# travel anxiety



## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

I've got to be nuts. My family refers to me more and more as the 'recluse' and of course they would laugh me out of the city if they knew it was because of IBS and anxiety. I have the chance to go to a family wedding at the end of sept. in RI and then go to Boston, then to brooklyn to stay with a nephew and THEN up to meet my husband in buffalo,ny (I'd get to see Niagra Falls!). Now, I'm a girl from OK and I don't do much traveling at all and I've never been to any of those places except NYC one time. It wouldn't cost hardly any $$$ because I have free tickets to fly (my hub flies all the time and has lots of free tickets) and I'd be staying with relatives and then with him at a hotel in buffalo. But, of course I have my laundry list of why I don't think I can do this. First my extreme anxiety over flying and my IBS. I can take meds for flying which help alot but the thought of staying in someone else's house is just not something I think I can do. I obsess over having BMs anywhere except at my own house and the thought of being constipated, crampy, bloated and gassy at someone else's home is just an awful thought. However, I turned 50 this year and decided that I've just simply got to face some of these fears or I'll never do anything before I die. So, I'm telling myself I CAN do this. IBS will not KILL me nor will anxiety. Geez, I'm getting worked up (anxiety wise) just thinking about doing this. What a way to live


----------



## 22943 (Aug 27, 2005)

Ever tried this herbal product called Rescue Remedy? I guess I've got some anxiety over some things and my naturopath prescribed it. You can get it at vitamin stores I guess (that's where I got mine). You just take a coupel of sprays on the tongue and it's supposed to relax you. That might work for being at a relatives place because it's supposed to work several different ways on your body.


----------



## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

I am already on lexapro, xanax, restoril, and zelnorm. I can always 'up' the xanax when i need to but it really doesn't do much for the obsessiveness over the bowels. I really obsess about my bowels in the morning and have to get up hours before I have anything scheduled in order to have a bm and if i don't 'go' it just ruins my day and then i obsess about whether i'll 'go' the next day or not. I have done pretty well on Zelnorm for 2 years and 9 months and just in the last 5 or 6 weeks I think I've developed a tolerance of sorts to it. Bums me out big time. I am taking Sennakot at night and that is helping a little. I am 50 and really sick of this. I lucked out with the Zelnorm for a good while but feel like I'm taking steps back into misery.


----------



## 14646 (Aug 23, 2006)

Would it be possible to increase your dose of Zelnorm? Maybe that's something you could discuss with your Dr.?


----------



## 14448 (Jun 14, 2006)

Tiss, you have my sympathy.I dread the thought of travelling, mainly because I had a disasterous holiday to Italy with my Mum when I was 15, and had cramps and d every day. And she didn't understand and got angry because I wouldn't come down to the dining room. I'd love to be able to go on holidays again. I think I would be fine if I could have my own room and en-suite bathroom. The thought of sharing a hotel bathroom with my boyfriend terrifies me, I think it would ruin the whole holiday becasue I'd worry constantly about having an attack, and be too embarassed to have it while he was in the room.Like you, I obsess over having a BM every morning. If I don't, I feel bloated, and worry all day that I'll have d. If I'm going on a daytrip anywhere I sleep alone in my flat the night before, as I find it impossible to use my boyfriend's loo (he lives in a shared student house). However, I really want to get over this anxiety. I've devised my own CBT plan which involves facing my fears on a daily basis until the anxiety diminishes. So far I've made a good start and 2 days into it I'm already sleeping better, have more energy and can see light at the end of the tunnel. I guess my next exposure task is to use his toilet!Good luck if you do decide to go... you never know, it might be the first step of your recovery.


----------



## 13580 (Aug 8, 2006)

I'm soo glad I'm not the only one!! I have extreme travel anxiety. I've had 3 serious episodes of IBS traveling. I've traveled alot since I've been married. My husband frequently wins trips for his work and I dread it. I start out positive determined to enjoy myself then all hell breaks loose. I've gotten so dehydrated that I ended up getting I.V. fluids and drugs just so we could make our flight home. Sometimes when it gets so bad, nothing I take works.


----------



## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

I saw my therapist to talk with her this dilemma. This is what I've come up with---I am going to the RI on Thursday and coming back on Monday. I am not going to NY. I am taking babysteps and this is all I can do. My husband is fine with me not going to NY with him. He and I have decided to go someplace together at another time. It is a relief to get this decided. Thanks for all of your input.Tiss


----------



## pmc (Aug 1, 2006)

Tiss, it sounds like you made an absolutely sound decision about your travel. Having a supportive spouse helps so much. I am like you in that the more I think about the travel, the worse my condition becomes. I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but I've now been gone from home 4 1/2 months straight (travel by RV) and I still get panicky when I am away from the RV. I hope your trip is an absolute success. By the way, I'm an Oklahoma girl myself.


----------



## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

Howdie pmc, there's nothing like good ol' cowgirls from OK--huh? Which part of OK are you from? Thanks for the support!


----------

