# Why, hello there...



## Tyger (May 17, 2011)

Hello, I'm Tyler, I'm new, I'm 18, and I'm sorry to bother the community with my unfamiliar presence, as if you all have a sixth sense and I just disturbed the peace like a pebble thrown to a calm pond... And I'm sorry to post something that has probably been reiterated seven hundred times before. It may be scattered as well just to warn you; I'm trying to align my thoughts to a decent chronological order.A bit of background before I go into my issue, I've had this condition for about 3 years, give or take. At first I thought it was just lactose intolerance, so I started to eliminate a lot of dairy and that helped significantly but it was not all of the problem. I didn't seek medical attention until my Senior highschool year (this year) when I was leaving early or just not going for days at a time. Over the course of the years I've isolated myself, it seems. Not going to as many events, fearing the slightest thing like going to a movie. I've done basically nothing over the last couple years as far as a social life went. And I've been afraid to find a job because my "solution" for the longest time was just to not eat in any public place, including school, and just wait until I got home. My grandparents even go so far as to insist to me that not eating was the cause of the reaction.So when I finally went to a doctor they asked me a series of basic questions about stress and diet. I have eczema as well, which is a skin condition triggered by allergies and stress. It's very difficult to determine exactly what is causing my eczema and if it is anxiety that's triggering it and my IBS, I'm not sure how I know? I don't think I'm stressed, but I could be. Other factors are I never get enough sleep and my diet, I'll be the first to admit, is awful.My doctor seemed rather cold (and uncomfortable) about the subject though, and just prescribed Dicyclomine 10mg tablets as if these were magic pills that would allow me to go about my daily life. Which weren't working, so they upped it to 20mg, one about four times a day. And a daily fiber supplement. They took blood tests that showed nothing but high blood sugar and high hemoglobin, at which my doctor recommended I stop smoking as well... I don't smoke though.Regardless, they were considering a colonoscopy.So as a recently new routine (Maybe a week ago) I take one in the morning (7am), another around lunch (11am), another before dinner(4pm), and one a few hours before I go to bed (9pm). This seems to help, but I still get worried/anxious about it when I'm out. I'm in fear especially since I start college in late August. I'm going to be at college from 9am to as late as 4pm sometimes and then I have to find a job because I decided to be a commuter. And even though this medicine seems to work, and control/regulate my symptoms, I don't seem hungry as often as usual. Granted, everything I put into my system was typically processed in 5-15 minutes. Now it seems like food takes a lot longer to process, and I wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing?I suppose the main key points, to get right down to it are:-Any tips on getting through college with IBS?-In your personal opinions, does it sound like a case of IBS?-Is there anything you would personally recommend that may help?Oh dear, it seems I'm letting it rule my life... =.= I'd like to reclaim it. Well, what is left of it.


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## Christina0806 (Mar 11, 2011)

Hey!Well first off, I'm Christina and I'm 20, and I have IBS- C, and I have had this condition for 8 years now. It's definitely a life changer. But I have some tips for you.Okay, so if you don't like your doctor, I would definitely change and get someone else. That made all the difference for me. Like if you feel sick and think something is not right with your body don't settle on someone that doesn't seem to care about you. I saw someone for a year that I hated, and she would never listen to me. I just kept getting sicker and I felt horrible all the time, but still she would try different tests every once in awhile but not really proactive about it. I changed my doctor and he suggested getting my gallbladder out and trying this new medicine, which has helped so much!! If you have this condition, you need a doctor that knows what they are doing and can help you. This isn't all in your head, and you're paying a doctor to help you. Diet is a HUGE part of this condition. Everything is trial and error. It hasn't gotten better for me yet but I'm still working on it. What kind of things do you eat on a daily basis? Another thing, is I would start making a food journal, it really helped me. And keep foods you know don't upset your stomach in the house or with you when you go out. I know eating out is very high stress and really makes me anxious. Is that hard for you right now? Some foods that are really good are cucumbers, chicken noodle soup (light) and special k plain. Those are safe foods for me always.Also, I'm in college right now. I'll be a junior in the fall. It has been difficult for sure! My worst times are in the morning. When do you feel the worst? You need to schedule your classes for times that are best for you. Last semester I had two 8 am classes and I had to drop them because I had a flare up for 2 weeks and couldn't go to that class. Also, colleges have this thing called Student Disabilities. It's a program that helps students with health issues like us. It has been awesome for me! I get extra time on tests, and I get excuses when I can't make it to my test. Also, I get a flexible attendance policy. Lastly, you can ask for a note taker for the days you aren't there. It's so helpful, I would definitely sign up for this through your university.Let me know if you have anymore questions, I would be happy to help! Here's my personal email address if you want; [email protected] luck, you're not alone!


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## Tyger (May 17, 2011)

Hello Christina, thanks for the reply =] And sorry I didn't reply sooner.*"What kind of things do you eat on a daily basis?"*I typically skipped breakfast and lunch. Dinner on a daily basis is usually some kind of meat, like Hamburger, and a few vegetables. We tend to eat out a lot as well (McDonalds, Burger King, Arby's, Kings Restaurant, etc.)*"When do you feel the worst?"*Definitely mornings for me as well. There've been a few times where I could've sworn I had/have an infection ontop of IBS, but my doctor said I was gaining weight now, instead of losing. So there isn't any reason to believe I have an infection of the bowels.And the problem with my college is I chose it because it was accredited, cheap, and a transfer program. They only have one class in the morning for Chemistry (my major) though.*"Also, colleges have this thing called Student Disabilities."*I'll be sure to remember that. *"Another thing, is I would start making a food journal, it really helped me. And keep foods you know don't upset your stomach in the house or with you when you go out. I know eating out is very high stress and really makes me anxious. Is that hard for you right now?"*I started a few days ago, thinking that I should keep track of what I eat and how I feel since my memory doesn't serve me well with that.The doctors started me on Citalopram to control anxiety, actually. I started this maybe a week or so ago. It really seems to be helping more than my Dicyclomine was, but I am taking them both.I was told that is this specific pain in my back returns to go to the ER. I've been informed that it may be something up with my Gallbladder and it might need removed sooner or later.It just kind of sucks that this is all happening now, a few months before college. Not only do I have that, possibly diabetes (Just got my bloodwork in today), and my wisdom teeth are impacted =.=*"This isn't all in your head, and you're paying a doctor to help you."*For the longest time, I thought it was all in my head =PIt does feel better knowing I'm not the only one though.


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