# IBS cycles and stress



## Matt P (Jun 21, 2011)

I've had IBS-C all my life, and I've come to realise that, although some laxatives help me have a BM, actually the cause is mostly stress related / over work / money worries and importantly growing over confidence in my bowels' ability to digest bad foods. It is important to find time to relax and switch off and exercise, I'm not superman.My IBS cycle is something like this:==============Week 1.Happy can take on the world (10 hour days at work), BM every morning with ease.Week 2.Happier can take on the world (12 hour days at work), BM every morning getting harder to pass.Week 3.Getting tired, could do with a break (14 hour days at work), BM every morning gets harder to pass and narrower, start to worry about getting IBS.Week 4. Out of the blue WHAM no BM for a couple of days, take a laxative like Laxido / Movicol, Worry even more, get depressed about lack of control, don't want to go out anywhere socially or consider anything that means a commitment.Nothing, start to panic - not again, I don't want to go to hospital with this again, I thought I was going regularly.Hard to work or focus- that's another worry, people will think I'm unreliable.Week 5.Oh this is good I'm getting some movement.Attack attack attack, spasms every 5 - 10 minutes and hard to pass BMs. STOP work, watch films, try and relax, feel depressed for 5 days, grumpy and bark at the wife and kids.Run out of toilet rolls.... twice or worse end up in hospital getting probed and flushed.Week 6Feel empty at last and the spasms stop - woohoo, elation, I can take on the world again. ==============#Work twice as hard to make up for lost time. Repeat cycle.#I don't know if anybody can relate to that, but I wanted to share it. Today I'm hopefully at the end of Week 5 and Week 6 is about to start any day.


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## One_Day_At_A_Time (Aug 11, 2011)

It is refreshing to me to read about your cycle - because it makes me feel less crazy. Of course I'm sorry that any of us has to go through this, but, I do thank you for posting these details. I have IBS-D so my symptoms are pretty different than yours, but stress is a trigger for me as well and once I have a flare it takes me at least 4-5 weeks to start to feel normal again. And in the meantime, I have similar thoughts of anxiety, not wanting to do anything social that involves a commitment, worry about ending up in the hospital, etc. Personally, I'm starting to meditate every day in order to keep daily stress down... hoping it will work.


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## Matt P (Jun 21, 2011)

One_Day_At_A_Time said:


> It is refreshing to me to read about your cycle - because it makes me feel less crazy. Of course I'm sorry that any of us has to go through this, but, I do thank you for posting these details. I have IBS-D so my symptoms are pretty different than yours, but stress is a trigger for me as well and once I have a flare it takes me at least 4-5 weeks to start to feel normal again. And in the meantime, I have similar thoughts of anxiety, not wanting to do anything social that involves a commitment, worry about ending up in the hospital, etc. Personally, I'm starting to meditate every day in order to keep daily stress down... hoping it will work.


Well I'm glad it helps you feel less crazy, because at times it can feel like you're the only one in the world mad enough to obsess about bowel movements, especially when you watch TV and everybody seems to be able to cope with that pressure without bending over in cramp-agony on screen. There's definitely a depression link, but I'm pretty sure that the depression kicks in as a result of the symptoms making life a misery not vice versa. That said - chocolate is my vice, perhaps my desire to eat it is combined with stress levels, so eating more chocolate should be a warning sign. I try not to blame the chocolate of course (although it won't help the fibre balance), again we can blame the root cause of stress for my increased intake. I did have hypnotherapy once for my IBS - it helped a lot, I use a relaxation technique / sequence / happy place I was taught to relax or go to sleep at night when I remember!


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Hypnotherapy can be helpful to break that cycle - or at least help you deal better... take a look at my links below - the video explains the brain-gut connection that is so much a part of the IBS condition... It took me years of suffering to finally get relief. I came to this BB in 2000 having tried everything else, and found out about it here. There is free support as well if needed. Hope this helps... all the best to you.


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## ariansenator (Apr 18, 2010)

cookies4marilyn said:


> Hypnotherapy can be helpful to break that cycle - or at least help you deal better... take a look at my links below - the video explains the brain-gut connection that is so much a part of the IBS condition... It took me years of suffering to finally get relief. I came to this BB in 2000 having tried everything else, and found out about it here. There is free support as well if needed. Hope this helps... all the best to you.


 Does it really works i think it is like a placebo effect i was diagnosed with IBS 4 years ago its been lot of suffering my pervious attak was two months back and previous to that was 5 months and biggest achievement was 6 months so i returned back to this forum because now frequency is increasing.I tried meditation which eventually not doing i been really lazy thats wh i think frequency is increasing i follow yogic meditation of 7 chakras it is believed that to attain a proper health all 7 chakras should be in balance. so it helps it concentration i thonk anyhow i know attacks comes and its terible i get depressed feel like will i be able to work in a job my friends say he has big time mood swing no one understands i am already slim i get so concesoius about my weight and then problem increases its like a trauma keeps coming makes me remmember that life for me is a struggle.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Hiwell, if you could stick with your meditation, it certainly might be helpful. Yes, the IBS Audio Program does really work for the vast majority of people who try it - it is not a cure and not everyone is helped, but even if they are not helped to the degree needed, they feel calmer, and there are no bad side effects. Many times, they just need to repeat the program a time or two. We have sent many programs to your country and have had good results of people being helped. It works through the subconscious mind, rather than 'thinking' it through - and addresses the brain-gut connection so prevalent with IBS patients. Take a look at the links below for more info, and happy to answer any questions if you wish. Take care.


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## ariansenator (Apr 18, 2010)

cookies4marilyn said:


> Hiwell, if you could stick with your meditation, it certainly might be helpful. Yes, the IBS Audio Program does really work for the vast majority of people who try it - it is not a cure and not everyone is helped, but even if they are not helped to the degree needed, they feel calmer, and there are no bad side effects. Many times, they just need to repeat the program a time or two. We have sent many programs to your country and have had good results of people being helped. It works through the subconscious mind, rather than 'thinking' it through - and addresses the brain-gut connection so prevalent with IBS patients. Take a look at the links below for more info, and happy to answer any questions if you wish. Take care.


THANKS for the links letme try try this seeing your confidence i am sure it will work out...


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