# anxiety attacks



## mcook (Dec 7, 2008)

Hi. new to the forum. can anyone tell me if anxiety attacks are normal with ibs with diarrhea, and how to control them?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I wouldn't say normal, but it does seem a lot of people have both.However anxiety and IBS are both common and I don't know if they go together more often than one would expect due to chance. It does seem when someone has both it can be a vicious cycle where it one sets the other off.There are a lot of treatments for anxiety, and if you can't get enough relief from one of the self help books that has some do-it-yourself techniques it is worth talking to your doctor and see if either therapy or medication might be appropriate for you.


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## rockingirl (Jan 10, 2008)

mcook said:


> Hi. new to the forum. can anyone tell me if anxiety attacks are normal with ibs with diarrhea, and how to control them?


I developed anxiety attacks from IBS. I'm taking effexor for them, and it's a lot better now. I can do things that before would have given me an anxiety attack. But it hasn't been a miracle cure. I can still get them, they're just a lot less frequent.


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## mandygirl (Dec 8, 2008)

I am a 25 year old female who was diagnosed with ibs when i was 14. I was told by my gastro Doc that stress and my anxiety issues played a huge role in my ibs symptoms. If you visit webmd.com and type in ibs, there is a section that talks about anxiety and ibs along with alot more info on the subject. hope i was a help.


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2008)

Well done Mandy - I am sorry you are battling with anxiety. My IBS is very mild but I have battled with anxiety/depression most of my adult life. It is a horrible chicken and egg situation sometimes isn't it - where you feel c**p, get stressed and cos you are stressed - this plays havoc with your physical symptoms and so on. Any resources that address both of the symptoms is bound to be useful.A very warm welcome to the site from dark, dank Manchester, UK.Sue


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## jasonibs9 (Dec 1, 2008)

yea like sue & kathleen were saying , its a vicious cycle where both feed the other... I know when I get a bad anxiety attack I can almost be assured of having bathroom problems the following morning. Or from the other side , if I drank the night before and I get IBS in the morning I tend to get anxiety because I don't feel better for an entire day. I begin applying pressure on myself to get healed which causes more anxiety. So yea they go hand and hand for millions of people .


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## mandygirl (Dec 8, 2008)

sue, thank you for the welcome, i also suffer from depression along with my anxiety, when i was reading your response, i smiled because evrything you stated was so true. my mother and grandmother suffer from depression/anxiety but i am the only one that suffers from the ibs. i have learned over the years that with my anxiety that i have to learn how to pick my battles and not "sweat the small stuff." but its easier said than done. again i just want to thank you for the warm welcome. jessica


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2008)

Oh hun - you are more than welcome and you are quite right about picking your battles - I've been up since 4.30am today cos my son is sitting his theory driving test - I dunno why - its not that big a deal - but I'm not quite sure how to get there and have been plotting the route endlessly - stupid for a grown woman of 46 innit!!!!Its interesting what you say about depression running in families - it was only when I was very ill in the spring of 2006 (I've been well and on anti-d's since) that my dad told me his father commited suicide and he'd battled with depression whilst a law student at Cambridge.I hope you can do some reading and research and get a handle on your physical symptoms. Stay in touch won't you.Sue xxx


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## RichardW (Nov 24, 2008)

I'd say so. I suffer badly with anxiety, always have, and I know my IBS is much worse when I'm feeling low. Unfortunately its a vicious cycle, as others have said, as its pretty hard to cheer yourself up when you're having a bad time with IBS. I'm trying couselling and hypnotherapy at the moment, with mixed results. Counselling really isn't achieving much at the minute, but occasionally I have felt better from hypnotherapy.


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## carlie (Nov 23, 2008)

Hi! I use a product for anxiety called rescue remedy, its an all natural product available from the chemist. I usually put a few drops in my water when anxiety hits, or if I am going to be doing something that will bring on an attack (flying in particular) but they also come in lozenges which i haven't tried yet.


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## mcook (Dec 7, 2008)

Hi! thanks for the responses. i have spoken to my doctor, and she prescribed ativan .5mg for anxiety. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but like all drugs that have been prescribed for me for ibs the past 12 years, i don't want to get my hopes up. I have 3 small kids i stay home and take care of, so i'm hoping the medication doesn't make me too drowsy. I was also diagnosed as having costochondritis. I take protonix 80mg a day for GERD/IBS. I just really feel like throwing in the towel. I guess it is hard to distinguish which condition causes the chest pain. I just want to feel better again and not have my 5 year old ask me if i am having a "bad belly day". Take care everyone, and thanks again for the advice.


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## mandygirl (Dec 8, 2008)

just wanted to let mcook know that ativan my make you sleepy for the first few days, it should not last long but just becareful, if you take it everyday and then you miss one, your body my go through withdrawls. ativan is a pretty strong med, but everyone responds differently to meds. the only reason i say this is because i have been put on several meds in the past before i found the right one and i also work as a medical asst. and phlebotomist so i see alot of patients that have gone through the same things as me. hopefully this will work for you!!!! good luck!! ps. i know what you mean about having your child ask you about your belly, my son asks it too!jessica


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## SassySooner (Dec 23, 2008)

Hi, I'm new to the forum too (first day, actually) and I'm new to IBS. I developed it in August after a strep infection in my colon. Anyway, I have experienced anxiety with a D attack, but pretty mild compared to the panic attacks I was having last year. I would highly recommend you check out www.midwestcenter.com. Their 16-week online program saved my life. I was nearly homebound with anxiety and panic and now I'm living a relatively normal life. Now that I've developed IBS, I'm looking for a similar "cure." Good luck to you!


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

For me, developing the D led to perfectly reasonable anxieties, especially around work and social situations, which led to more D in a self-fulfilling circle. Then there were additional anxieties as the severity got worse and the likelihood of it stopping from dietary and habit changes alone got less and less. When I finally found a treatment to stop the bowel problem, the anxiety problem cease, as well. Mark


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## rockingirl (Jan 10, 2008)

overitnow said:


> For me, developing the D led to perfectly reasonable anxieties, especially around work and social situations, which led to more D in a self-fulfilling circle. Then there were additional anxieties as the severity got worse and the likelihood of it stopping from dietary and habit changes alone got less and less. When I finally found a treatment to stop the bowel problem, the anxiety problem cease, as well. Mark


Good explanation. I'm so sick of doctors saying, 'oh, well you need to see a psychologist.' It's like, if you had D all the time, you'd be anxious too! If the D went away, so would the anxiety.


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## magoo (Dec 4, 1999)

Hi, as a mom of two under 5 I know how you feel. My greatest battle is doing errands while taking the kids out with me and NOT having anxiety issues. I think with IBS-D we all have some type of anxiety. It's basically how you tell yourself over and over in your head that in the grand scheme of things is it worth getting all worked up. The bright spot is that we are stay-at-home moms and can take things as they come.


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## Lillett (Jun 4, 2006)

I can tell you that my IBS-D does give me anxiety attacks because I am always worried about whether I will have to go, will there be a bathroom, can I get to it in time? It really leads to me not wanting to leave the house. But with that in mind, if your attacks are severe you should speak with a Dr. for medical advice. I found the IBS 100 to be very, very helpful with dealing with these attacks.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Some people have both anxiety and IBS.IBS symptoms do seem to set off any anxiety people may have.http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showforum=31 is our forum for managing anxiety and it would help if people would use that to discuss their anxiety issues.You may also want to seek out an anxiety support group (on line or in person) or professional help for the anxiety if you cannot manage it on your own


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## baz22p (Dec 1, 2008)

First of all a big welcome to all the 'newbies'. As so many people have already said, IBS D and anxiety/depression go 'hand-in-hand' - chicken and egg, etc., and I want to add my support to those who are begining to suffer with this combination. Anxiety and depression tends to have a nagative and adverse effect on your physical welfare (think how you may have got worked-up - and the feeling of 'butterflies, or even a tummy upset - just before a test or exam or job interview). Alternatively,think how worked-up and 'anxious' you become about the possible effects of diarrheoa.Breaking this cycle is the really difficult thing. Sometimes medications help, although these can have various side effects; but the other way (which is often the more difficult) is to adapt/alter the way your psyche handles the mental effects. Before I get out of my depth, I would suggest the best initial way of dealing with this is to peruse some of the excellent literature that is now out there, but please do NOT sensationalise and obsess about some of the 'alternatives' they may mention - any concerns they raise should be talked-over with a medical professional (ie doctor).Baz


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## DaddyPaul (Jan 6, 2009)

Another new guy here. I have many of the same issues already discussed here. I worry when I do leave the house that I will have an episode, will I make it to a bathroom, is there a bathroom, etc.It has gotten to the point that I rarely leave the house, thus I miss a lot of the kid's activities which sucks. My entire day revolves around planning my next bathroom check point. When I go from point A to point B, I must know where the bathroom is at point B or I freak out.I've been on Lexapro in the past for it (20mg daily) but didn't like some of the side effects associated with it and took myself off. I don't know which is worse, worrying about my stomach or not worrying about ANYTHING at all which is what the Lexapro did to me.


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## baz22p (Dec 1, 2008)

Hi,I know exactly how you feel. I organise all my trips out by plotting the convenient loo stops! But a little tip that has helped my confidence (if you haven't already thought of it): In the back of my car I keep, what I call, an emergency clean-up kit. It comprises of a clean pair of underpants and a packet of baby wipes. You can add other things too if you want. It means that if the worst does happen then I can still cope. Yes, it is annoying and uncomfortable should it happen, and the consequences aren't pleasant, but at least it doesn't stop me from everything that I want to do. It doesn't stop the IBS of course but it means that I can face my fears better.Baz


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