# Mild IBS but a lot of anxiety/nervousness



## tommy_b

_(Firstly to mods - I posted this in the "Your story" board, however I don't know whether this would be a better place for it)_Hello all, I couldn't really imagine finding myself here as I never really discuss my problems with anyone. I feel rather bad for just posting and asking for advice as I have not contributed myself yet, I must admit I do wonder what useful advice I can provide as I can see my problems are nowhere near as big as many others. To be honest I am still not sure whether I have IBS&#8230; see symptoms below. I will try and keep this post as short as possible and summarise with bullet points as I could ramble on all day&#8230;. My digestive problems started a couple of years ago; up until then I was a 'normal' one or two a day kind of guy with no thoughts or worries about bowel movements. -	Diagnosed with IBS around 2 and half years ago after many tests including a sidgmoidoscopy. -	Symptoms are not exactly extreme i.e. I don't have chronic diarrheal or constipation but consist of frequent bowel movements with urgency. Some very occasional D and mucus with a lot of bloating. -	BM's can range from 3-10 a day and are usually incomplete, stools are usually well formed though- Often never feel 'empty', sometimes I can go 3-4 times in a hour or so. -	Cannot find any food/drink that makes things worse, there is no pattern, i.e. I can have exactly the same foods one day and be fine then the next day be unwell. -	I often get very tired even though I am very fit and exercise every day. -	Some days I will have a lot of nausea throughout the day I have a long running history of anxiety, throughout my school years I really screwed up and just ended up not going due to a phobia of vomiting (saw a psychiatrist&#8230; took meds, counselling etc). I however turned my life around and re-sat my exams, went to college and now I'm nearly finishing uni. I hadn't been suffering with anxiety since school until I started getting the IBS symptoms. I thought I could manage them but I live in constant worry about doing anything as I'm always concentrating on my bowels, I also worry about having to use the toilet frequently in front of my girlfriend and friends. (Strange I know&#8230. Last year I tried to push past this and took a work placement with the biggest IT company in the world which was a big step for me. This involved me moving away from home and living with sharers but it was an opportunity that I could not miss. I managed only 6 months of the years' work placement as my anxiety levels grew and I found it too hard to live away from home in a house with one bathroom between four people. The stress of work did not help also. During this period I started taking an SSRI (Citalopram) which in fact did not help at all but gave bad side effects. I begged the doctor for some strong anti-anxiety meds (Valium) to get me through the last 6 months but alas they would not prescribe. So now I find myself back home and starting my last year of uni again in a few months, I take the liquid form of Immodium with mixed results to slow things down and just try to get on with life.Things are getting tough though and I am nervous for the majority of the day. I know it seems stupid but all I can think about is if I will need to use the bathroom when there isn't one available. I also have been seeing my girlfriend for 3 months and I am contemplating breaking up with her because I feel it too hard to deal with my own problems whilst I am around others. I know this is bad as I just try and isolate myself more and make more excuses as to why I don't want to go out with friends. I am also worried about my IBS getting worse, I guess this is a possibility with the anxiety that I experience? I have been given a script for beta-blockers by the Dr, however I rarely get bad panic attacks and just find myself anxious all the time. (I don't think beta-blockers will help me with the anxiety symptoms). The strange thing is when I'm not nervous and am just sitting at home my stomach can still play up so I know it's not all triggered by my nerves. My next step is going to see a private Psychiatrist as I cannot get a referral from my GP who will hopefully help me deal with the anxiety. I know this is an IBS forum but I believe my anxiety is purely trigged by the IBS, hence why I have written so much about it. I know this was a long post but if anyone has read through it I would love to hear some feedback/advice as I feel really low. Once again sorry to everyone else that has it worse than me. Cheers Tom


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## jadjac

I don't have a lot of advice, but I can relate. I started having panic attacks a few years ago, and I have stopped most of my social activities because I feel so horrible in the mornings that I don't want to commit to doing anything with friends. I also am VERY uncomfortable if I am somewhere that I don't have quick access to the bathroom, whether I know where it is or not. I am a stay at home mom and I stopped taking my kids to playdates at friends' houses because I didn't want to stink up their bathrooms or be in their bathroom all morning. I stopped going to the zoo or playgrounds with friends because I don't want to be struck with a bathroom emergency and be nowhere near one, or have to leave my four kids with my friend while I go and try to work out my bathroom problems alone. Now I feel like I have no friends left, and my kids are getting older and I am starting to look into going back into the workforce. My options are to jump into a job with the training I have or to go back to school and I cannot decide which one will be better considering my need for a bathroom. I think it is ridiculous that I plan my life around my bowel movements, but that is what it has become. In my experience, what you are going through and feeling is normal to IBS and all you can do is keep trying to find something that makes it better for you. Currently I am experimenting with a diet, supplements and meds and I *think* things are starting to look up for me. I hope that you can find something that will work for you too.


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## BQ

TomTell your GP you need a therapist to help you learn how to deal and manage your anxiety. See our CBT/Hypnotherapy Forum for more info about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.Jadac get yourself treated as well. There is NO reason for either of you to suffer. Anxiety is completely treatable!


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## tommy_b

jadjac said:


> TomTell your GP you need a therapist to help you learn how to deal and manage your anxiety. See our CBT/Hypnotherapy Forum for more info about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.Jadac get yourself treated as well. There is NO reason for either of you to suffer. Anxiety is completely treatable!


Yes I really should do, I just feel very awkward when I go to see the doctor. He often seems to make out I have no real issues and give me some tablets that I don't want. I really want to see a consultant Psychiatrist but at £300 for a first consultation they are not cheap! I will head over to that forum now and have a browse.... Thanks


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## cookies4marilyn

There is hope for both of you - please believe me! Take a peek at the links below. IBS has such a strong brain-gut connection. I was housebound with IBS and nothing helped me until I looked into clinical hypnotherapy - the IBS Audio Program - which comes from England. It is very cost effective compared to other treatments and helps in the long-term. If you have any questions, please do feel free to ask me - the IBS Audio Program is used at St. Mark's Hospital in London and has helped people worldwide - many GPs and gastros refer patients to it.Please feel free to ask me any questions - I am happy to help! There IS hope - truly.


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## AliUK

So pleased to read this - I'm very sorry to hear you are suffering like this, but there is an innevitable sense of relief when you can find someone you can relate to completely!!! you arent the only one!dont give up! I completely understand your girlfriend problems.. I have been with my boyfriend for 3 years and I am STILL not ok with IBS around him and his housemates! but he is understanding about it and the worry is all in my head I know.I cant offer much advice as I am battling through the same thing. I had depression in my first year at uni, I have improved a huge amount and switched uni but these problems dont go away overnihgt. anxiety will trigger IBS immediately and although I dont have really extreme symptoms it is still very distressing.I'm not sure that his post will help much.. but I just wanted to show some support!All the best! alice x


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## AliUK

oh also! this may not help you but it is how I am learning to deal with my anxiety -I have started meditating lately just to calm myself a bit. Not spiritual at all, just sitting and focusing on breathing and being aware of how your body feels without trying to change the feelings. In the past I have become so obsessed by how my gut feels that I make it worse. it really does help to just notice the feelings and just accept how you feel in that moment. hard to explain, but it does help to calm me.


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