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I'm new to this forum, but..........

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Stuck@home
New Member
Joined : Sep 2006
Posts : 1
Posted 9/11/2006 1:50 PM (GMT -8)
 

I am sure many of you here know what I'm going through, one way or another. I am not a "classic" IBS; by this I mean that I don't usually suffer from the nasty physical ailments normally associated with IBS, but rather I suffer mostly from the psychological aspects. I would like to ask the other members here if they can identify with some of my experiences. Thanks in advance.

Am I the only one who spends what seems like forever in the bathroom before a trip? Do the words "are you out of the bathroom yet?" or "you're going to the bathroom again?" cause you to feel at once ashamed yet powerless? Am I the only one whose two-year-old has a stronger bladder than I do? Does anyone else dread car trips with traffic, walks in unfamiliar areas, new places in general, and workplace meetings (where it's awkward to leave in middle)? Do these thoughts pop into your head all the time? Are they often the dominant criteria in your decision to go someplace? Do you find yourself investing stories why you cannot go to a particular place at a certain time because so many others simply do not (and in fairness, cannot) understand how you feel? Do the words "c'mon, hold it in, just another 15 minutes" make you break out in a cold sweat because you know that you cannot wait more than two minutes? Do you run to the bathroom before every trip? Does this worry sometimes consume you? Is Immodium AD your favorite trip companion?

These are some of the issues I have been grappling with for years (nine, to be exact). I am an otherwise well-adjusted professional with a wonderful family, but this persistent bathroom/stomach problem continues to dog me everywhere. Yes, I have tried all sorts of GI-related solutions, but nothing seems to help. I am basically resigned to my fate at this point, but I was wondering if anyone else went through or is going through similar episodes. Any responses and/or helpful hints would be appreciated.

Until then, I am

Stuck@home  

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Keriamon
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2005
Posts : 2976
Posted 9/11/2006 2:39 PM (GMT -8)
I think pretty much all of us dread car trips, unfamiliar places and certain situations at work. My guts aren't even bad compared to most on here, and sometimes I get a little bit tense before going into a meeting in the mornings--when my guts are most upset. And the days when my lunch doesn't set well, I worry about having to cover for the receptionist right afterwards. There are other people to catch the phones if I do need to go down the hall, but then I worry about needing to go more than once. And I work in an office with another woman who has no gall bladder and another two with IBS, so it's not like I'm even alone in having difficulties from time to time.

Yes, getting ready to go on a trip usually makes me need to go to the bathroom more than usual, especially if we're leaving in the morning when my guts are already unsettled. I wouldn't ever, ever let anyone tell me to hold it in. I know what I can hold in and what I can't; when I say I need to go, that means I need to go now. There's no holding it in because I've already been holding it in for a while, waiting for a good opportunity to come up. If I want off at this exit, I mean it. Luckily for me, my fiance is understanding. If I tell him my stomach's upset when we're on the road, he'll ask me if I need to go to the bathroom. Once I told him I could stand to wait for a few exits, but he went ahead and stopped right then and made me go, lol.

Have you seen the posts about Caltrate 600 w/ vitamin D for diarrhea? A daily dose of that particular calcium supplement helps a lot of people's diarrhea and helped my pain.
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7Lil
Veteran Member
Joined : Apr 2005
Posts : 3269
Posted 9/11/2006 2:57 PM (GMT -8)
I think all of us can relate to your situation. 
Like you said, Imodium is my favorite companion on a trip.  I also take it some weekends when I want to hang with my friends at a bar and not worry about having a bathroom emergency.
The best thing would be to try probiotics and the Calcium Caltrate that Keri mentioned.  Here is a great post about calcium:  Calcium Info

Don't let anyone make you feel bad about your issues and don't let anyone tell you when you can use the bathroom.  Remind the people that give you grief that you're dealing with what feels like a 24/7 stomach bug.  Remind them about the diarrhea cramps they felt when they ate that bad chicken.

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