First Person Experience with IBS

My life hasn't been the same since I developed IBS. That said, it isn't like my life is horrible all the time or not worth living. Things were certainly worse in the beginning than they are now. Still, I often wish that my IBS would just disappear. Realizing that it won't makes me more prepared to deal with the symptoms.

I first began having IBS symptoms when I was 19. I had been on the anti-depressant/anxiety medication Paxil. After about two weeks on Paxil, I realized that I had not had a bowel movement in a week. Since I had never really had issues in this area before I simply hadn't noticed how bloated and yucky feeling I had become.

Not knowing any better way to deal with it, I decided to take some Correctol. I was able to use the bathroom, but I was cramping and uncomfortable the whole time.

I continued my dose of Paxil for the next two weeks and my symptoms continued. I decided to talk to my doctor and get off of Paxil. I thought that once it was out of my system that everything would be back to normal. I was wrong. Several weeks off of Paxil I was still constipated and relying on laxatives. I knew this wasn't good for me, but I didn't know what else to do.

I went back to my doctor and she suggested diet changes and fiber supplements. After a few weeks I still hadn't noticed much difference. I went back to see my doctor again. This time we decided on a battery of tests to rule out the possibility of Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, or any other disorders that may cause similar symptoms.

The tests certainly weren't pleasant. I was almost disappointed that nothing was wrong since that meant I put myself through all those tests unnecessarily. Of course I know that is nonsense, but after you've taken a Fleet test prep kit and had a barium enema you'll know what I mean.

As I said, there were no physical problems found, so the only thing left was IBS. I had to now face that I did in fact have IBS and figure out what to do from there.

I have little self control when it comes to eating habits. I struggled with unhealthy eating habits as a teenager so much that I got to the point that I decided not to care about what I ate or else I was going to lose my mind obsessing over my weight.

Now that IBS could send me running for the bathroom during a meal or keep me in the bathroom for an hour at a time I realized that I might need to relearn some self control. Portions are important. I don't care if it is the most benign food out there, if you eat too much of it you'll trigger symptoms. I love pizza. I can eat almost a whole large Pizza Hut pizza by myself. I know that it isn't good for me, but that's the kind of control I am talking about. With IBS if I eat half that much pizza I am definitely heading to the bathroom in the not too distant future. Associating eating with defecating in that close of a time span is an appetite suppressant all by itself though.

It doesn't take too many times of interrupting a meal to go to the bathroom to make you realize that something has got to change. Although I still overindulge on occasion, I now have better control over my meal sizes. I still have room for improvement though.

I also realized early on that I have several trigger foods that can still set my stomach roiling uneasily today: onions, cucumber seeds, sometimes tomato seeds, and really greasy foods. Avoiding these items is fairly easy. Well, except the greasy foods. Still, if I only have a little bit of greasy food, say a slice or two of pizza, I will probably be fine.

Having had IBS for about ten years now, I have realized that it does get better. My cramps and acute bouts of diarrhea are much less frequent and severe. I used to get nauseated while going to the bathroom due to the pressure on my stomach. Sometimes I came close to actually vomiting due to the pressure. I know that is gross, but I just want you to know if you suffer from these types of symptoms you aren't alone.

Now I rarely have that type of pressure or nausea. However, I do get nauseated relatively easily. I don't know if it is related to IBS at all or not, but I get car sickness and other types of motion sickness much more easily since I developed IBS.

My best advice is to watch out for antecedents for attacks. If you eat a big meal, a spicy meal, or lots of dairy, and then have a particularly nasty experience watch those foods. Cut back on them and see if that helps. If not, try giving them up for a few days and then reintroducing them. That way you can tell if you have an attack right after eating the suspected food you will know that it is most likely what caused it.

Another problem some people face is Celiac disease. I was tested for this several months after my initial tests due to my lack of improvement in symptoms. Celiac disease is an inability to digest gluten, which is a protein found in many grains including wheat, spelt, durum, and some others. Celiac disease can actually be fatal if left undetected. It can be detected by a simple blood test. Fortunately I tested negative. That further narrowed my source of problems. They were most likely all caused by IBS. Even about ten years after my definitive diagnosis I am still learning how to cope with the symptoms.