# IBS Psychosomatic?



## Befuzzled (Nov 28, 2009)

Hi all,New here and having my 5th or 6th 1-2 month bout w/ IBS in about 3 years. All triggered by my divorce - yeah - about 3 years ago. I probably had mild IBS before that, but passed it off as something else.Had quite a year. My Dad died, I moved into a new home and just got married about a month ago. No IBS before wedding, but aftershock stressors of new life got it rolling this time. We're doing great, but my body is finally expressing all the stress I've felt over the last year. At least I think this is what it is.My IBS is characterized by mucous at first, then diarrhea, then cramping, loose poops (20 a day) then explosive farts with blood. And pain and cramps in my as*s and legs!! Of course, I thought I had ulcerative colitis, but two colonoscopies rules that out and my gastro doc. said I just had diverticulosis and hemorrhoids and needed to eat more fiber. I'm beginning to think he's full of shi*t. Didn't agree with my thinking that stress brought it on.This last bout has been the worst.I meditate, which helps, but it is a cycle of worry/symptoms/worse, etc.Seems when I get to the bottom of my worries (once it was an abusive boyfriend, once, moving out of state and away from my family), my symptoms cease as quickly as they had begun and I may not see them for as long as a year.I wonder if this is just a psychosomatic version of IBS. Or do I always have this, but stress just pushes it into overdrive? I do know this marriage is so different from my last in that we are truly intimate - a new scary thing for me. Certainly did not observe this in my parents relationship & chose a remote man for my first husband. Perhaps this has literally scared me sh*itless?I've read a lot of the posts here and I am beginning to do the bad things like not eating or just toast & yogurt and dreading social events and feeling anxiety. Normally, I'm high-energy optimistic.I am thankful for this forum and am interested in any insight you might have about the mind/body connection here.Yours,Befuzzled


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Stress makes every single disorder and disease worse than if you were not stressed.That doesn't make anything psychosomatic (meaning you are making yourself sick with no physical issues).IBS is usually started by a GI infection but some people do find that the problems mostly show up only when they are stressed out. So I wouldn't say you just make yourself sick because you are stressed out and it is a bad way to cope, but that you have IBS and one of your main triggers is stress.Diet also does not cause IBS, but sometimes certain foods wil make it better or worse, but not all IBSers are food triggered.If you are getting stressed out over the IBS and anxious you should see the doctor as you can get treatments that help with stress and anxiety and neither will make the IBS (or anything else) better.


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## crstar (Jun 29, 2009)

it's not all in ur head.............i've had the same thing for yrs..........it's caused by the adrenals not producing enough of the right hormones, at the right times..........when they r over stressed or there's adrenal fatigue involved, then d is the result....... i found out because i'm being treated for adrenal fatigue & others & recently when i was really stressed & having another episode of d, i decided to take the stuff for my adrenals & the d stopped, in like 10mins..........just so u know it's not in ur head..........


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

There is a linkage between stress and inflammation and inflammation and D, so it could be as simple as that. (This can be a lot less inflammation than would be discovered by tests.) I gave myself what seems to be a problem of that sort through smoking and it wasn't until I started taking a supplement for my cardio system, with some unexpected anti-inflammatory properties, that I was able to control a 10 year case of chronic D. Of course, it could be something else, entirely unrelated. Still, it is often the simplest explanation that turns out to be the case. Mark


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## Befuzzled (Nov 28, 2009)

Thanks all.Kathleen, I have been treated for anxiety in the past and was put on anti-d, but hated the effects, so stopped. Have kept my anxiety in check w/ meditation, exercise, diet, etc. & usually it works. I just think I'm on overload. I also have a low dose prescription for clonipin, which I'm loathe to up the dosage, but under the circumstances ...This last bout has lasted a month. I'm going to give it a little more time and tenderness to see if it lifts. What has happened in the past us that when I finally get in to see the doc., the symptoms have lifted & I feel pretty silly. It's just hell while it lasts.I do think the propensity for IBS is always here & it lurks at a low, tolerable level (not "in my head"), but stress ("in my head") shoots it into orbit.Meantime, have begun Imodium and anti-gas tab. This does seem ot have helped a bit. So THANKS all those who posted about that.


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## Befuzzled (Nov 28, 2009)

crstar,How does one get checked for adrenal levels?


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## Befuzzled (Nov 28, 2009)

Mark - inflammation seems to be the culprit in so many diseases. May just up my fish oil, flax seed consumption just to give that a try too. What else would you do to reduce inflammation?


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

> How does one get checked for adrenal levels?


Ask your Dr. about it.. but some bloodwork usually.


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## Borrellifan (May 5, 2009)

Befuzzled said:


> Mark - inflammation seems to be the culprit in so many diseases. May just up my fish oil, flax seed consumption just to give that a try too. What else would you do to reduce inflammation?


Befuzzled, nice to meet you. I too have had this IBS off and on for the past 3 years and it is indeed miserable. It seemed to come and go with no apparent reason but for the past entire year it has been constant. I was pretty much 95% fine last summer for a good 6 months and then just out of the blue with no stressors or anything it just hit me like a ton of bricks and has been back since. I've been to all sorts of GI's and specialists and my opinion is that they just don't have a clue! I tested the inflammation theory by taking up to 10,000mgs of Omega 3's per day along with 8,000 IU's of Vitamin D3 with negative results. A friend of mine had Crohns disease and is perfectly fine now from taking Omega 3's and probiotics. Obviously Crohns is a known inflammitory disease so this would make sense but inflammation has yet to be proven in IBS sufferers. It is definitely not all in your head. I have had perfect digestion all my life up untill 3 years ago so that tells you something.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

Befuzzled said:


> Mark - inflammation seems to be the culprit in so many diseases. May just up my fish oil, flax seed consumption just to give that a try too. What else would you do to reduce inflammation?


I use a flavonoid blend called Provex CV, designed to control blood platelet behaviour and cholesterol oxidation. Here is some clinical info on how that works:http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=...0cv&f=falseHere is an old study regarding IBD--which I DON'T have--colon inflammation and platelet behaviour://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1382343/While Omega 3s have some anti-inflammatory properties, I know of nothing about them that would alter platelet behaviour.Cheers,Mark


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