# Feel like a prisoner?



## strkngfang (May 17, 2011)

Hello everyone, I'm a man in my mid 40's, I was diagnosed with IBS about 20 years ago. Over the years I've tried all kinds of medications in which none had worked too well and all with side effects. I've eliminated everything remotely harmful from my diet during this time as well. Basically I eat the same things everyday and record food intake, bathroom trips etc to try and find something that always works, its mostly a rollercoaster ride with few consistent results.I've been in very uncomfortable public situations where I need a bathroom NOW and its interupted all kinds of social events with my wife and friends, they all understand but I feel like a freak? When ever I'm out I have to know exactly where bathrooms are in case I need a quick retreat. I get a lot of anxiety before long trips, doctor or dentist appts or anywhere where I am expected to remain still for long amount of time, after the appts the feeling completely disappears and it is so aggravating. I won't even think about the events of the day but usually within minutes of leaving, the cramps & anxiety rear their ugly heads. My 3rd & hopefully final spinal surgery resulted in me having to get wheeled out of the OR just prior to surgery and taken to a bathroom, talk about embarrassing!!I'm convinced there are ways to remedy this that don't include pills. But I've wasted so much money on herbs, internet cures, hypnosis, acupuncture etc and nothing really helps.I've been reading alot lately about acupressure points so that is my next thing to try. I have some bands that I used for motion sickness, that worked like a charm, so maybe they will help with this too, I don't know??Sorry this is so long, anyone else have this kind of problem???


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## Dixie_Girl82 (May 18, 2009)

I think all of us have this problem. Anxiety when traveling is something we all worry about.I gave up on natural remedies years ago and started with prescription medications. I am currently on Prisitq (anti-depressant and anti-anxiety) medication and Lomotil which is for diarrhea. I have doctor's appointment tomorrow and will hopefully get some Motofen, which is better than Lomotil. Lomotil has been a God send for me for the last few years. I can use the bathroom a few times in the morning when my stomach is most active and then take the Lomotil along with some Imodium and I am normally good for the rest of the day. I can eat pretty much what I want in the evenings. But I do keep in mind how horrible the after effects will be the next morning so I am nice to myself with my diet.I find that listening to my favorite music in the car as loud as I want and that helps with traveling anxiety. I will even wear some Depends for long trips just to make myself feel better.


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## crstar (Jun 29, 2009)

this is all about adrenal fatigue...........research it, it is enlightening...........i have the same problems as u..........i'd b going somewhere or shopping or to the drs or whatever............during a freeway drive of 45mins, i'd have to pull off the road at lest 5x..........there were x's when i would b standing in line to pay for my purchases & have to drop everything & go home..........as soon as i'd get in the car & start home & bingo, the feelings would go completely away..........this is what happens.........u worry, u stress & even if u rn't thinking about this, the fact that u have t move, to go do something, some activity, ur adrenals have to step up & send in stress hormones......... stress on the body is defined by anything in which u have to set ur body in motion, no matter what kind of motion............this is what the adrenals do 24hrs aday..........well, when they r tired or exhausted, simply "EVERYTHING" u do or how u move is a stressor...........in my case, it was all my adrenals could do to keep my heart beating & my lungs respiring...........so anything else, sent me to the toilet...........it was a nitemare.............w/o the adrenals stepping up, many things go awry............so research adrenal fatigue..........there is a good book by:.james l wilson, i think..........then look into herbs that help the adrenals..........2 of the most important r, licorice root DGL & ashwagandha.............there r others.............if ur situation is serious & u can't get relief from herbs, vitamins & minerals, magnesium is an important 1, then u may have to find a dr who will treat u for this problem...........it takes steroids...hydrocortisone or prednisone..........hydrocortisone is the closest to our own steroids produced by the adrenals............there is another stress hormone called aldosterone...........if it is low & it's hard to test for, "U WILL GET MAJOR D"..........no 2 ways about it............u can also try DHEA & pregnenolone...........altho, i've never researched pregnenolone for men............but it is an adrenal hormone that many others r made from..........also, look at ur thyroid....if the adrenals r tired, so is the thyroid..........they work hand in hand with each other................if it goes on long enough, then there may b damage.........then u have to take the drugs that replace these hormones...........kelp will help the thyroid..........cmt..............


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Try getting some Cognitive Behavior Therapy. See our CBT/Hypnotherapy Forum for more info.Here is a good article as well:http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/alternativemed/a/cbtibs.htm


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## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

I do the same thing. On a side note, I have started paying attention to folks while I'm out and about and I think I see 'the look'--the panicky, searching eyes, hands on the belly, that sort of thing. We need a broach or something to wear to notify others of like-mind so they can not feel so alone, compadres out there. May make it easier to bear if you know you aren't alone. Christians have their fish, we need a toilet pin. hahaha


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## strkngfang (May 17, 2011)

I honestly believe there is a natural remedy for every ailment. The human body seems to be able to heal itself from anything if given the right care. Finding it is an entirely different thing though. Who would have thought that wearing wrist bands with buttons on the insides would eliminate nausea & motion sickness. THey saved my life on a cruise ship years ago when I became deathly ill. Forget Dramamine, that stuff made me comatose and I was still nauseous. I have a friend who was cured of migraine headaches after acupuncture treatments after years and tons of medicines failed. There is an acupuncturist in our area that swears she can rid me of this after 5 treatments but I'm too afraid if it doesn't work then I'm out about 500.00. Insurance doesn't want to pay for anything that isn't pills so I keep researching and trying?? My stomach is so sensitive that every side effect is magnified so I've been unable to take most prescriptions, so I've been mostly on my own.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Hi and welcomeMuch of what you have written is very similar to what my IBS was like - I too had to have several trips to the bathroom prior to surgeries as well - I even held up the time for a procedure because I was in the bathroom, and the nurses were waiting for me... so I know just how you feel- I was nearly housebound with IBS.You mention hypnosis not working, and as that was the only thing that helped me after nearly 20 years of trying everything else, and I was wondering what program you used> if it was the IBS Audio Program, (CDs you listen to at home) please do call 877-898-2539 for some extra free support as they may be able to help you further; I know that this method did not help me at first, and I needed to do it over 3 times, because my IBS was so ingrained and I had so many symptoms, etc. It was a slow and gradual process, but believe me, after being on so many drugs that messed me up, and rarely helped, at least not long-term, I know how frustrating it can be.Hypnotherapy for IBS needs to be a gut-specific or gut-directed protocol in order to be most effective; there is a very strong brain-gut component to IBS that can linger after other areas have been addressed. Do not give up - please do call for some support - I raised my children through the bathroom door, and missed many events, had much embarrassment, and I know what it is that you mention. After 4 gastros, trips to Mayo and other clinics, etc. it took me 17 years of research to finally find something that helped me - there is hope. All the best to you in your journey to feeling better - take a peek at my journey and other links below if you wish.Take care.


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## slotaddict (Apr 19, 2011)

I feel for you...really I do...I never leave the house without taking my immodium before I leave, and not just one or two...3 to 5 works for me until I can get back home..I seem to be able to eat, to look somewhat normal..even with the immodium whereever we go the bathroom is the first thing that I look for...


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## Gobo (May 11, 2011)

I know very well what you're talking about! I'm 28 at the time, and through the last 6-7 years I've had the exact same problems. Just the last couple of years I've started getting a hold of myself and facing the problems and the condition. I feel that a large part of the problem has been that I let this build up to a total circle of anxiety and IBS. I too always check for the nearest bathroom whenever I go places, I probably know exactly what public bathroom to go to, no matter where I am in the city. I've also been struggling with anxiety, social fobia and panic attacks for some years, but all this has got a lot better. The most anxiety I have now, is the fear of not reaching a toilet in time. This fear makes my IBS kick in stronger, so I get more anxious, this leads to an even stronger urge to go to the bathroom (even though I really don't have to go, it's usually just imagination), and so it countinues... Have anyone dealt with this in any other way than the ones described above in this post? I think hypnosis sounds tempting, but it is illegal and not very common in the country where I live. Where did you try it?-Gobo.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Hi Gobo and welcome.The hypnotherapy program I used is provided on CD and can be shipped to your home or via MP3 download and is the IBS Audio Program 100 - you listen to the recorded sessions in the privacy of your own home and there is free support if you need it. Hypnosis and hypnotherapy is not illegal nor unknown in Norway - there are many training and professional organizations there - as well as the:•Norwegian Association of Clinical Hypnosis - Norsk Forbund for Klinisk HypnoseThe IBS Audio Program has been used by IBS sufferers in 44 countries and Norway is one of them. You can find out more information here: http://www.healthyaudio.com/content/ibs?r=VmPRrcNkAnd do feel free to ask any questions or take a look at the links below. We have feedback from about 2000 - so over 10 years of mostly positive stories of people who have been able to turn their lives around and feel better. While it is not a cure, many people have found it to be the most helpful thing they have tried and use it as a last resort. If it did not work at all, that info would be all over the internet, and it is not - most people are helped! So definitely worth a try...Hope that helps and all the best to you - there IS hope!


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## MotofenSteve (Jun 27, 2011)

Motofen is the best answer I can give you for your problem. I went from being stuck in the house and unable to go anywhere to within a week after I trusted the med I was able to do anything I want. Stuck in traffic, no prob. How about getting on a Ferris wheel? The Ferris wheel stops at the top sometimes and your waiting. That isnt a problem anymore. Those are just some examples. You can be free if you trust Motofen. It works. It is however hard to get the past few years but things are getting better with it as the company is starting to put it back out on the market. If you want to have a life then trust me when I say get a Rx for Motofen asap!


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## LNAPE (Feb 9, 1999)

Read the calcium info at the top of the page it may help youLinda


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## Alexiabee (Jun 21, 2011)

What an interesting and informative thread! I have read each post and can identify with most of the experiences stated on here, the anxiety of going out, and finding a loo nearby.I have had IBS twice in my lifetime, the latter being the worst. And I have suffered with panic attacks on and off all through my life. Although fingers crossed, I my IBS improving now with the help of daily calcium supplements. And yes, I can truthfully say that in my case, my IBS is definately physiologically triggered. I always find that for me the best cure for my IBS is keeping my mind active on something other than my IBS! Whenever I am totally absorbed and my mind and concentration is elsewhere, I have never had the familiar, horrible urges to to go to the lone of my worst times for 'bringing an urgent BM on' is in bed if I wake early in the morning. I can wake up completely relaxed from sleep, and imediatley I can almost tell my brain to start churning my bowels and bring one on..and it does!..The awful part of this is, I know what's happening, and I have little control in stopping it.This is why I have found it best when possible, to take my 'mind' elswhere and physically do something constructive. Yes, I do believe that in many IBS cases it is all in the mind. It's our heads that need sorting out, not our bowels.Alex.


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## IBS Girl 08 (Sep 22, 2011)

I can completely relate. If I go somewhere new I am always looking for the bathrooms in case I need to make a run for it. I also have problems with anxiety and this just makes my IBS worse. I often take Imodium as a precaution before going somewhere new. Unfortunately I just stared a new job that involves some deliveries. So far I have been ok, but I always keep an eye out for the nearest public restroom. I recently started going to acupuncture and it has helped me a lot!


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## BridgetG (Sep 22, 2011)

I realize I am new here; however, I would like to share something a friend told me about. You see, I am a tornado chaser out of North Texas, which as you can imagine means I am on the road for hours on end with NO bathrooms anywhere. I have been surviving with Imodium AD advanced/multi-symptom. However, the reason I found this forum is because I was trying to figure out why I can no longer find this product in the store. A friend of mine who deals with extreme IBS among other things told me about a medication called cholesterol, it is a medication she received from her father, which she was using to keep herself out of the bathroom, as she is a chaser as well. She has given it to me in the past, it comes in powder or pills and to be honest it works. The issue I have with it is I need to see a doctor so I can obtain a prescription for myself and considering my history with doctors, (I have nothing nice to say about them) I have been extremely hesitant to even bother. However, I do believe after three years of escaping their tests and doubt I may have no choice but to locate one if I want to continue chasing. I am replying to this because maybe someone else has used it or has information about its use, or maybe it might help others out. I know for me, this may be my only option and my next move.


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## Alexiabee (Jun 21, 2011)

Good morning all.Woke up early again this morning around 4.30am. I have no idea why I wake, as my stomach is fine and calm when I wake. Within seconds my bowels started gurgling and creating uncomfortable gas. My heart rate was thumping and I felt generally wakeful and stressed. But I didn't get the urge to pass a BM. So I lay there and tried to get back to sleep, continuing to toss and turn amongst the gas and the gurgling going on in my insides in the growing morning light, hoping that I would not disturb my husband with the awful noises.Thankfully at around 6.45am it was time to get up, and guess what, the gurgling instantly ceased. I went to the bathroom 5 mins or so after rising, and gently passed a perfectly normal BM. This is generally what is happening to me most mornings at the moment.I know I am going to be ok, so why the hell does my brain and digestive system get together and put me through all this stress? I find it soooo annoying!Do others have anything similar happen to them?Alex.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Alex - this can be fairly common with IBS patients - please do consider looking into the IBS Audio Program that I mention above - which was designed to address the very thing you mention - the mind-gut connection. It was developed in England and I think it might be helpful to you to get this sorted once and for all - look at the video link below for a full explanation how it might be helpful to you - should you decide it may be helpful to you, another tip is for the duration, to stay away from reading and researching about IBS - writing about your symptoms and the 'attacks' further reinforces IBS for you. Hope you find your journey to feeling better! Many have!







All good wishes to you...


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