# My Life Is Over ..



## KiirstyAnne (Oct 1, 2010)

i have recently in the last week found out that i have IBS however the symptoms have been going on for monthsluckily my neighbour is a nurse at my doctors surgery so she was able to diagnose me because I am absolutely terrified of going to my doctors because last time I went to tell him about my depression he laughed in my face so I have never gone back since not even for my repeat presecription of anti-depressants. So yeah, ill write down all my symptoms here~ whenever i eat (it seems at the moment its with anything that i eat) i get terrible stomach cramps and gasnow this next one is going to sound very strange but its something i cant help, i have a HUGE phobeia of diarrhea and I mean huge, i used to have nightmares about having diarrhea even before any of this started so you can imagine this phobeia along with the not wanting to see my doctor thing, this IBS isnt exactly welcomed with open arms lol.~ i feel as though if i did go to the toilet i would have diarrhea however over the many years of being terrified i have got pretty good at being able to hold it in .. unless im ill with like a virus or something.~ when i DO go to the toilet just because the pain is so bad, the stool is a yellowy colour, it isnt water it is more like 'ribbony' and when i wipe myself there is all i can describe as snot on the tissue lol (sorry thats disgusting)~ my stomach feels as though the muscles are really tight all of the time and i feel like i cant relax them, well i cant unless i really think about it.~ some days i will feel really sick after eatingthe last two days these symptoms have been staying all day long as aposed to when it just used to be for a couple of hours every now and again, i have spent the last three days crying because I am so afraid that I am going to spend the rest of my life like this and the thought of that makes me rather suicidal i dont think i could cope, well i wouldnt WANT to cope. I know a LOT of people have it a lot worse than i do but no one should have to live with IBS. At the moment Im too afraid to eat because I know how bad I am going to feel afterwards. I am eating 3 potato cakes for breakfast an apple and a banana for dinner and rice for tea .. everyday. Im also taking a peppermint oil tablet before each meal (prescribed for me by my neighbour) and a buscopan. Also if i feel that I am going to have diarrhea i will take anti diarrhea tablets whether i have been or not. Im so afraid that I am going to loose my boyfriend and my friends because they will not understand why i can not go out to see them, i try to explain it to them but they just pass it off as a tummy ache and one of my friends answers is 'just dance about' dancing is the last thing i want to do when im having an attack.im going to the doctors on Monday .. i really dont want to but if i want to get better I have no choice.Does anyone have any advice for things that may help me? I am a 19 year old girl and I am not working so I dont not have a lot of money so simple things that may help would be great.Thanksxx


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## aellia (Jan 26, 2009)

KiirstyAnne said:


> i have recently in the last week found out that i have IBS however the symptoms have been going on for monthsluckily my neighbour is a nurse at my doctors surgery so she was able to diagnose me because I am absolutely terrified of going to my doctors because last time I went to tell him about my depression he laughed in my face so I have never gone back since not even for my repeat presecription of anti-depressants. So yeah, ill write down all my symptoms here~ whenever i eat (it seems at the moment its with anything that i eat) i get terrible stomach cramps and gasnow this next one is going to sound very strange but its something i cant help, i have a HUGE phobeia of diarrhea and I mean huge, i used to have nightmares about having diarrhea even before any of this started so you can imagine this phobeia along with the not wanting to see my doctor thing, this IBS isnt exactly welcomed with open arms lol.~ i feel as though if i did go to the toilet i would have diarrhea however over the many years of being terrified i have got pretty good at being able to hold it in .. unless im ill with like a virus or something.~ when i DO go to the toilet just because the pain is so bad, the stool is a yellowy colour, it isnt water it is more like 'ribbony' and when i wipe myself there is all i can describe as snot on the tissue lol (sorry thats disgusting)~ my stomach feels as though the muscles are really tight all of the time and i feel like i cant relax them, well i cant unless i really think about it.~ some days i will feel really sick after eatingthe last two days these symptoms have been staying all day long as aposed to when it just used to be for a couple of hours every now and again, i have spent the last three days crying because I am so afraid that I am going to spend the rest of my life like this and the thought of that makes me rather suicidal i dont think i could cope, well i wouldnt WANT to cope. I know a LOT of people have it a lot worse than i do but no one should have to live with IBS. At the moment Im too afraid to eat because I know how bad I am going to feel afterwards. I am eating 3 potato cakes for breakfast an apple and a banana for dinner and rice for tea .. everyday. Im also taking a peppermint oil tablet before each meal (prescribed for me by my neighbour) and a buscopan. Also if i feel that I am going to have diarrhea i will take anti diarrhea tablets whether i have been or not. Im so afraid that I am going to loose my boyfriend and my friends because they will not understand why i can not go out to see them, i try to explain it to them but they just pass it off as a tummy ache and one of my friends answers is 'just dance about' dancing is the last thing i want to do when im having an attack.im going to the doctors on Monday .. i really dont want to but if i want to get better I have no choice.Does anyone have any advice for things that may help me? I am a 19 year old girl and I am not working so I dont not have a lot of money so simple things that may help would be great.Thanksxx


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## aellia (Jan 26, 2009)

Just to let you know that you're not alone in thinking as you do.And nothing is you describe will be disgusting,don't worry about that.It's a long,hard slog to find something that works and sometimes when you think it is it stops working.I have the food fear,too and think that may half of my problem. No fruit and veg and a very limited diet.As for that doctor laughing in you face,well,words fail me.I'm so sorry you're going through this but you won't be on your own here.


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## Hester (Jul 5, 2009)

Nothing here is disgusting and no one here thinks IBS or IBD are funny. Glad you found us. There are many things that can help with IBS and IBD but you do need to rule other more serious things out and some simple things too - like gallbadder, thyroid issues or very serious such as Crohns disease. Most IBD sufferers have that awful fear of urgent diarrhea. Yellow stools usually mean food is traveling too fast through your small bowel. You could also have small bowel bacterial overgrowth which is what I have along with IBS. My treatment was six months of Tetracycline antibiotics. Now I take the AB once a week every six weeks and am on Factor 4 - a probotic for my missing Bifido bacterium. Anyway, you need to eat. Things to avoid: dairy/milk/whey/cassin, caffine, alcohol, maybe gluten and some grainsThings that can help: Calcium plus D, Fiber caps without FOS, liquid D3, probotics (too many to name but Floragen seems to be good - I have to take three times the recommended dose to firm up my stools), drink plenty of fluids so you are not dehydrated, eat cooked veges, fish and lean protein, avoid fried or greasy foods, eat organic, try a raw food diet to see if you feel better. Some people feel better after taking Miralax (sp?) - I know a laxative. This is a sign of bacterial overgrowth in the small bowel - if you take it, clean out and feel better. Antibiotics are used to treat this condition and the patient must avoid acid reducers such as proton pump inhibitors and TUMS. Stomach acid is NEEDED to kill bad bacteria in the bowel. Anti-depressants are common treatments to slow down and relax the bowel. They can work wonders. I hope you find a doctor that is not a jerk! Really, laughing is just deplorable. I would never go back. Find someone caring. Good luck and know you are not alone. There are a lot of us here. I was stuck in the bathroom for almost two years on disability due to 14 to 20 urgent watery stools daily and severe weight loss. I am far from perfect today but make the best of it thanks to trying many different things from this site and finding doctors that cared. I am out and about again, working and even exercising (something I never thought would happen). Hang in there!


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## MommyL (Sep 1, 2010)

Glad to hear that you found us, but sorry to hear about your situation. I know that IBS can very difficult to cope with and I understand the fear of diarrhea. Every time it happens I go into panic mode thinking that it will never end, it will get worse or I will become unable to do anything because of it. I found that congestive behavior therapy really helped me with my IBS as far as the anxiety and panic. Some have had good luck with hypnosis.Have you thought about trying another doctor? It sounds like the doctor that you are going to is someone you are not comfortable with and maybe you should try a new doctor you could have a better relationship with to get a checkup and rule other things out like gallbladder.etc I have had really good luck in the past with Elavil for my IBS as far as frequency and pain. I know that the pain can be scary and makes the panic worse about the diarrhea because you are always afraid it will come on again. Hang in there and keep your head up. Your life is not over, you just have to find ways now of coping and managing with your IBS and you CAN do it.You could check out the link for Linda's calcium carbonate as a lot of people have had good luck. There are some other good posts too about eating small and frequent meals..etc. I have had good luck with digestive enzymes and making sure I take time to eat and chew my food as well. I am on Lexapro right now for my anxiety and depression that has also helped.


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## Ausie one (Jan 24, 2009)

We all feel down some days worse than others, you just have to try different things as something might work for you and not someone else.The worse thing you can do is not eat as if I do I get the dreaded D worse. So even if I am not hungry I make myself eat something. I tried the elimination diet and you just don't beleive that you can eat something one day and next it goes right through you.I have not found any doctor that really understood what it is like. They expect me to live on Anti Diahorea tablets and I don't want to, and I panic when I know that I have to get up early to go out as the mornings are the worse time for me. So I take two tablets at night to stop me having it and then I take another when I have breakfast just to make sure. I try not to think of it but I usually know where the toilets are if I need to run to the toilet.I stopped soft drinks chewing gum and citrus don't like me. I stopped drinking fruit juices and alcohol and do not eat big meals as if I do I have to race to the loo. Soem times I have not warning and have had to race off leaving shopping in a trolley as can come on me without warning and can't stop it.So lots of us are suffering with out any answers, I have put on weight which does not make sense for someone who never gets constipated.Anyway don't think you are alone anymore.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Hello and welcome -You are not alone, and there is hope. Since you live in Manchester, you are not too far from Warrington - discussed on this BB is a program of hypnotherapy that was developed there by clinical hypnotherapist Michael Mahoney. He has worked with many young people with IBS. One of his patients was about your age, and had not been able to go to school for 2 years because her IBS was so severe. He worked with her and she was able to go back to school, and now as a young woman holds a job with no problems. His protocol is available on CDs or MP3 if you cant travel to see him in person, and they are really cheap - less than the cost of one session.It helps with the symptoms, and can be used alongside anything else you might use - so there is real hope... If you want more info, reply to this thread - you could even speak with him for free if you need to find out more as well - he is a gentle soul and has daughters too, so he knows how it is to have IBS - he works in a medical centre and the doctors there refer their IBS patients to him.Hope this helps... you are not alone - there is hope!


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## Siea (Jun 21, 2010)

Anyone know if it is even legal for a doctor to laugh at his/her patient?Change doctor is my advice. I would be pissed if my doctor behaved like this...He is in a power position which should not be abused.I did not read everything but I advice you to read the calcium sticky post in this forum. Calcium and imodium seem to improve the condition of most people.


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## diamandis (Oct 14, 2010)

Seriously, sock your doctor the next time you see him. What a jerk.I'm 19yo too, just diagnosed last summer. I went all freshman year with only a few flare-ups (that I thought was just little viral attacks at the time), so I'm sort of re-learning college life through the frame of IBS-A. IBS treatment can be totally different from person to person, but there's some things that you absolutely should do, if you don't already:1. Keep a food journal. Write down what you eat, at what time, and any symptoms that present themselves after your meal. Keep track of your bathrooms visits too--how long after a meal until you felt the urge to go, if there was anything unusual about it, and so on. If you have younger siblings or other people who may venture into your room, then I'd suggest getting a diary with a little lock and key. This will be really helpful for you, as finding a pattern in your digestive habits can help you plan your day around your meals and the issues they cause. When my friends text me to go down to dinner, I always ask them if we could push the time back by maybe 20 or 30 minutes--so my medicine has time to kick in. I just tell them I'm finishing up some homework. They're usually willing to oblige, and if not then I just meet them down there later myself.2. See a DIFFERENT DOCTOR! Be sure to bring your food journal with you, so you can prove your symptoms are not just some little stomach bug. I know the first time I told my doctor about my symptoms, I wanted to sink through the floor, but he was really quite understanding. IBS is really common in people our age, especially uni students (college food is generally pretty harsh on the belly) and for some it can sort itself out as you get older. My sister's former roommate actually got a special allowance from her school to move into a campus apartment, so that she can make her own food and regulate her diet. 3. Regarding the depression- TELL YOUR DOCTOR.Depression is not something that should ever, ever be swept under the rug, no matter how mild. I've had depression since I was 11, long long before the IBS came to town, but didn't start dealing with it until I turned 18. Therapy can help, for some, but your doctor may also be able to prescribe you an antidepressant--some of which can help with IBS. I originally got my low-dose Prozac scrip for migraines, and my doctor was convinced that my periodic migraines were the cause of my depression, but with a little bit of talking (and getting a bit snippy with him, I'll admit) he ratcheted up the dose from 10mg to 20 and asked to see me again in a month. It was a total and complete turnaround. Only because I've started to put it behind me can I now realize how bad I let things get. Don't sit on your hands and wait with depression; the sooner you start looking for help, the sooner you'll find relief.


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