women suffering constipation - page twelve
The tale of...Louise
OK here goes. This is quite scary for me as no-one knows anything about my IBS except my doctor. I've never told anyone and it's been a burden for 10 years now. I recently had a blood test come back clear and so I apparently have IBS. I've also recently started looking for a flat with my boyfriend and started college and all I can do is worry that my symptoms are going to affect these things.
My IBS started when I was 11 (I'm now 20) and ever since then my life has been ruled by constipation, pain, embarrassment, fear and humiliation. I tried a herbal supplement that wasn't particularly effective and now I'm just looking for ways to deal with my symptoms before my life is totally ruined. I sympathise with everything I have read on this site and pray there is a solution out there for all of us.
E-mail Louise: sexy_lil_minx94[at]hotmail.co.uk
The tale of...Ellie
I'm 23 years old and have been suffering with IBS for just under two years now. I suffer with mainly constipation, bloating, extreme nausea and wind. I have a weird kind of IBS and having constipation causes me to suffer from rectal ulcers.
When I first started with this, I was feeling extremely ill and was admitted to hospital with rectal bleeding and passing large amounts of mucus. Doctors, at first, thought I had inflammatory bowel disease and I had all the tests under the sun! My bloods were normal, biopsies, etc and they eventually put it down to IBS with solitary rectal ulcers.
I had never heard of this in my life. Apparently, the ulcers form with the pressure of constipation and straining. I get these regularly and have horrible stomach pains. It makes my life a misery. What's worse is that I feel like I'm the only one to suffer this type of IBS as I've never heard of it elsewhere. I'm hoping that by contacting this website I'll be able to find others with the same problem.
I hate that doctors always make you feel like IBS is in your mind and that it would go away if you weren't stressed or worried. Half the time, I'm not stressed or worried and my symptoms are still there. My last doctor thought it may be helpful for me to see a psychologist to help me with the IBS. It makes me so mad as they have no idea how bad it is some days.
The tale of...Jennifer
Every since I was a child, I would always have stomach problems. It would first start off with burping acid or stomach aches that lasted for days with nausea. I could never vomit. Now that I am 25, my symptoms have gotten worse. Constipation, bloating, swelling, fatigue, and fevers...it is to the point now where I am trembling/shaking when the onset comes. I have to cool my body off the best way I can, even in the winter.
I had my gallbladder removed, endoscopy and a colonoscopy that showed nothing. I've taken Zelnorm, Prilosec, and all the other stomach medications. I felt like a lab job. I've tried all the doctors I can take 'til my job finally told me to see a psychiatrist. So I did and they told me I was bipolar and schizophrenic. I didn't believe that at all.
The medication I was put on made me gain almost 80lbs. I noticed when I was a manageable weight, I was sick sometimes, but the more I lost weight, the more sick I became. Now I am in the process of getting rid of the excess weight and my sickness is coming back stronger...weird, I know.
I am to the point where I take citrate every other day for a bowel movement and stay away from all meats and most cheeses. I downgraded my milk from whole to 2% and that seemed to help for a minute.
I am so overwhelmed that I feel like there is no hope. I really don't know where to go from here. Sometimes I feel maybe I am losing my mind. I'm tired of crying. I have no social life, no boyfriend and sometimes my daughter doesn't want to be around me when I'm sick. I'm afraid! Help! I have nowhere else to turn.
E-mail Jennifer: jr7982_2000[at]yahoo.com
The tale of...Joan
I guess I am lucky I don't suffer as badly as others. I get a bout of IBS two weeks before going on holiday as my partner leaves all the arranging and flight bookings to me, arranging dog and cat to be minded etc, so it must be stress-related not a food thing.
I get constipation or diarrhea and lots of pain and bloating. I am now retired but remember same thing when I worked, but I did not know it maybe IBS. I had a barium enema two years ago because I had bleeding, but no sign of cancer. I was told I may have IBS.
I used to get terrible stomach pains before going to the toilet, sit on the loo with a bowl on my lap, have diarrhea and vomit at the same time. Not had that for a while now. I am 72 years old but looking back I must have had slight IBS for many years but never bothered a doctor.
E-mail Joan: rl_joan2000[at]yahoo.co.uk