[cafff]

I've been diagnosed with IBS now for 1 and a half years and my main symptoms have gone from IBS-D to having severe trapped wind (from about last October to May) and more recently over the summer, excessive gas. I'm very embarrassed about my IBS - I've not been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder but I'm sure I've had social anxiety for about 5 years and as I am so embarrassed about my IBS, whenever my bowels rumble I get incredibly panicky as I'm unwillingly drawing attention to myself and don't want people to think I'm disgusting! This anxiety is ridiculously bad in quiet situations, to the point where I try and avoid any single quiet situation I can and I'm even scared about seeing my doctor again knowing how quiet the waiting room is! People tell me I'm being really irrational and that I should just take my mind off my bowels but I really can't, the anxiety has overtaken my mind and all sense of rationality is out of the window when I feel an anxiety attack coming on! I'm starting university within the month and move away in 11 days and one of my biggest worry is the lectures - being in such a large quiet room with so many people actually terrifies me! Over the summer I haven't really had any formal commitments so I've been able to forget about my anxiety and have more flexibilty in deciding what situations I feel I need to avoid, but I can't just skip all of my university classes, even though thinking about being in classes terrifies me as considering there are so many new people I don't know, I'm terrified of them judging me because my stomach always rumbles.The main problem is that I have excessive wind. I've been on antispasmodics in the past (Spasmonal) and my most recent visit to the doctor was about the trapped wind I had, for which I was prescribed Buscopan (for the stomach cramps I was getting) and Colpermin (peppermint oil). They worked in relieving the trapped wind but now my symptom is just constant need to release my wind. Almost every evening I get really sulfury smelling gas and can't work out what it's from. I used to only get it whenever I ate excessive vegetables or things like gravy but now it seems to be no matter what I ate. I've tried charcoal tablets, I've tried slippery elm tablets, peppermint tea etc, yoga! But it's not the trapped wind that's the problem anymore it's just the wind itself! I've even tried a course of Yakult and other yogurts that I was told should help but seriously, nothing works. I am at the end of my tether and I don't know whether to just pluck up the courage to go to my doctor and tell her about the anxiety I'm getting and also the wind. I've not told anyone about the anxiety I've been having - even though I'm quite close to my mum I still don't feel like I can talk to her about issues like anxiety and my dad has Bipolar disorder and constantly says "I'm glad you don't have issues like me" so I feel pressured into not letting them know because I am worried that my dad will get angry, even though it's obviously not my choice!I'm not sure whether to pluck up the courage to tell my mum/book an appointment with my local doctor as I doubt I'll be able to get an appointment between now and the 16th when I move to uni, or whether to register with a doctor at my university and try and book and appointment as soon as I get there, even though I feel that with heightened stress about moving, my IBS will most likely through the roof and even if it isn't controlled, at the moment I feel that the anxiety aspect is probably worse than my actual symptoms so I need to probably get that fixed first.Sorry for the huge essay but if anyone has been in a similar situation with the panic attacks/gas, or if anyone has seen a doctor for IBS related anxiety (especially social anxiety) and have been offered treatments I'd be interested to know what these are? My doctor said about possibly referring to a nutritionist last time or things like hypnotherapy but I'm very skeptical about these and they obviously aren't cheap so I feel like being put on anti-depressants(my IBS has made me incredibly depressed over the past year to the point of getting suicidal thoughts which I thankfully snapped out of) or anxiety medication would be better than living with the anxiety I have at the moment...So does anyone have any suggestions?

thanks

 

[Kathleen M.]

Have you tried pepto bismol to reduce the odor?Some of the probiotic tablets have a better track record of getting probiotics into the colon than some of the live culture foods.You might also try a low to no starch diet and see if that reduces the volume as that is where most of the volume comes from.You can do an at home hypnotherapy course that generally in studies does as well as the in patient (both help about 70% of people) and the at home costs about the same as one individual session in person. Some will do the hypnotherapy as a group and that lowers the cost.

 

[Constinker]

You might also try a low to no starch diet and see if that reduces the volume as that is where most of the volume comes from.

I didn't know this, I'll have to give it a go sometime.Devrom also works for reducing the odor.

 

[LemonLime789]

I can definitely empathize with you. I used to have very painful gas, but now it's mainly just A LOT of gas. It's a very unpleasant and embarrassing problem. I work in a quiet office environment, and sometimes I have to participate in daylong meetings or workshops. This is very challenging when you frequently have to pass gas. I also get the embarrassing noises from the gas moving around.I have yet to find a foolproof fix. However, I've uncovered some things that help me get through. First, I suggest trying a good probiotic. Align and Pearls IC (Intensive Care) seemed to do a better job for me than others. (I do not take them together though. I just test out different brands at a time.) Gas can be a sign that you have too much bad bacteria in your digestive system. Probiotics are good bacteria that help balance your GI tract. They can take a few weeks to start helping. Although they don' get rid of my gas problem, they do seem to make it a lot more manageable.Also, when I know I'm going to have a long meeting, I eat really plain foods the day beforehand and the day of the meeting. For example, plain baked chicken and white rice. These foods cause less gas than a lot of others. I hate eating such a plain diet, and it wouldn't be healthy to do this every day, but it definitely does help me from time to time when I really need it.I wish you the bets of luck. I hope you don't let the gas keep you from living a full life and achieving your potential. Trust me, there were times I thought of quitting my job because of it. But, I decided that I deserve to have my job, and if anyone wants to judge me because my stomach makes gassy noises sometimes, then oh well...they just don't understand. They are not better than I am just because they don't have digestive issues. Also, I think people are more understanding than you'd think. I once sat next to a guy in a meeting whose stomach was so noisy/gassy, but nobody really seemed to care. He just had a noisy stomach. Not his fault!

 

[Constinker]

I was eating a pastries when on the go, as well as sandwiches for lunch, and toast when looking for a snack. I cut those out, and my flatulence has been reduced somewhat. Since I stayed in the hospital for three weeks end of June to beginning of July (they put me in the second most expensive bed, a private room due to not having any other beds available), we're still paying that off via credit card bills, and I don't feel I can ask to but good probiotics or a better diet yet. My family having no digestive issues always say 'we have no problems with this diet though', so it's harder to ask for better foods for this condition I have.

 

[natashalee]

Hi!ok, you have to try probiotics called 'LP299v" I had the same wind problem, it was smelly, awful, did not stop....I went to doc and I was diagnosed with IBS and he gave me these tabs. now you wont notice the difference straightaway but you have to stick to them....3 weeks and it just started to go away...now i only have the wind if I eat something I know will cause bad wind...my only problem now is I am constipated alot! and I dont know if the LP299V pills are causing this. supposedly not as they should not do that. I say give it a try and be patient. I was also told by my specialist not to buy all off the shelf meds. rather try something that has worked for someone and stick it out...It is hard I know. we are all suffering from different symptoms and different meds work for different people. Try it. let me know.

 

[searching4answers]

1) try miralax when you have a couple days off to start clearing yourself out, continue if you feel better. 2) No one is judging you based on your stomach noises, they just think your hungry all the time. 3) Don't hold your feelings in, why would your dad be angry for you sharing something with him. You can't worry about how he might react, he has no reason to. If anything don't u think he'll want to help you?

 

[moreno75]

[quote name='cafff' timestamp='1283697694' post='805304']I've been diagnosed with IBS now for 1 and a half years and my main symptoms have gone from IBS-D to having severe trapped wind (from about last October to May) and more recently over the summer, excessive gas. I'm very embarrassed about my IBS - I've not been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder but I'm sure I've had social anxiety for about 5 years and as I am so embarrassed about my IBS, whenever my bowels rumble I get incredibly panicky as I'm unwillingly drawing attention to myself and don't want people to think I'm disgusting! This anxiety is ridiculously bad in quiet situations, to the point where I try and avoid any single quiet situation I can and I'm even scared about seeing my doctor again knowing how quiet the waiting room is! People tell me I'm being really irrational and that I should just take my mind off my bowels but I really can't, the anxiety has overtaken my mind and all sense of rationality is out of the window when I feel an anxiety attack coming on! I'm starting university within the month and move away in 11 days and one of my biggest worry is the lectures - being in such a large quiet room with so many people actually terrifies me! Over the summer I haven't really had any formal commitments so I've been able to forget about my anxiety and have more flexibilty in deciding what situations I feel I need to avoid, but I can't just skip all of my university classes, even though thinking about being in classes terrifies me as considering there are so many new people I don't know, I'm terrified of them judging me because my stomach always rumbles.The main problem is that I have excessive wind. I've been on antispasmodics in the past (Spasmonal) and my most recent visit to the doctor was about the trapped wind I had, for which I was prescribed Buscopan (for the stomach cramps I was getting) and Colpermin (peppermint oil). They worked in relieving the trapped wind but now my symptom is just constant need to release my wind. Almost every evening I get really sulfury smelling gas and can't work out what it's from. I used to only get it whenever I ate excessive vegetables or things like gravy but now it seems to be no matter what I ate. I've tried charcoal tablets, I've tried slippery elm tablets, peppermint tea etc, yoga! But it's not the trapped wind that's the problem anymore it's just the wind itself! I've even tried a course of Yakult and other yogurts that I was told should help but seriously, nothing works. I am at the end of my tether and I don't know whether to just pluck up the courage to go to my doctor and tell her about the anxiety I'm getting and also the wind. I've not told anyone about the anxiety I've been having - even though I'm quite close to my mum I still don't feel like I can talk to her about issues like anxiety and my dad has Bipolar disorder and constantly says "I'm glad you don't have issues like me" so I feel pressured into not letting them know because I am worried that my dad will get angry, even though it's obviously not my choice!I'm not sure whether to pluck up the courage to tell my mum/book an appointment with my local doctor as I doubt I'll be able to get an appointment between now and the 16th when I move to uni, or whether to register with a doctor at my university and try and book and appointment as soon as I get there, even though I feel that with heightened stress about moving, my IBS will most likely through the roof and even if it isn't controlled, at the moment I feel that the anxiety aspect is probably worse than my actual symptoms so I need to probably get that fixed first.Sorry for the huge essay but if anyone has been in a similar situation with the panic attacks/gas, or if anyone has seen a doctor for IBS related anxiety (especially social anxiety) and have been offered treatments I'd be interested to know what these are? My doctor said about possibly referring to a nutritionist last time or things like hypnotherapy but I'm very skeptical about these and they obviously aren't cheap so I feel like being put on anti-depressants(my IBS has made me incredibly depressed over the past year to the point of getting suicidal thoughts which I thankfully snapped out of) or anxiety medication would be better than living with the anxiety I have at the moment...So does anyone have any suggestions?

thanksJust so you know I am in dealing with all of this too, you are not alone. I am also trying to figure out how to get this gas, spasms, rumbling. diarrea, constipation under control. I have been out of school for 8 years, and have now returned to do a one year intensive grad program. I thought i had my IBS fairly under control, but the last 4 weeks have been horrible for me. Exact same anxiety issues about the noise, while the prof is talking, I mean it really seems to hit exactly at the worst time. It just happened to me today, in the morning everything was fine, we had a break again everything fine, then right when the prof start his lecture, my stomach starts acting up. I was absolutely mortified, and still am, that my stomach made this huge noise that even scared me. Some would laugh it off, but it was brutal. I had to leave the class, and when i returned it got even worse, so I had to leave again and did not return until the end of class. My prof must think I am totally disrespecting him...I hope that I can find some answers on this site, as I am at the end of my rope too. I am absolutely sick of living like this. It affects everything i do..trips, relationships, events, and obviously my educationAnyone have any anti anxiety/depressant meds they can recommend that are non addictive?

 

[debbie38london]

I've been diagnosed with IBS now for 1 and a half years and my main symptoms have gone from IBS-D to having severe trapped wind (from about last October to May) and more recently over the summer, excessive gas. I'm very embarrassed about my IBS - I've not been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder but I'm sure I've had social anxiety for about 5 years and as I am so embarrassed about my IBS, whenever my bowels rumble I get incredibly panicky as I'm unwillingly drawing attention to myself and don't want people to think I'm disgusting! This anxiety is ridiculously bad in quiet situations, to the point where I try and avoid any single quiet situation I can and I'm even scared about seeing my doctor again knowing how quiet the waiting room is! People tell me I'm being really irrational and that I should just take my mind off my bowels but I really can't, the anxiety has overtaken my mind and all sense of rationality is out of the window when I feel an anxiety attack coming on! I'm starting university within the month and move away in 11 days and one of my biggest worry is the lectures - being in such a large quiet room with so many people actually terrifies me! Over the summer I haven't really had any formal commitments so I've been able to forget about my anxiety and have more flexibilty in deciding what situations I feel I need to avoid, but I can't just skip all of my university classes, even though thinking about being in classes terrifies me as considering there are so many new people I don't know, I'm terrified of them judging me because my stomach always rumbles.The main problem is that I have excessive wind. I've been on antispasmodics in the past (Spasmonal) and my most recent visit to the doctor was about the trapped wind I had, for which I was prescribed Buscopan (for the stomach cramps I was getting) and Colpermin (peppermint oil). They worked in relieving the trapped wind but now my symptom is just constant need to release my wind. Almost every evening I get really sulfury smelling gas and can't work out what it's from. I used to only get it whenever I ate excessive vegetables or things like gravy but now it seems to be no matter what I ate. I've tried charcoal tablets, I've tried slippery elm tablets, peppermint tea etc, yoga! But it's not the trapped wind that's the problem anymore it's just the wind itself! I've even tried a course of Yakult and other yogurts that I was told should help but seriously, nothing works. I am at the end of my tether and I don't know whether to just pluck up the courage to go to my doctor and tell her about the anxiety I'm getting and also the wind. I've not told anyone about the anxiety I've been having - even though I'm quite close to my mum I still don't feel like I can talk to her about issues like anxiety and my dad has Bipolar disorder and constantly says "I'm glad you don't have issues like me" so I feel pressured into not letting them know because I am worried that my dad will get angry, even though it's obviously not my choice!I'm not sure whether to pluck up the courage to tell my mum/book an appointment with my local doctor as I doubt I'll be able to get an appointment between now and the 16th when I move to uni, or whether to register with a doctor at my university and try and book and appointment as soon as I get there, even though I feel that with heightened stress about moving, my IBS will most likely through the roof and even if it isn't controlled, at the moment I feel that the anxiety aspect is probably worse than my actual symptoms so I need to probably get that fixed first.Sorry for the huge essay but if anyone has been in a similar situation with the panic attacks/gas, or if anyone has seen a doctor for IBS related anxiety (especially social anxiety) and have been offered treatments I'd be interested to know what these are? My doctor said about possibly referring to a nutritionist last time or things like hypnotherapy but I'm very skeptical about these and they obviously aren't cheap so I feel like being put on anti-depressants(my IBS has made me incredibly depressed over the past year to the point of getting suicidal thoughts which I thankfully snapped out of) or anxiety medication would be better than living with the anxiety I have at the moment...So does anyone have any suggestions?

thanks

i know what u are going through i have wind 24 /7 its driving me mad i empty me self all the time and its still there im at my wits end too , im 38 and i have no life as the toilet is like my home im in it that often , glad to see im not alone in this my doctor decribed those medications for me but they dont work

 

[Greg W]

I've had this problem for over 30 years. Doctors have done nothing to make this better but they have done things to make it WAY worse. Thought I would explode! Very disturbing. Try this temporarily - it has been working for me. Had to learn this on my own. No dairy, no nightshades (tomato, potato, eggplant, ...), low carbohydrates (no wheat, no rye, no barley, no rice, no sweets, and so on). Go light on beans, cabbage, brocoli and so on. No spinach, no citrus, no coffee, and no aged/preserved foods. Cutting edge medical research seems to be catching up. There seems to be a newfangled hydrogen breath test to identify some of the culprits, but that does not work for everyone. I would like to wish everyone well.