women suffering constipation - page twenty
The tale of...Lisa
I have had IBS forever it seems. I have had it since I was a child but no-one knew what was wrong with me. When I was 20 I learned I had IBS, even though they had thought I had colitis and I went through many meds for this. I suffer from both constipation and diarrhea. I have been to so many doctors I have lost count over the years. I sometimes feel so alone in my IBS prison at times.
My latest torture was being put on a drug called Effexor XR. It was awful for me, I only took half a capsule and I had awful side effects for three days. I would rather have IBS then ever feel that way again. I have no faith in doctors anymore and I can't even get relief from the anxiety I feel. I am scared to leave my house at times - what will happen to me again, 100th time in the toilet again. I feel like I should have a toilet tied to my butt whereever I go. As I get older it gets worse. All doctors want to do is throw pills at me and put hoses in my butt! I'm so tired of this. The one thing that helps is knowing there are people like me out there.
E-mail Lisa: nygl67[at]aol.com
The tale of...Linda
Several years back I was officially diagnosed with IBS - irritable bowel syndrome. I asked my gastroenterologist what that actually meant. He said “It means you have trouble with your intestines.” I asked him if he could be more specific, as in, what kind of symptoms do people usually get. He said “You’ll have gas, bloating, pain that is either minor or severe, diarrhea or constipation”. The list goes on... I then asked him what causes it. He said “I don’t know”. I then asked him if he ever speculated. “No. I don’t believe in that” he said.
After trying every diet possible, both removing and adding foods, and after trying every supplement known to man, my symptoms gradually worsened. I once asked my gastro doc if he knew anything about a yeast infection we can get in our digestive system called candida. I told him I’d found it in a diet book and that I’d found several references to it online. He said “I don’t believe in that”.
The last medication he tried on me gave me unbelievably bad indigestion. It almost helped me to ‘go’! Instead, it caused everything inside me to move around just enough to hit nerve endings which shot pain down my lower back and legs. It was so bad one morning that I could barely walk. I woke because of the pain at 4am and fell out of bed when I put my weight on my legs. I didn’t expect the pain to be that bad. I told my gastro doc all about it. He said “That’s not normal. I’ve never heard of that medication doing that. You’re weird”. I think that was an official diagnosis.
I have been going to a naturopathic doctor for the last few years as well. I like her much better, even though many of the things I’ve tried with her haven’t worked either. Psyllium fiber, some awful prune, cornmeal and date breakfast, halibut oil, flaxseed, probiotics, digestive enzymes...I’m sure if I go through my pill baskets I’d find 30 or more bottle of things tried and failed. Some seem to work for a week or two, but nothing has lasted any longer. In the end (pardon the pun) I have no choice but to resort to enemas and sodium phosphates, my explosives, or anything that my intestines aren’t supposed to become addicted to.
My gastro doc once put me on sodium phosphates for three months. He said “Your bowels need a little vacation. They’ll start working on their own after this”. Anyone who has ever had a colonoscopy knows what this stuff is. It turns everything in your belly to liquid. First, you swell up like a balloon and then the faucet goes on. My husband gave me a new nickname during this period: Squirt!
My belly didn’t start to work after that. Apparently they either didn’t receive a long enough vacation or simply never had any intention of doing their job. It’s kind of like having a difficult employee. You know you can’t fire them and you can’t replace them either.
I’ve begun to believe that my stomach has a mind of its own. It’s on its own schedule. It’s incredibly lazy and it’s a pack rat. It wants to keep everything it comes into contact with. It’s grumpy and it’s ornery. It has some serious issues. It not only has a mind of its own, it’s neurotic!
That’s why I was so amazed to hear on the news one evening that scientists had discovered that our stomachs have grey matter - the same kind of tissue we have in our heads. I looked it up. It’s true. In fact, 95% of the serotonin in our bodies is in our intestines. Nerve cells in our tummies use serotonin to signal information to the brain about digestion, like pain, gas, comfort and terrible ‘gut’ feelings from anxiety. Our bellies work in tandem with our brains, but they also work in isolation.
My mother attributed my IBS complaints to stress. I think she also thought I was a hypochondriac, just like some of the old medical texts would have me diagnosed. Well, for once, I can say to my Mom “You were right, sort of”. Apparently we all have two ‘brains’.
Before I came to the conclusion that my bowels had a mind of their own, I thought I had alien DNA (it’s possible!). I looked up foods and herbs that increased serotonin levels in the body. Bananas, cheese, beer (alcohol), and sugar and carbs have been known to make me ‘go’. No - prunes, coffee and all the rest of the normal stuff never worked. This has led me to self-diagnose myself as having NBS - Neurotic Bowel Syndrome.
I’m going to my doctor to ask him if he’ll send me for a blood test to measure my serotonin levels. I may have too little or too much of the stuff. I may have to go on some happy pills! I should ask my gastro doc what he thinks. I wonder what he’ll say?
E-mail Linda: artist[at]lindalaforge.com
The tale of...Charlotte
I was diagnosed with IBS today. As my doctor told me: IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, and the tests we've run have ruled out everything else.
This started rather suddenly for me on the evening of March 23rd. We had celebrated Easter with my in-laws. Though stomach upset after eating my mother-in-law's cooking is not unheard of, I had diarrhea that night, and it lasted for three full days. Then I became very constipated for several more days. I had a couple of days of feeling relatively normal, then that all ended for good on April 6th.
I am an avid runner and duathlete, and I was prepping for an April 13th marathon. I was doing my last long run before the marathon. Four miles in I suddenly had intense abdominal cramping followed by an even more intense need to defecate, NOW. I wasn't far from a McDonald's at all, less than half a mile. I turned and ran for it at top speed. Unfortunately, I had to wait for traffic to cross the main road, and that was just too long. I had to stop my marathon long before the midway point and ask to be taken back to the event site, because the first porta-potties were just too far away.
I have been dealing with alternating days of diarrhea and days of painful constipation since. Also terrible bloating and sometimes scarily painful gas. Oddly, I now also suffer from heartburn and gastric reflux, which I never did before. I had to call my mom and ask her what heartburn and gastric reflux felt like.
My doctor did a range of bloodwork and stool cultures, all normal. He then referred me to a gastroenterologist who did a gastroscopy and colonoscopy (normal). Then an abdominal ultrasound, an abdominal CT scan, and, when those came out normal, a pelvic ultrasound (which showed two small ovarian cysts which require monitoring). I just got the results of the CT scan and the pelvic ultrasound today, and from these things the gastro determined IBS.
I want my normal, once very active and non-painful and non-uncomfortable life back.
E-mail Charlotte: CCRaces[at]tc3net.com
The tale of...Kelly
I've had IBS constipation since my late teens and I'm in my mid-20s now. At first it started out mild for first two years and then by the third year it was severe and it's been like that ever since. When it was mild I had no idea why I was sick and went to doc after doc. Every doc didn't know what I had and they were very rude. Then by the the third year I was finally diagnosed by a doc after going through many, many tests. After I found it was IBS, I was floored that no doc I went to had any information for IBS. They would give me a horrible look and say "just eat fiber" or "I don't know how to help you" and walk out of the room. As you can imagine I was livid.
I have been struggling for years trying to get it under control by changing my lifestyle. I have done lots of research online since no-one where I live will help me. I have tried many drugs but most of them made my symptoms worse and some only worked for a short period of time. I drink six to seven cups of herbal teas like mint, ginger, fennel, and chamomile. I also do many ab exercise involving pilates and follow the diet at helpforibs.com, except I don't eat animals or animal by-products since they make my symptoms flare up. Also I'm a huge animal lover. I have found these things to be helpful to a certain degree.
My symptoms interfere with my life a lot; I hardly go outside. It's extremely depressing. I have had to move back home since I can no longer work. I am struggling to get disability but sadly so far I have been denied which is not surprising. People really don't take IBS seriously. I haven't found anyone who really understands the impact it can have on one's life. I will continue to apply for disability until I receive it. It's unfair and sad that many people are denied it when they qualify for it.
E-mail Kelly: KSilverstone[at]gmail.com
The tale of...Anny
I have been suffering from constipation for my whole life, as long as I can remember. I remember the amount of times my mom would threaten to take me to the hospital to get an enema if I didn't go to the bathroom, particularly when she found out I hadn't been going for two or three days at a time. When I was a baby she used to have to give me Colace or a suppository in order for me to go properly.
As I got older she had to give me laxatives like Agarol and even Exlax on top of an extremely healthy diet because my bowels were lazy. I wouldn't go for four or five days at a time and I would sit on the toilet for about 25 minutes straining and stomping my feet and willing the darn thing to come out. I didn't enjoy having to take laxatives either because of the accompanying stomach cramps and eventually the stubborn thing would slide out.
Particularly the last couple of years, from my 11th grade year, I started getting sick a lot. My stomach always hurt, I always felt nauseous and I started missing a lot of school because of it. I almost got suspended because of it. My mom told the school it was a legitimate reason, that I honestly was sick.
I didn't find out until about a year and a half ago, at age 20 (I'm turning 22 this month), that I am suffering from IBS-C and a gut motility disorder. It explained a lot. The gassy, bloated, sick horrible feelings I always had. Me getting sick more often than everyone else. Spending so much time on the toilet straining. Having to use laxatives and whatnot. It all made sense. The doctor started me on fiber therapy along with a stool softener and it was working for a while.
Now the fiber is no longer working. I've tried changing my diet, cutting things out of it, I've tried eating Activia, I've tried drinking prune juice. It's becoming frustrating because it feels like I am running out of options. I feel fat, sick, bloated, gassy and horrible all the time. I'm 5' 9", 145lbs with a thin body...but a distended stomach that makes me look six months pregnant!
My husband is being very supportive despite the fact that I have been sick and cranky a lot. He tries to help me through this ordeal. He does not know the amount of trouble this disorder has caused, but he understands and sympathizes. He has tried to help me with any medications or needs I have. I feel so guilty.
My doctor does not seem to take me seriously enough. When she saw that my stomach was distended she dismissed it as 'gas'. She has me try out a variety of pills and none work. The only thing that seems to slightly work is Colace stool softeners. Even then, it's not enough to bring down my swollen stomach. Even after a BM I don't feel empty. I don't feel like I'm finished, that there's tons more in there.
I am too embarrassed to admit to my friends why I'm always 'sick'. Why I don't want to go out a lot. I've been going through this for a good amount of time, and I honestly sympathize with anyone who suffers from this awful disorder. I want my life, and my health back!
E-mail Anny: aeberry86[at]yahoo.ca
The tale of...Rebecca
I have been suffering for 10 months now. For the first four months it was nothing more than a small nuisance and a little discomfort, but then it got a lot worse. I have been off work for six months now, and some days I don't even go out of the house because I am in so much pain and feel so unwell.
I used to consider myself quite a healthy, active, professional, well-educated woman, but now I feel like a complete drain on society. I am no longer able to earn money to support myself, I've become an emotional and financial drain on my partner and my family, and I don't know that I can live like this much longer.
And the worst of it all? I'm convinced I don't have IBS! Any IBS sufferer will know that if you pass blood when you open your bowels, or have drastic weight loss when you still eat the same amount, then there is something else causing all your pain and discomfort. I've had test after test after test, I've had hospital consultants tell me to leave their office in tears, and unbelievable pain...it's even got so bad I was admitted to hospital and put on morphine.
In a way I guess I'm lucky, because I have private healthcare, otherwise I would have been waiting at least this long just to see a consultant who would actually carry out some tests...
So, after six months of tests, embarrassment, humiliation, and no end of medication, I'm at a complete loss. Am I the only one out here who has thought "If I have to live the rest of my life like this, is my life worth living?". Having read a lot of the stories on this website, I know I am not alone in feeling this low and depressed, but no medication seems to work, no lifestyle change has helped, and I'm left feeling useless and a complete drain on everyone I know. I had no idea being ill with a 'syndrome' rather than a disease could be so depressing and difficult.
I am supposed to be bridesmaid at my little sister's wedding in 10 days, and at the moment, I can't even walk to the postbox down the road without wanting to give up and collapse. I feel like I've let everyone down, and I can't figure out a way to bring the 'old Rebecca' out. IBS has taken my life away and left me a complete shell of the person I once was. I'm terrified my partner will leave me, because when you're in this much pain, there is no way sex is even on the agenda. I know I can't be the only one feeling this bad, but I have no-one to talk to who can see it from my point of view.
The tale of...LJ
I have had IBS for over 10 years now and it gets me down so much. If I go to the toilet I am in pain, if I don't go to the toilet I am in pain. When I have had a meal I have my hot bottle ready because I know my stomach is going to hurt. I don't know how long I can deal with this. I have had depression before because of IBS and I never want to go through it again. I am in pain near enough every day. Is there anyone out there who is going through the same thing as me? I can't even work!
E-mail LJ: ljtiggs[at]hotmail.co.uk
The tale of...Katie
A year and a half ago I was told that I had IBS after I had made several trips to the ER. I was spending most of my time on the couch eating very little, going nowhere, and becoming depressed. Constipation would last for almost a week, and even then I had lots of very painful cramping.
My family doctor finally figured out that I had IBS. He said that I was the youngest person that he knows of to have IBS. I was 27. He put me on the medication Zelnorm. By the next day I felt like a brand new person. I was asking my mom to go shopping with me. My mom had not seen this person in almost a year. But as you know, six months after being put on the medication, I found out that it was being taken off the shelf.
So after many trips to the doctor to find a new medication (many of which did not work or made me feel sick) now I'm taking the over-the-counter medicine Miralax. I'm still not the some person that I was when I was when I was on Zelnorm. Why is it that when a medication is helping so many people that someone has to find a reason to crush their dreams of having somewhat of a normal life? Constipation and abdominal cramping sucks. Thanks for giving me this moment to speak out and voice my frustration with trying to find a medication to work since we can no longer get Zelnorm.
E-mail Katie: rodeogirl972001[at]yahoo.com
The tale of...Roxie
I am 20 and I hate doctors. Two years ago I had every respect for the medical profession, doubts about its validity had never crossed my mind as doctors had never really let me down before. If I'd had a complaint such as cystitis or a cough, I would see my GP, he would prescribe something that would clear it up and I would happily be on my way. Then I developed IBS.
It all started two years ago one winter when I picked up every tummy bug going, so that I was ill on a practically fortnightly basis. But even after these appeared to clear up my bowels did not get back to normal, and I started experiencing awful stomach cramps. I went to my GP who diagnosed me with IBS and prescribed Buscopan, mebeverine, peppermint oil and mefenamic acid. The Buscopan and mebeverine were useless so I turned to the mefenamic acid, which my doctor had told to me to treat just like an ordinary painkiller such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. So I took two, it worked, I went to bed. Success!
However the next morning I woke up to a red and angry rash that covered my body from the neck down, and a nasty burning sensation in my stomach. My GP kindly informed me that I had had an allergic reaction, and that the medication had given me an ulcer. He then put me on a whole new round of drugs which I would have to take for three months to clear up the ulcer, neatly forgetting that one of the side effects of this new medication was that it left your bowels more sensitive to any form of bacteria.
A month later I came down with giardia, which for those of you who haven't experienced this wonderful illness is a tummy bug that lasts for six weeks. After six weeks of hell my bowels had completely given up and I finally ended up in the hospital, where I had all manner of tests: an MRI, a colonoscopy, a gatroscopy and most enjoyable of all an internal ultrasound. Nothing.
I went back home to sit on the sofa with a hot water bottle permanently glued to my abdomen. I still have the burn marks to prove it. I waited in hope because I had been put on the waiting list to see a gastroenterologist. I believed that this man would be my saviour and tell me why I was in so much pain all the time. However, after listening to my story he explained to me that the reason my stomach hurt was because I was thinking about it too much. That if I just relaxed, ate some more fiber, and spent no longer than 10 minutes on the loo a day I would be fine.
Firstly I eat a lot of fibre, my diet is practically all fibre. Second did this moron think that I gladly wanted to waste two or three hours of my time a day locked in the toilet?! I would have much rather stabbed my leg repeatedly with a fork for that period of time than sit in agony on the loo. I am known for my stiff upper lip, and my ability to remain calm and stoical in the worst of situations, but I have to admit when I left his office I just sat in the middle of the pavement and cried and cried.
Fast forward a year and a half and not a lot has changed. I am still at war with my intestines, and I get through the day only thanks to a cocktail of different painkillers. I have tried every alternative remedy under the sun: supplements, acupuncture, hypnotherapy. Nothing has worked. Thanks to this 'syndrome' I had to change university so I could live with my parents. I have lost a boyfriend who couldn't cope with a girl who refused to be forcibly removed from the sofa. And most importantly I have lost my joie-de-vivre.
This is all compounded by the fact that nobody seems to think that I am really ill, that because the doctors can't find anything I'm either making it up or it's all in my head. Even my own mother keeps telling me that if I just relax it will go away. But she doesn't seem to understand that when it feels like there is a man with a machete trapped in your abdomen, it is very difficult to just relax! My only hope is that one day it will get better, unfortunately there is nothing else left for me to do.
E-mail Roxie: en701rd[at]gold.ac.uk
The tale of...Marilyn
From reading over the sad and happy tales, I might have suffered longer than any other person who has submitted their story. When I was a child back in the 1950's I had a constipation problem off and on, so my mom would give me an enema, and to this day I hate enemas. By the time I was 12 and into my teens and early 20’s, the constipation problems had subsided. In my mid-20’s I started experiencing constipation off and on which would cause bouts of pain and numerous trips to the toilet to no avail. When I used laxatives they would finally work, but with great pain.
By my late 20’s I was not having much of a problem with constipation, until the fall of 1977 when I was 29 years old. My youngest son was 13 months old and my oldest son was 10. One weekday morning my stomach starting hurting, and I must have made at least 10 trips to the toilet, each time not accomplishing anything. By noon the pain was gone and so was my morning.
A few days went by and I didn’t have pain and my bowels moved daily, which once or twice a day was normal for me. Then one morning I had a repeat of the first morning, only the pain was worse and also I began to sweat, got clammy, started breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating, heart beating fast. I didn’t understand what was going on.
After numerous trips to the toilet my bowels painfully moved and I felt better. After that, about three to four mornings a week I would go through this painful process. I got to where I would pace around the house from room to room almost in a panic, and then running to the toilet. Sometimes my bowels would move and sometimes not. This all would last for one or two hours and afterwards I was be so exhausted.
Over time it began to get worse, to the point that sometimes I would call my husband, who worked not too far from our house, and he would come home to spend a bit of time with me. The poor guy, he didn’t know what to do other than to hug me and tell me to lie down, which would only make me feel worse. I didn’t know what to call what I was experiencing so I started calling it 'my sick spell'.
After a month or so, I mentioned my problem to my mom; she said I probably was having colon problems. Colon? I had to even ask her where my colon was. So I went to my doctor. He scheduled me for a barium test, which meant an enema. I was even more sick with the thought of having to undergo an enema (childhood fear) and the embarrassment of me baring my rear end to them.
The diagnosis was spastic colon. I was told to be careful what I ate, though I was not really given much insight as to what not to eat other than if I ate something that bothered my stomach - don’t eat it, gee thanks, and to drink more liquids and also take Metamucil. The first dosage of Metamucil felt like it just about tore my colon up! No more of that crap. I tried watching what I ate, but I loved to cook and eat.
After a few more months I hadn’t gotten better so I went to another doctor. He ran the same blasted test and diagnosed me with colitis. This doctor put me on Librax and also Gaviscon. He told me the Librax was a muscle relaxant and the Gaviscon was for acid problems. I had developed huge gas bubbles in my stomach which would cause me to belch hard and loud.
My sick spells seemed to hit me in the mornings, but could happen anytime, especially when I was out shopping and such. I got to where every place I shopped I knew where the restrooms were and the fastest way to get there. More times than not I would rush out of the store and drive like a maniac to use my bathroom at home.
I have to say it took probably three or four months before I noticed the Librax helping me. The Gaviscon seemed to help fairly quickly. As for food, I entered a paranoid world, worried about eating and analyzing everything I ate. After trial and error, my diet was made up of white bread, white rice, potatoes, scrambled eggs, bran flakes, basically anything white and plain. I ate nothing fried or deep fried, chocolate, ethnic foods, spicy foods, any tomato type sauces, whole wheat, nuts, popcorn, high fiber vegetables and fruits and no citrus foods.
One year after the onset of my colon problems I had lost 30lbs, going from 128lbs to 92lbs. Family and friends that hadn’t seen me for a while thought I had become anorexic. I monitored every thing I put in my mouth and fretted and worried the whole time. I know I drove my husband nuts about it all, but he was rather patient with me. The only comment he made that rather irritated me was that he said the reason I was having problems was because I was worrying so much about what I ate. Perhaps he was somewhat right, but it still irritated me.
During all this the only people who knew about my problem were my husband, my mom and dad and of course my doctors. I never mentioned to my doctors about my sweating, clammy skin, rapid breathing or fast heart beat. I felt they would think I was crazy as I even thought I was perhaps going crazy.
I went back to work as a legal secretary. Unfortunately I would miss work quite often or at least go in late. Finally after a year of being employed I was dismissed from my job due to so many absences. I felt like a failure, but was able to obtain another job, where I again missed work often and that job ended. At this point, we moved out of state and I tried staying home and I began to feel better, didn’t have the sick spells as much. I continued taking my medications and watching what I ate. I did gain a few pounds back to where I didn’t look anorexic.
Eventually I was able to eat some of the former forbidden foods in very small amounts every so often. After that we moved back where we had lived previously and I did very well for about 10 years, though I did for a month in 1982 have a few sick spells, but otherwise things went well.
In 1990 I was scheduled to start back to work at a childcare center I had been working at and had been off for the summer. I began to have painful cramps on the right side of my stomach. With my prior problems, the pain had always been on the left side of my stomach. These right side pains started being my sick spells again.
I went to a doctor and was ran through various tests for gallbladder, etc. Finally, to my chagrin they ran a barium enema test. You would think the medical establishment could have found a less evasive way to run this embarrassing test. I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. I was mad because now I thought that I not only had a spastic colon but also had IBS! The doctor put me on Bentyl and said to perhaps stay away from carbonated drinks and ice cold drinks. The Bentyl seemed to help fine and I did start eating more, though carefully avoiding nuts and such. After that things went fine.
Then in 1995 I started a new job with a law firm. My third month working, I went to work one morning feeling fine. I had a fat-free chocolate muffin for breakfast and coffee. At about 10.00am I started feeling panicky, sweating, etc along with stomach pain…basically my sick spell. I went to the restroom several times but did not have bowel movements.
I paced the restroom, which had a window looking out at the tall buildings downtown (I was on the 26th floor). At one point I stood looking out the window and briefly it went through my mind what it would feel like to jump out the window. Of course, there is no way I would do that, I’m scared of heights, but I was so upset. I felt like just grabbing my purse and running away, but to where? You can’t run from what I was feeling.
I did finally leave work telling the office manager that I was feeling sick. I spent the next two days home, still not feeling well. I started back on Bentyl. Finally, for fear that I would lose this job, I went back to work and did OK for a few months.
Later in 1995, I came across a book by Lucinda Bassett talking about something called panic attacks and anxiety attacks. I bought the book and read it. I began to think that part of my sick spells were maybe panic attacks.
In the summer of 1996 my sick spells began to start again. They were offering panic and anxiety tests at the Women’s Resonance Center where I live, and I took the test by filling out a long questionnaire. After the therapist went over my test she sat me down and began to explain what had maybe been going on with me. She referred to it as fright and flight. She used the example of a person being in the woods and coming across a bear. If that happened it would be natural to panic and run to get away. What I had been experiencing was the same thing - panic attacks.
It was such a relief that I started crying, as it was a relief that my sick spells had a name for them. She then told me about a 12-week course they were going to be offering and asked if I was interested in signing up. At that time I was unemployed, so didn’t sign up for it, but I did later, and it was the best $250 I have ever spent. I learned so much about panic attacks, we were taught some meditation and other relaxing techniques. After that I still had the IBS and panic attacks every so often but I got where I could control them.
By 1997 I was doing better but was still depressed a lot. Over the next 10 years I really didn’t have any of my sick spells AKA panic attacks/IBS attacks, and if I happen to have one, I was able to relax, deep breath, visualize and get over it quickly.
Now here it is spring 2008, and I hadn’t really been having diarrhea problems for a couple of months. Recently though I went to work one morning, and at about 9am I started having mild stomach pains, went to the restroom, and had diarrhea off and on for an hour or so. I got to feeling worse and finally gave up and told them I had to go home as I was sick.
I spent two days at home. I went back to work and felt fine for a few days and then started having problems again, I stayed at work grinning and bearing it. That evening I begin more in-depth research on IBS and came across Heather Van Vorous' website. I immediately reversed my eating going back to the soluble diet I had done 30 years ago. I bought some peppermint oil capsules, flaxseed oil, calcium/magnesium, etc.
Last Thursday I was at work and mid-morning I started having diarrhea again, stomach pain and began to felt like I was going to start a panic attack. I was able to do some slow deep breathing and got myself calmed down. I made it to lunchtime and went home deciding to stay home. I called in sick…again. I had planned on going in on Friday, but I still felt sick and was so afraid that I would get to work and have diarrhea again, so I missed work on Friday.
I did research on Librax and Bentyl and other medications plus reading IBS Tales. I called my doctor and told her what was going on and asked for Librax and surprisingly she didn’t have me come into the office but prescribed Librax. I picked it up on Friday evening and immediately took one dose and then another at bedtime. I took one on Saturday morning I felt like I was in a daze. I was hoping to get as much Librax into my system as quickly as possible over the weekend so I would feel better by Monday for work. After that I decided to go with 2 a day so I wouldn’t be so drowsy. When I took Librax in the 1970’s and 1980’s, I don’t remember it making me drowsy.
This morning I woke up, felt some nausea, and had some diarrhea, nothing too bad though. I got ready for work, all ready to go, sat on the edge of my bed and my thoughts went through my mind that I just can’t face this. This fretting and worrying while at work about whether I’ll have the pain, diarrhea and even panic attack. So I did the wimpy thing and called in to the employment agency to let them know that I wouldn’t be in to work and that I couldn’t complete the assignment due to my illness. I even told them that I have IBS. I think as one gets older, you have less pride.
So now I have no job, no money and at this point no job prospects. I am separated from my husband, though he helps with my rent. I’ve been going through this “my sick spell”, spastic colon, colitis, IBS off and on for 30 years! The worries, wondering when my sick spells would hit me. Changing my life for the benefit of my sick spells. Planning my life where I could stay home in the mornings just in case due to having constipation problems and now diarrhea. I’ve lost numerous jobs and happiness due to this insidious disease!
Looking back I can see where the doctors were as clueless as I was. From the medical establishment I got the message that my problems were more psychological than intestinal. Now I know that it was/is intestinal, which makes sense. I always wondered what came first the panic attacks or IBS for me. Now I know the IBS brought on my panic attacks. After years of suffering from constipation and then going for a number of years with normal bowel movements and now diarrhea, I can’t figure out why this is happening to me again.
Anyway, it has been a long 30 years, going from 29 years old to almost 60 years old with IBS. I read almost all the stories others have contributed to this website and I feel for every one of you. Especially for the people who were diagnosed with IBS as a child. As for me, I’m a persistent person and I no doubt will work hard at getting my diet and medication correct to get a handle on my IBS so I can live a happy life. Perhaps for me the best is yet to come.
E-mail Marilyn: Marsonda[at]aol.com
The tale of...Jody
I have suffered with IBS-C for about 10 years now. It started when I was around 20 and I went years with no diagnosis or medication. Finally a few years ago I was prescribed Zelnorm. It changed my life. Before Zelnorm I would miss days from work because of stomach issues. I would not go on an overnight trip with friends or boyfriends because of the fear.
Last month I called to refill my Zelnorm and I was advised it had been pulled from the US market. I had two pills left and instantly felt depressed. I go two or three days with no bowel movement without Zelnorm. I get headaches and my back starts to hurt, and I am sure I am not pleasant to be around. Then when I finally do go on my own, it is so painful and urgent. I have hot flashes and chills and spend hours in the bathroom in severe pain.
I called my doctor as soon as I learned of the Zelnorm recall. He gave me samples of Amitiza, I tried it for a week and the side effects are horrible. I have severe throat pains and feel like I can't take a deep breath. It gives me headaches and a weird flu-like feeling in my face and head. Not to mention it doesn't work for constipation. I have quit taking it and thrown out the samples.
The last month or so of not having Zelnorm has been miserable. I missed my first day of work in years last week, and I cancelled a family event today because my stomach felt so bloated I was scared to eat at anyone's house and have to run to the bathroom only to sit in there for hours with no relief. The Amitiza makes me even more bloated and gassy but gives no relief.
I have an appointment next month (first available) with the GI doctor and am praying that I can continue to get Zelnorm. If anyone has had success in getting Zelnorm please let me know. I really don't want to have to order it illegally online.
E-mail Jody: jodylynnb[at]hotmail.com
The tale of...Kate
Hi, my name's Kate and I'm 20 years old. As I write this I'm currently in bed feeling terrible due to my IBS. I've only recently been medically diagnosed with having IBS, but my symptoms have been happening on and off for five years now.
My first attack of excruciating stomach pains happened in secondary school. I had just finished my PE lesson on a particularly hot day and needed the toilet. After I had been to the toilet I sat down to have lunch with a group of friends and all of a sudden had the worst stomach pains imaginable. The school nurse thought that it was due to dehydration and made me drink plenty of water. I now believe that it was actually the start of IBS.
Since being at college and university I've now lost count of the amount of times that a relative has had to be phoned in order to come and pick me up early from one of my placements that I've been on, due to me being bent double with spasms/gas due to my IBS. I haven't had regular bowel movements for as long as I can remember and would often go three or more days without doing anything, and then when suddenly I would feel the urge to go, I would be at least half an hour straining to do anything. Eventually when I did manage to go I'd feel that I hadn't quite finished.
I constantly feel tired and that I have no energy. I often get unexplained aches or pains or am suffering from some kind of sore throat or fever. Several times I've woken up in the morning, gone to get out of bed and actually couldn't because I've had severe back pains, so I've had to just sit on the edge of the bed until they wore off.
Recently my IBS has got worse. In the last few months I've been admitted twice into hospital by ambulance due to severe abdominal pains. The most recent admission into hospital, I was actually at work when I began feeling unwell, so I took myself off to the toilet as I thought that I was going to be sick, due to severe stomach pains and nausea. That's the last thing I remember, until I found two paramedics leaning over me and giving me oxygen etc. I was told that I had passed out due to the intense pain that I was in.
I've had so many different blood tests to rule out other illnesses/diseases over the past few months, that I'm getting sick and tired of it all. I often feel depressed, I've tried self-harming before, and I often get suicidal thoughts, though I do not believe I'd actually have the courage to carry out any of them.
IBS seems to have taken over my life at the moment and myself and my family are constantly worrying about me. I get really concerned when I am driving anywhere late at night on my own, as I don't know when it will happen or what triggers it, and a few times I have developed excruciating stomach pains all of a sudden whilst driving. I'd hate to pass out at the wheel of my car or be to blame for causing a serious accident.
I sympathise and empathise with anyone young or older who suffers from IBS, and if anyone would like to ask anything or just chat to someone who understands what they are going through, then don't hesitate to get in contact with me. Apologies if I've rambled on!
E-mail Kate: purplehaven_2005[at]hotmail.co.uk
The tale of...Laura
I'm 21 and I have been suffering with IBS for nearly five years now, and I just feel like my experiences of it have gotten worse. I remember the first time I was told I had it, I cried my eyes out because my mother has it and I could see what she was going through.
I mainly find that the constipation and bloating causes me the most problems. I recently saw a stomach specialist and he did absolutely nothing, just told me what I already know and put me back on medication I previously stopped taking because it doesn't work. Due to that I've been in a lot worse pain recently and just about managed to get my doctor to give me my old constipation relief back (Movicol).
I've never felt so alone - my doctors are horrible, they never listen to me and make rude comments. I just wish I knew where to turn or who to ask for help. My doctors have been making wrong diagnoses for months and have been giving me all sorts of prescriptions, everything from stomach ulcer treatment, blood pressure tablets and others. I can honestly say in the past six months I have spent well over £100 on prescriptions that I've thrown away because the doctors just give me crap.
I tell you what if you live in Northampton and have IBS do not go to Abington Park surgery, they couldn't care less and will just brush you off with rubbish information and bags upon bags of tablets. If I had kept every pack of tablets they've given me recently I could probably open my own pharmacy now, it's true! I only wish there were local support groups, ones that have doctors attend who have IBS too so they can be more understanding.
I also have my job to worry about too. I'm getting into trouble at work as my boss thinks I'm making it up and won't believe me that my doctors' lack of support is partly to blame. On another note I don't know how many of you have tried it but the combined mebeverine and fybogel is the most vile drink ever. I'd rather be on Fear Factor and eat a cockroach than drink that stuff.
E-mail Laura: loopylu4stu[at]hotmail.com
The tale of...Michelle
I was finally told I have IBS two years ago by a gastro doctor. I knew before I went through a long list of procedures, from two upper GI tract evaluations to lower GI tract evaluations that I had IBS with constipation. I've had it all my life.
I'm 34 and now I'm dealing with depression, weight gain, and no pain meds to make the horrible cramping/pain go away. Zelnorm was taken off the shelf and now my eight-year-old daughter has it too. I do not want her to go through the same pain I went through. If anyone knows how/what to give children to help with the pain and constipation please let me know. I've taken her to the doctor and they gave her a powder that gets mixed with drinks, but it doesn't seem to help much.
I'm in the military and luckily I've made it to 15 years, but with the weight gain and stomach pain, I'm losing a battle to make 20 years of service so that I may retire. I'm frustrated with the military doctors and the excuses they give me (don't eat this/that, exercise, drink lots of water, eat lots of fiber), it gets old. They gave me a lifetime supply of Colace for a solution!
I've taken the best measures I know of and decided to have a tummy tuck to help with the weight...maybe it will help me. I don't know how I'm going to help my daughter and seeing her cry every week because her belly aches is killing me. I wish we had more doctors paying attention to how much we suffer.
I've spent many nights with a heating pad on my stomach curled up in a ball, not able to walk or sit up straight. My husband gets upset when I'm that way and hates that I have to be in so much pain...I wish all of you guys luck and hope we get relief soon. Thanks for listening.
E-mail Michelle: patrece.fernau[at]littlerock.af.mil
The tale of...Renee
Well, the last 17 months have been hell. All the health professionals think I'm mad. My GP told me to pull myself together! I am a single mum of two children, who have watched helplessly as I crawl out of bed clutching my stomach, vomiting uncontrollably. The endless array of symptoms: constipation, vomiting, pains in both legs, severe lower back pain, continuous stomach cramps. The list goes on.
I have gone to accident and emergency on countless occasions - once in an ambulance! It began when I miscarried. After that all my symptoms followed my period - guess what they investigated me for - endometriosis. The GP decided I had gynae problems, even though on one of my visits to A&E the consultant said I had IBS! Then a pelvic scan, all OK. Then a sig flex, nothing again.
While this all went on everything in my life was going wrong, falling apart. My life was based on going to the doctors and begging them to see I had a severe illness! I am on the verge of losing my job which I love. My employers cannot tolerate my poor attendance due to my IBS. My eldest daughter is on anti-depressants and my youngest is now a mini me!
Finally yesterday I had a colonoscopy. I prayed the night before that they would say "Hey, you have Crohn's or bowel cancer". Anything other than IBS - sad but my life is a mess because of this illness in all senses. I'm lucky that I have a wonderful partner (who I don't live with). He has supported me throughout, he found this site. It is frustrating - no, it's heartbreaking. I would love to tell you more, I have more to say.
E-mail Renee: ren[at]reneekeen.plus.com
The tale of...Pamela
IBS is totally ruining my life. I'm 43, and I have so many days I wanna just lay down and die I am so miserable. I was in the hospital six times in three months on IV pain medications, had every test imaginable done, and they never said what I had. A doctor I had years ago told me I had IBS so that's what I am going by.
I suffer just like everyone on this site. I get to where I can't go to the bathroom, or if I do it's runny. I also get vomiting, and gas build up so bad I feel like I'm dying. Sometimes I feel like I don't know what I'm doing because I'm in so much pain. I get to where I can't eat or sleep, and if I do sleep I usually end up waking up sick or in pain. My energy is no good either.
I understand the not wanting to go out in public because of the embarrassment, that's why I only leave my apartment when it is necessary, which is maybe two times a month. I have a boyfriend who does not understand what's happening to me anymore than I really do, but I'm so affraid this is gonna come between us some day that's how bad it is. I get to where I don't wanna be sexual with him cause I'm in pain so much that I can't think about anything else.
I have tried to do things to keep my mind off the IBS but it doesn't work. I am nauseous most of the time, and I can't eat many foods without getting sick. I don't even enjoy being around people, as a matter of fact I have a few people I'll talk to on the phone but I don't have any friends I can go out and do things with (not that I would). Please get back to me so I have someone to chat with. Some days I think I would be better off dead.
E-mail Pamela: angelblossom1963[at]yahoo.com
The tale of...Emma
I am 26 years old and I have had IBS since I was 17. I have a five year-old son who is very healthy. Last year I was rushed into hospital with abdominal pain. I told them I had IBS and they kept me in for two weeks on different medications. I was on morphine straight into my veins for just under two weeks, it was the only thing that would stop the pain.
I came out of hospital with all the tablets - paracetamol, diclofenac, mebeverine, peppermint oil, hyoscine butylbromide and also oramorph. It's now six months later and yes I am really bad again. When in hospital they cut me open and looked for...well I don't know what they did, they did not even put me under a bowel specialist (because there isn't one).
I work full-time, I look after my son, my partner and the house, but I'm bad now and cannot even look after myself. I feel that this IBS is going to ruin my life. I don't know which way to turn. Can I keep my job? I don't know, the pain is so bad and the doctors tell me to take my tablets, but they make me feel different and not in control which is what I like.
E-mail Emma: emafowler[at]hotmail.com
The tale of...Marion
The biggest problem I have is trying to describe my symptoms to a medical professional. Even during each episode I try to find words that describe what discomfort I'm experiencing. It's not cramps, per se, not pain, just a discomfort which I find hard to describe. Some nausea, movements in the abdomen (but not spasms) sometimes in the upper abdomen, then the middle abdomen, then the lower or sometimes lower-left abdomen, all occurring while in bed in the morning.
They last from 15 to 30 minutes, then a period of rest followed by another episode in a different part of the abdomen. All lasting from about 8am to l2pm or 1pm. The rest of the day is usually pretty good, especially from midnight to 8am when it starts all over again. Has anyone ever experienced these "symptoms" and has had difficulty describing them so that they can get help, and can you help me?
E-mail Marion: marionadans7[at]hotmail.com
The tale of...Lela
I would like to share with you how my IBS is manifested. I start getting tugging in the abdomen, mainly on the right-hand side. It gets stronger later on and I also get a squeezing in the colon. Because of it I start getting constipation and at the same time get a bad low backache. The pain is so severe that I can't walk properly.
I can hardly do anything during those days. If I take Meteospasmyl, after a few days the intestine relaxes and the backache and the constipation go away. I talked to my doctor about it and he says that it is possible to get low backache as a result of IBS but it's rare. My orthopedic surgeon said there was nothing wrong on my low back x-ray.
I am curious if there are other people who have the same symptoms and I would like to hear what works for them. I also suffer from Proctalgia Fugax. I would love to receive some feedback from fellow sufferers.
E-mail Lela: lelveri[at]gmail.com
The tale of...Brenda
I hope I can find someone who can relate to my story. I am a 42 year-old female who has been battling 10 years with IBS-C. I have tried increasing water intake, fiber, Zelnorm, Amitiza, laxatives by the handful and enemas. I am constantly feeling bloated, over full, and irritable. Currently I am only able to consume clear foods such as Jello, flavored water, and broth. I constantly feel weak and sleepy from taking in such small amounts of calories.
Last week I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy. The problem could not be diagnosed as I was not cleaned out, even after taking a bottle of Miralax and the gallon of Golyte. I have no idea how old the images of food were that were seen in my tests (I have the pictures too). The week before my procedures I ate only Jello and broth, no solid foods. If anyone out there has any holistic or homeopathic remedies that may work I would love to hear from them.
E-mail Brenda: Brenda.Rorick[at]oldcastleprecast.com
The tale of...W
I've suffered with IBS since I was about 17 or 18. To start with it was an even mix of constipation and diarrhea. I was usually constipated, but once it got going it wouldn't stop! I kept quiet about it for years, suffering silently, until four years on my mother forced me to go to the doctor. He shouted at me, told me to eat more roughage and drink plenty of water.
I tried to explain that nobody could eat more roughage or drink more water than I already did, but he refused to listen and prescribed Normacol and Fybogel. Both of these made me worse, so he then prescribed laxatives (senna). He told me to take these for over a month. I did so thinking the doctor knew best, but of course these made me worse than I had ever been. I now strongly believe his suggestions have made me more ill in the long term.
Eventually I was referred for various tests (endoscopies, ultrasounds etc) eventually being diagnosed with IBS, given Buscopan and more Fybogel despite these not working before. I feel that IBS has ruined my life. Reading Sophie's story was like reading about myself. I identified with everything! I feel I would have done better at university if I actually attended lectures, instead I spent most of my time sat on the toilet.
Six years on, I am unable to work full-time and therefore I am unable to earn enough money to save, buy a house, pay rent, and pay bills. I barely earn enough to pay for my special dietary foods, supplements and treatments. I'm lucky that I have parents who allow me to live with them rent-free, but I do not know how long this can go on because they are getting sick of me and they do not understand at all the seriousness of this or the pain I am in. They constantly complain about my excessive toilet paper consumption but refuse to believe that I cannot go unless I wipe first with a warm wet wad of toilet paper, and when I do go it's a stop-start process that makes a lot of mess and therefore requires a lot of toilet paper!
Another thing this is affecting is my relationship with my boyfriend. We have been together for just over a year, and at first I thought he'd understand my problems because he had serious digestive problems when he was about 14 which then disappeared after a year or so. But he does not, and if we go away I worry about my toilet problems. I need to sit on the toilet for about 45 minutes to be comfortable for the rest of the day, but I feel too embarrassed to do this when he's around.
On occasions when he has visited I have been so constipated and in so much pain that we cannot go out or do anything. I cannot go for weekends away with him because I am afraid to upset my routine. I have missed out on a lot; holidays, days out, a career!
The thing that has been most helpful was changing my diet, taking valerian supplements and large doses of fennel. I cut out dairy, wheat, sugar, yeast, caffeine, potatoes, white grapes, green and red peppers, fried foods and alcohol to mention a few. I managed this for about six months but it was impossible to live like this, and although my symptoms were greatly alleviated I was still constipated and had to get up almost four hours before I had to leave the house to fit in my routine. That meant a 5am wake for a job that started at 9am, and even then I would only just make it.
I would then have to rush home before 6pm to eat my dinner - if I ate it any later than this then I'd have to add another hour onto my morning routine. I had no social life and was very depressed. I still am, although now I have a bit more of a social life because I work evenings only, so I can go out to eat with friends and then spend the rest of the day on the toilet before work.
I envy people who can go out, eat pizza, and then go to work the next morning. I envy people who can go on long-haul flights to far-away places I would love to visit. I recently missed my only brother's wedding because it was in Pakistan and I am based in England.
I wish there was a simple tablet or even surgery that could fix this, I am sick of living like this. I want to freely eat pizza, pasta or even just drink something other than warm water without complications. Venting my thoughts on here has been very therapeutic and reading Sophie's story actually made me laugh instead of wanting to scream like other sites, books and people's comments have.