# 21 years olf female - I don't want IBS to over take my life



## Popuri1911 (Mar 1, 2013)

Hi, Im new to here. I'm 21 years old female living in UK.

I've noticed the change in my health when I was 15, during my GCSE.

I was constantly bloated, my stomach just bloats up like a balloon, no joke. I was like a 9 month pregnant woman!

At that time my only problem was the constant bloating, feeling like I want to fart (embarrasing...) every 5 minutes.

When I was at school I was constantly tensing my bum to not let the gas out... it was hard.

I went to many doctors but they just told me that I am completely healthy, apparently farting is healthy! hehe. Farting every 5 minutes is really healthy? I don't think so.

My family laughed at me, they called me 'Farty girl' or 'Smelly' since I was constantly bloated.

I tried to laugh with them but I was in massive pain everytime. Noone took this seriously.

My symptom got a lot worse throughout the years, I was slowly developing a chronic nausea. No matter what I eat or drink I was nauseous 24/7. I had to carry a pepper mint sweets everywhere I go since that helped me a lot.

I had diarrhea at least 3 times a week with a strong stabbing pain in my lower tummy. Everytime I get these attacks I was exhausted.

Since then I've realised that I get tired extremely quick. I was never a fit sporty person but the fatigue I was experiencing just felt 'not right'. I've talked to my family but they just told me that I am over-reacting, or just stressed, or telling me that "everyone gets a small stomach ache"

I was stressed constantly, in pain almost every day and feeling sick 24/7.

My symptom got horrble at the age of 19. I felt like I was going to throw up every single day, acid reflux, diarrhea, fatigue... list goes on. I started University on that year but I just couldn't attend to the lectures because I was constantly sick.

Went to many different doctors but they just keep on giving me anti-depressant, I got put on Citalopram 10mg and I had bad side effects. Im only 4ft 9 and the full adult dose medicines are often too strong for me. Citalopram didn't work at all and they just basically said to me "There's nothing we can do."

I was so depressed, the fact I was missing so many lectures, the fact I was feeling left out, the fact everyone else is having fun uni life but I was at home alone in bed, crying.

When I became 20 I finally met a good doctor who decided to do a ultra-sound scan, and I found out I had a 1.7cm Gallstone. Doctor told me that it is rare that 20 years old gets this big Gallstone. They said that all the symptoms that I have been having are possibly from the stone.

So, with all the hopes I've had a laprascopic surgery to remove my Gallbladder with my Gallstone. The surgery itself went well but I was left with low liver function level, hormone imbalance and PMS.

I don't know how the surgery could cause this, but since after the surgery I was getting bad PMS, 2 weeks before the cycle I just get so sick.

I'm 21 now, living away from home for University study and I am in 2nd year. I didn't want to just stay at home and rely on my parents all the time, I pushed myself so hard to chose to live away from them and learn to deal with things without them, because eventually I got to live separately with them anyway.

I've lost so many friends because so many people thought I was 'Over-reacting' or calling me 'Weak minded' etc. But at the same time I have realised my 'true friends' who actually cares about me and support me.

I'm still having 24/7 nausea, extreme fatigue, constant diarrhea and constipation. Sometimes I get these horrible 'attacks' where I just pass out from the pain.

I have no plans for my future career since my head is constantly busy with thinking about how to cope with the pain I have right now, I know I'm making an excuse, but I just can't think of the future ahead. My University keeps on telling me to think aboout the future but I just can't. Thinking or worrying about whether I will be able to spend my day without a strong pain, and pushing myself to do Uni work is enough for me!

I feel really stupid the fact I have no plans.

I feel like IBS is taking my life away, and I feel alone. I do have friends but looking at them makes me realise how I'm different. I know everyone is different but being sick constantly isn't normal. I'm not expecting anything amazing, I just want a normal life.

Sorry for the long post, I hope there's someone who understands me x


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## storyofmylife (Jan 26, 2013)

I was in the same boat frequent constipation, bloating, acidity, lack of sleep...It screwed my education (and job) in a big way. People wondered why I was so smart sometimes and often slow. Never told them i had IBS.

I rarely socialized not so much because I was fussy about what I could eat and what i could not, but because i had poor sleep which made me slow and this often me made me say meaningless or awkward stuff in social gatherings. I still have not tried to date any girl yet because of a lot of thoughts in my mind and because I suspect that my career might get messed up further because of this thing. I don't know if any girl would be interested in dating a guy who could sink any day.

I am getting much better now, but far from perfect. I have rectal pain, minor hemorroids, poor sleep, episodes of constipation. Bloating is rare and acidity is even rarer.

About normal life, I can't say anything. I am not there yet. Every time i think i am close to returning to normalcy, things go bad and i lose sleep again...anyway, hang in there and keep fighting even if you sometimes feel suicidal like me.

Hope you get well too.

Take care.


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## Pepper H (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi Popuri, I'm about your age and have been sick for as long as you have.

Does your pain never give you any kind of break? I mean, I can be in a great deal of pain but if I'm very careful and, for instance, spend a day in alone with a mug of tea and some crackers, and do that very often, at some point I'm going to live a day with barely any pain. That's how I slowly managed to make the painful days shorter and calm days longer. When I went to uni in the UK, I lived right on campus so there was always a loo out there somewhere, not too far away where I could rest.

I found that taking your pain into consideration and adressing it, trying to relieve it while it's there, works really well to prevent it from ruining your day any further. If I feel any pain, I just address it straight away (be it by going to the toilet and stay calm for half an hour and screw everything else, have tea, lie down) and most of the time it will eventually go away! Being in pain and going on with it leads to excruciating pain, and even though I can sometimes find some relief, it's going to hurt like hell all day long. So now I just focus on getting rid of any pain when I start to feel it, and over the years it has helped me a lot! I sometimes have one of those attacks when the pain makes you pass out, but that's once a month or even less!

Also, tell people you are sick, and will do your best to be there and so on but sometimes you just can't help it. Since we ibsers don't often bail on stuff when we can do otherwise, they'll see you're not just avoiding them and you won't have to worry too much about how to handle other people, you already have too much on your plate with handling your own pain.

You probably have already tried several kinds of diets, stopped drinking any carbonated drinks and so on?


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## Sapphmonster (Mar 7, 2013)

Hey, I am also 21 and a uni student. I have ibs d with bloating and pain, but never bad enough that I pass out! I guess I'm lucky! Do any of you guys have issues with weight gain or appetite, cos both mine suck right now! Hope you are well


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## Popuri1911 (Mar 1, 2013)

Sorry for the late reply, I was really busy with Uni work!

storyofmylife -

Thank you for sharing your story, IBS can screw a lot of the things doesn't it... I can understand what you've been going through.
It makes the socializing hard, but from my experience there are some people who will accept and understand you. Unfortunately some people are just... not going to understand until they get it...
About dating with someone, im pretty sure there are a lot of people who will accept who you are, those who judges people's health condition is a wimp!
I know how you feel about suicide... I went through that. I have a lot of scars on my left arm. Hard times. I can also understand how IBS knocks you down everytime you're about to reach your goal... it's so frustrating isn't it.
You're not alone! x

Pepper H -

Sometimes my pain are controll-able, like taking medicines and staying in bed. Sometimes it can be really aggressive which nothing helps besides time.
It really depends on the day, sometimes I can sort of feel the pain is on its way but sometimes it hits me without any warning...
I do like your ways of dealing with IBS, with the pain arrives you just rest and not do anything else. I always try to distract myself from the pain but ends up terrible. I guess I need to just listen to my body more, when im in pain I really shouldn't push myself.
I have told to people about my condition, some people just laughed at me but some people understood me, which was the sign of realising the true friends which was really nice. Some people would never understand but there are some people who will understand, after telling my condition I felt a lot better!
I hope you will get better x

Sapphmonster -

I have actually lost weight since I started having IBS, everytime I feel nauseous I lose my appetite so I end up either not eating or eating something with less flavor... I guess everyone's condition is different and also the way it effects their body.
It's hard dealing with D and pain isn't it, I can understand. I think you're lucky that you don't get horrible nasty attacks!
You're not alone! I hope you will get better x


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