Last night, I was totally freaked out! I had a headache that was pretty bad alternating on and off all day so I didn't take anything for it. Well, by the time I was getting ready for bed the headache got worse so I took a shower to help relieve some of the pain and then listened to the relaxation CD followed by my waterfalls CD. Next thing I knew I jolted out of sleep feeling hot and cold sweats at the same time! My stomach was burning but the rest of me was freezing and I couldn't stop shaking. I still had the headache and my stomach started hurting. I didn't know what to do it was past midnight. I finally called a friend who is 3 hours behind me so I knew she'd be awake and she tried to get me a nurses hotline but they couldn't help me and directed me to the ER. I am terrified of hospitals, especially ERs, plus I'm alone right now and didn't have a way of getting there (certainly couldn't drive in my condition) reluctantly I called my ex-boss who happens to live nearby and she came over to take me to the ER but right before she showed up I started having to run to the bathroom with "d" and kept having those attacks. I was so exhausted and still had the cold sweats and stomach ache. My ex-boss sat with me for a while because I was afraid I wouldn't make it to the ER without another run to the bathroom. She was so kind to let me vent about my fears and stressors. Before I knew it it was 4am so I told her to go home and get some rest and if I got worse I'd call her. Needless to say, I only slept 3 hrs before waking up at 7am with horrible stomach cramps. I don't know about anyone else, but if I don't get enough sleep it gives me bad stomach aches and "d". I've had IBS for 7+ yrs now and this time was different because it seemed to happen in reverse. Anyone out there have anything similiar happen to them and if so what did you do? I've been on so many meds with no luck. THe only thing that remotely helps me is Klonopin.
Please advise. It's hard for me to see a doctor here and when I finally am able to get an appt they look at me and just say "your just stressed out" Gee, is that your medical opinion? I NEED more!

Dear Laura,
although I live on the other side of this planet, I can understand what you have been through. Fear of "d", how you call it, I know for all of my adult life. It´s not long ago that I leanred that I´m not the only one with this problem.
I don´t wake upt nights with attacks (whatever kind), but I´m a single Mum with an anxiety disorder and I know how it is to feel sick AND anxious and I´m the only adult around and have to cope with that situation! I know the horror of feeling freaked out and no-one around to help me or hug me and say "it´s gonna be okay, I´m there" or stuff like that.
I don´t know where you live and if there is really no-one to help you or if it was just that night.
When I have my monthly migraine (I have it right now, but it´s getting better after 3 days), I´m also constantly on the edge of an anxiety attack, besides the pain, the dizziness, the numb feeling, the nausea.

Today I had to go to an orthodontist with my daughter on the other side of the city, and I didn´t know if we would have to wait ect. I had migraine and fear of "d", so before we went, I got terrible anxiety, I didn´t think I could make it. However, we went.
After the appointment (very quick and without problems) we could leave, I felt much better, an hour before I thought I would die, you know! Just because I felt miserable AND had to solve a problem with out the help of another adult person, so I felt overwhelmded, and the symptoms exploded.
Okay, this won´t help you, but I noticed that my anxiety symptoms change every now and then, and they get much worse when I have to face a situation that demands responsiblity and no toilet around.
You felt sick, you were alone, that´s enough to get anxiety, honey, and I don´t know what else was bothering you. So often I think why is there nobody by my side?? when I feel bad and problems pile up in my life. But I have to learn the hard way to get along on my own...

I recommend you to see a doctor if everything is okay with you physically (I´m sure it is) and then make a plan how to handle similar situations in the future. Ask for medication that could help you (headaches and stomach pain often get together). Make a plan how to calm yourself down, how to breathe, who to call if necessary and so on. What drives us crazy is the fear of losing control, I think, and learning to help yourself gives you a feeling of strength. It´s okay to need help, we all need friends and family and people who support us, but getting along on your own reduces this "catastrohpe feeling".
Hope this helps!

Hugs, Susanne

Susanne,
Thanks for the reply. I am glad to know I'm not alone in this. Wow! You are in Germany? Are you German or stationed over there with military. You English is very good. My grandmother lives in Ingolstadt an hour from Munich. She is very sick and I try to write when I can but as she's getting older her English is failing her. She is German born but married and American after the war and then came to America for 16 years but moved back to Germany. I took three years in German in High School and then went to Germany for two years but now my German is failing me.
I just want answers to why my IBS is so out of control. I try to eat all the right things and yes I have anxiety and try to work on that and my stressors but it's seems like I always have stress in my life. I talked to someone at length last night and they told me to ask for some other tests for my IBS; H.pylori, Gallbladder, and Candida. to see if those were the problems because my doctors didn't run those tests only others to rule out serious conditions. I don't know how the medical is over there but I'm still in the military and quite frankly it stinks here. I won't give up hope!
Thank you again. HOpe all is well with you too. I used to get migraines once a month until they changed my birth control pills, what a relief. I can definetly sympathize with your migraine pain.

Laura - Is it possible that you had some food poisoning?? c.

I'm not sure what happened. I've been homebound since Friday with my daughter who had her wisdom teeth taken out so I've only eated what I have at the house. That night I had red potatoes with mozzeralla cheese on it and two 60 cal each dove ice cream bars. I only drink water and earlier that day I had some acitva yogurt and took the "good day" vitamins. Nothing out of the ordinary. Someone suggested maybe I was just now experiencing the stress of my daughter's wisdom teeth ordeal since she passed out on me at the house and I had to call 911 and somehow managed to keep myself together through the whole thing. I'm all alone right now, no friends or family and my husband is deployed. It's been really tough. I have a hard time getting the doctors to take tests to rule out things because they just tell me I'm stressed out. I'm in the military and we get assigned doctors not by choice and they are not always caring, just rushed. I've even had one tell me they were out of time when it took me two full weeks just get an appt.

Hi Laura,

I agree with Carolyn do you think you ate something that was bad? I had IBS for 20 years and I never had some of those symptoms that you talked about. I had an a severe Candida problem that can give you alot of symptoms. It sounds like you might have a candida problem (check it out) and of course anxiety which can also come from the overgrowth of candida as well as panic attacks, migrane headaches, feeling spaced out, fatigue, feeling blue or depressed, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, and I could go on and on......

I think I had talked about this before with you about going to a holistic doctor (check for candida) get it under control and also work the program and get your anxiety under control. Then you will feel better.

I have both my anxiety and IBS under control and I feel great! But, with my candida problem I did alot of reading and studying on the subject like my doctor told me on my last visit. You did a lot on your own to help work with your problem.

Get the book THE YEAST CONNECTION COOKBOOK by William G. Crook M.D. This book helped me to fully understand what candida is, how you get it, how to control it, and it also has great receipes. (you have to order it in the bookstore).

Hope your feeling better,

Dona Dry

Thanks Donna,
Maybe one of the potatoes I ate was bad, it did taste like dirt or something but I ate it anyway. I'm going to try and schedule an dr's appt next week to rule out the H.pylori, gallbladder, and candida, if they can take those tests that would be great and I'll also look into that book you suggested. Thank you all for caring about me. Being alone is really tough and worse when you're not feeling well.
Laura

Hi Laura,

I just read your post that is great you are going to the doctors to get your gallbladder and I don't know what the other test was for? But for Candida, the medical doctors you are going to go to only understand a vaginal yeast infection. They don't have the knowledge of how candida can be throughout the body and what its all about. You have to go to a holistic doctor and get a BOWEL TEST I can recommend a good one that I have been using and mostly all of the holistic doctors use it.


Believe me I was in the ER one time in my earlier times of candida and I showed the doctors my test results of bad bacteria and yeast levels, they were shocked! They told me they had never seen such a complete test like this and they did not understand it, they asked me were did I get this test from?

The only way you know what is going on in your intestines such as good bacteria, bad bacteria, yeast levels, ph levels, is your food digesting? Is to have a BOWEL TEST that shows how your intestines are working and why you are having your problems? It's a simple test and you do it at home and send it out to the lab for testing, then you discuss the test results with your doctor and he puts you on a treatment.

I hope this helps you,

Dona Dry

Hi Laura,
I am German and have found this page because I read Lucinda´s book in German a few years agao..... but I don´t ahve the programm, i can´t afford it and I´m not sure if it works so good for me as English isn´t my native language. Sorry for the situation with your Grandma!! I loved my Granny very much, too.

Yes, your stomach and bowel problems are certainly not just anxiety, and I understand that it must be hard to be in the military, maybe at some place you never wanted to be... and no chance to choose a doctor you would prefer...I have the most respect for people who decide to do that job, even more if this person is a woman.
I only wanted you to know that someone has read your post and can relate to your desperation! However, we cannot always really give advice because our situations are too different. But as I see, the others here can..., be sure that I will pray for you tonight!

God bless you,
Susanne

Can you provide the name of the bowel test? I am having a terrible time now with my "gut". I didn't start out with IBS but I think I have it now (after intestinal surgery that got infected, massive antibiotics, cancer, chemo...). Now I bloat severely and alternate between D and C. Been to several GI doctors and they can find nothing physical wrong with me except to say that the intestinal surgery may have permanently messed me up. Also, does anyone know of any good books that deal with IBS and proper diet, etc? I think I've tried every drug out there and nothing seems to work. I also realize that as my anxiety/depression lessens, so will my IBS. My stress has settled in my gut area (used to be migraines). Thanks!

Can you please tell me the name of the test and I will have to look for a Holistic Doctor in this area. I got shot down for a doctor's appt with this doctor that another person told me was really good, he moved to another clinic. Figures! He just won some award so they moved him. Anyway, when I called to set up an appt they said they didn't have any openings til Aug 30!! Gee, glad I'm not DYING! I told them my chief complaint was frequent "D" and stomach aches. You'd think they'd be concerned about dehydration. I will be sooo glad when I am officially retired and can choose my own doctor!

Hi Lucky7 and Laura,

The name of the bowel test is called COMPREHENSIVE STOOL ANALYSIS/ PARASITOLOGYx1
the lab is Doctor's Data, Inc. The only doctor's office that has this test is a
holistic doctor.

A fantastic book to read about candida is THE YEAST CONNECTION COOKBOOK by
William G. Crook, M.D. (you have to order it in a bookstore), I have this book
since 2000 they may have another book similiar to this one. But any book from
Dr. Crook is great, he is an expert on candida.

Hope this helps,

Dona Dry

I have never heard of the above test, but give it a shot! I have read "Food Allergies and Food Intolerance: The Complete Guide to Their Identification and Treatment" by Jonathan Brostoff and Linda Gamlin (Paperback - April 1, 2000. The library had it, free to check out! But in there I learned that many of the foods can cause asthma, IBS and other issues which most can be relieved by eliminating the offending food.

Hope you feel better! Let us know what the test finds!

Hi! I have had similar symptoms before. I have had my stomach burn up before too. The 1st time I thought I may have been lactose intolerant but it doesn't happen everytime I have dairy. I think it is all psychosymatic. I've had chills and hot flashes with stomach pain and have to go to the bathroom. And I now believe it was all from my mind. I often tend to make sick feelings 100 times stronger because I get scared. I too am alone at night when these episodes happen, which makes it much more worrysome! One thing to remember, it always passes. (if it doesn't, then you should consult your doctor). If you have Lucinda's program try the relaxation tape during this time of distress. When she has us go through and tighten our muscles it helps release some tension in our body. This may help you

Thanks Donna for the name of the test. My IBS is still a questionable diagnosis. Last year I had small bowel surgery which got infected (3 major infections in the underlying skin), on 2 very potent antibiotics for 2 weeks via drip, a second abdominal surgery to remove the infected absess, then lung cancer surgery, then chemo (put under about 5 times in '06)....so it's no wonder that my "bowels are in an uproar" as my Mom would have said (she also passed away last year during my chemo). Can we say post tramatic stress syndrome? Anyway, I am keeping a food diary now and going back to soy, avoiding red meat, limiting dairy, etc. I've ordered some books on IBS...maybe I'll get lucky. My GP will order that test you suggested for me...she's really trying to help since all the GI doctors I've been to are saying I'm just fine. I've checked out medically (all kinds of tests) but this stuff cycles and when it its me, its really bad. I've tried so many meds to help, but the best so far has been Immodium (which they now have in a chewable tablet that also controls gas)and a prescription drug called Belladonna. I know that my emotions and stress play a large part in this IBS but I didn't have it before the surgery in 1/06. Now no GI doctors want to deal with it because they don't know what to do. All I've been told is that sometimes operating on the bowel or having very high dosages of anti-biotics can cause IBS like problems (imbalance of good/bad bacteria and bowel motion). Any other advice, books, etc. would be most appreciated!!! Thanks.