# IBS has taken over



## sadzombie (Jan 2, 2014)

Hello , i'm a newbie to this site but from reading your experiences it made me feel able to tell my own IBS life. I've had IBS C ever since first school and over the years , I'm now 33 , its developed into IBS A. If I had a pound for every time i've had to go to the bathroom for hours at a time i'd be a millionaire !!! Due to days off school I made no friends , was an easy target for being teased and as a result failed my exams. I used to work in retail but with days off due to IBS and frequent bathroom breaks IBS was getting me bad marks , so I learnt if I wanted to stay there it would be easier not to eat which resulted in being unhealthy thin and develop other health issues. I now work part time cleaning , always a toilet where I go !! Doesn't make me much money , 33 still at home , no skills , no qualifications , to scared stressed anxious to go out and if I do have to I have to know where all the toilets are and not eat days in advance. I've had cameras up and down , colonic , wheat free diet , dairy free diet , fibre sure , Idrolax , Muvical , probiotic drinks , Dulculax , laxatives , exlax , colax , merbentyl , Imodium , peppermint drinks and capsules , buscopan , aloe vera capsules , colpermin , counselling and take Tramadol. I've got a permanent pyramid of poop ! I can go weeks without a bowel movement and when I do go I can't stop. I have days where I can't take the pain anymore. I know the neighbours talk about me saying its just tummy ache and i'm lazy , so passing out while of the toilet with diarrhea and ending up in A & E again having pain relief to stop the spasms then get constipation again then the diarrhea is me being lazy with tummy ache!!! Thank you for letting be able to have a place to talk with others in the same situation that won't be judgemental


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## ashleybug1 (Jan 4, 2014)

You for sure arnt alone!! I joined today on this website because maybe talking about it will help make it go away. But I feel like im starting to become depressed with my life because I want to be able to go on hikes and to have a relationship without worrying im going to go to the bathroom. I feel like knowing im not alone some what helps. All I can say is KEPP CALM POOP STRONG haha


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## sadzombie (Jan 2, 2014)

Hello Ashley. Sometimes talking with people in the same boat does help , I completely understand the depression side of IBS ,

its like everybody around you is achieving goals in their lives and all that enters my head is where's the bathroom !! Hiking solution is one I follow, toilet roll , cleaning wipes , plastic bag etc . I've had no choice but to use a bush !!


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## sadzombie (Jan 2, 2014)

Feel at a complete loss today , stomach cramps , cant eat , headache , depressed. IBS needs to be acknowledged as a known sickness. Its bad enough feeling how I do with trying to explain IBS to people who think its a crap excuse.


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## Chaterinater (Jan 7, 2014)

I understand completely I'm 17 & in my last year of sixth form before university, I haven't yet been diagnosed as IBS yet but I'm pretty sure that's what I have (waiting for a doctors appointment). For about 5months I get pains a lot, gas & need to go to the Toliet a lot (diharrea). So at schools it's not easy, I'm always leaving school because I'm in such bad pain and I keep trying to change my diet but nothing seems to help. I've been so down about it and it's making everything worse. I have told my boyfriend and parents but I have now told 3 of my best friends and they have been amazing and so understand, I have now told the school and they are wondering why I'm not in and they were also very understand. However it still doesn't help me, constant pains and needing the toilet while at school isn't ideal, I have exams and have to sit for 2 and a half hours - not easy I'm sure you understand. Not eating appears to help as I've also felt like I need to be sick and very fatigued, Rennes also give me some relief from pain but I was wondering what do you eat and handle school life? I really don't know what to do .


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## angelusgutmann (Jan 7, 2014)

I started with diarrhea on Feb 2013. I think it was due to my new job (which required me to move to the US) and some stress relate to instability in the job, although, if I think back, I can remember having episodes of severe constipation (about seven years ago in Spain) and dhiarrea/constipation (while I was living in my country).

After a year of these weird new symptoms, I am learning to manage them, at least from the social point of view. It was very distressing having to quickly find a toilet anywhere... How it has affected me? Well, it is kind of stressful to accept invitations for dinner and walking around the city.

But as we say in my family: "Prefiero perder un amigo que una tripa". It means that I'd rather lose a friend than my intestines. This is something you can control to some extent but not simply erradicate from your life. If your friends are not willing to understand it, some other friends will come along. If your boyfriend/girlfriend cannot understand it, some one else better will come. If you are walking around the city and you gotta run to find a toilet, well, go ahead and make everyone wait. If it ends up smelly for the next person, well, very sorry for that but there is nothing we can possibly do about it.

I started being teased a little at my office because of that. Since it is very uncomfortable to leave the bathroom very smelly, I tried flushing frequently while I was there. Some colleagues noted it and started talking behind my back. And I remembered what my parents used to tell me about peer pressure. Unoccupied people remark on shallow things like that. If people talk about you and make fun of you, let them! It will only increase your stress and worsen the condition if you worry about it. You just go ahead living your life and coping with symptoms the best you can for your own good. Really valuable people will not push you away because of a physic condition, only shallow people will. And that is the kind of people you rather avoid by letting them pass through your life without influencing it very much.

Hope it helps. Have a good one!


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## shelivin (Aug 8, 2013)

hello I to a an ibsd sufferer and have been for 6 yrs. im a 34 yr old female. the past yr has been the worst and ended up having a breakdown and having to leave my job in a supermarket that i worked at for 7 yrs. I am married and have a teenage son. I was in constant pain while at work and taking a full box of Imodium to get through the day and wouldn't eat or drink so felt so ill with no energy and my job was fast paced and not so easy to dash to the loo which was very embarrassing! my manager nor the rest of the staff understood and gave me a hard time. I had worry at home to with family and money problems and it all got to much. I never went out and like yourself needed to know where the toilets are etc. panicked being on public transport to the point I litrally cant go on a bus without having a panic attack! I have had all the scans done tried so many meds. I am now on mebreverine, ampytriptyline and codine. I have been to the point of wanting to end my life! I never left the house for 5 month and have just started to go out for a short time with my husband and panic and feel anxious the whole time! so ibsd has took over my life and affected my family life dramatically.


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## sadzombie (Jan 2, 2014)

Hello Shelivin , I completely sympathise with you. I'm sorry your boss and staff didn't understand your IBS, it's not fair that IBS isn't understood enough to make none suffers aware, if they had any care and consideration then you would still be working there. I've been looking into home jobs but so many are scams. The constant worry never goes away which doesn't help the IBS, its a constant struggle. Its good you have started little outings with your husband, I managed to go to town with my boyfriend yesterday, shamefully admit I didn't eat in advance though







we just went around the shops having a nosey, I was proud I went out but all the nerves about going caused the same pains, headaches etc. Take care


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## sadzombie (Jan 2, 2014)

URGH!! That dreaded moment you see someone you used to know ! You get the Hello , how are you ? then it comes What are you doing now ? My options 1 - Lie , I'm good thank you , I work in retail have my own place etc

2- Due to health reasons I can only manage 8 hours work a week. reply What's been the matter ? now how do you explain IBS when the response I get is , Oh that's tummy ache isn't it.

3- Truth , I'm 33 live at home suffer anxiety , depression , don't work , am either in bed on pain relief , severely constipation or S#%T myself


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## Chaterinater (Jan 7, 2014)

Update - getting better!!
Since I posted this things have got better, they got worse before though. First of all my doctors referred me to a specialist 5months ago and I have finally just got a appointment that's 2months away, this is annoying but atleast I have one!! 
I got a lot of different medication just from my GP but what helped me the most was tablets to help my acid reflux, eating more and at the right times!!! And calming down! 
I have only ever soiled myself once, and this is when my troubles started, I wasn't stressed out about it until the constant pains causing me to think I was going to soil myself again but this was over 8months ago for about 2months I have learnt to relax and calm down because stressing isn't going to help, I still get stressed when I'm on buses and things but I can try to control it - sounds hard but try it! 
Eating more: so I basically lost around a stone in 2months because I felt the less I eat, the less pain and then I won't need to go to the Toliet as much. It probably sounds stupid. But this made the pain so much worse and I had diahorrea more!! My mum and dad finally asked me what was wrong due to me losing weight and I told them and they said that this is making you even worse, and they were right!! I eat more food and more regually and it really does help. 
Next the acid tablets help my stomach to hurt less and stop these weird stabbing pains 
Finally Imodium is my saviour!! I take 4 a week maybe? But it helps me so much and I find I worry less as well.
None of this May help you and I still get pains and diahorrea but this is how I'm learning to cope.


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