women conquering constipation - page one
The tale of...Jade
I suffer from nervous tummy IBS, and reading through the stories on this site, I am extremely relieved that I have the lightest symptoms of this awful condition. Almost 15 years ago I started to become aware of feeling extremely nervous when amongst company I didn't know and felt that I could not stay in a waiting room with strangers, or shuddered at the thought of sitting through meetings and courses where the surroundings were quiet. My stomach would bloat and then make the most horrendous gurgling sounds over and over again, which I used to blame on hunger - it was most embarrassing.
The more I'd think about my stomach, the more nervous I became and I spiralled into a shy and introvert person. I would not eat breakfast in hotels, or partake in business lunches, I would make excuses to leave meetings (forgotten paperwork, or needed to get information from someone).
I started to recluse from situations where I thought I may embarrass myself, and in a couple of cases where I was 'laughed' at, took it extremely personally and made a joke of it at the time, but made a mental note not to put myself into that position again.
Because of the nature of my job I declined from essential meetings, I would ask others to take my place, or make my apologies and leave - I had to do something about it, it was making me feel extremely depressed.
Roughly two years ago I was moved from my own office into an open plan team office and my condition worsened - I knew I had to talk to someone. I'd start work and constantly watch the clock, make excuses to visit another office or the factory - my work was starting to suffer, so I picked up the phone and made an appointment to see my doctor.
I was a nervous wreck in the waiting room and fidgeted constantly. When he called me in I didn't know where to start, but he seemed to ask all the right questions and listened sympathetically. He diagnosed IBS straight away and prescribed Mebeverine to take 30 minutes before eating, meetings, or similar situations.
It took a few occasions for me to trust them. I didn't want to take them too early in case they wore off, but soon realised that it wasn't the right thing to do. They need 30 minutes to take effect, and whether it was me relaxing or the tablets becoming effective, I instantly felt more confident in myself.
I keep them with me at all times packed into a small dispenser in my pocket, just in case I'm faced with a spur of the moment situation. I don't have to make excuses any more and they haven't let me down - I'm so relieved! Even though I'm still of a shy disposition I am confident that I can face any situation, and for the first time, enjoy it.
The tale of...Melissa
I have suffered from IBS for many years. I was a bulimic for over 13 years, had anxiety (still do at times) and when I get very stressed, my stomach flares up immediately. I have been to the gastroenterologist and have had MANY tests done. They gave me different things, which most caused a lot of flatulence. I do not go on a regular basis and have the IBS of constipation where some have the opposite.
I have found that if I take cascara sagrada this helps me tremendously. I do not go without taking anything and then my system gets backed up and makes me ill from the blockage. When I take the cascara sagrada, it help me go in a day or two and I do not have the cramps and bloating from taking regular laxatives, such as Correctol or Exlax. (Please bear in mind that cascara is a strong stimulant laxative and should not be used long-term).
The tale of...Renee
My stomach/cramping condition had been diagnosed as "possibly" IBS - extreme pain/cramping/constipation, followed by the big "D". It was the worst pain I'd ever endured. Then, a couple years ago, I met a woman, my age (at the time, 34) who'd suffered the same, identical stomach pain as I had. She'd gone through all of the same tests (colonoscopy, endoscopy) and experimented with the same drugs her gastroenterologist had given her.
By some chance, she figured out, over the course of several doctor visits, that she "probably" had endometriosis. They performed a laparoscopy (the only way to diagnosis endometriosis) and her symptoms disappeared. Of course, endometriosis can return (ie: grow back...and as it does, can grow on your surrounding organs...gallbladder, ovaries and yes, your colon!), so this is not a lifetime cure for endometriosis....you may have to repeat the procedure every few years, or other treatments as prescribed by gynaecologists.
SO...I also had a laparoscopy and guess what? No IBS symptoms for two years! I could live my life without having to think about when I was "going to go" and revolve my work schedule around all of this pain! Of course, long before ever undergoing this procedure I had been talking to my gynaecologist (and got a second opinion from another gynaecologist) about all of my symptoms.
I had been tracking my symptoms (type/kind/duration) on my day minder. It seemed to me that a lot of my symptoms/pain was just before and the week or so after my period. It's important to keep records of when the pain occurs. The only way a doctor can confirm endometriosis is via laparoscopy (they look at your internal organs by going through your belly-button via a small scope.
Since my laparoscopy, over two years ago, my symptoms have slowly started to return...not in full force, certainly, but it is coming back. So, I will be undergoing another laparoscopy soon. Although it's not an easy procedure, it is one that works for my symptoms.
I don't know if any of you have ever had this type of experience, but I just wanted to get the word out there, because I feel that I had been mis-diagnosed and had been on IBS drugs for years before finding out what was going on with my system! In fact, my gynaecologist had said that many women come into his office thinking that they have IBS, when in fact, they suffer from endometriosis. Don't know...just know what worked for me! Good luck to everyone out there...I felt your pain!