Question for all you IBS/anxiety sufferers out there; have you ever had a really positive day one day ie, able to go out, run errands or something nice like have a meal out with out an attack, followed by a pleasant evening and then BAM wake up the next morning with a full blown IBS attack and you're left scratching your head wonder "what the heck happened here?" I have IBS- "D" and that's what's been happening to me lately. For instance one Saturday everything went really great; I was out most the day going to craft fairs, eating lunch out with my family, doing fun things with them and my husband, made a nice dinner, had a relaxing evening watching a rented movie while baby raccoons were outside my bedroom sliding glass door eating and playing. Everything was perfect until the next morning when I kept running to the bathroom every 25 mins with "D" and had the shakes, back pains, stomach pains, etc. I just couldn't figure it out and and it's been like that for a while now. Am I going crazy??

Hi there, I haven't been on this site in awhile, but I have had a bad couple of days, and yes I know exactly what your going through. That is the reason I haven't been here in awhile, cause I have been fine, no problems at all, then yesterday, it came out of nowhere, I had the "poops" and still today my stomach is all messed up and I had the big "D" today, so I took Immodium, which I haven't taken in months and here I am feeling sorry for myself, driving my poor husbnd crazy cause I can't stop thinking I have some horrible disease of the intestine, but I totally understand where you are coming from but I just can't figure out WHY? I can be fine and do all the things I want and I am fine, then BAM, here it comes, I can't figure it out, but all I know is that it realllly ruins my whole day and my anxiety gets real bad cause of it, do you have the same problems?

Yes, that's me too! What really bothers me is I now live in Florida and have no friends or family here for support, my husband doesn't always understand and together we have three kids all with mental conditions so they are quite a challenge. I'm originally from New Jersey. Where exactly are you?
Laura

Hi Laura, I am originally from Hackeetstown, but now my husband and I live in Harmony, we bought our house about 3 years ago and that is really when all this started, but it got extremely worse after I had gallbladder surgery. My husband use to not understand at all, he would always think I was making this stuff up so I didn't have go see his family on the holidays, well he saw me hit rock bottom so bad and so did my mom, so thank goodness he is now the most understanding person and my mom too, they are my "safe" people, but I have the heatlh anxiety, I always think (when I get poops) that I have colitis or Chron's or something but at the same time all my doc's cleared me, but it just seems like not enough, but I get deathly scared if I have to go for a problem, I have my yearly gyno app. next week and I think it will be ok, but just the fact of going I know I will be nervous I will get the poops. YUK!!! So I am so glad to hear you are from Jersey, where? And where in Flordia are you? My mom's side used to live in Deland, but they are all passed away now, but it is really nice there, so please share your story with me, I would love to hear it, you can email me personally at casey_jason@verizon.net I would love to hear from you, and I hope you are feeling better, this stuff really is not fun. So you have three children? We are trying for kids now also, did you suffer with this before you had them or after and how are you coping with all this now? Please let me know, I know I will be okay, but that little monster in me tells me I can't do it, I will be a bad mom, blah blah, you know...so let me know, so glad to hear from you...

I am also from New Jersey and am the same way!!! SOme days I am terrific so keep pushing myself to be free of fear and do as I please..them BAM. Literally hits me like a ton of bricks. A rumbline in my stomach then no joke 2 minutes later the flood gates open and I have to go and I mean now! I have found myself in some very compromising spots and have actually had to go wherever I was immediately. My husband now understands but as a 28 year old living in Jersey and working in the city, I am always on the go. You know how it is, weddings, bdays, christenings, etc.. I just had a panic attack in church this past weekend at a christening and had to use their bathroom ASAP and sat outside for 5 minutes..its awful. I almost always freak when I know I do nto have directy access to a restroom. I have to drink booze or take a zanax to stop myself from freaking out. I can not even communte into the city on the trains...I drive in EVERYDAY bc I can not commute on a train with no bathroom and tons of people..its awful. I am hoping this program is my answer! I hate not eating or drinking what I want but I have to watch everything!! Advice??

Hi there JoJo, I completely understand what you are saying. I could write a book on what I have been through with my stomach, but it seems to be getting better then all of sudden I don't "go" for a couple of days and then wham! I am having the poops for the nest couple of days, I watched what I ate for a long time, but it didn't matter, cause I would eat pizza and I would be fine, then a week later I would eat it again and I would be pooping all the time, so I really don't know waht to tell you, I would just eat what you wanted when you wanted, that is some what of the point I am at now, and I know alot of it is all in my head, but with the holidays coming up and all th etraveling I have to I know that is going to send me through a loop and I will get the poops, and I understand about your commuting, I have to commute 30 minutes to work and I get so scared, a good day for me is if I don't have stomach issues, my husband thinks that is so funny, but he is great and totally understanding, so where in Jersey are you?

I've noticed that my IBS is different on the weekends. It's amazing that just getting up one hour or less later has so much of an impact on my system and I don't seem to go as much on the weekends but usually on Monday, WHAT OUT! I make up for it big time. I was really shocked that I drove to a job interview that was over 30mins away and was fine but I have to turn the job down because the hours are way too long; I just can't work a 10 hr day anymore and I shouldn't have to. I'm retired and a part-time job is all I really want unless the full time job is something I really enjoy. Another thing too was that the commute would take me 45-60mins during rush hour and no thanks to that! Not enough bathrooms that I could run it to if I needed to. I'm the same way about the food issue; I can eat pizza on day and be fine and then the next time BAM! Like last night I ate a hot dog for dinner and even though I felt bloated all night long I haven't suffered the consequences YET today but I'm sure if I had that hot dog for lunch today I'd be very sorry. There really is no advice out there for IBS because everyone's triggers are different. My best friend said it took her over ten years to learn what her triggers are as with my mother. I'm still "learning" even though it's been almost 8 years but I think my is from stress/anxiety more than food. I have a lot of stress in my life with my husband and trying to raise his mentally challenged young boys. We don't see eye to eye on the discipline area, he's way too lax and I'm too strict and we have a very hard time meeting in the middle. I just don't know if I can last another 9 years til they are grown and out of the house. Oh, I made him promise me that once the one who is more mentally challenged then the other is out of high school that if he still can't be on his own, that we look into one of those half-way houses or assisted living homes. I just can't bear thinking this kid will be living with us the rest of OUR lives. I want to be able to relax and enjoy retirement with my husband since we never really had any time to ourselves. Our courtship was extremely brief before we got married and we never go out on dates or do many things just the two of us. It really sucks!

Hey Laura, glad to hear from you, I know this IBS stuff stinks!! But I am with you with the going back and forth about things, I am dreading the holidays coming up, if I could stay home and have the in laws come to me that would fine, but we have to go there which is 2 hours away from the safety of my bathroom, HAHA, so I guess I will be living on Immodium for awhile, I just do not understand why this happens, the day before I won't be nervous or anything, I really truly want to go, cause they are great, but that morning I will get awful cramps and here come the poops, I hate it, but who knows, maybe I will be fine, I just live day to day with this stuff and hope for the best, so I am sorry to hear about your husbands kids, that must be very stressful for you, hang in there, something has to give....at least we hope so, but I hope you can enjoy your retirement, I am only 28 and my husband and I have a long wat to go.....do you get to go alot of places with your IBS, does going somewhere trigger it for you, or nerves?

I guess that's one thing we don't have to worry about is who's place we will be going for the holidays now that we aren't in NJ anymore and have no family in Florida but it does get very lonely during the holidays here. It just doesn't seem the same preparing all the food for just the five of us and the kids really don't appreciate it, quite frankly, they don't care. We don't really go anywhere, it's horrible to say but, after spending all week dealing with the boys by the time the weekend comes I really don't have any interest in doing anything and my husband never finds a babysitter so he and I could have a "date night" but the few times we did have "date night" I really struggled with my IBS. On time we actually had to leave the restaurant and couldn't even see the movie we had planned even though we bought the tickets in advance. I felt horrible both due to my IBS and because I ruined our last evening out before he deployed for 4 months. Since he's been back we haven't gone out on date night and he's been back over 3 months. If immodium works for you, then consider yourself lucky. For me it might stop the frequent bathroom trips but, gives me a stomach ache instead and I just can't really eat. Sometimes I think my IBS is cause by stress/anxiety whether it's bad anxiety OR good anxiety. Meaning that sometimes when I'm excited about something my IBS will kick in. One time I got the worst anxiety attack driving to my mother's house for Mother's Day and I couldn't eat a thing and was shaky the whole day from too many trips to the bathroom. The crappy part (no pun intended) was that I was really looking forward to spending the day with just my mother, my daughter, and my dad while my husband and the boys spent the day with his whole family. See, my mother is a little "obsessed" with my step-sons and when she's around them she goes way too overboard with the "grandma" treatment. She also doesn't understand nor want to believe there is anything wrong with them other that they need "love" so there's no talking to her when I've had a real stressful day of dealing with them and my husband, which in turn brings on an IBS attack.
I'm sorry your only 28 with IBS; I got my first attack when I was 31 and my daughter was 10 and I was divorced and living with her on my own in Arkansas with no friends or family to help me. It was really tough; I lost a lot of weight cause when I first got the anxiety attacks the IBS would kick in too and I wouldn't be able to eat for at least 3-5 days. Now, if I get a bad IBS attack I drink an electrolyte replacer and eat "safe" foods like chicken noodle soup and crackers and of course plenty of water. Luckily, I haven't had any major anxiety attacks since that one Mother's day (knock on wood) but even after that one I was able to eat okay the next day. I think the program has helped me a lot and I will admit so does taking the Klonopin. I've always been a "high charging" person, never knowing how to relax and always stressed out so I guess I was pre-destined to get this. Just don't give up, never give up!
Laura

I understand the good day, bad day thing.
If I have a couple good days, I always know that some bad days are right around the corner.
It's like riding a roller coaster...up, down, up, down.
It really makes it difficult to have a normal life. You can't make commitments because who knows if when a certain day comes around, if I will feel good or not.
It gets very depressing and awfully lonely.
I feel for all you guys with all that you are going through.
Bless you all.

i totally feel what you are saying. i have really good days and i hate the really bad ones. i try to limit my interaction with people out of fear of embarrassment and judgment. i just started the program and am praying that i get results. im lonely too.....

Nikkis,
I really pray that you get better soon with the fear. I am still batteling but I think with the program we can all WIN.
Take care.

I feel for you. I feel like I am in a battle, some days I win and some days I lose. I am constantly reminded not to worry about what people think. Easier said than done. haha
pray constantly while using this program.

Well, I had a "good day" yesterday but, as always I had a hard time sleeping last night so I woke up with my IBS. It's really tough because I've been trying to go to church but just can't get myself there and worry about having to bolt out to use the bathroom during service.
Merrymelodies- where in Florida are you? I live in the panhandle, next to Destin. Are you close by? For some reason I felt anxious at dinner last night and really struggled to eat dinner so I think that's where the IBS is coming from today. I have a hard time at dinner time because my older step-son acts inappropriately at the dinner table and I get stressed out about it and end up hating eating dinner with the family. My husband can't relate to this and it causing a lot of friction between us. Last night should have been "Date night" anyway but, instead like the last 3 months, we eat dinner at home and watch a DVD. BIG FRIGGIN' DEAL! I find myself feeling resentful because my husband won't find a babysitter so we can actually go out and enjoy ourselves for a change. My parents NEVER go out and I feel like I'm getting too old before my time.

THanks Maggie..it makes me feel better knowing that this is more common than I thought. I live in Bayonne and commute into midtown NYC. I am really trying to cut out all dairy bc I know I am lactose intolerant but it stinks to not eat what you want I also get the same thing the day after I drink more then 2 or 3 drinks of anything really aside from red wine. My husband also has some axiety issues but not as bad as mine, but at least he understands and we help each other. Its crazy bc he and I are so social and outgoing and you would never think we have such issues, but its a constant battle for us. I am only on week 2 of the program but I feel like its already making me think differently about situations. I have not taken the train into the city in over a year but would really like to be able to do so by the end of the year. I need to get a grip on this situation already. I also need to stop relying on Zanax..i take one for sure at least once a week when I am really nervous. We would like to get pregnant soon so I am trying not to be so dependent on it. It frightens me to think I may have to spend 10 months with no zanax...how pathetic is that!?!?