Hi Everyone,
Haven't posted in awhile but I have been feeling lousy again and it really brings me down so I thought I would post.I've lost 17 lbs in the last 2 months and although it probably wasn't the proper way through diet and exercise...I am glad the weight is gone.Which now brings me to ponder why am I not feeling 100% better.In the past when I have hit that magical too much weight number I always attributed my stomach/bowel problems to being too overweight for me and when I lost the weight I usually felt normal...whatever that is nowadays!! I am still feeling anxious and having terrible burning in my stomach most likely due to the over production of bile since I had my GB out almost 3 yeras ago.I can feel the burning and everytime it upsets my intestines and I end up on the toilet many times through out the day.I hardly eat..my parents are worried...I don't eat much because I feel bloated and sick and the next day need a elastic to strap my but to the toilet.I don't have diarrhea and there is no blood in my stool or urine although the urine is a dark yellow.I can't seem to ride in the car for long periods of time because if I start thinking about sitting too long or waiting any length of time for someone....which is all the time....I panick and have mini anxiety attacks.I for sure can't stand line ups at the bank etc as I almost passed out in line at the bank one morning waiting 23 minutes for 1 teller to help 15 people in line..I was the 5th....I thought I was going to die!!! 
I had a mini anxiety attack in the drive thru at McDonalds that following week (No not for me...my kids) but I of course had no where to go to get out of line unless I drove through the entire building 
I had such bad sweats and my heart was beating so fast and felt like I was going to crap myself (excuse the language) But then the line began to move Thanks God!! I will never do that again!!! so why is this happeneing??? Is it my mind playing tricks on me?? Do I really have a serious bowel problem?? I don't know but I wish I could figure it out!! I am 37 years old and it scraes me to think I am gonna live the rest of my life being afraid to go anywhere...but here's the kicker!!! Some days I am just fine and other days I get so stressed before I leave the house.I just don't understand it!! My poor kids see me sitting on the toilet..they are 4-1/2 and 2-1/2 and they are so concerned when I don't feel well which seems like all the time,they rub my leg and say Mommy has a bad tummy,It breaks my heart!! 
My poor husband is so good.He knows not to do extra running around if we are set to go one place because the surprise of going somewhere else just throws me into an anxiety fit.He is very understanding though...Thankfully!!! Okay so now that I have ranted and raved ..How is everyone else??
I had a mini anxiety attack in the drive thru at McDonalds that following week (No not for me...my kids) but I of course had no where to go to get out of line unless I drove through the entire building I had such bad sweats and my heart was beating so fast and felt like I was going to crap myself (excuse the language) But then the line began to move Thanks God!! I will never do that again!!! so why is this happeneing??? Is it my mind playing tricks on me?? Do I really have a serious bowel problem?? I don't know but I wish I could figure it out!! I am 37 years old and it scraes me to think I am gonna live the rest of my life being afraid to go anywhere...but here's the kicker!!! Some days I am just fine and other days I get so stressed before I leave the house.I just don't understand it!! My poor kids see me sitting on the toilet..they are 4-1/2 and 2-1/2 and they are so concerned when I don't feel well which seems like all the time,they rub my leg and say Mommy has a bad tummy,It breaks my heart!! My poor husband is so good.He knows not to do extra running around if we are set to go one place because the surprise of going somewhere else just throws me into an anxiety fit.He is very understanding though...Thankfully!!! Okay so now that I have ranted and raved ..How is everyone else??Laurel
Hi Laurel, welcome back. I'm sorry to hear you aren't doing so well. Let me tell you that you are not alone, most of us have anxiety towards leaving the house. The key is to know where you are going and know where you can stop for a toilet. Try and enjoy being out. The outside world is so beautiful.
Please don't take offense to any of this.... Are you on any anti-depressants? Are you seeking help for anxiety? If not, have you spoken to anyone about your anxiety? Are you taking anything for your extra bile and missing gallbladder? Could you be more sensitive around that time of the month? Any patterns you have noticed?
I think the key to feeling "normal" isn't through weight loss, or plastic surgery or being rich. It is being happy with yourself. (Believe me, I'm not there yet.) Maybe if you can get your anxiety (and guilt) under control you will feel better. It is sad to see your kids sad, but it can also be humbling to see. Your kids show empathy. I'm sure they know you don't want to be this way, and you are not doing it to make them feel bad.
I just want you to know that you are not alone with bathroom issues and scares. Maybe you could try posting in the Anxiety forum (or maybe even in depression if you think that is a factor).
I hope you feel better very soon.
Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum
Please don't take offense to any of this.... Are you on any anti-depressants? Are you seeking help for anxiety? If not, have you spoken to anyone about your anxiety? Are you taking anything for your extra bile and missing gallbladder? Could you be more sensitive around that time of the month? Any patterns you have noticed?
I think the key to feeling "normal" isn't through weight loss, or plastic surgery or being rich. It is being happy with yourself. (Believe me, I'm not there yet.) Maybe if you can get your anxiety (and guilt) under control you will feel better. It is sad to see your kids sad, but it can also be humbling to see. Your kids show empathy. I'm sure they know you don't want to be this way, and you are not doing it to make them feel bad.
I just want you to know that you are not alone with bathroom issues and scares. Maybe you could try posting in the Anxiety forum (or maybe even in depression if you think that is a factor).
I hope you feel better very soon.
Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum
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Post Edited (7Lil) : 10/11/2005 2:36:30 PM (GMT-6)
Thanks Lil...I may just jump over and have a read in the anxiety forum!!
Hi Laurel,
Many people with IBS suffer with anxiety as well. I frequent the anxiety forum as well because I do have both. I get anxiety attacks often and IBS is one (although not the only one) of the reasons. I agree you may want to talk with your doctor about your concerns. There is hope for all of us with this. :)
Many people with IBS suffer with anxiety as well. I frequent the anxiety forum as well because I do have both. I get anxiety attacks often and IBS is one (although not the only one) of the reasons. I agree you may want to talk with your doctor about your concerns. There is hope for all of us with this. :)
Hugs, Des
Co-Moderator ~ IBS Forum
"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it" - Mary Engelbreit
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When I first started having my gall bladder attacks, I got put off food and went from a hefty-sized 14 to a size 10... and I looked horrible. My collar bone jutted out and I looked pale and sickly; I had to get a smaller bra. Everyone told me I looked so much better since I had lost the weight, but I thought I looked horrible. I certainly felt horrible. I gradually gained it all back over the next couple of years as I learned to overeat when I was feeling good to compensate for not eating when I felt bad. After I got my gall bladder out and went on Welchol for the bile problem, I went on a diet and lost weight and went back down to a 10-12 again. This time around I look so much better. I'm not boney in places where I ought not be boney and my color is normal.
Losing weight does not equal being healthier/ feeling better. It's all in the manner in which you lose it. If you lost it quickly and because you're sick, you won't--in my opinion--reap any benefits from it, because you tend to lose fat in places you don't want to lose it (breasts) and/or lose muscle mass instead. Losing weight in a controlled and deliberate method makes you lose fat in all the right places.
If you're having too much bile (yellow stools, acid reflux), get your Dr. to try you on Welchol. Some people here on the board are on Questran (I think it's called) and it's supposed to do the same thing. Welchol works for me and my mother-in-law. You can take it daily if you need it every day, and you can take as many pills as you need (within reason, I'm sure) to control the bile. You can also take it before you eat something that you know will mess you up--like pizza--to prevent problems later on. You can also take it when you have an attack to stop the bile. It works better than Pepto Bismol and, for me at any rate, is less constipating than Immodium.
A low-fat diet also helps lower your bile produciton and thus your bile problems. I am learning from experience, however, that a low-fat diet will leave you hungry all of the time. I ended up upping my fat and upping my medicine to compensate. But until you get on some medicine and get yourself straightened out, try lowering your fat. Also, I have found that caffeine is a trigger food for me. No more cokes, no coffee (not that I drank it at any rate), not more than a glass of black tea. Green tea, though, I can drink by the pitcher because the caffeine content in it is very low. Also, try calcium supplements. I take 2-3 of those a day in addition to my prescription medicine. Calcium not only absorbs excess water, but it's supposed to help soothe the intestinal lining when it's inflamed due to reactions to certain foods or too much bile. Back when I was on a very strict low-fat diet, though, I didn't need to take any medicine unless I was going to eat a pizza or holiday meal that would upset me.
You definitely need to ask about some anti-anxiety medicines to help calm you down too. If you look back at some posts here, there are some people who take a certain medicine that has the added benefit of helping IBS problems in some people. Drs are starting to prescribe it for IBS, regardless of anxiety levels. For that matter, Welchol is a cholesterol pill that they accidently discovered helps people with too much bile in the intestines. I don't have anxiety attacks as severe as yours, but when I get the runs, all I want to do is go home. Namely because I'm embarrassed (always have been) about having a bm in a public place. If the bathroom is a single, I'm okay, but otherwise the bathroom has to be empty before I'll go. I just can't stand the thought of someone hearing! Isn't that weird, considering I don't care who hears me pee? Our culture is odd about that--it's okay to need to pee, but farting and pooping are taboo--whether it's doing them in public or talking about them. I wish we'd get over that, especially since G.I.s will tell you that holding in gas is bad even for healthy people. For people like us, it's really, really bad.
Losing weight does not equal being healthier/ feeling better. It's all in the manner in which you lose it. If you lost it quickly and because you're sick, you won't--in my opinion--reap any benefits from it, because you tend to lose fat in places you don't want to lose it (breasts) and/or lose muscle mass instead. Losing weight in a controlled and deliberate method makes you lose fat in all the right places.
If you're having too much bile (yellow stools, acid reflux), get your Dr. to try you on Welchol. Some people here on the board are on Questran (I think it's called) and it's supposed to do the same thing. Welchol works for me and my mother-in-law. You can take it daily if you need it every day, and you can take as many pills as you need (within reason, I'm sure) to control the bile. You can also take it before you eat something that you know will mess you up--like pizza--to prevent problems later on. You can also take it when you have an attack to stop the bile. It works better than Pepto Bismol and, for me at any rate, is less constipating than Immodium.
A low-fat diet also helps lower your bile produciton and thus your bile problems. I am learning from experience, however, that a low-fat diet will leave you hungry all of the time. I ended up upping my fat and upping my medicine to compensate. But until you get on some medicine and get yourself straightened out, try lowering your fat. Also, I have found that caffeine is a trigger food for me. No more cokes, no coffee (not that I drank it at any rate), not more than a glass of black tea. Green tea, though, I can drink by the pitcher because the caffeine content in it is very low. Also, try calcium supplements. I take 2-3 of those a day in addition to my prescription medicine. Calcium not only absorbs excess water, but it's supposed to help soothe the intestinal lining when it's inflamed due to reactions to certain foods or too much bile. Back when I was on a very strict low-fat diet, though, I didn't need to take any medicine unless I was going to eat a pizza or holiday meal that would upset me.
You definitely need to ask about some anti-anxiety medicines to help calm you down too. If you look back at some posts here, there are some people who take a certain medicine that has the added benefit of helping IBS problems in some people. Drs are starting to prescribe it for IBS, regardless of anxiety levels. For that matter, Welchol is a cholesterol pill that they accidently discovered helps people with too much bile in the intestines. I don't have anxiety attacks as severe as yours, but when I get the runs, all I want to do is go home. Namely because I'm embarrassed (always have been) about having a bm in a public place. If the bathroom is a single, I'm okay, but otherwise the bathroom has to be empty before I'll go. I just can't stand the thought of someone hearing! Isn't that weird, considering I don't care who hears me pee? Our culture is odd about that--it's okay to need to pee, but farting and pooping are taboo--whether it's doing them in public or talking about them. I wish we'd get over that, especially since G.I.s will tell you that holding in gas is bad even for healthy people. For people like us, it's really, really bad.
Hi Laurel~
I am sorry to hear you aren't feeling well...I have IBS and I can totally relate to how you feel about your children. I have a 2 year old little girl and she does the same things you described. She always sees me sick and upset about being sick...she tries to take care of me! tells me its okay and not to be sad. I had a bit of a meltdown this morning about this. Mornings always seem to be worst for me. Lexie has ballet on sat mornings and today, I was sick to my stomach. The hemis came out and were bleeding (another effect of the IBS for me) I tried to get her to ballet but got half way down the road before felling sick again. I turned the car around to go back to the house and when I stopped, I turned around to look at her. She was pouting..I think the bottom lip was up to her little nose and there were tears running down her face. She said "Mommy, I don't want to go home, I want to go to ballet class" It absolutely broke my heart! This is such an unfair thing to go through but everyone around you goes through it too! I cannot travel with my husband or go on shoppping trips with my mom. Today, it is 62 degrees here in the northeast..perfect for going to the pumpkin patch but I can't and so my precious little girl suffers with me. I truly feel like I am going to lose my mind!! I was prescribed Zoloft during the week to help with my anxiety over leaving the house....I think worrying about have an episode with from the IBS while out, causes me to have one. I usually get sick right before I have to be somewhere. I haven't started the Zoloft yet but I m praying that it will help some. I will let you know.
Sorry I can't be of much help. I just wanted you to know that you're not alone! Feel better soon
Shel
Hi Shel,
I'm sorry to hear about your morning.... I think there's a saying that goes "It is hardest to hurt the ones we love."
Aside from Zoloft have you tried anything to try and help prevent your attacks? Maybe Immodium or calcium? Calcium the night before, or Immodium just before going out might help.
I hope you're feeling better so you can enjoy the rest of the day.
Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum
I'm sorry to hear about your morning.... I think there's a saying that goes "It is hardest to hurt the ones we love."
Aside from Zoloft have you tried anything to try and help prevent your attacks? Maybe Immodium or calcium? Calcium the night before, or Immodium just before going out might help.
I hope you're feeling better so you can enjoy the rest of the day.
Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum
Please donate to help HealingWell continue to help us..... www.healingwell.com/donate