women suffering diarrhea - page fifteen
The tale of...Lynn
I just want to say that I just spent an hour reading these stories with tears in my eyes, a knot in my stomach and a pair of lighter shoulders. I can not believe that I am not alone in every aspect of discomfort and misery!
I have known for so long that I have IBS and was quite successful for about two years with a diet change (elimination and limitation of sugar and fat) and I felt good, looked good (was always chubby)...I became a wife and survived my wedding day with just butterflies! :-)
However, now I have been gradually slipping back into the misery of diarrhea, bloating, fullness and misery. However, this time around I seem to have developed a new and horrible addition of anxiety...I thought I was crazy...I thought I was really losing my grip and that something was so wrong with me...I got sick in a supermarket with my husband one Saturday and ever since have been terrified to go back with him.
I now sweat and get nauseous and get almost instant urges for the restroom. I have equated my problems with the store. I felt bad for him and tried to shop on my own. I still have that feeling crawling up my back to make me sweat and down my chest to my stomach bubble and rush to the ladies room. I even shop at a more expensive store now since they have an accessible and public restroom.
It's awful...I have fears of being anywhere where the bathroom is not easily accessible and this is really starting to get to me. I am afraid to be a passenger in the car and insist on driving nowadays.
The fear and anxiety is getting to me. In fact, I feel that way on my way into work every morning lately! It's almost to the point where I don't want to come in at all. But then I get to work and feel fine for most of the day. It's a very terrible thing to deal with but I am real glad I found this site...it's made me feel a lot better! THANKS all and I do hope you all are finding some relief and comfort!
The tale of...Ashley
I am 21 and have only recently (the last month or two) discovered that I have IBS. I do find stress aggravates my symptoms and no particular food makes it better or worse. Although my symptoms are not overly severe, I get diarrhea once or twice a week usually and a lot of abdominal pain. I fear it will get worse and since there is no actual known cure, my fear is heightened. I also suffer from emetephobia (fear of vomiting) which makes all this harder.
I find depression is starting to become a part of my everyday life as well, due to IBS and my Social Anxiety Disorder. I do hope that one day a cure, or at least something that will improve IBS symptoms dramatically, is discovered so we can all rest and enjoy life.
E-mail Ashley: panda_bear_cutie[at]hotmail.com
The tale of...Anon
I've had diarrhea IBS since I was about 20 years old. I knew it was creeping up on me, and after the birth of my first child, at 23 years old, it hit me and never went away. When I was pregnant with my daughter, she would beat on my intestines, and to this day I know my gut has a brain.
A doctor's diagnosis confirmed I have chronic diarrhea, and from then on it's been one thing after another. My condition is not affected by what I eat: it's affected by EVERYTHING I EAT! I tried Metamucil and Citrucel, but they gave me horrible, smelly 'who died in here?' gas and explosive diarrhea, so I discontinued them. I take Imodium and have the best results, but like anything else, there are no guarantees.
I have some intestinal pain, but no bloating. I keep a covered plastic bucket in my RAV, personal cleaning supplies, a couple of towels and a blanket, and a couple of extra pairs of pants. I have pulled over in all kinds of places, and used my makeshift lifesaver potty in the privacy of my car.
Like other IBS patients, I know where all the bathrooms are, and I am an expert at getting people to let me use theirs. I have been known to park in handicapped spaces, and as my doctor won't give me a parking placard, I told him he gets to pay half of any fine I might get. Weight gain is a continuing problem.
My favorite story is being at the mall during Christmas shopping days. The line into the bathroom had about 30 women ahead of me. The signal hit me, and I hurried right by them, talking loudly for them to 'get out of my way!' They did, I went into the available stall, and when I came out nobody batted an eye.
My pet peeve is going into a bathroom stall where some other woman had a diarrhea attack and didn't quite make it in time. And then left the mess all over the toilet and floor, or worse yet, smeared the mess all over the walls, too. I've been dealing with IBS for 35 years, and personal cleanliness and cleaning up after myself is very important. Three cheers for Wet Ones!
If any of you are interested, call around and get involved with clinical studies. You might find the miracle medication for you, and if you don't, maybe someone else will be helped.
E-mail Anon: shadebabe[at]hotmail.com
The tale of...Joan
I was diagnosed with IBS many, many years ago. I was given some medication for the terrible cramps all throughout my lower belly, a diet of sorts, some exercises to do and to not be too far from a bathroom if I had the diarrhea which was usually the case. On rare occasions it was just terrible cramps and constipation, so I would drink lots of water which would bloat me up, but eventually after lying down on the bed on one side and then the other, the gurgling would start, followed by the cramps and then the immediate urge to have a bowel movement which left me on the bowl, doubled over with terrible pains, for well over an hour.
At school, in my early years, I had a few accidents either in class due to diarrhea or on the train, and later, on driving home from where ever I was. I was given something for the diarrhea as well and eventually, it just stopped, but I will say it was no fun when I had cramps with my period and the IBS was there too. My belly could hardly take it.
I used to walk the floors and massage my poor belly until I could just sit up and cry from the pain of both. Finally my period came and the cramps eased up within a day, but the IBS was still there. My belly was extremely bloated and I tried to rest for my period of which I still was a little bit crampy.
By the second day, the period cramps stopped but the IBS was still growing strong and then the diarrhea started and that was like non-stop for a couple of days with cramps so bad, it felt like someone actually punched me in my belly. I cried and cried. Nothing was helping, but I massaged my belly, walked the floors and had to keep running to the bathroom. That was some 30 years ago.
I have not had an attack for 30 years. Until today. I have been under a lot of stress lately and was having some mild cramps plus I had the flu, so I just figured it was that. The flu is essentially done with after two weeks, but the cramps started really badly yesterday. I wasn't sure what to make of it, so I drank some cola and ginger ale so as not to dehydrate.
This morning I got up and went to the bathroom. Boy did I have cramps in my belly. I took my meds and some more ginger ale and I could hardly walk back to the bed. The entire lower portion of my belly was and still is killing me. I have had diarrhea almost all day and of course with that and the most horrible cramps in my belly, I knew I was having a severe attack of IBS after all these years.
I could hardly touch any food, because everything I ate came right out and my belly is just so bad, I can only pray that I will get some sleep tonight. I took the diarrhea and pain meds but neither helped. As it is Saturday I called the doctor's office and got the PA on the phone and she did agree that it sounds like a full-blown IBS attack.
Her major suggestion was when the diarrhea eased up, to lie on my bed or couch and try and sleep because I might get woken up with the severe cramping again in the night. She also told me to put a hot water bottle on my belly in bed. Not sure it'll work, but anything is worth a try.
I am 55 years old now, living with my dog in PA and very lonely. Anyone that has any suggestions for these awful pains, please write me. Just when I thought I was over it, back it came.
Update on Joan...
Joan here again. I am posting again in the hopes that I get some good replies. Just send directly to me at JMe3186215[at]aol.com and reference something about IBS in the subject. I am not on every day, but promise to get back to you shortly.
My belly has been acting up quite a bit lately. I have spoken to my doctor on a couple of occasions and he has tried different medications as well as bland foods. However, I wake up in the morning with a bloated belly and the gurgling starts soon. I take all of my medications, not only for the IBS, but this as well.
The doctor told me to drink hot water with a bit of lemon, sipping it slowly. I usually take it to my bedside, so I can sit and massage the cramping that has already started. The doctor has me on calcium with vitamin D and a cranberry tab and other vitamins as well. I basically get really constipated and bad cramps after drinking the hot water with lemon but he says it will flush the system.
I then lie back down on the bed and look at my belly which by now is so totally bloated, it is hard to decide which way to rest. I sometimes massage the intestines but then the gurgling starts up even more and I get up and walk the floors.
I often take my dog out for a walk and just as I am picking up after him, I get such a severe gas pain in my belly, I hurry him along and I put his drippings in the dumpster and by then the cramps are almost unbearable. I wash my hands and sit on the age of the bed rocking and grabbing my belly and doubling over. Sometimes drinking enough fluids, I finally do go.
I had a severe cramp all day, still do, and my fiancée doesn't understand, so I would appreciate hearing from someone that does. Blessings to you all.
E-mail Joanie: JMe3186215[at]aol.com