women suffering constipation - page five
The tale of...Jacquelyn
For the most part I've learned how to eat for my IBS to ease the pain from a 10 (on a scale of 1 to 10) to a 4 or 5 most days. In case it would help anyone else I never touch red meat, lettuce, or fried foods as a rule. I do better when I eat small portions more often rather than three larger meals each day, and lastly I don't eat after 7:00pm. For me late night eating is worse than any medieval torture I can think of.
I started experiencing pain about five or six months after having abdominoplasty. I had had three C-sections and wanted a new stomach (ah, the vain vein). I just assumed at first it was the healing process from the surgery, considering the doctor told me it would take a full year to recover completely. So I naturally thought my pain was related to that.
Unfortunately it never got better, it just proceeded to get worse as months and years passed. My mom insisted that I go to my OB-GYN. I finally did and guess what, I had very severe endometriosis. He told me I needed a hysterectomy and that once that was done I would have no more pain.
So I had the surgery, and I still had the pain. After seeing several different doctors it was concluded that I had IBS. None of the medication I tried worked. I spent tons of money on different types and nothing worked. Thank goodness I work in a place where I can sit in the bathroom for extended periods of time without getting into trouble.
Now I take nothing except Perdiem, which helps with the constipation. I eat better as I mentioned before and I walk. Walking seems to help a great deal. To all sufferers out there, I feel your pain, my prayers and thoughts are with you and I hope each day gets better for each of you.
E-mail Jacquelyn: jaxathealth[at]yahoo.com
The tale of...Nicole
I am 21 years old and have been diagnosed with IBS. I have had it ever since I was a tiny girl, maybe three or so. I have never been able to go to the bathroom without a laxative or suppository or enemas, but they never could figure out what was wrong with me until in January it got really bad and I felt like my guts were being burned from the inside out.
I have never had a colonoscopy but have been poked and prodded in every way possible. Constantly given more laxatives and saying eat more fiber. I have spent so much money on this I can't even enjoy the money I make since it all goes to medical bills and I can't get insurance now because those companies don't expect to pay for previously diagnosed diseases.
Anyway, that isn't important. The doctors gave me Zelnorm to treat it. At first it worked and he gave me Kristalose to help "wake up" the colon since he said I have a dead colon, but it stopped working. I have lost weight because I am afraid to eat and I weigh 130lbs when I look like I should only weigh around 115, but my stomach is always so full!
I can go without a bowel movement for at least two weeks (that is the longest) to a few days. People who can go every day like my boyfriend make me so jealous and I often cry. I don't ever want to go anywhere lately for the fear I might throw up somewhere. I can't even go into a gas station to buy a 7-up because I might have to run into the restroom to throw up. I don't know if that is relevant but it sucks so bad.
One thing I have realized through reading everyone's stories is that they have severe abdominal cramps. That is something I don't have?! I have burning but no cramps except for my period cramps. So that makes me confused!
If anyone has any suggestions on anything it would be great. I also want to say that I feel a little relieved that I have said all this stuff to someone out there that understands. Everyone I talk to looks at me like I am disgusting or pathetic, but seriously no-one will ever understand what I go through just to get through my day like everyone who is on this site or reading it right now. Thanks so much for creating a website to help us.
E-mail Nicole: nickywi20[at]yahoo.com
The tale of...Michelle
Hi, my name is Michelle, I am 22 and I am so glad to have found this website. I think when there is no cure for something, the only thing left to do is to turn to others for help and when I found this site I felt like my world just got a little brighter because it helped me feel like I wasn't alone.
I'll try to make my story brief, but if anything, I hope that someone can read this and it will help them - like many of the stories did for me - to keep waking up every day with the strength to keep on keepin' on.
When I was young I remember having some issues with eating high-fat meals and then doubling over the next day. It would only come every now and then during gymnastics meets when I would get incredibly nervous. I later went into springboard and platform diving in high school which helped me get into the US Air force Academy and that's where all my troubles started.
I went through basic training the best I could and to put it lightly, it was a hell I will never forget. It was honestly a great experience and I love pushing myself to my limits, but the periods of not being able to eat enough food while getting yelled at, or feeling sick to my stomach because I was so nervous, or the 15-second bathroom breaks, or the lack of sleep for six weeks while missing home and friends so badly is what really kick-started my IBS.
I never asked or wanted sympathy for any of what I went through because I had picked that lifestyle. I did however fall into what I call "poor me syndrome" after I started feeling sick and bloated every single hour of the day without any help and no-one knew what to do. Being a cadet was hard, but for the next three years I suffered in my own personal hell of bloating, cramping, sharp stomach pains, nausea, and not being able to stand for long periods of time (which a cadet is required to do a whole lot) without having to pass out.
In the military there is not much specialized medical help and you don't have the time to waste as a cadet being seen by doctors who don't have the time to see you. I want anyone who reads this to take this to heart as much as they can to avoid the situation I got in. Depression is a big side effect of IBS, solely because your whole life changes and you have to revolve your life around this syndrome. Once you have it, there really is no proven way to get rid of it and living with it can be very, very lonely.
If anything, this website can be your haven to relate with other people because YOU ARE NOT ALONE in your suffering. I was just medically disenrolled from the academy after making it through to the first couple months of my senior year and I have nothing left of that experience except: my IBS, an unfinished education, and the strength to go on. I fell into depression at the academy because everybody's life kept going, while I had to lay sick in a cadet room alone and wait until they could let me go home.
Trust me. All you have is your sanity, your friends and family, and your strength to get through the hard days. Even though some people may take IBS lightly because most people will say, "Well, it's not like you're dying or have cancer. You should feel lucky," but it's still everyday pain you have to live with. It's still a syndrome that most people don't understand, that every breathing moment from when you wake up to when you fall asleep it's there and it's painful and hard to deal with.
Please, please, there are people who will listen and help and all you have to do is reach out for help from people who know and live with IBS. Comfort will usually come with sharing your experience and seeking emotional help because as we all know, there is no medication that is a quick-fix.
Thank you so much and if anything, I hope I didn't bore you but gave you some hope to keep on keepin' on. I would love to hear from anyone who reads this who wants to share their story with me. Sharing stories helps ease the pain.
E-mail Michelle: michellehager[at]comcast.net
The tale of...Yvonne
I have suffered from IBS since I was about 14 years old. It started when I had my appendix out, I had to return to hospital about six months later for a laparoscopy. This meant that I was ill for two months for which I was not able to eat, only drink fluids. They tried everything to get me to go to the toilet but to no avail.
Ever since my operation I have suffered from various forms of stomach problems, ie constipation, diarrhea, stomach cramps and bowel spasms. Even now at 37 I'm sat typing this letter and am feeling pretty low. Everyone laughs at the amount of wind I can produce, they should have my bum, it wouldn't seem so funny then.
The tale of...Catherine
My IBS began about two years ago. At first the agonisingly painful attacks were only when I had my period. At these times I would find myself lying on the bathroom floor, or literally crawling to the bedroom. There are no words invented to describe the agony of the attacks. It feels like my body is trying to give birth to a huge child and that my muscles keep contracting violently without a release. Along with the pain comes sweating, vomiting, shaking and the feeling that I am about to pass out.
Shortly after starting a new job earlier this year, I was sitting on the bus in a long traffic queue and the same pain started coming on. This now happens quite regularly, regardless of the time of the month. When I have a really bad attack nothing else seems to matter and my only concern is to get away somewhere private. I've found myself lying on the floors of public toilets and disappearing for long periods from my desk at work.
Once the spasm is over, I find my whole abdomen is so sore that I can hardly walk for up to three days. It feels like the muscles are stretched and bruised.
When I first experienced IBS I was convinced that the sheer level of pain meant there was something seriously wrong with me. As my dad died of colon cancer at a young age, after experiencing similar agony, I was particularly concerned about this. I have now had every test going and apparently IBS is the diagnosis.
Apart from the agonising episodes, I also get milder cramping on a daily basis, bloating and severe constipation. Laxatives also cause me real pain and irritation so there is no easy escape from the constipation. I really feel for everyone who has experienced these symptoms. The level of pain and stress they cause sometimes seems impossible to get across to people who have not experienced IBS.
The tale of...Sam
I have suffered with IBS for 10 years. I mainly suffer with flatulence and feel I have no control over it, especially in my work place. My office at work is very small and the atmosphere gets very warm, which in turn makes me get all flustered because I don't feel I'm getting any fresh air. Some of my colleagues don't like the window being opened because they get too cold.
I have eliminated certain foods that aggravate my tummy, but I still find that I just cannot control the wind. I know that people at work are making comments, because they make comments in the office to try and embarrass me. I feel that I need to find a cure as I don't like being labeled as being smelly.
E-mail Sam: sbratby[at]yahoo.co.uk
The tale of...Melissa
Well, we'll start with some stats - I am a 35 year-old female. Work full time. Have no financial problems, marital problems, or career problems.
August 30, 2003 - my wedding day. The night before my wedding day I did the whole rehearsal dinner thing, went home with my best friend, didn't drink. Went to bed, woke up at 2:00 in the morning with this urge to poop. I did but very little...very little...
The next morning when I got up I was a mess. Stomach was in knots, thought I was going to throw up (nerves), ohhh and this unbelievable urge to pass a bowel movement - and nothing was happening. Got married, did the whole reception thing (still have this feeling like there is a stick up my behind) and that was my wedding day. Well the feeling never went away.
Decided to see my family doctor. He said go to a gastroenterologist, and so I went to the gastro and he scheduled a colonoscopy. Had the scope done, came back with nothing wrong. GI doctor put me on Zelnorm and gave me hyoscyamine for the cramps. The hyoscyamine was prescribed for 30-60 minutes before each meal, with the lowest dosage of .0125mg. It made me feel like I was in another world, and didn't make the pain go away.
The Zelnorm didn't do anything but give me some gas. Didn't reduce the pain of this feeling like I had to go to the bathroom alllll the time. Three months later I went back to my family doctor and told him I still didn't feel good - I had these "cramps" all the time. Going poop would make them go away but only for about 1/2 an hour, then they would slowly creep back.
I had this crampy feeling all the time, and this crampy feeling gave me the sensation that my rectum was full and I needed to pass a stool, but usually didn't. So my family doctor scheduled some tests - blood work, ultrasound (abdominal/pelvic and intra-vaginal), cat scan, x-ray, small bowel series. Went and had all these tests done - negative, nothing wrong inside.
Doctors said try a high fiber diet and start using Metamucil. So I started using Metamucil, went to a dietician and learned all about fatty foods and what to eat. Now I'll fast forward to the last three months. I never experienced pain that would land me in the ER when I had my period. Well December, January, and February I ended up in the ER getting pumped with Morphine and fluids to rehydrate me because the pains were so bad for three days that I wasn't eating or drinking much.
My GI doctor put me on a low dose off Zoloft (anti-depressant) because they say that SSRIs raise the pain threshold...Well I was on 50mg and I don't think it has done anything. Over the last four months I have gotten somewhat depressed inside because I always have cramps. I always feel like I have to have a bowel movement, ALWAYS! I feel like such a burden to my husband because he doesn't know what to do for me...
Is anyone else feeling this way...
E-mail Melissa: melissa.ross[at]tobyhanna.army.mil