# Help! Never felt this bad before



## AB (Sep 12, 2004)

Hey guys,I need some help!! I read every-one's post, and it's so good to know that there are people out there that have the same problems as me. I mean, I've suffered with IBS-d predominant with alternating c for about 10 years since I was 12. In school, I thought I was the only one who got scared to go on class trips and stuff because I was afraid I'd have to go to the bathroom or get sick on the way there, while I was there, etc. It took about 4 years of therapy to get to the point where I was able to control my fears and anxiety enough to go on road trips, sleep overs, and an out of state college. I've been on elavil for a spastic colon for about 5 years, 20-30 mg a day, depending on how I felt. Then, this past January, I started having problems with my roommate and noticed my medicine wasnt really working anymore. I tried to ignore the symptoms returning, thinking that they would go away eventually. After a month and a half of this, I flew home to see my dr. on his request. Instead of testing me or telling me that maybe we should start on a different medication, he just upped my elavil dosage to 50 mg a day. I was so pist about that. I mean, I flew home, spent a lot of money, skipped school, and all he does, without proper examination or anything, is up my dosage. Needless to say, that didn't work. I came back to school and missed more than a week of classes because the new dosage made me feel so lethargic and drugged up that I couldn't get up to go to school. I felt like I was floating outside myself all day. Plus, it didn't make the D go away, so I quit that dosage and went back to the regular stuff. At this point, the symptoms didn't stop me from doing stuff. Meaning, I didn't let any anxiety get the best of me. I worked over 4 years to get it under control. I really felt like I had gained the skills to control my body's reaction to my gut, instead of the other way around. Then, after I saw a new GI dr in my college town, because I wasn't about to fly home again to my old dr, he ran a series of tests on me. However, he did a really stupid thing first. I told him that the elavil wasn't working. Now, I wasn't aware that there were any withdrawal effects from the medication. Nobody every told me, and, honestly, my old dr thought that I was going to have to be on the medication for the rest of my life. So, my new dr said that since the elavil wasn't working anymore, I should just stop taking it! I didn't notice anything bad at first. Then, after the dr did a colonoscopy on me, I started having horrible pains on my left side (the same side that I had problems with when I started my elavil). It would wake me up in the middle of the night. I started having D every day, but only in the morning. It would wake me up every day, and I'd go to the bathroom, and, after about an hour or so, I felt better. So, still, eventhough it was bad, I still worked really hard to not let it stop me from doing what I wanted to do.Then, in August, it got really bad. I started losing weight, I couldn't sleep at all, and I couldn't keep any food down. I noticed that I felt like I wasn't in control of my body anymore, and that's when the anxiety really started creeping back. It was subtle, and then it hit me like a hammer to the head. It's gotten to the point where I'm having panic atticks or feelings of anxiety every day. Everything's been compounded to the point where every task seems like I'm climbing up Mt Everest. I can't go shopping for groceries anymore. Walking down the street seems like a small victory. I don't know how this happened!! I feel like I've lost control of my thoughts and feelings. Even when I try to do positive self talk, it seems like I can't control my body's reaction. It feels like I'm about to die or something!I'm going to a new GI dr now that actually put me back on the elavil, and I'm taking fibercon to regulate the bm, and it's helped. Now, I thought that if I was able to get my IBS under control, my anxiety would start taking care of itself. That hasn't been the case. In fact, the anxiety has gotten worse. I'm thinking of asking my dr to put me on Xanax or something. I've read how much it helped California123, but I've read some bad stuff about its side effects.Mainly, this entire diatribe has been written because I've been reading about some natural herbal supplaments that are on the market, and I wanted to know if anybody's heard, used, or knows any information about them? I'm very skeptical about buying stuff that I don't know about. So, any help would be greatly appreciated.-Anxietol7, which includes a patented supplament called:Sensoril, which is made with an herb called Ashwaganda. Has anybody heard of this?-What exactly is a probiotic? How exactly does the natural bacteria help with digestion?Basically, I'm trying to not go the route of prescription drugs. I don't want to have to deal with the side effects, and I don't want to have to deal with the threat of dependency. It really scares the hell out of me. Again, I found this website about a month ago when I saw how bad I was getting, and I wanted to find some comfort in numbers. I've had to drop out of Graduate School, and I can't get a job right now. Also, as a side note, does anybody know how I go about applying for disability because of this? I mean, I'm living with family friends, but I'm further disable by the fact that I can't do anything social even if I wanted to challenge myself because I've run out of money to do anything. You guys are awesome!!I give this blessing and prayer to people like us:May we all see the day when the dr's have found a cure and/or true cause for this condition, so that we may live our lives symptom free. Until then, I truly believe people like us are the strongest and most resilient people on earth, because of what we have to deal with and overcome on a daily basis. May we all one day unlock our true strength and beat this once and for all!!G-d bless!!


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## Photolizard (Sep 13, 2002)

hey.i've felt like you have this past year. not exactly the same, but it just seems like things just get worse and worse and you lose control of everything. i used to not be able to leave the house much either, but i've gotten past that. it is still hard, but i can manage. i would recommend going to see a naturopath. they will be able to help your problems without prescription drugs. probiotics are supplements that you take that have the natural bacteria that is found in your digestive tract. if for some reason your own supply of them is depleted, it can cause problems in digestion. they help kill off bad bacteria and aid in digesting certain foods. i take lactobacillus gg and it helps a lot. there are other ones too though. a naturopath can help figure out which ones would be beneficial to you. you might want to look into kava kava for your anxiety. i know there's been some bad rap about it and it causing liver problems, but i think that's just if you take it for a long time and in large doses. anything can tox out your liver if you take too much. naturopath could help with that too. good luck


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## rrobin (Sep 8, 2004)

Hi AB - Hang in there. I know what your going through. I have been there too. I have heavy duty anxiety disorder and IBS D. The only things that work for me is Buspar which does not make you tired and Donnatal a antispasmodic. I am very sensitive and these medications dot give me any side effects. But everyone is different. I just want you to know that your not alone and there are other ways to treat IBS ask Eric he is Member # 914 he is very helpful & has a website www.ibshealth.com about IBS. He might be able to point you in the natural route your looking for.--------My story: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=17;t=000155


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## editor (Jun 20, 2004)

Hi,sounds like you are having a very rough time right now.I think it might be a good idea to be really assertive with your doctor and get him to check you out physically. Some underlying medical conditions can cause anxiety to escalate; other conditions can cause weight loss. Also, you know how you have coped before, over 4 years with anxiety, and you know that usually the techniques you've learned *have* worked - which leads me to think that maybe now, there is also a physical cause here, as well as the stress with your roommate?Also, please *do not* take herbal supplements alongside the medication your doctor has prescribed for you, without himk nowing about it. People assume that herbal supplements are fine, but when taken in conjunction with other drugs, you can have quite a reaction.You mentioned that your anxiety worsened in relation to problems with your roomate? Have those problems been addressed? It might be an idea to try and work through them, which in turn, may help your anxiety.Best of luck to you!


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## Dux (Nov 14, 2004)

Hi AB;Take heart! I've been exactly where you're at, in fact, Panic and IBS go hand in hand for me.I've mentioned it on other posts, I'm not sure which one comes first, but I never have just one.I can second California123's recommending Xanax. I took it for a while a few years back.I was having major life issues, broke up with my BF, and having major IBS and panic.I can so totally relate to the feelings that everything is almost an insurmountable challenge. I can recall having to work up the nerve to take a shower; taking a shower seemed like it was too complicated for me to undertake.The Xanax helped immediately; I got relief in quite small doses, and I never had the slightest problem coming off it. I take Buspar now, and it isn't addictive, it just takes a while to kick in, whereas the Xanax is like immediately.I also take Lomotil for my 'd', and some people think it is habit forming. It isn't for me. My IBS is periodic, I can go for months on end and be fine, and then bam, it starts up again. It seems like I only have to take the Lomotil for a few days in order to get the 'd' under control, and at one time I was taking LARGE doses. I like Lomotil because it also stops the pain.I just wish I could find something as effective for my GERD, which is chronic with me.BTW, I also took an anti-depressant for about six months. The psychiatrist said I might have to take it for the rest of my life. When I started to feel better, I tapered myself off it with no ill effects.Good luck AB, please be assured that all of us here are rooting for you, and will help and support you in every way!


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