women suffering diarrhea - page nineteen
The tale of...Karen
Searching the internet for some help for my mother, Megan, I was amazed to come across this site and everyone's stories. My mother is 75 and has suffered from IBS for a few years along with severe osteoporosis. She spends most of each morning in the bathroom having diarrhea and her hemorrhoids make things even worse. She vomits often and always has indigestion liquid by her side.
She is in constant pain from the two main problems she has and is always miserable and depressed. Her doctor just gives her a variety of tablets, none of which make her feel better. I do not understand why he is not sending her to a pain clinic for the bone problem and a specialist or nutritionist for the IBS, nor why he is not testing her for food allergies. This has made my mother old before her time and we both long for the day when we can just go out shopping together again.
I hope that I will be able to post a 'happy' tale one day but at the moment I cannot imagine it.
The tale of...AJ
It's such a relief to me to find this site and realise I'm not on my own. Nobody I know has symptoms anything like mine, even those who say they have IBS. I'm lucky in that I have a very understanding husband who would do anything for me if I asked - but at the times I am suffering most I just want him as far away as possible.
My IBS started at the age of 13 - I'm now in my 30s. I was too embarrassed to discuss it with my mother and would sit in the toilet for hours on end wanting to die, suffering from gas, bloating and chronic diarrhea with mucous. I got to know the pattern on the floor so well.
I got scared to go away and when I did go to Guide Camp, I remember spending most of one night, having walked about half a mile from my tent to the toilet block, freezing and shivering in the cubicle rather than risk going back to the tent and getting the pains again.
I eventually went to the doctor who diagnosed appendicitis and had me in for surgery. Needless to say that didn't cure anything. I had all sorts of tests including a barium enema, and at one point was on 12 tablets a day, but nothing ever worked. I ended up stopping taking them.
It has been on and off I suppose really all these years, and nothing in particular seems to aggravate it - stress doesn't seem to make it worse. It has got to the stage where I would not see any symptoms for a while and then out of the blue would suffer a horrendously violent attack of vomiting and diarrhea with cramps, sweating, shivering etc.
I have cut down on these by never eating a big meal on an empty stomach, always eating in an upright seated position (rather than sitting on the floor for example - crushing up my tummy makes it inevitable that I will get an attack), not eating past about 7.30 at night, and remaining upright for at least a couple of hours after eating.
Peppermint tea also helps and I live for a medicine called Magnesium Trisilicate. You need to get a "good" batch though - the best are made with a strong peppermint oil base rather than just chalky. It's the only thing that relieves my wind and pain in any way, but it's quite hard to get hold of. If you are in UK try Moss Chemists - they carry their own brand and do not be "fobbed off" with a more expensive brand name or branded medicine - this only costs about 90p a bottle and is the most effective thing I have ever tried. I now take a dose nightly and have for the past 15 years with no ill effects that I can see.
I still get incredibly bad attacks once in a while though and it makes me wish I was dead. I have been suffering with serious constipation and bloating for about a year now - I constantly look six months pregnant and hurt all the time. I suffer from almost permanent urinary tract infections which don't seem to clear even after antibiotics - does anyone else have this?
My bladder always feels like there is pressure on it. I did have some tests about 10 years ago for this, including an incredibly painful tube up into my bladder, but nothing was discovered. Is it likely to be IBS causing this constant pain/discomfort, does anyone know?
Recently my "attacks" have been getting worse when I have them, even though they are still far apart and strike without warning. One of the worst was on holiday driving through France. My husband only just managed to pull into a service area before I had to run and find the toilet. Thank God there was one.
I spent about an hour and a half in there thinking I was going to die, having diarrhea and vomiting onto a pile of toilet paper I had managed to throw onto the floor. I was soaked in sweat that literally ran from every area of my body. This happened again fairly recently at a friend's party - I just managed to run into her bathroom where I threw up all over her towel (the only thing I could grab in the panic and put on the floor in front of me while I had diarrhea).
The worst episode ever came this weekend though, which was what prompted me to finally look online for anyone else as I feel so alone and abnormal. In the middle of my family meal with my husband and daughter I experienced the familiar stirrings - gurgling and pain in my lower abdomen, slight nausea and sweat and crampy type wobbly pains in my thighs.
I just made it to the bathroom and grabbed the waste bin. I really genuinely thought I was going to die. If I had been able to move, or to speak, or to even think clearly I would have called my husband to get an ambulance. My heartbeat was so fast I couldn't count it (not that I was in any state to in the first place), I was so dizzy and disoriented I felt like I was hallucinating,
I was sat On the toilet in agony suffering terrible spasms that wouldn't let me straighten up, bent literally double with my hands on the floor, trying to support myself while I vomited into the bin. The sweat ran off me soaking my clothes and pooling onto the floor, I could feel it dripping off me and running up into my eyes and nose as my head was upside down.
I don't know how I managed not to pass out - I was blacking out in-between spasms, my eyes closing and rolling and arms giving way, my body trying to slide onto the floor, not helped by the amount of sweat making me slide off the seat. Thank God I got through it. I don't know how. I didn't even have the strength to wipe off the vomit from my face that I could feel hanging there. There is nothing so disgusting in this life. It was actually worse than giving birth, which I went through with no painkillers at all, not even gas and air.
I'm OKish now, still weak and sore. I haven't had a period in nearly nine weeks, doctor says no idea why, but I constantly feel pressure all around that area. Apparently I am not menopausal, all tests show nothing wrong. Does anyone else have anything like this? Could it be linked?
If anyone wants to contact me please do - I would appreciate any support and tip swapping.
E-mail AJ: a.j.liddle[at]ntlworld.com
The tale of...Sue
Hi, my name is Sue Barnes. I developed IBS after a particularly bad bout of food poisoning eight years ago. I went to my doctor time and time again with terrible diarrhea and he gave me Imodium, but as I had never had it this bad before I knew it wasn't a normal bad stomach.
I kept going back, and four years later he finally sent me to a consultant who diagnosed IBS, after some unpleasant tests! I wasn't told what to do except she said don't eat too many bananas, and it does seem that whatever I eat can give me an upset tummy. I have already given up caffeine and fizzy drinks and wheat and dairy and most fruits and a few fruit and vegetables, particularly potatoes. I am at the end of my tether.
I have depression also which doesn't help my IBS. Other people get very nasty if I have to cancel going to see them because I need to be near an accessible toilet, as I am also in a wheelchair. Certain people say things like "Oh you've always got a bad stomach, you are always cancelling on us" not considering for a moment how I am feeling.
E-mail Sue: james.d.barnes[at]btinternet.com
The tale of...Michelle
I am 24 years old and was just diagnosed with IBS. I have been suffering off and on for about 10 years now. I had my first barium enema when I was 16 and just recently my first colonoscopy. Neither of which are very fun by the way. It just seemed so ironic that you have to take laxatives and stay in the bathroom all night to see what is making you stay in the bathroom the rest of the time.
Well of course with all of the "symptoms" and nothing irregular about my colon, IBS is the diagnosis. I just find it so hard to believe that with so many people suffering, there is no cure. I am taking Bentyl, which seems to help somewhat with the pain, but it makes you so damn loopy. I have not had an accident as of yet, but I do have to call in to work a lot. I feel so frustrated because that is not me.
I feel worthless not even being able to help support my family. So with that feeling of knowing you missed work, and won't have a full paycheck, and your boss probably thinks you are insane, comes more worrying which brings on more stress and another attack. It seems like some mornings I just want to die.
I hate using public restrooms. I can't even remember the last time I was able to feel comfortable about going out to eat in a restaurant. I will go with a group of friends, order and kind of rearrange my food, and then ask for a to-go box. I hate to plan to go anywhere, because I don't know how my stomach will react.
My doctor recommends seeing a psychiatrist to see if they can recommend stress-coping techniques. Some days I wonder if I will be able to deal with this for the rest of my life. My husband and I want to have another baby, but I am terrified that I will not be able to eat to keep enough nourishment in my body. Tell me how that is fair?
E-mail Michelle: pmj[at]zianet.com
The tale of...Rachelle
Hi, my name is Rachelle, I'm 21 years old and I also believe that I am an IBS sufferer. I've been to a specialist and they've taken blood and I've had a rectal examination but nothing more. It is so embarrassing for me to even talk about actually but I think I will also be going for a colonoscopy...my specialist gave me the option.
It is nice to know there are other people out there who know how I feel. You cannot understand what it is like until you have gone through it. My friends make fun of me because I don't go out much anymore, but they have no idea how hard it is to even leave the house when you are feeling this way. I either always have a gurgling stomach which is very irritating or I have the runs.
I started going to university in January which is also when I moved back home with my parents...I think it is stress-induced IBS because it was never this bad until now. My stomach just feels so gassy all the time that it is embarrassing to even go out when you know you might have to run to the can or have gas all night.
I don't even date because of this. I also seem to have much worse symptoms when I am really nervous about something, ie: going to the bar, meeting new people. I just wanted to know if these symptoms sounded like IBS. I am going to go for the colonoscopy but I just wanted to share my story until now because I can totally relate to a lot of them.
I also feel like I am becoming a hermit and I am only 21 years old...it gets really hard when all your friends are partying and having fun and you are stuck at home scared to go out. It does become very depressing! Just wanted to let you guys know that I understand how you feel.
Update on Rachelle...
Hey there....well it's me again. Just lettin' everyone know that I did go for a colonoscopy and let me tell you, drinking fleet and citro mag in the same day was horrible, but if any of you out there have to go for one don't be too worried....the actual procedure was fine. I was out two seconds after they gave me the drugs.
Anyway, looks like stress-induced IBS is what I've got. I still have to go for a barium x-ray of my small bowel but up to now everything looks normal. I know it's very hard to go out and live a normal life while suffering with IBS; trust me, I know how it feels. But I think the reason a lot of us are feeling this way is because we get so nervous and stress ourselves out about it so often that it makes us feel even worse. You start getting anxiety which makes you stomach feel so nervous and bloated.
In my experience ever since I've started working and going out a little more often it seems to be helping me get over the fear of having to be in the washroom all the time. I think staying home and worrying about it makes you feel a whole lot worse.
Well I just thought I'd try to encourage everyone a little by saying that there is hope and there are ways of going out and having fun...just make sure to take some Imodium with ya! We can at least be thankful that it's not a disease, it's a syndrome. I'll keep you posted on what's going on! Hope everyone feels a bit better!
E-mail Rachelle: browneyedgurl12[at]hotmail.com