# Freshman at College with IBS



## tory28 (Oct 18, 2009)

Two months ago, I started my freshman year of college. All throughout high school I couldn't wait to get out and go to college, I couldn't wait for the parties, the new people and the opportunity to be myself. This past April, my family and I went on vacation to Arizona and were all hit with the worst stomach bug I've ever had in my life. Once we were back home, I didn't have the sickness anymore, and for the last two months of high school I was fine. The night after graduation I went out to a fancy dinner with my family and, even though I'd barely eaten, I couldn't stop having diarrhea. I thought I was just getting a mild stomach virus and ignored it. But over the rest of the summer this kept happening, and each time I thought I was getting another viurs. From that sickness in April I developed a fear of vomiting, so the anxiety that came with these attacks made me feel ridiculously sick and kept me in bed for days at a time. Come August, I was terrified of going to school and constantly feeling sick. I had no appetite, and tried eating Activia because my mom said it would help regulate my digestive system. It only made things worse. I went to a Gastroentrologist about a week before I left for school, and when I explained the diarrhea, along with sometimes constipation and abdominal pain he told me I had IBS, along with probably lactose intolerance. He gave me a prescription of Hyomax and recommended me taking a daily Align tablet and fiber. At first I was just glad to know what was wrong. He made it sound common and liveable, at least in my case. And after a month of taking the Align and a daily packet of Benefiber, along with Vitamin D, I was finally feeling alright. During that month I had one attack, and it was pretty tame so I felt great. I had made a number of friends at college and was just glad to be okay. During the past two weeks, however, everything has changed. I've been hit with attacks every few days, which coincided perfectly with me being diagnosed with depression and general anxiety. I've been seeing a counselor at the school who helpfully has dealt with IBS and actually beat it herself when she was around my age. But with the combination of everything I've never felt more awful and alone. I haven't completely distanced myself from my friends but its getting worse and worse. I desperately just want to go home, and while in the beginning I talked to my parents on the phone every couple of days I now talk with my mom several times a day. I can't seem to go a day without crying, I feel so alone and hopeless. I know I should feel lucky because, honestly, reading people's stories on here I realize I have a more mild case and really shouldn't be complaining at all. But I still can't help feeling that my whole life has been ruined by this. While once I dreamed of having a great time at college and finding a husband and family, now I feel as if none of that is possible for me. My grandmother also has IBS, and is currently in here late 70s and still has it, only managing it with fiber. I feel hopeless and just want to give up. I can't believe I'm 18 and dealing with this, I used to be so excited for the time ahead and now I feel sad thinking of the future. I came here because it just feels good to get my feelings out even if no one reads this.


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## Gabriel (Aug 23, 2009)

Hey, I can understand where you're coming from. I've been dealing with IBS since I was 13(now 25). I had plans of doing a lot of stuff which hasn't come to fruition. Stuff is still possible though, especially if you have a supportive family & have the opportunity to take time off and try to work through some of the different things you can try. I myself put stuff off because I didn't really recognize or accept I had IBS until my later teens & also I didn't have a very cohesive family unit(working/living on my own @ 16).Are you still taking Align, Benefiber & the Vitamin D? There are more things you can try like adding Calcium/Magnisium, L-Glutamine & a B-Complex to your vitamin mix. There are also herbal mixtures like Iberogast. You can try mint or ginger teas(or Ginger Chew candies which I like quite a bit). Ginger & mint can help quite a bit with nausea. Fear of vomiting is called "Emetophobia". I suffer from it too as well. Different brands of fiber may work better for some people, the same with probiotics. If you've been prescribed an anti-depressant, those too can help your situation, though they can also make it worse in some cases. The brain & gut are connected quite a bit, so if one is freaking out, the other will start to freak out. Diet changes are helpful as well, so if you identify any other trigger foods you can try to remove them, this can be hard though and result in "Foodophobia", which obviously, everyone must eat something. Over the counter anti-diarrheals like Immodium can help & are usually safe enough to take when you need them(though perhaps it's not a good idea to do this daily). This could help quite a bit if you're getting a diarrhea attack, taking an Immodium could help stop it or alleviate symptoms. Meditation can be used as well, there are many books on it. Most people focus on the deep breathing technique where you lie on your back, hand on your belly and breath in deeply and exhale deeply while purposely thinking about nothing(it's rather difficult to do this







). The famous IBS Audio Program is also out there if you want to try Hypnotherapy(http://www.ibsaudioprogram.com/). There is also acupuncture and Chinese medicine which may be worth investigating at some point.So there are some options, but a plan of attack is probably a good idea. If things are really bad you could see if heading home is an option with your parents. You could also try to tough it out. This could have positive benefits or negative benefits. If things get better then you'll feel more confident. If things get worse it's probably not going to be good for your confidence. Confidence of the body is what a lot of people lack with IBS(or any major illness or injury really). Gaining that confidence back can be a slow process. Ultimately taking a year off from college to sort through your physical and psychological health issues might be of benefit. This way you don't have to worry about being late for your classes or have social pressures to go do things that you might not be feeling up to. Also your friends can be pretty good at laying a guilt trip when you're tied up with IBS, simply because they don't understand the impact it has on your life - not that you want to avoid friendships. I am tied up since I have to work full-time & my roommate brother is unemployed, so it's kind of all on me to keep the boat going right now. Because of this I don't want to experiment with different treatments for fear my symptoms might get worse. Right now I feel "good enough" to let me get to and from work, but I do have a lot of those "what if I didn't have IBS..." moments. I am sure I'd be doing quite different things right now. So I would take the opportunity you have to try and do your best to get it managed before you have "real life" intrude to make things more difficult. Time can be a healer & with dedication you might even be able to beat IBS or get it to a level where it does not have a negative impact on your life. While it can feel helpless now, life is in cycle and even 3 months or 6 months from now you could have an entirely different outlook(positive or negative) - best to hope for the positive.


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## Kat09 (Oct 23, 2009)

Hey Tory!!!!I wish I could offer you good advice like ^, but I'm just commenting to be a mutual sufferer. I am also a freshman in college and was literally just diagnosed today with IBS. I'm pretty much terrified. I have been doing really well in college so far, and I'm super worried that my life is pretty much over now. The doctor I went to was very uninformed about IBS alternative treatments, and pretty much told me the only way I will feel better is to not eat (Yeah! Coming from a doctor! Would you believe that!?!) I hate having to randomly leave class like five times to go to the bathroom, or just up and leave period. My symptoms the past week have been especially bad, and the only way I've been able to effectively treat them is by eating next to nothing (which I realize is both a bad idea and not a long term sollution). I hate having to make up excuses as to why I look sick, and I hate people thinking I'm making it up. I am a super dedicated student, but I don't see how the heck I'm going to survive here if I have to miss class. Getting into college has been my dream... Anyways, I just read your post and had to say something. I'm sorry you also have this burden upon your shoulders. But, if it makes you feel any better at all, seeing someone else in my position has really made me feel better.Thanks,Kat


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## blondeoverblue24 (Oct 20, 2009)

My heart goes completely out to you - I was diagnosed when I was 19 and a sophmore in college and had some severe issues during my junior year as well. It's so difficult to get past the feelings of anxiety, will I have to go in the middle of class, while I'm out with my friends, will I get so sick that I won't be able to get to class? I became an expert in finding where all the bathrooms were and was known to use a couple of excuses to go to the bathroom from time to time ("Oh, I forgot something in my room....Oh, I need to wash my hands").If at all possible, I recommend letting your friends know what is going on with you. I know this can be difficult with people you don't know entirely well. I transferred schools my junior year when I was having horrible flares, and I was lucky enough to have a completely understanding roommate - when I was feeling poorly, she was always considerate in keeping her time in the bathroom/shower to a minimum. Still, even then, there were times when I was worried that I wouldn't make it to the bathroom. I remember feeling so sick, but heading to the campus center anyway, because I knew they'd have a number of bathrooms I could use (unfortunately, I had a second, less understanding roommate who liked to take hour long showers).Also, if you haven't become established with a doctor near your school, I would sooner rather than later. They're helpful in changing meds around as necessary, plus can give you notes for those times you miss class - Too many professors have the rule of dropping you a letter grade if you miss so many classes, regardless of how hard you work/well you do. I would try to tell your professors that you have IBS ahead of time as well - That way they don't think you're faking on the day of a test, etc.I know it seems like you will never get better and that no one understands you. I found this message board back during my junior year, and I really think it saved me (I'm under a new name now, because I lost my name/password back when I was in graduate school and got too busy). I eventually found things that controlled my symptoms and got me through the rest of my schooling. I have actually been off all IBS medications since this March, and for the most part, I have been doing really well....I do still use imodium before big events or dinners I know could trigger my symptoms.And if you do find that special guy, tell him about it sooner rather than later - My boyfriend at the time I was diagnosed is now my husband, and I wish I would have told him sooner because he has been a great support for me.I know it seems like it'll never end, but just keep coming here and talking and trying different things - It will help.


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## tory28 (Oct 18, 2009)

Thank you so much everyone for your replies. It's only been about a week and a half, but I'm already feeling a bit better, and your replies really helped with that. I'm making an appointment with a GI doctor up here, and my parents were here for Parent's Weekend this past weekend, and we were able to buy some books on IBS which have really helped. I've started to realize what my triggers are, I had originally been so sure I was Lactose Intolerant but more and more I'm starting to think it could be Celiac's which is making things much worse. I had been tested in July with a negative for Celiacs, but since its genetic, my grandmother has it, and cutting gluten out has been such a good thing for me, I'm thinking of getting re-tested. I've been a picky eater my whole life, and bagels were always something I had at least once a day. Going three days without a bagel already has been a HUGE improvement. I haven't had any cases of D or anything, some bad cramps and G but other than that alright. I'm truly hoping I don't have an allergy to both gluten and dairy, as avoiding them in the cafeteria has already been pretty difficult. But even if I do I'm glad I'll know how to make my life with IBS more manageable. Kat, its so good to hear from someone else whose a freshman going through this. If you ever need to talk, feel free to message me or anything =) To make my life more dealable, I've told my friends here that I have a stomach problem, and that is why I sometimes don't go to class or why I don't want to hang out. I don't tell them its IBS because I don't want to get too specific, but they understand when I sometimes don't go to class it's not out of laziness. Seeing a counselor has also been really helpful, just to have someone to talk to about my problems. I'm lucky in that I have a supportive family, and they're willing to let me talk about my problems with it. Adjusting to college is hard enough, IBS just adds that unnecessary extra layer of stress and anxiety. I don't know about you, but my most anxious time is the time leading up to a class. Once I sit down and relax I'm usually able to calm down, and I've been lucky enough to not have an attack during class yet. And blondeoverblue, thank you, it's so great to hear that you were able to find a loving husband. I'll admit that one of my biggest worries is I'll be too nervous to ever date again, or anything. I'm glad to hear that it is entirely possible to find a great guy =)


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