# IBS is going to get me fired. I can't live a normal life anymore



## windemere (Sep 25, 2011)

I was supposed to leave for work 2 hours ago but I'm still at home dealing with cramps and D. Luckily I'm in sales so I can leave late if necessary but I couldn't go out for work yesterday and today doesn't seem to be shaping up to be any better. I've blown through my vacation and sick time already from my other bad days so I don't have anymore available time off. I'm sitting at home trying to relax and do some breathing exercises but so far nothing is helping. My cramps wont stop, I'm constantly feeling like I need the bathroom NOW and I'm too scared to leave my house. I don't know what I can do. I've taken Imodium but I still have that urge to go even though I haven't in about 45 minutes.

I don't know how to live like a normal person anymore. I can't just get up and go to work like I used to because 95% of my mornings are devoted to frequent bouts of D. Some mornings I am ok, but the majority I'm not. I'm just so depressed and scared. I can't afford to lose my job. My fiancé and I are moving on November 1st and planning our wedding and I need my income for that. But I'm so sick...and it seems like the symptoms last until about noon which cuts into my day. Yesterday I was so drained after everything that I didn't even leave my house.

I feel like giving up. Cancelling the wedding and just come to terms with the fact that my life will never be normal anymore.

Just needed to vent. I've been crying off and on this morning because I feel so hopeless.


----------



## dlind70 (Aug 7, 2015)

Potassium and manganese, soaked raw almonds are the first choice for the D issue. Eat them with sugar in the form of fruit (apples, papaya, kiwi) and prunes (prunes are acidic, good for the colon) to further enhance the almonds with you.


----------



## Nycgirl516 (Sep 2, 2016)

I could have written this exact same thing minus the fiancé and wedding part
I work in a bank and I have serious morning issues and I'm terrified to get on a NYC subway to get into work just because sometimes a couple times in the bathroom is not enough
I really wish I had some advice as I'm looking for help as well
I can't lose my job because I'm a single mom


----------



## Krysti (Sep 8, 2016)

I'm a teacher and I'm currently dealing with a similar issue.... Ugh


----------



## RubyinMD (Jul 16, 2016)

I miss at least a day of work every week b/c of this! (And I can never take a job in DC again as I can't risk the long train ride). I've also burned through all my sick leave and vacation. I don't know what I'll do if I get fired. Besides being single, I don't know how you ask a prospective employer about their office setup (ie will my desk be near a bathroom). It all sucks. I still can't believe I even have this much less than none of the medications I've tried have worked.


----------



## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

First off, I've never heard of prunes/almonds, etc. I know for a fact that prunes would not help me one bit. Anyway, back to windemere, what did you eat the day before? Do you have a food diary so you can go back and see what triggers you? If you are under a dr's treatment, you may be able to use the disabilities act to get time off (without pay, probably). I do the same thing, mornings are particularly bad, so here's what I do: starting at about 3 in the afternoon, I watch carefully what I eat. If I have to be somewhere the next morning, then all I eat is pretzels, applesauce, bananas, cooked carrots or green beans, white boiled/baked potatoes and maybe broiled white fish. I get up 2 hours earlier than I have to (I leave the house at 7:30 so I get up at 4:30--need that one hour to get ready, the other two for my stomach). I immediately eat oatmeal cooked with water + cinnamon + 1 tsp glutamine. If I drink anything, it's water. If I feel even a twinge, I take an immodium. I've taken 12 immodium (maybe just for my peace of mind) if I need to fly (wow, what a dry mouth that causes!). It seems that when I do this routine, my belly will act up right at 7:15--just as I'm getting ready to walk out the door. BUT--I've had some food, had a chance to let it settle and, if it's going to act up, I'm already 2 hours in to a 3 hour ordeal. Seriously, I usually am able to get out the door on time (+ or - 10 minutes). I pack my own food for the day--usually saltine cracker or pretzels, cooked veggies, white bread with a smear of peanut butter and jelly, maybe some cooked chicken or fish. I can eat or not as I feel okay. I never eat out. I get to the point where it's every 3rd day that's bad and I can usually head it off. After a week or so like this, I started to add more balanced diet in the mid afternoon. The key is to keep a food diary, identify foods you can and absolutely cannot eat, then go slow and add safe foods. My gut does not usually react in the afternoon, so that's when I try to eat my main foods for nutrition. MOrnings are usually the worst, so that's when I don't eat or eat only safe foods. BTW, I have added dairy kefir for the probiotics and usually drink 4 ounces every evening when I get home, around 5.

Kefir has had a strange effect on me. Even if I take huge amounts of immodium, that would usually back me up for a day or so, kefir allows me to have a normal, pain free, easy to pass bm the next morning. At first this scared me, since any bm could start out normal and then get bad, but this is very different and odd. I like it because I can constipate myself to get thru an event and then still go easily the next day! But, for you, first get it under some control. Use immodium as you need to, even if it's a lot.


----------



## windemere (Sep 25, 2011)

I've kept a food diary a few times but there was no correlation with anything I ate or drank and my symptoms. My doctors have told me my ibs is directly related to my anxiety/panic disorder and stress. And that's a lot harder to control, I think. I'm currently on Prozac and Xanax for the anxiety and it helps to an extent.

Im really sorry that everyone else has to deal with ibs and the fear of losing your job over it. The added stress of that worry probably doesn't help either.

I may have to start getting up a couple hours earlier to give my stomach time to do its thing before I need to leave for work. When I worked in the office it wasn't as bad for me because it was a 20 minute drive and then I had access to a bathroom all day. But now since all I do is drive from account to account I get so scared that I wont have access to a bathroom. Especially when I have to drive far away. The traffic in the DC area is no joke and getting stuck on the DC beltway in horrible rush hour traffic gives me horrible anxiety.

I'm about to ask for my old position in the office back and just let my boss know that my health issues are preventing me from doing the job to the best of my ability.


----------



## terrykeithsmom (Aug 29, 2016)

Have you tried the 3 day white diet to get things calmed down? It works for me...more info here: http://www.karenhurd.com/pages/healthtopics/specifichealthconcerns/ht-shc-thewhitediet.html


----------



## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

watch out for karen hurd. Yes, the white diet part helps a lot, but she'll sell you things and you better decide how much you can afford. I wasted a lot of money I didn't have chasing her promises.


----------



## SmileUK (Sep 19, 2016)

I think you need to do 3 things urgently:

1. Eat very plain food for week;

2. Take imodium to get yourself out of the house and your stomach calm enough to function in life;

3. Calm down - breathing and meditation on a regular basis. Once in the morning, once during the day and once at night.

Then follow up with daily exercise. Get on an exercise bike for instance and do 30-40 mins daily to relieve stress. If you do this for a month (plus the plain food and imodium if really necessary), I hope you will feel a lot better, as I have done.


----------



## SmileUK (Sep 19, 2016)

Regarding your travelling for work. Reduce the anxiety of the situation by doing the following (although not nice, they will help):

Take a change of clothes and leave them in the car

Stock the car with wetwipes and tissues and anything else that might help you to feel prepared

Buy a potty for emergency cases and leave in the trunk

The above are routine for children or parents who have youung kids for car journeys. With severe IBS such precautions can help you feel assured that you'll be able to cope in any scenario. This reassurance should in itself make you less stressed and therefore less likely that anything will happen anyway.


----------



## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

AGree with last post, carry supplies in case you need them. This does wonders for mental health, which calms the gut.


----------



## LemaLema (Sep 18, 2016)

I could have written this. I am a teacher and my commute use to be an hour. I had stopped commuting with others just in case I had to pull over. This past year we moved and I am now 5 min from work. I have worn depends to work (just in case). I have found 4 buscopan a day and 2 packs of olestyr have cut my episodes down from daily to a few times a month. I am going to try calcium now as well. I am horrified to use public transit though. As soon as I am somewhere I can't use a toilet, then I have to.


----------



## MaroonGirl (Jun 9, 2016)

-Try eating ripe bananas (with brown dots on the skin). They are supposed to help with D,

- Dicyclomine for cramps. Buscopan is too mild imo.

-Immodium. You should probably try to take one before bed and see how you feel. If it isn't kicking in, take another in the day.

Good luck. Hang in there- we are all in the same boat.


----------



## rachill17 (Oct 5, 2016)

I am the same way. I have the ability to work from home when I need to but I feel useless at home, I need to be in the office. I feel like I am abusing this privilege and they will fire me for it. I have IBS-D and the flare ups last at least 3 months. Imodium is starting to not work. I have taken 6 today and I am still going. It sucks. I also have severe panic attacks when this happens and then the 2 play off each other. My panic attacks cause the IBS and my IBS cause the panic attacks. I just want to sit at home all the time but I get so bored at home since I am an extrovert. I love people and interacting with people. I too feel like I am about to give up.


----------



## dayknee71 (Jun 13, 2016)

how much I relate to this. I don't even work anymore. My IBS-D is so bad and not under control. I am on so much medication. Nothing, and I mean nothing, helps with the painful labor like cramps I get when I have a flare up. I mean it is bad. It usually takes about 2 hours in the bathroom start to finish, when the cramps come. Some days I feel like I am going to pass out from the pain of it. I am under a GI doctors care and we just keep trying so many things. I have yet another colonoscopy in two weeks. I had one 3 years ago when I lived in California. I moved to Indiana an my new GI wan'ts me to do one since it's been 3 years. I am so tired of proceedures. I had a fluoroscopy last year too. I feel cheated out of life! I worked hard to get my masters degree in addiction counseling and graduated 2 years ago. I was able to work one job for 3 months until I had to leave because of IBS. We struggle so much financially but it's impossible for me to work like this. I know my trigger foods and I don't eat them...it comes down to having tried everything with no relief. I have not ever been an anxious person and now..going outside the home messes with my mental state.

I feel like my life has amounted to this...at 45..I am my disease/disorder...whatever you want to call it. I am IBS


----------



## illusion (Oct 6, 2016)

I had IBS for years and other problems such as hormone imbalance, gut flora issues and stress.

I completely reversed it in 3 days!

During the day, I eat raw veggies and fruits (I do eat way more veggies though). You can do smoothies if you want with fruits (I put in just strawberries and add a little bit of water and blend it's delicious.. repeat same process with other individual fruits.. combining multiple fruits at once I find defeats the purpose)

Experiment and you will find things you like.. Fruits I eat is raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, etc

Veggies I toss in a bowl and chop it, go crazy with the veggie bowl. It needs to be HUGE so u can get adequate amount of calories.. fiber will fill you up! (Some people use a juicer for vegetables to maximize nutrients but this will REDUCE calories so I do not do it)

Experiment a bit.. I eat carrots, cabbage, romaine lettuce, garlic, ginger roots, beets, etc

By the time dinner arrives, you've been 100% vegan and now is the time to eat proper starch and proteins (I even eat processed rice/potatoes and it doesn't affect me).

Don't go crazy portions on starch/protein but don't starve yourself!

You should see a difference in just 3 days.

Hope this helps!


----------



## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

lol if i ate that diet i would explode out of every pore of my body with diarrhea.

if you reversed IBS after eating that diet for three days you sure didn't have IBS


----------



## dlind70 (Aug 7, 2015)

Yellow apples and eat your breakfast people. Skipping breakfast is the worst thing you can do to your body. Almonds figs dates, (men need more dates, woman get too emotional from dates). Yellow apple I will say it again. Yellow apple is for the Diarrhea issue because yellow apple contains peppermint.

If you do not eat breakfast, there is a morning trauma involved usually with the father, perhaps a man in your life.

Eat breakfast, almond first thing. Almond sets the HCL and hormones in the body. A mistimed body is like taking your car to a mechanic, They fix the car, They give it back to you and said, "Sorry we did not time it." We deal with timing outside the body regarding traffic and everyday relationships with people, we cannot forgot to time our own car/body/cross/temple via food.


----------



## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

You're kidding, right? This thread is getting comical. Peppermint in apples and breakfast superstition. Lol

good luck everyone. Apparently if you have ibs just solve your man issues and 3 days later everything will be fine.


----------



## dlind70 (Aug 7, 2015)

whats the problem. You know everything is placebo at the end of the day. Solve your digestion issue by having no thoughts. Mind over matter cannot be accepted. That's why I put food suggestions. Thinking of body-felt-good memories from your childhood or whatever can solve it too. Remember that time you had sexual urges on the crush in the front row seat top left? Hypnotize yourself. The placebo effect is like 'off the books'.


----------



## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

What is the problem? The problem is that you are suggesting that issues with my father or something could be the cause of my ibs.

And as for you saying everything is a placebo. That's not true either. Now you're just going overboard in the opposite direction by saying everything is a placebo. You know there is real science out there. Sure i can distract myself for a while but in the end i still have ibs


----------



## dlind70 (Aug 7, 2015)

I never said you have issues. Its a general statement. Apparently you might because it triggered a response. I do not put curses on anyone.


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

please--let's try to keep on topic here and not argue or get too personal. i don't want to have to lock this thread. thanks.


----------



## illusion (Oct 6, 2016)

mellosphere said:


> lol if i ate that diet i would explode out of every pore of my body with diarrhea.
> 
> if you reversed IBS after eating that diet for three days you sure didn't have IBS


I had explosive diarrhea and blood in my stools, not always blood but diarrhea constantly for years.. I also had inflammation that flared up and other problems that could've been anxiety like strong gut/penis pain that were instantly felt then gone.. come and goes.

In 3-4 days I saw improvements but it can take up to 30 days depending how bad you damaged your body.. raw food is easier then cooked food for your digestive system, I honestly was shocked by this myself. Doctors won't tell you that micronutrients does miracles, they must promote the food guide and drugs or get reported to the board, possibly sued and lose license.

IBS, Crohn's, Colitis

http://www.raw-food-health.net/CrohnsDisease.html

Good luck


----------



## Znsha (Oct 9, 2016)

While I appreciate the couple people trying to help others with IBS-D... those tips would literally send an actual IBS-D person to the hospital.


----------



## Znsha (Oct 9, 2016)

But I DO believe staying positive, calm and cool even under attack from an IBS-D episode helps. As tough as that may sound, your mind is the one thing you CAN control as opposed to your gut.


----------



## billyjean (Oct 16, 2016)

The most relief I have ever had came after working with a dietitian who did blood testing with me. I had to follow a strict elimination diet, and it wasn't inexpensive. However, I went from having diarrhea twice to 5 times per day down to once a month, or even every other month. The testing she did with me was called MRT testing. It is a delayed food sensitivity test. The thing about it which was different, was everyone had told me what foods worked for them to lessen symptoms, but the foods were different for everyone. I had tried low FODMAP diet and GAPS diet... nothing seemed to work for me. In my allergy testing, we found 10 foods I ate very commonly that were affecting me. But, once I avoided them, within 10 days I had incredible relief! Within 2 months, we had my symptoms almost non-existent! I believe this test is only available in the US. If you want to hear about it or want the dietitians contact info, I would be happy to share.


----------



## Camararose (Oct 22, 2016)

I'm curious to how your feeling now? Did any of that work. I use to take a tummeruc capsule and Bromelin capsule with every meal. That help control the swelling in my stomach as Tumerick is an anti-inflammatory and the bromelain help control the urgency and the diarrhea because it helps to controls the sphincter muscle. I have to get up and do at least 10 to 15 minutes of yoga in the morning and that helps to relax and calm my nerves in addition to stretching my abdomen area. I also take fiber in the evening before I go to bed called Gastro fiber That can only be found in a natural vitamin store . An herbalist recommended that for me. Are used to take it three times a day and now I just take it at night before I go to bed so I don't wake up with the runs. Good luck


----------



## windemere (Sep 25, 2011)

I ended up putting in my 2 weeks notice. My last day is November 3. I've been too sick and no job is worth my health, both mentally and physically. We'll be moving back to PA close to my family again on November 4th. I have a feeling I have a difficult road ahead to try and get back to my normal self. My flares were manageable before I took this job but now they are so bad I am sick and drained for days. Yesterday was horrible. I had an extremely painful flare that left me exhausted and I slept for most of the day and went to be early so I was asleep more than I was awake. Today I'm still feeling off.

I don't think there's a way for me to get my ibs back under control if I continue with this job. The stress of having to drive so far away has turned me into an anxious mess. I've become agoraphobic to the point that I'm too scared to drive 5 min to the store because I'm so scared that I will have an accident while I'm out. I have several bouts of D almost everyday when it used to be a once a week or so type of issue. I've lost a lot of weight because I'm scared to eat in fear that i'll have a bad d episode. Its so depressing and I know that the anxiety and depression over all of this is not helping my symptoms at all.

I can't remember my IBS ever being this bad. I'm just hoping i'll be able to get it under control.


----------



## MaroonGirl (Jun 9, 2016)

windmere, you are doing the right thing. Take a step back and focus on your health. experiment with diet, herbs, medications and well, feed your soul. Will definitel help to not have the stress of the job. I know I am in the same boat. Been off work for 3 months but I have made progress so that was definitely aggravating it.

Hang in there!!!


----------



## RubyinMD (Jul 16, 2016)

Good luck to you Windemere. I too have started looking for another job where I can, hopefully, work from home a couple days a week. If that fails, then I will look for a commute like my old job had: 1.2 miles.

Back in 2007-2008, I had a bout with IBS-C. I know it was because i went from a 5 min commute in my car to a 90 min commute on a train. I think I trained my body not to go. The good news is, as soon as I quit, no more IBS. I hope the same happens for you.


----------



## tummyrumbles (Aug 14, 2005)

The best carbohydrates are the easiest to digest and the least fermenting. Most suggestions here are highly fermentable foods known to cause osmotic diarrhea.

You probably know that high FODMAPs have an osmotic diarrhea effect. Fructose for example is a polar molecule with an affinity for water, so fructose draws in water from the colon, causing diarrhea. All FODMAPs with complex sugars do this. This is why you shouldn't eat any fruit at all if you're trying to heal. All fruit has some fructose, including the low FODMAP bananas. The FODMAP diet can be a trap as it lists foods that have a low amount of FODMAPs, and they're considered safe. But some of us might have a very low tolerance to FODMAPs and shouldn't eat any of these at all, at least initially.

To be honest, some suggestions here are awful. You need to stop eating highly fermentable foods like wheat, rice, all grains, nuts, sugar (which is fructose), fruit, dairy. Not all of these foods are FODMAPs, but they're all highly fermentable, which means they feed bacteria. Some foods have antinutrient proteins that hinder digestion and damage the gut as well, which is where the Paleo diet comes in.

The FODMAP theory is just one aspect of curing IBS. There is a lot wrong with the FODMAP theory, because it thinks that high starch and other grains apart from wheat is OK. This is where you need to incorporate the Paleo & specific carbohydrate diets. These diets exclude all food that is known to cause inflammation and or gas in the colon. The only carbs that doesn't feed bacteria much is insoluble fibre, the fibre that everyone here says not to eat.

If you have a very sensitive colon and believe you can't tolerate fibre, try the Specific Carbohydrate introductory diet which is just chicken and carrots boiled for 4 hours.

There is no excuse for not healing on a diet like this. The main thing is to stop eating the foods that cause osmotic diarrhea and gas. It comes down to a lot of willpower but this is better than having no job or no life.

In a sense it's more important what you don't eat than what you do. My actual diet is just animal protein and mostly insoluble fibre, which is the tough cellulose fibre like carrots, zuchhini, green string beans and salads. If you can't tolerate salads yet just eat the vegetables but cooked for a long time.


----------



## rosy228 (Nov 3, 2016)

Try taking boiled rice with ***** in ratio 1.2 for atleast 3 days both lunch and dinner. No fruits and veggies during this time except banana. Also no butter, oil, spice, junk food, nuts, meat. For breakfast toast with black tea with salt and auger. Take some parasitic cleanse tooo. I recently recovered from the GI torture with mucus-blood loose stool for more than 3 months and simultaneous prolonged periods lasting 17 days with this therapy, so thot will share if it helps. Also when empty stomach take 1-2 caps of activated charcoal, available in pharmacy.


----------



## afraidtopassgas (Nov 4, 2016)

So Sorry to read about your dilemma, been there done that. If you haven't been through it you have no idea of the emotional toll it can take on a person. I have tried many things for my IBS-D but I have found that a combination of things work the best for me not just one simple answer. I have never be able to take medicine per say because I usually have some sort of bad reaction to them, (maybe due to leaky gut ?). But here is what I have found that works for me. Hope it helps and hope you can get your life back.

Remove all gluten, eat fresh fruits, vegetable and meat, nuts etc. and eat small frequent meals (graze).

Try to deal with stress better, understand the things that stress you which you can change and change them. Those that you can't adopt a healthy attitude about them.

Sunshine and enjoy nature.

A good multivitamin from a whole food source.

And for symptoms I use Rodrastin an herbal supplement. they have a website. just google it.

Bless you and hope this helps you as it has me.


----------



## Savannah88 (May 23, 2016)

This has probably already been suggested but get a doctors note about your IBS. There could be a lawsuit if they fire you for having that medical condition. I had issues with this before and when I got the note, everyone backed off right away.


----------



## Sadie9 (Nov 10, 2016)

windemere said:


> I was supposed to leave for work 2 hours ago but I'm still at home dealing with cramps and D. Luckily I'm in sales so I can leave late if necessary but I couldn't go out for work yesterday and today doesn't seem to be shaping up to be any better. I've blown through my vacation and sick time already from my other bad days so I don't have anymore available time off. I'm sitting at home trying to relax and do some breathing exercises but so far nothing is helping. My cramps wont stop, I'm constantly feeling like I need the bathroom NOW and I'm too scared to leave my house. I don't know what I can do. I've taken Imodium but I still have that urge to go even though I haven't in about 45 minutes.
> 
> I don't know how to live like a normal person anymore. I can't just get up and go to work like I used to because 95% of my mornings are devoted to frequent bouts of D. Some mornings I am ok, but the majority I'm not. I'm just so depressed and scared. I can't afford to lose my job. My fiancé and I are moving on November 1st and planning our wedding and I need my income for that. But I'm so sick...and it seems like the symptoms last until about noon which cuts into my day. Yesterday I was so drained after everything that I didn't even leave my house.
> 
> ...


Well, I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone. At age of 70, I've finally figured it out. Bread, not enough fluids or fiber. Solved it. Stopped the breads. Drank lots of water and eat BRAN cereal each evening before going to bed. Have soft, normal BM next AM. When I stop doing this simple routine, I suffer with IBS-C, then D. Badly. Hope this helps someone and Good Luck!


----------



## Arzaan (Feb 1, 2016)

Yes dont miss breakfast.. I will suggest probiotics anf if u hv constipation danbtake Enzym syrup. I take milk kefir andbNatural Enzyme Syr. Even I hv Natural Diarrheoa syrup too.. In a day dhaerrhea gets treated.. I m living happy luf now..


----------



## ibd/s92647 (Nov 15, 2016)

What are you eating the night before? And are you drinking coffee in the mornings? If yes to either, stopping should help. A lot of people actually drink coffee in the morning just so they can go #2 right away and get it over for the day, but IBS folks should not. My GI doctor told me some people have problems with the coffee bean itself and suggested Kava instant coffee or switch to tea. But remember, caffeine is not you friend with IBS. Avoid Imodium, it's way too slow to start working for me and by the time it starts it also gives me severe cramps (every time) and it's still iffy for curbing diarrhea. May years ago my doctor told me about Metamucil, that seems to help too (before bedtime and mornings after first bowel movement) but I found taking it with anti-diarrheas is bad news (caused me a bowel obstruction). In sever cases, however, I take Vicodin and Metamucil together which works like a miracle cure 95% of the time. All other medications I've been prescribed for IBS don't even work closely to 500mg Vicodin (I start with a 1/2 pill most of the time is all it takes), and many have worse side effects like blurred vision, dry mouth, irritability, extreme weakness, you name it... However, sch 2 drugs are on the taboo list and you practically have to beg your doctor to prescribe them thanks to the abusers. I read people that use sch 2 med for legitimate reasons are far less likely to abuse them, which describes me. I've been taking them on and off weeks at a time for years and never wanted to take more that what is need for GI relief. You might try munching on Triscuits for snacks too, they have 100% whole wheat and fill your tummy too. Of course, that assumes you can tolerate wheat. This is advice from a lifelong Crohn's patient who has been under the surgical knife twice for GI surgery at the terminal ilium.


----------



## Boutique (Sep 24, 2014)

The Calcium supplement thing does work - everybody needs to read that thread.

For myself, going super low carb has been a near cure (flares are more rare now) and I no longer have any

gas or bloating (unless I eat onion or garlic). That in itself is a miracle.


----------



## Paris0908 (Nov 30, 2016)

I have tried fiber, naturopathic remedies, meditation, acupuncture, and god knows everything under the sun to deal with my IBS for the past 8 years. I was in the clinical trials for Rifaxin (which only worked for a month or so) and to date the only thing that has provided some relief is Lotronex, although I still have problems at least once a week and have to take Imodium too. This disease sucks. Because of it, I quit a six-figure job and now work for a third of the pay from home.


----------



## letsgo (May 26, 2016)

I have to travel ALOT for work - long bus journeys, long and short flights every few weeks etc... I am the same as many people in this thread - as soon as I think that access to a toilet may be limited I have horrible IBS inducing anxiety. There have been a few close calls, but over the years I have learnt a few techniques that have really helped like always having toilet paper in my pocket, making sure I go to the toilet as much as possible in the morning followed by lots of immodium, making sure I dont drink alcohold for a few days leading up to the journey etc. However, I would say that the most important thing I have learnt is the mental aspect. There have been times that I have been sitting on a plane, on the runway waiting for take off and it just keeps being delayed and delayed and my anxiety levels are skyrocketing. Its not easy, but the best way to deal with this is to do breathing excersizes and repeat calming thoughts to yourself - that youve been to the toilet a few times that day so the urgency will not be too bad, that you have taken your immodium, that the toilet will be accessible in 20/30mins and you can hang on that long, that you dont actually need the toilet right now, its just the anxiety and stress of the situation that makes you have the associated feelings.

Personally the last thought on the list is the biggest for me. I will be so wound up that I dont even realise that I dont actaully need the toilet! It sounds ridiculous, but as soon as you can replace the bad, anxiety inducing thoughts with positive thoughts about how you are going to get through the journey it becomes easier.


----------



## Airsmith (Nov 29, 2016)

I just joined this group, so I have not read all material yet.

Lets step all the way back to October 1990. I was in the Persian Gulf during the time when Kuwait was taken over by Saddam Hussein. I spent over 16 months overseas. This is when the IBS started.

I had been having a number of stomach grumblings throughout the day. This is the latter part of October 1990. That is when I started having all the problems. When the ship I was on went to Condition Zebra (all internal spaces with watertight doors had to be closed and dogged down). Condition Zebra was not to be broken during the General Quarters. We could stay like that for hours. The longest time 19 hours. When I had to go to the bathroom, I would break the condition so I could make it without having any failures.

Since then, I have had 5 colonoscopies, 6 endoscopies, medication trials numbering more than I have fingers and toes. I have been prescribed any and all medications who had an inkling as to IBS. I have swallowed the camera which took over 55,000 pictures and no one can come up with any reason why I would have this constant bout with diarrhea. Yes, it has been classified to IBS.

There have been many times when a bout hits I have to stay near or in a bathroom for hours. Thank goodness to smart phones. At least I can keep my mind off it while it is going on (until the screaming cramps start).

Now that I thoroughly bored you, if you have some suggestions I am all ears. I have been to about 20 different doctors regarding this. I hope no one else has it this bad. I have been dealing with this for over 25 years.

Initially, I was prescribed Lomotil (diphenoxylate/Atropine) by one of the doctors. The problem with this medication, is about every 3 days I would have what I called the "Lomotil Flush". Not a nice medication. The only medication I have found to give me some relief is Loperamide 2mg. I take 2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon (usually 2pm), and 2 at bed time. I will also take 2 as needed for an onset of a diarrhea bout. Max dose you can take in a day is 8. It is an over the counter medication and a generic. Brand name is Imodium. Generic works great, but it must be consistant dosing. In a month's time I usually have about 2 bouts now. I have been taking this medication for at least 4 years.

I do know about medications. No, I am not a doctor, but I am a pharmacy technician. You might want to talk to your doctor just to make sure there is no interaction with any other medications you are on. I am currently checking with my doctor about Neurontin (Gabapentin).


----------

