# Newbie with anxiety and IBS-D



## 21810 (Nov 10, 2005)

Hi all, newbie here! First of all, greetings to everyone!Just wondering how many people here suffer from anxiety disorders as well as IBS?I've had IBS for about 10 years, started when I was about 15 and I am 25 now. It was worse when I was at school - our school had a "no toilet breaks" policy due to theft... Since leaving school, much of it got better and was entirely manageable, to the extent that I ate, drank and did what I liked and never worried about an IBS attack. Sometimes I had cramps or maybe some urgency in the mornings, but no real D problems.Fast-forward to summer 2003 and I began to suffer from panic attacks. I didn't have them often - maybe only half a dozen times in a year, but I didn't know what triggered them. They usually happened while I was chilling out watching TV on my own, and they had no effect on my IBS.Last year, July 2004 I had a motorbike accident and broke my collarbone, on the day I was due to start a new job. There was lots of stress and pressure on me to get back to work, in fact I was in the office 7 days later still wearing my shoulder support! Not long after that, I began to suffer panic attacks and sudden onsets of D that came from nowhere. I'd be at work or at home, quite happy, when suddenly I'd be hit by a terrible cramping pain and have to rush to the bathroom.Over the past year I have tried numerous IBS remedies, anti-depressants for panic attacks, and alternative medicines, but nothing seems to make a difference. I lead an active and outgoing life and haven't let IBS stop me from doing what I want, but it still gets me down. Last weekend I was in Germany photographing a major biking event (I'm a part-time freelance photographer) and although I enjoyed the show, I felt most of the time feeling cramped, nauseous and anxious.Today I'm more nervous because I have a date tonight. I intend to take some imodium before I go out, because that puts my mind at rest and helps me relax, but sometimes imodium gives me cramping pains. These pains lead to a panicky feeling because I subconsciously think that I'm going to have a D attack, and that makes me even more panicky, which can lead to a full-blown panic attack in which my eyes cloud over, my ears ring and I have trouble walking because my legs turn to jelly.Do these symptoms sound familiar to anybody? I really don't want to mess this up tonight...Thanks in advance,Ax


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## 20349 (Jul 4, 2005)

hey and welcome to the boards Ax.







stick around, there is a good support network on this board







i am pretty new to ibs and havent tried the stuff you have, so cant really comment on what else to try! immodium is my best friend! and extra strong peppermints are also good, they settle the stomach when i feel bad and panic.hope the date goes well, take care xXx


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## 15822 (Nov 13, 2005)

I sympathize with you Ax. I also have anxiety which triggers my IBS or my IBS which ends up triggering my anxiety. It's a nasty cycle but I also get those spells where I wish I were dead. I ever want to vomit and go to the bathroom, or just skip that all together and just feel like i'm going to pass out. The only thing that has helped me really is to have the emergency medecines on hand (imodium and pepto) and to try to chill out by using relaxation techniques(deep breathing excercises, muscle relaxation excercises). This along with a diet that I'm still slowly developing has helped me control the symptoms of my IBS which means the world to me. This goes without saying that I still do have attacks, but relaxation is the key..otherwise all hell breaks loose and sometimes these attacks would wipe me out for days.


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## 22144 (Aug 6, 2005)

> quote:Today I'm more nervous because I have a date tonight. I intend to take some imodium before I go out, because that puts my mind at rest and helps me relax, but sometimes imodium gives me cramping pains. These pains lead to a panicky feeling because I subconsciously think that I'm going to have a D attack, and that makes me even more panicky, which can lead to a full-blown panic attack in which my eyes cloud over, my ears ring and I have trouble walking because my legs turn to jelly.Do these symptoms sound familiar to anybody? I really don't want to mess this up tonight...


I know how you feel. I've learned to modify my dating rituals:1) If I am taking a girl out to eat, I make sure that it's understood that I "have plans" after dinner (usually going home and sh!tting my brains out) and that we could have an inside-night on another day (which I eat many many hours before hand and make sure I get it all out of my system).2) I don't take the meds because of the side effects. Some days I've been fine on dates only to suffer through the side effects of the medication.3) For your panic (if you know you aren't "going back to your place") you might try having a drink. Please note that it's definitely a "dirty bandaid", but it should get you through the date.4) If you don't eat many hours before the date, and are fully convinced there's nothing more to poop out, you should be ok. So when you get to the restaurant, remember: I got it all out of my system hours ago.5) When you order something, don't order something with an obvious trigger. It's better to sound "picky" than to have an attack of diarrhea.That's all I've got so far; some of my reasons may be less than cheery, but IBS is less than cheery. Women can lack a lot of understanding when a man is "sick" in my experience. My steps usually save me from the heartache of hearing that I'm a nice guy but my "modified lifestyle" isn't what she had in mind for the long haul. I just got out of a relationship in which my ex wanted me to do all the things I hate (go places and eat food and drink alcohol without bathrooms)... ugh. I hated being around her friends and getting sick. Nobody's supposed to get sick in college. You're supposed to eat, drink, and be merry. So what happens then if you can't be?


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