2 replies to this topic

[Owen Kellogg]

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I'm new here, and I've been browsing the forums to learn how others are dealing with IBS. I share many of the same symptoms and concerns as members here - except my bowel movements are regular, in the mornings before 9am, and no more than 2 or 3. I noticed that being near a restroom for urgent "emergencies" seems to be a commom problem for quite a few people here.I feel fairly lucky to have this routine, and I sympathize with those who don't. Does anyone here have the same situation?

[Kathleen M.]

There are generally several factors.1. How anxious/worried you are in general. People with anxiety issues are more likely to worry about a bathroom even when their IBS issues are typically predictable. Some people have very low anxiety levels and so tend to not worry much even when most people would.2. People who tend to have issues other than morning time only. Morning only is a common pattern, but a lot of people also have after every meal or just at random, or because of anxiety (as soon as you start worrying you don't know where a bathroom is the worry triggers the need for a bathroom). It is easier not to worry if you know when and where it will hit.So we have a pretty big range of how much people are worried about bathrooms.I had after meals much worse than mornings, and I tend to be low in anxiety, so while I kept track of which exits had gas stations with good bathrooms and would notice which stores had public bathrooms, I wasn't reallly worried or anxious about it. I just needed to be prepared when the inevitable happened. Worrying wouldn't help so I didn't put any energy into it, but keeping a mental list of where to go when I needed to did seem to be worth it. Much better to just head for where I needed to go than have to stop and figure it out.

[Owen Kellogg]

I know what you're saying, Kathleen. Worry and stress will cause IBS flare-ups, which create more worry and stress - one of the worst "vicious cycles" I've ever experienced. When my problems started about a year ago, I felt the urge to "go" all day long. I still have that urge, but realized that when I'm "empty" after the 2nd or 3rd BM around 10am, any other attempt to "go" only results in the sensation that I'm going to pop a vein in my forehead - LOL. I've learned to just ignore the feeling that I need to have a BM after I'm done emptying in the morning, and try to get on with my day.