Hi All. I am feeling very scared. I think I may be experiencing irritable bowel syndrome. I wrote a bit about it under the OCD group thread yesterday. Whenever my lower intestine "gurgles" and I have a panic attack (or sometimes I am in a panic attack and my lower intestine gurgles and I get even more panicked. The result is diarreah. I have been keeping up on fluids, appetite comes and goes, sometimes I am ferociously hungry, while other times I do a very small graze throughout the day,but with no real appetite. Sometimes (and excuse me for being gross) but the bowel movement is just dirty water, which scares me about dehydration and dying. I went to the E.R. on Sunday and they said I was ok in terms of vitals (blood pressure good sitting down and standing up, no fever, electrolytes came back from the lab perfect). They tried to reassure me over and over that I wasn't going to die and that everything is normal, but each time I have diarreah, I feel like running back to the doctor,afraid that I am in danger. I know that Lucinda says on one of the DVDs to stop running. I am trying very hard to take this advice. Since the ER, I had 1 or two small bouts of diarreah, loose stool mostly, but this morning, I woke up with a racing heart panic attack, gurgling bowels, and I did the dirty water nastiness. I immediately drank some gatorade and have been sipping on water. I ate a banana. I also put in a message to my primary care physician. Feeling very anxious. Has anyone here lived through the watery bowel movement? Is most of what I am doing probably overreaction?

Thank you so much,
Debbie

Hello,

I understand your fear, since I go through similar things everyday. I worry about nausea. Recognizing that anxiety makes me feel nauseus and it also makes me run to the bathroom helps me to put my finger on the right problem. The problem is not my nausea and diarhea but my anxiety over things...
Before I would get really scared when I would get diarhea but now I recognize it as a sign of anxiety and try to deal with my anxiety in order to keep me from ER or doctor's office.
I don't know if you have REAL medical problems but recognizing that it's anxiety helps me to deal with it and alleviate the symptoms. Usually the symptoms go away when I calm down.

Hope it helps!!!

Hi, I certainly understand as well. I experience the nausea and diaharrea usually very early in the morning. This is because I get myself so wound up at night and it spills over in the morning. Since I found out in Lesson 1 that I am the cause, I am now learning how to change my thinking, pray for peace and calm and allow my body to feed off of my peace of mind. You will get through this as we all will. God Bless!
Charesse

i ,
used to have it alot.then we quit having alot of things containing milk or milk products and it stopped. not say that it will help you but it helped us. good luck and GOD BLESS..
don

Hi cadebi,

I am sorry you are feeling so bad and scared.

I am having a rough time alternating between diarhea and constipation. It is awful. My left side hurts and feels really bad like I am swelled in there. Not just there but that is where it gives me the worst problem. Have you been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome? I have not been diagnosed with that so I really don't know if that is my problem or not. I wish I did know for sure.

They have told you that everything is normal and you are not going to die, so please try to think about this and tell this to yourself over and over. Maybe it will eventually sink in. Keep doing what you have been doing as far as keeping yourself hydrated. It sounds like you do a good job at that. Try not to worry. I know it is hard. I do it, too. If you lose the fear of it maybe it will start getting better.

I will be praying for you. Take care.

Tina

Hey cadebi,

I understand...I have been under more stress lately and mine kicks in too right after I eat...My BM's tend to be like yours at times but I also have HORRIBLE cramping...Motrin helps the cramping but NOTHING helps the BM's...Some advice...Try some white rice or toast...It will help settle/calm your stomach/intestines and beef or chicken broth for the protein. Stay away from milk products and switch to Soy Milk. Mine has been so bad lately I have only been able to handle Turkey Sandwiches - I think I am going to start gobbling like a turkey...LOL

Cadebi
Having had/have IBS since I was a child, having a son with IBS, and a daughter who was having problems it is a very mind altering disease.
1: If I get anxious, panicky, etc. my bowels go soft. I don't get the full watery diahreea, because the medications I am on cause constipation. So, I get the cramping, and then there is a full let down of what ever is in my intestines. I don't even know where it comes from, some times.

2: In the past, when I wasn't on constipating meds....I would have the worst cramps and diahreea. There were times I would be not only having D, but also throwing up at the same time, I was so sick.

3: Been followed by a GI doctor for many years, and I would suggest that you see some one who can help you with the RX to find out if it is IBS. There are medicines that can be taken which will help, but then they tend to constipate you for the next couple of days.
Imodium is one. Levsin is a prescrip. that is supposed to help with the cramping.

4: I have anxiety so much about IBS that when I was able to go to eat at a restaurant, I would make sure it was within 10 mins of my house, and that I knew where the bathroom was.

5: As a young person I would hardly do anything exciting, as that would set me up for a colon attack.
It was awful when I was out with people. I must say I still get the same feelings now, and I am anxious about my stomach problems.

6: there was a time where I was not as concerned. The doctor (back in 1968) gave me some medicines which I took before ever leaving the house, and I was ok during the rest of the night. After it wore off, I might have an attack, but that was ok, since I was home and relaxed.

7: The medications today are not as good as this combid, that I used to take. So, yes, it concerns me a lot when I have to go places.
I get nervous just going out, then add the stomach thing.
I have generalized anxiety, and if I get that, I wind up waking up and having to go to the bathroom like 3-6 times with in a 2 hour period. Sometimes, I will cancel my appts. because my stomach is so upset.

8: I really don't know what to tell you to do. I know my son went to behavorial modification therpy to be able to control the pain, and put off the attack till he was in a more confortable place. But, he still gets occasional attacks, and he is on meds for IBS.

Our wonderful GI doctor is retiring next month and I am really nervous about that. He was so cool about the whole thing, and understood the problem really well.
I will have to see another new doctor, and he dosen't know the history of me, and the family.

It is important to know that Anxiety, stress and other things you don't even realize can trigger an attack. Some foods do it for certain people.
This is a disease that can be treated, and lived with. It does alter your thinking and your mind, esp. if you do not understand your body and why it is doing this back and forth thing.
Trying to become regular, is the thing that I have done to help as well as the meds etc.
If you want more info. private mail me.
ccabek@comcast.net
Good luck, and try to find out what triggers an attack.
PS: a lot of times there doesn't seem to be a trigger.....but if you look back the past week, you will find you were stressed, and after you relaxed, the attack occured.
Don't freak out over the attacks. They hurt, oh that is so true, there is the loose stools, you can take imodium for that.
But, realize this is part of both anxiety and stress, as well as something in our nervous system which sends the wrong signals to our gut.

Bek