# Urgency!



## MommyL (Sep 1, 2010)

I am sure this is all part of the IBS, but when I have to go, I have to go! Even if I have a normal bowel movement the urge comes on so fast and then I have less than 5 minutes to make it to the bathroom. This has become a huge problem in my life. Recently we had a bad ice storm and I had to get my two children, 1 and 3 years old, across town and we had to stop at McDonald's so I could go to the bathroom. It was so icy out and by the time I got the kids out of their car seats and into the bathroom stall I barely made it. I get paranoid to go any place especially if I have both of my kids I have to take with. Any advice?


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

My first bm of the day can be urgent, although nothing like what it was 12 years ago. That is pretty much all that remains of my 10 years of daily D. I use a daily flavonoid supplement and have not had to deal with all out IBS-D since the end of 1999.Mark


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## everythingishorrible (Jan 26, 2011)

MommyL said:


> I am sure this is all part of the IBS, but when I have to go, I have to go! Even if I have a normal bowel movement the urge comes on so fast and then I have less than 5 minutes to make it to the bathroom. This has become a huge problem in my life. Recently we had a bad ice storm and I had to get my two children, 1 and 3 years old, across town and we had to stop at McDonald's so I could go to the bathroom. It was so icy out and by the time I got the kids out of their car seats and into the bathroom stall I barely made it. I get paranoid to go any place especially if I have both of my kids I have to take with. Any advice?


 Hi,Yes, medication! I have IBS with alternating C and D, but the urgency is the thing that probably bothers me the most (along with pain and nausea). Even if I'm in a C-episode, I will have that urgency and have to run to the bathroom with no results... Anyway! My current GI doc was the first to offer a solution for the urgency which most of my other GI docs dismissed. There were a few options: anti-spasmodics, certain antidepressants, and antihistamines. I've started just with the antihistamine and will add the antidepressant next. I'm avoiding the antismasmodics they've offered, as they all contain habit-forming drugs and I'm not interested in that. Talk to your doc about which specific meds would be right for you... I'm seeing someone who does all IBS-related research and treatment and she has changed my outlook on my IBS completely.The other thing is--do you have that horrible urgency all day? I typically just have it the worst in the morning (but it's BAD and will sometimes last for hours even if I have a BM), and it's accompanied by pain and cramping that takes my breath away. Sometimes nausea so bad I start dry heaving. It used to be really really terrible but there are lots of changes I've made that have helped with it like not eating for at least 4 hours after waking. Lots of the women I've met through my doc and her focus groups do the same--only liquids for breakfast. But they also eliminate morning cups of coffee or tea, as they can cause cramping, D, etc. I guess the goal is to take it easy on your digestive system in the mornings and kind of "get it ready" for real food later in the day. Start by drinking tolerated juices or making your own smoothies with rice/soy/almond milk and any fruits you tolerate well (bananas, blueberries, apples). I personally hate smoothies so I do clear liquids for several hours after waking then a bowl of homemade oatmeal with some brown sugar and cinnamon. I've been doing this every day for about a year and it's helped tremendously. Anyway, good luck! Hope you find some relief soon. It really is a horrible feeling. I've had to turn the car around more than once; can't imagine having the little ones with me.


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

MommyL said:


> Hi,Yes, medication! I have IBS with alternating C and D, but the urgency is the thing that probably bothers me the most (along with pain and nausea). Even if I'm in a C-episode, I will have that urgency and have to run to the bathroom with no results... Anyway! My current GI doc was the first to offer a solution for the urgency which most of my other GI docs dismissed. There were a few options: anti-spasmodics, certain antidepressants, and antihistamines. I've started just with the antihistamine and will add the antidepressant next. I'm avoiding the antismasmodics they've offered, as they all contain habit-forming drugs and I'm not interested in that. Talk to your doc about which specific meds would be right for you... I'm seeing someone who does all IBS-related research and treatment and she has changed my outlook on my IBS completely.The other thing is--do you have that horrible urgency all day? I typically just have it the worst in the morning (but it's BAD and will sometimes last for hours even if I have a BM), and it's accompanied by pain and cramping that takes my breath away. Sometimes nausea so bad I start dry heaving. It used to be really really terrible but there are lots of changes I've made that have helped with it like not eating for at least 4 hours after waking. Lots of the women I've met through my doc and her focus groups do the same--only liquids for breakfast. But they also eliminate morning cups of coffee or tea, as they can cause cramping, D, etc. I guess the goal is to take it easy on your digestive system in the mornings and kind of "get it ready" for real food later in the day. Start by drinking tolerated juices or making your own smoothies with rice/soy/almond milk and any fruits you tolerate well (bananas, blueberries, apples). I personally hate smoothies so I do clear liquids for several hours after waking then a bowl of homemade oatmeal with some brown sugar and cinnamon. I've been doing this every day for about a year and it's helped tremendously. Anyway, good luck! Hope you find some relief soon. It really is a horrible feeling. I've had to turn the car around more than once; can't imagine having the little ones with me.


Which antispasmodics are habit forming? I am not aware of any.


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## TimeToGo (Jul 3, 2009)

MommyL said:


> I am sure this is all part of the IBS, but when I have to go, I have to go! Even if I have a normal bowel movement the urge comes on so fast and then I have less than 5 minutes to make it to the bathroom. This has become a huge problem in my life. Recently we had a bad ice storm and I had to get my two children, 1 and 3 years old, across town and we had to stop at McDonald's so I could go to the bathroom. It was so icy out and by the time I got the kids out of their car seats and into the bathroom stall I barely made it. I get paranoid to go any place especially if I have both of my kids I have to take with. Any advice?


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## everythingishorrible (Jan 26, 2011)

PD85 said:


> First step is to check your diet up and down. If you drink alcohol at nights, that can be a strong trigger for urgency in the morning. Also if you drink caffeine in the morning (coffee, tea) or use tobacco, both of these can cause urgency. Which antispasmodics are habit forming? I am not aware of any.


Hi,I should have been more specific... I was offered several drugs in the ER and in clinic visits with my GI doc. They were antispasmodics which are specifically shown to slow GI motility, relax the intestines/colon, etc. The main active drugs in and of themselves are arguably habit-forming (many are controlled substances with street value and histories of abuse even though they are anticholinergics used medically), but the bigger issue was that they are often used in combination with other drugs of abuse in their US prescription forms. The main example is hyoscyamine. I've read great things about it, but had to do some probing before I was willing to take it. I was offered it several times intravenously in the emergency room in the form of Donnatal, which also contains phenobarbital and scopolamine--phenobarbital is a barbiturate and scopolamine has anesthetic effects and a long history as a recreational drug. I was offered several other drugs but upon prying was informed that they all contained opiates and/or benzos as well. I was surprised by this, as it wasn't brought up until I asked. Even searching the internet didn't necessarily inform me of this. I remember an ER doc getting upset with me for refusing some of these drugs intravenously; he couldn't understand. But I also refused demerol drips and prescriptions for Vicodin and morphine. I guess they aren't used to people in pain turning down painkillers!The only reason I mention any of this is that I've been in recovery from narcotics for some time. I know some drugs are "necessary" but I've found that there is almost always an equally effective alternative. For instance, I take Propofol over Demerol/Versed for anesthesia. Not only do I avoid the Demerol, but I'm also up and running immediately after surgery (no grogginess or nausea). I've taken Ibuprofen instead of Vicodin for many painful things--root canals, dental surgeries, foot surgery (4 times), and with severe headaches or cramping. It doesn't work miracles, but it qualms pain enough that it's tolerable. And for really horrible pain, I get IV or oral Torradol. I had a Torradol pic line for kidney stones and it worked wonders. I've never even considered using an IV opiate since. I know this all might sound silly, but I was given a Demerol drip during surgery when I was about 4 years sober and it really messed my mind up for quite some time. I was on the verge of shooting heroin for months just thinking about how it felt to have that Demerol. It's definitely not worth risking, for me. And anyway, it's not like opiates or benzos are "good" for your body to begin with. On a daily basis, I just prefer not to take anything for pain. My IBS has shown me how resilient my body is, and how much pain I really can tolerate. Ever since I had kidney stones (which went misdiagnosed as "gas" for two weeks!), I don't sweat the small pain. And virtually everything feels like small pain in comparison, I guess. My #1 go-to for abdominal pain and cramping now is a heating pad. When I had all those foot surgeries, I avoided Advil most of the day and instead kept my foot raised or soaked it in warm water with epsom salts, then took Advil at night to sleep. I have been told I have an extremely high pain tolerance, and I also have quite severe peripheral neuropathy so maybe I'm biased here.


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

everythingishorrible said:


> Hi,I should have been more specific... I was offered several drugs in the ER and in clinic visits with my GI doc. They were antispasmodics which are specifically shown to slow GI motility, relax the intestines/colon, etc. The main active drugs in and of themselves are arguably habit-forming (many are controlled substances with street value and histories of abuse even though they are anticholinergics used medically), but the bigger issue was that they are often used in combination with other drugs of abuse in their US prescription forms. The main example is hyoscyamine. I've read great things about it, but had to do some probing before I was willing to take it. I was offered it several times intravenously in the emergency room in the form of Donnatal, which also contains phenobarbital and scopolamine--phenobarbital is a barbiturate and scopolamine has anesthetic effects and a long history as a recreational drug. I was offered several other drugs but upon prying was informed that they all contained opiates and/or benzos as well. I was surprised by this, as it wasn't brought up until I asked. Even searching the internet didn't necessarily inform me of this. I remember an ER doc getting upset with me for refusing some of these drugs intravenously; he couldn't understand. But I also refused demerol drips and prescriptions for Vicodin and morphine. I guess they aren't used to people in pain turning down painkillers!The only reason I mention any of this is that I've been in recovery from narcotics for a decade and it was drilled into me in early sobriety that it is always best to avoid any "mind-altering" chemical when possible. I know some drugs are "necessary" but I've found that there is almost always an equally effective alternative. For instance, I take Propofol over Demerol/Versed for anesthesia. Not only do I avoid the Demerol, but I'm also up and running immediately after surgery (no grogginess or nausea). I've taken Ibuprofen instead of Vicodin for many painful things--root canals, dental surgeries, foot surgery (4 times), and with severe headaches or cramping. It doesn't work miracles, but it qualms pain enough that it's tolerable. And for really horrible pain, I get IV or oral Torradol. I had a Torradol pic line for kidney stones and it worked wonders. I've never even considered using an IV opiate since. I know this all might sound silly, but I was given a Demerol drip during surgery when I was about 4 years sober and it really messed my mind up for quite some time. I was on the verge of shooting heroin for months just thinking about how it felt to have that Demerol. It's definitely not worth risking, for me. And anyway, it's not like opiates or benzos are "good" for your body to begin with. On a daily basis, I just prefer not to take anything for pain. My IBS has shown me how resilient my body is, and how much pain I really can tolerate. Ever since I had kidney stones (which went misdiagnosed as "gas" for two weeks!), I don't sweat the small pain. And virtually everything feels like small pain in comparison, I guess. My #1 go-to for abdominal pain and cramping now is a heating pad. When I had all those foot surgeries, I avoided Advil most of the day and instead kept my foot raised or soaked it in warm water with epsom salts, then took Advil at night to sleep. I have been told I have an extremely high pain tolerance, and I also have quite severe peripheral neuropathy so maybe I'm biased here.


I too am a recovering alcoholic. I have 3 years 3 months and 17 days. So good work! I was expecting you to mention phenobarbital, but you've already identified that as a barbiturate. The recreational properties of anti-cholinergics are as a deliriant, for which it is almost impossible to be habit forming. The most common use of these drugs is when they are taken in the form of belladonna or datura. Almost all people who use these drugs report that they are extremely unpleasant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliriant)I remember researching these drugs far and wide when I was in my drug using days and deciding not to use it because there appeared to be no positives. Now that I have taken them for my IBS, I can say that I have experienced zero recreational value from taking anti-spasmodics. They are generally unpleasant and I avoid them because they make me feel yucky. I wouldn't recommend you try them if you are that worried, but don't avoid them like the plague.I remember when I had to have my hernia surgery last August I was so worried about my sobriety and my sobriety date. I thought, what if the post-op pain hurts so bad that I need to take some vicodin or something? So I went and talked to a bunch of people in AA and almost unanimously they told me that God does not torture us like that. They said if I feel that I need to take a pain pill for medical reasons and I am honest with myself about it that my sobriety is not effected. Because of the pain, I took 3 vicodin over the course of the day following the surgery and that was it. I didn't feel high or happy from it, or even notice anything really. In fact I just slept the entire time and don't remember much of it, probably experiencing the after-effects of the anesthesia. 15 hours after the surgery I had to have a catheter put in because I couldn't urinate on my own and I crawled around for 5 days with intense post-op pain and the pain from the catheter, but I knew in my heart the pain wasn't bad enough to take another vicodin, and so I didn't. I had already taken vicodin and had any excuse to take more. I felt like I had passed my own test of honesty and the people from AA were right. Worth noting is that I never had an opiate addiction. Certainly I would never take amphetamines in a pill for ANY reason. Moral of the story, don't torture yourself! It's really easy to do so as an addict.


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## everythingishorrible (Jan 26, 2011)

PD85 said:


> I too am a recovering alcoholic. I have 3 years 3 months and 17 days. So good work! I was expecting you to mention phenobarbital, but you've already identified that as a barbiturate. The recreational properties of anti-cholinergics are as a deliriant, for which it is almost impossible to be habit forming. The most common use of these drugs is when they are taken in the form of belladonna or datura. Almost all people who use these drugs report that they are extremely unpleasant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliriant)I remember researching these drugs far and wide when I was in my drug using days and deciding not to use it because there appeared to be no positives. Now that I have taken them for my IBS, I can say that I have experienced zero recreational value from taking anti-spasmodics. They are generally unpleasant and I avoid them because they make me feel yucky. I wouldn't recommend you try them if you are that worried, but don't avoid them like the plague.I remember when I had to have my hernia surgery last August I was so worried about my sobriety and my sobriety date. I thought, what if the post-op pain hurts so bad that I need to take some vicodin or something? So I went and talked to a bunch of people in AA and almost unanimously they told me that God does not torture us like that. They said if I feel that I need to take a pain pill for medical reasons and I am honest with myself about it that my sobriety is not effected. Because of the pain, I took 3 vicodin over the course of the day following the surgery and that was it. I didn't feel high or happy from it, or even notice anything really. In fact I just slept the entire time and don't remember much of it, probably experiencing the after-effects of the anesthesia. 15 hours after the surgery I had to have a catheter put in because I couldn't urinate on my own and I crawled around for 5 days with intense post-op pain and the pain from the catheter, but I knew in my heart the pain wasn't bad enough to take another vicodin, and so I didn't. I had already taken vicodin and had any excuse to take more. I felt like I had passed my own test of honesty and the people from AA were right. Worth noting is that I never had an opiate addiction. Certainly I would never take amphetamines in a pill for ANY reason. Moral of the story, don't torture yourself! It's really easy to do so as an addict.


Glad to see a "comrade" on here! Congrats on your sobriety thus far! It's truly a blessing, to me, to be able to cope with health issues and remain sober. I actually began suffering with other health issues back in high school, including autoimmune disease, kidney and heart problems, and have had IBS since childhood. It was an interesting change of pace to get sober and learn to deal without the aid of drugs and booze. Initially, I never used IV opiates or narcotics until the pain from my underlying health issues became too much to deal with. I appreciate your experiential advice re: the antispasmodics. I was originally concerned with the phenobarbital, as many addicts have a hard time with it. I can't speak from experience, as I never ended up taking the Donnatal or even the Levsin, but in a frank conversation with my doc, they said I might as well just avoid it. I've since been given certain antihistamines and antidepressants which are supposed to work similarly in the GI tract. The antihistamine I have no problem with, but am still worried about the antidepressant. Not so much because of my sobriety, but because I am a pretty positive, happy, and grateful person these days and my past experiences with antidepressants have been that they turn me into a zombie (not able to feel pleasure or pain). I have to remind myself that it was given to me not for depression, but to help my IBS, but obviously it will work its magic on my serotonin levels, which is what scares me.Anyway, thank you for your insight. I truly appreciate getting the perspective of another sober individual.


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

everythingishorrible said:


> Glad to see a "comrade" on here! Congrats on your sobriety thus far! It's truly a blessing, to me, to be able to cope with health issues and remain sober. I actually began suffering with other health issues back in high school, including autoimmune disease, kidney and heart problems, and have had IBS since childhood. It was an interesting change of pace to get sober and learn to deal without the aid of drugs and booze. Initially, I never used IV opiates or narcotics until the pain from my underlying health issues became too much to deal with. I was still a teenager when I began abusing prescription drugs--I saw an opportunity to advance my "drug career" once my docs began prescribing me intravenous opiates for pain. It took my recreational drug use to a whole new level of homeless junkie.I appreciate your experiential advice re: the antispasmodics. I was originally concerned with the phenobarbital, as many addicts have a hard time with it. I can't speak from experience, as I never ended up taking the Donnatal or even the Levsin, but in a frank conversation with my doc, they said I might as well just avoid it. I've since been given certain antihistamines and antidepressants which are supposed to work similarly in the GI tract. The antihistamine I have no problem with, but am still worried about the antidepressant. Not so much because of my sobriety, but because I am a pretty positive, happy, and grateful person these days and my past experiences with antidepressants have been that they turn me into a zombie (not able to feel pleasure or pain). I have come to embrace my completely lucid and sober state of mind and I really just hate to feel any other way. I suppose I've come to appreciate the "control" I have over my emotional state and I hate to have that taken away in any capacity. I'm so used to dealing with my feelings via my sponsor, step work, spirituality, and therapy, that adding a pill to the mix scares me. I have to remind myself that it was given to me not for depression, but to help my IBS, but obviously it will work its magic on my serotonin levels, which is what scares me.Anyway, thank you for your insight. I truly appreciate getting the perspective of another sober individual. I had heard about belladonna back when I was using too, but never had access to it. I suppose some people might really enjoy the effects of the deliriants. I worked in recovery for many years and always found it interesting how different addicts can enjoy such different drugs, but hate others. For instance, I always hated amphetamines and hallucinogenics, prefering opiates, benzos, and cocaine. But then plenty of people are the exact opposite.I also totally hear you on the Vicodin thing. I pass no judgement on such things in recovery. I know plenty of people who report similar experiences as you. But I have lost quite a few friends over the years with 10 or 20 or even 40 years who went out after surgery. Quite a few of them committed suicide after becoming strung out on opiate painkillers. I think it's just scared me enough to not rock the boat. I too feel that most of the time, my pain can be sat through without taking anything. But again--I have no place to say it's wrong for sober people to take opiates for pain. It's just not for me, and that's a decision I made with my sponsor and God a long time ago.Again--thanks for your feedback!


Yea, it's good to hear from another person in recovery for me too. Hopefully MommyL learned something from our posts...


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## TimeToGo (Jul 3, 2009)

I have had a problem with urgency for the thirty years I have suffered with this awful syndrome. In that time I have enjoyed a happy family life and a successful career. But I have endured 'accidents' which are both embarrassing and distressing. Having consulted widely with the medical profession, including clinical hypnotherapy, little has helped. I am now encouraged by the belief that dietary management can help. Eating for IBS D, available via Google, does help. Urgency does not disappear but the need and time to get to a bathroom is extended.With many years experience of IBS, diet is the most effective means of managing the syndrome.


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## everythingishorrible (Jan 26, 2011)

PD85 said:


> Yea, it's good to hear from another person in recovery for me too. Hopefully MommyL learned something from our posts...


Yes; I have a tendency to get off topic... So, back to the original question: which drugs have you tried that you liked and helped your IBS? Did they specifically help with the urgency? Cramping? I do have a script for Levsin just sitting here. If you've taken that (or other hyoscyamine-based meds), I'd be particularly interested in hearing about your experience. Thanks!


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

everythingishorrible said:


> Yes; I have a tendency to get off topic... So, back to the original question: which drugs have you tried that you liked and helped your IBS? Did they specifically help with the urgency? Cramping? I do have a script for Levsin just sitting here. If you've taken that (or other hyoscyamine-based meds), I'd be particularly interested in hearing about your experience. Thanks!


The antispasmodics I've tried are hyoscyamine (Levsin) and dicycomine (Bentyl). Neither did anything for me except make me feel hot and give me dry eyes. I don't have urgency anymore (I did for about a year when I first had my IBS-D) unless I drink caffeine or take a multi-vitamin. Obviously if I am having a bad day of D then yes the urgency is there, but in general it's not.


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