# IBS cold sweats, fainting, bleeding?



## Auburnroseuk (Jan 24, 2012)

Okay, first time I have ever written on one of these blogs but after 10 years of this, I really want to know just how many people get the symptoms I get but I also feel I need to tell my story.......It started around 10 years ago at 22 years old with slight pains, wind and occasionally dizziness but no more than that until one night at about 1am I woke up to the most horrific pain in my belly. Now I have given birth twice and there is no way that that was as painful as what I felt that night.Although I didn't need to go to the toilet, instinctively that's where I felt I needed to be. By this time my face had become white. I felt the colour drain from me and I started sweating to the point my top was drenched in about 2 minutes no exaggeration!I don't remember much after that but remember and it sounds quite comical now, but remember waking up on the landing with my bloody knickers round my ankles with no clue how I go there and that is when the pains really began. I couldn't shout or call for help as I was crippled with pain so banged on the floor where my b'friend came running up not knowing what the hell was going on nor knowing what to do. A few minutes later he emerged with some bicarbonate soda thinking I had bad wind!!! We wont comment on my use of language at that particular moment....I took some Co-Dydramol and after 20 minutes or so the pains subsided but I was so scared. I had no idea what had just happened or what had caused it. I didn't want to go to hospital so decided to go back to bed. I felt for the next few days total exhaustion and bewilderment.I looked up my symptoms but couldn't really find anything (10 years ago remember!). It commented on the pains but not the white out, sweating or fainting)I had slight attacks from then on in every few months or so. Not bad like before but enough to cause me discomfort.The second time I had a major attack I was in a restaurant and I felt out of no where the familiar pain and was instantly filled with fear. I went to the ladies and then came the cold sweat. I knew I had to get out of there and literally went back and said "we got to get out of her NOW!" 5 minutes later I was lying outside on the curb passed out and by the time I came round the pain was more intense than before.I really don't to this day believe my ex really believed I was in that much pain!But this time I knew I needed to go (ladies) I got home, ran up the stairs and I won't hold back, we are in an IBS room after all, it was like an explosion in my a**!!!! and I was in that room for a very long time.....For days after I could barely walk and ended up with piles and bleeding for days after. Again I had cramps and felt totally exhausted but this time it affected me mentally. What if I was driving and I had an attack? or on the street and I can't get home? or with the kids! It really knocked my confidence and I have always been so outgoing. Every pain I had I panicked over and it really effected me. I told the girls, "if we are ever out, the code word is get me home now". They all knew the drill but I was that worried, I felt I need to do that!.Now I need to explain something, at the time this was my daily life. I had three kids, my now ex had a mastoid hemorrhage and had to have correctional surgery which totally transformed his personality (went from lovely to aggressive) I had three companies to take over and run with no previous experience (actually did a better job to be fair), a witch of a mother in law to contend with amongst other things (nanny witch)! We worked in entertainment so my job was 24/7 and after 7 years, regretfully our relationship broke down (due to him having an affair with a blonde two years younger than myself - age does matter...) and I moved back home to my mums for a couple of years to sort myself out, with the kids of course and you know what NO ATTACKS!!!!!!!!!! Not even a tingle!!!!!I lost my house, my job, my partner, my stepdaughter but no attacks??????STRESS!!!!!!!! I finally realised that although I had gone through so much, I had no major stress in my life anymore!!!Stress is what was causing my IBS, I couldn't believe it! After hospital appointments, tubes up my ass, doctors probing around, all I needed to do was to leave my ex (I couldn't leave before, he was ill remember!)I had no attacks for three years, three years of nothing and then bam.....something happened at work last week and normally I wouldn't stress myself out but this was a huge problem and guess what, after 3 years I had another attack and this time although not as bad as the restaurant one, had me crawling and groaning all the way to the tablet box and guess what, I couldn't reach and couldn't stand as I felt my legs were giving way. I was drenched with sweat and shaking like a leaf. It was dark and I reached out to what I thought was paracetamol but unfortunately was throat numbing tablets so not only was I in intense pain, I know had two tablets lodged in my throat giving me heartburn so I felt I was having a heart attack!! I then had to make myself sick to get rid of them. Whilst sitting on the loo, I literally had to concentrate and breath so I didn't pass out because I could feel myself going the whole time, swaying about and totally out of it.My point is was bad enough and guess what, STRESS! I made a decision to confront the MD against my judgement if only for my health and it went fine, he was totally cool. Now its over with, I realise just how stressed out about it I was. A weight has been lifted.I know I may have gone on about my situation but this is the first time I have ever actually talked openly or even really thought about it fully myself. I have tried to ignore this as much as possible but it wont go away.Now I know I need to do something about it. Diet doesn't really effect me, that much I have proved but stress does so I need to look into my life and try to balance everything and make myself calmer.I work full time and am a single mother to two children so of course stress is going to come hand in had with that but I am going to look into alternative things like yoga, meditation etc and see how it goes.I will keep you updated but would love to hear of anyone else who, if you manage to get this far without falling asleep, has had the same symptoms and fears as me!!L x


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## Dr Peter Thatcher (Jun 24, 2010)

Auburnroseuk, thank you for posting your symptoms. You have clearly been through so much and you acknowledge that stress is the trigger for your IBS symptoms. Your symptoms are classic and its almost as if you expect the attacks to occur when this happens (perfectly understandable I must add!). Such severity of pain is not uncommon in IBS and I have seen many sufferers who feint with the pain being so intense. Its easy to say that to stop your attacks you need to avoid stress, but this isn't always possible. There are options open to you in this situation. One thing that really may benefit you is hypnotherapy. This is evidenced based and the reason why I think it might help you is through the ability to help you deal with stressful situations as well as helping tackle your IBS head on. Think about it, its a "non-invasive" way of dealing with your symptoms. I don't think medications are going to help in your situation as you have had such a long period between attacks. Taking medications such as tricyclic antidepressants for years to help with pain seems illogical to me. A more lengthy period of stress would be a different situation though. Stress management may help, but the only real way of finding out is to try these options. If your stress is now gone and you don't anticipate any further stressful situations then you may be better off doing nothing. The choice is yours in this situation. I hope this is helpful to you and I wish you good health in the future. B/W


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## JSolo (Jan 27, 2012)

Auburnroseuk said:


> Okay, first time I have ever written on one of these blogs but after 10 years of this, I really want to know just how many people get the symptoms I get but I also feel I need to tell my story.......It started around 10 years ago at 22 years old with slight pains, wind and occasionally dizziness but no more than that until one night at about 1am I woke up to the most horrific pain in my belly. Now I have given birth twice and there is no way that that was as painful as what I felt that night.Although I didn't need to go to the toilet, instinctively that's where I felt I needed to be. By this time my face had become white. I felt the colour drain from me and I started sweating to the point my top was drenched in about 2 minutes no exaggeration!I don't remember much after that but remember and it sounds quite comical now, but remember waking up on the landing with my bloody knickers round my ankles with no clue how I go there and that is when the pains really began. I couldn't shout or call for help as I was crippled with pain so banged on the floor where my b'friend came running up not knowing what the hell was going on nor knowing what to do. A few minutes later he emerged with some bicarbonate soda thinking I had bad wind!!! We wont comment on my use of language at that particular moment....I took some Co-Dydramol and after 20 minutes or so the pains subsided but I was so scared. I had no idea what had just happened or what had caused it. I didn't want to go to hospital so decided to go back to bed. I felt for the next few days total exhaustion and bewilderment.I looked up my symptoms but couldn't really find anything (10 years ago remember!). It commented on the pains but not the white out, sweating or fainting)I had slight attacks from then on in every few months or so. Not bad like before but enough to cause me discomfort.The second time I had a major attack I was in a restaurant and I felt out of no where the familiar pain and was instantly filled with fear. I went to the ladies and then came the cold sweat. I knew I had to get out of there and literally went back and said "we got to get out of her NOW!" 5 minutes later I was lying outside on the curb passed out and by the time I came round the pain was more intense than before.I really don't to this day believe my ex really believed I was in that much pain!But this time I knew I needed to go (ladies) I got home, ran up the stairs and I won't hold back, we are in an IBS room after all, it was like an explosion in my a**!!!! and I was in that room for a very long time.....For days after I could barely walk and ended up with piles and bleeding for days after. Again I had cramps and felt totally exhausted but this time it affected me mentally. What if I was driving and I had an attack? or on the street and I can't get home? or with the kids! It really knocked my confidence and I have always been so outgoing. Every pain I had I panicked over and it really effected me. I told the girls, "if we are ever out, the code word is get me home now". They all knew the drill but I was that worried, I felt I need to do that!.Now I need to explain something, at the time this was my daily life. I had three kids, my now ex had a mastoid hemorrhage and had to have correctional surgery which totally transformed his personality (went from lovely to aggressive) I had three companies to take over and run with no previous experience (actually did a better job to be fair), a witch of a mother in law to contend with amongst other things (nanny witch)! We worked in entertainment so my job was 24/7 and after 7 years, regretfully our relationship broke down (due to him having an affair with a blonde two years younger than myself - age does matter...) and I moved back home to my mums for a couple of years to sort myself out, with the kids of course and you know what NO ATTACKS!!!!!!!!!! Not even a tingle!!!!!I lost my house, my job, my partner, my stepdaughter but no attacks??????STRESS!!!!!!!! I finally realised that although I had gone through so much, I had no major stress in my life anymore!!!Stress is what was causing my IBS, I couldn't believe it! After hospital appointments, tubes up my ass, doctors probing around, all I needed to do was to leave my ex (I couldn't leave before, he was ill remember!)I had no attacks for three years, three years of nothing and then bam.....something happened at work last week and normally I wouldn't stress myself out but this was a huge problem and guess what, after 3 years I had another attack and this time although not as bad as the restaurant one, had me crawling and groaning all the way to the tablet box and guess what, I couldn't reach and couldn't stand as I felt my legs were giving way. I was drenched with sweat and shaking like a leaf. It was dark and I reached out to what I thought was paracetamol but unfortunately was throat numbing tablets so not only was I in intense pain, I know had two tablets lodged in my throat giving me heartburn so I felt I was having a heart attack!! I then had to make myself sick to get rid of them. Whilst sitting on the loo, I literally had to concentrate and breath so I didn't pass out because I could feel myself going the whole time, swaying about and totally out of it.My point is was bad enough and guess what, STRESS! I made a decision to confront the MD against my judgement if only for my health and it went fine, he was totally cool. Now its over with, I realise just how stressed out about it I was. A weight has been lifted.I know I may have gone on about my situation but this is the first time I have ever actually talked openly or even really thought about it fully myself. I have tried to ignore this as much as possible but it wont go away.Now I know I need to do something about it. Diet doesn't really effect me, that much I have proved but stress does so I need to look into my life and try to balance everything and make myself calmer.I work full time and am a single mother to two children so of course stress is going to come hand in had with that but I am going to look into alternative things like yoga, meditation etc and see how it goes.I will keep you updated but would love to hear of anyone else who, if you manage to get this far without falling asleep, has had the same symptoms and fears as me!!L x


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## JSolo (Jan 27, 2012)

Have you been tested for inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Chron's and colitis?


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