# Is a month long flare-up normal?



## Shelby_Mustang (Oct 27, 2010)

I was just wanting to know if having a month long IBS flare up is normalI always have slight nausea and bloating after eating (but i also have chronic indegestian)but when i have a flareup I get very dizzy and fainty when i have to go to the bathroom and i get alot of mucus in my stools. I cant go anywhere cause the second i get in the car i have to GO. I dont have diarreah anymore but I did for awhile. The flareup started October 10th roughly, maybe a few days before. I missed a period and was stressed to begin with. I know ive been extra stressed because my shoulders are always tense and ive been getting tension headaches. Ive also have had some serious depression the past few days. If i begin to control the depression and stress through stress management should the symptoms start to cease? Can it cease within the day or two you rid of the stress or does your bowels need to empty and clear out all the mucus and gas first? Should i take a colon cleanse or will that only temporarily relieve it?I really dont want it to get as bad as last year. Infact it was this time last year I got very stressed, very anxious and it led to serious IBS where I was constantly nauseas, I didnt eat barely anything for a month and developed stress related anorexia. I had an infection in my intestines and bowels that left me in the loo for hours and days. I dont want to go there again. Im also thinking about starting on benefiber and maybe a probiotic. Ive tried align and IBS advantage and those probiotics didnt help me, any suggestions?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It can take awhile to settle back down after all the stress/anxiety/depression is relieved, but IBS can be acting up for months or years on end. Some people are lucky enough to have times when it calms down but others never get a break. Anyway a few weeks of symptoms is not a sign it has to be something else, particularly if these symptoms are typical for you. Stress tends to make it act up (both emotional and physical stress like missing a period).You might try a support hose to keep you from getting as dizzy/faint. That tends to be a drop in blood pressure thing (a BM or abdominal pain can set it off). Also put your head between your legs so the blood stays up in your head.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

Mine was 10 years long...Mark


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## peaches41 (Nov 26, 2008)

I sometimes wonder if it's the depression that causes the flare ups, or the flare ups that cause the depression. They certainly seem to go together.Poor Mark, I'm seven years behind you....


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

I've been suffering since i was a young girl,i'm 47 now!!My severe ibs has ruined my life!!I suffer day in day out,it never lets up!!


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## Agent Anxious (Oct 18, 2010)

I have been suffering for a month with mine. It's normal, not fun but it can act up for a long time.


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## Jackmat (Jun 13, 2005)

Shelby,You can self treat shoulder pain by applying pressure to trigger points located around the upper FRONT chest and shoulder area. Look for sore areas and apply heat and massage. You will have relief from headaches once you stop those muscles spasming.Your gut will improve as a consequence. You can help your gut further by learning to relax and ignoring or laughing at what your gut is doing.Jackmat


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## journ3 (Feb 16, 2009)

[quote name='peaches41'Poor Mark, I'm seven years behind you....[/quote]Me too, just about. First onset of IBS began abruptly and has never stopped yet. I wish I knew what a "flare up" was. However, Mark's experience does give me some hope that even if it is too many years, eventually something will more or less stop it. Unfortunately, in my case, that something is not any of more than 50 currently known conventional and CAM interventions, so I have no idea when that elusive something may come along.


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## Shelby_Mustang (Oct 27, 2010)

I just get really worried because when my IBS is bad I loose weight quickly because I cant eat without severe nausea and stress. I was dangerously thin last time my doctor was worried about me and I definately started feeling the affects of anorexia. It took me a month to loose fifteen pounds and six months to gain it back. I cant go there again..


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