , im hoping that fridays appt will help me .. if i still feel the same will book again to see my consultant and chat with him , only saw him end Nov .im sure he thinks im nuts ..
i do know that its the mental issues i have to control to as all these negative thoughts are not helping me so maybe hypnosis could help ..

i have to go out now will look back later for any advice , thankyou all x

I have a simalar problem, i havn't been diognosed with IBS (waiting to see gp), i suffer from anxiety which has been at its worse since just before x-mas, i lost 1 st over christmas.

Hi marne ,stress ,anxiety is def a cause for IBS .I am far worse when im anxious and upset ..
and also stress would also make you loose weight specially if your not eating well .
Have you always had anxiety issues ?

there was a similar post last night in health (about wind) and posters gave lots of good advice on that - might be worth a look.

Thanks will try it .

Can you get hold of a meditation/relaxation CD and use this to help calm yourself down? You need to break the cycle somehow.

Thanks i know , and i do then all of sudden out of blue i see something and sends me right back again , im sick of constantly worrying about my health ..its as though theres a little devil on my shoulder saying bad things like iv got BC or C of some kind ... i need help ....
so sorry just feeling out of control with worry .

I feel for you Iworryalot.

I've had IBS now for over 12 years although it wasn't diagnosed until about 9 years ago. I've found it helpful to regularly eat small amounts at specific times of the day and to drink lots of water. Good for you for dropping the alcohol as it's a real irritant to the digestive system.

In terms of keeping your mind on track, and to help with your anxiety, I would wholeheartedly recommend a yoga class. It'll help you to refocus and to relax your digestive system. A general yoga class about twice a week should be about right, plus practising at home in the morning (5-10 mins is fine if you don't have much time). It'll give you the mental training you need to keep yourself on track when things begin to run away from you again. You'll feel stronger mentally as you'll be in charge of your body, rather than your body being in charge of you.

Thank you , for reply , i should try yoga , to be honest i will try anything ...
I am going to have reflexology this week t and she will teach me how to relat maybe hypnosis ?
iv lost a bit of weight recently which is why im in panic mode once more thinking i havnt got IBS but BC ....
iv stopped drinking could this make me loose a little ?

plus im stressing and constantly weighing myself ..

what are your symptoms fir IBS ?
and what helps you .

Yoga will help you to train your own mind which, in turn, will help you to keep your body in check. You have to help yourself to gain control of your body again.

I was in an awful state a number of years ago. My stressful job/lifestyle and the fact that my long term partner had just dumped me was playing havoc with my body. I had severe stomach cramps before/during/after eating, plus awful wind which was incredibly painful when it moved around. I also had continuous diarrhoea. Basically my digestion was in a mess and I couldn't eat without being in pain.

There wasn't a quick fix for this. I had to make some lifestyle decisions to reduce my stress levels otherwise nothing would work. Plus, as I said, I changed what I ate (steamed veg and rice to begin with), when I ate it (small regular meals) and how I ate it (slowly!). And I practised yoga regularly.

I think you need to sit down and make a list of things which you're stressing about or things which generally cause you to feel stressed. Then note down ways you can reduce the stress for each. It's a useful tool! Don't weigh yourself as this is causing stress.

There is a very tight link between your brain and your digestive system. You're a sensitive person whose stress is manifested by the IBS. Like me. If you conquer your stress then you'll have a happier body. Trust me.

My motto: only worry about the things you can control.

xx

Thank you for kind words ...
I know your right , i never realized till the past year how powerfull the mind is , and how it controls so many emotions , iv had stresses and health anx so bad last year i convinced myself something was wrong with my heart , as was getting thumping chest and dropping feeling in my tummy constantly , is was all anxiety related .(panic attacks )
only a couple of weeks ago i thought i had mouth or tooth C as had infection in my gum over xmas and had to see a out of ours dentist who couldnt confirm this with out x rays .. well as you can imagen that put me in fear for the next week or more till i saw my dentist who took one look and confirmed was a fractured infected tooth .. ( now fine) , i seek constant reasurance allll the time .

thanks for listening to me xx

Iworryalot, i have only had stress and anxiety since having the dd's, i worry that they will get ill and i won't be able to cope. I wen't to my gp today who said i may have ibs or a food intolerance so they are running some tests.

Marne , good there running tests , very common to worry when you have children , think very natural to .. gets better as they get older, and can talk .mine are 7&8 .
although i do still worry ...
im just a constant worrier specially with health issues .
hope you get some answers soon
sounds like ibs stress and worry can cause this for sure .

I find I worry far more about my health since I was diagnosed with colitis about 18 months ago. I have a friend who's had an organ transplant and she says the same - every time something happens, there is an assumption that it's something big. The last time I saw the gastro people they said they would put a camera up my bum at the end of this year, and they told me not to worry about it. It's not so easy having been diagnosed with breast cancer as well. You are not alone

Bladebla , Thank you for reply ,sorry to here that ,i hope your getting the right help and support ...((hug))