[kubalee]

good morning,my name is lee, i am english and currently living in south of france.i just wanted some advise really.i have had ibs for about 9 years now,i am 25 years old and i am currently at the point where i cant take it anymore,i have tried everything to try and lead a remotely normal life but its just not happening.i am so sick to death of having to wake up and hour and half before i need to just to take a tablet and try and let my stomach settle before i go to work.i have been living in france for the last 2 years.and gradually my stomach has been getting better compared to what it was like when i was living in birmingham,england.however a couple of weeks ago i had a really bad stomach in the morning,i must of gone to the toilet 5 times before i left the apartment,so i thought 'i should be ok' and i was rushing around so i would make my bus to work in time,i stepped outside and walked about 200 metres and..my stomach just went,so i am standing in the middle of a city wondering what the hell to do,after walking back home feeling so digusted and upset with myself,i cleaned myself up and sat on my bed wishing i was dead.i have never had suicidal tendicies before,i have always tried to fight this disease, at work and in my social life i am happy,funny,carefree person but behind closed doors i feel so sad and miserable about having to put up with this.i am so sick and tired of spending 30 minutes on the toilet each day before i go anywhere,i am so sick and tired of having to tell my girlfriend 'sorry, i cant go for a walk today,my stomach is bad',i am so sick of constantly looking for where the toilets are in a pub,restaurant,shopping centre etc etc.i feel like im going to snap, i have been taking imodium constantly for about 6 months now, i know its a bad thing to do but i am so scared about having my stomach constantly 'going' when i am out.i have tried all diets i can think of,tried cutting different things out of my life but nothing is working.i know there are people out there who probably have it a hell of alot worse than me,i know i should say 'sod it,im not going to let it beat me' and be stronger but i am struggling so hard with this, i just wish there was something i could do...i just thank god that my girlfriend is so understanding and never gets mad or upset about missing out on things normal couples would do due to my illness.anyway sorry to go on with my life story,thank you for taking to time to read this(if you got this far without falling asleep)any advice,recommendations,criticsm would be greatly appreciated.have a good day and look after yourselvesregards lee.

 

[Chopsticks11]

Lee, I know your pain as I'm sure a lot of us do here. I have IBS c and sometimes get terrible cramps in public that make me double over. it's good that you've talked to your girlfriend and that she is so understanding. My husband is as well and it helps a lot. Are you seeing any doctors or anyone who could perscribe meds. for you or have you tried them all? I'm new to this whole thing but I'm only 22 myself and it is a huge thing to deal with. I too get up early (2 hours) just do I can try to eat something and hope that my stomach settles before work.I'm currently on Bentyl and it's an antispasmatic (sp). It works for me for a while. I'm going to go tomorrow and see if they will up the dosage for me. But maybe something like that would help you. Especially in the morning. I wish you luck and know that there are plenty of us who are fighting this just like you.

 

[Chopsticks11]

Lee, I know your pain as I'm sure a lot of us do here. I have IBS c and sometimes get terrible cramps in public that make me double over. it's good that you've talked to your girlfriend and that she is so understanding. My husband is as well and it helps a lot. Are you seeing any doctors or anyone who could perscribe meds. for you or have you tried them all? I'm new to this whole thing but I'm only 22 myself and it is a huge thing to deal with. I too get up early (2 hours) just do I can try to eat something and hope that my stomach settles before work.I'm currently on Bentyl and it's an antispasmatic (sp). It works for me for a while. I'm going to go tomorrow and see if they will up the dosage for me. But maybe something like that would help you. Especially in the morning. I wish you luck and know that there are plenty of us who are fighting this just like you.

 

[carida]

Oh Lee, much sympathy! I know exactly what you are going through.The worst part is not knowing *when* these things are going to happen. I actually wore one of my granddaughter's nappies to work one day, I was leaking so badly without any warning. I wore a voluminous skirt to hide it.I don't take any medication but get up 3 hours before I need to go to work, just to make sure everything is 'finished'....and then it doesn't always work..It is a pain, and does get me down too at times. I feel as if my life is spent in the loo. I keep the crossword books in the loo now, and just take my time.The doctor wasn't much help either. I told her that the only way I could be sure of a good day, was to eat absolutely nothing the day before - which is not a good long term solution. She just laughed and said, "Good luck."All the people here, have wonderful advice and help (thank God!)and know exactly what each of us has to go through.

 

[carida]

Oh Lee, much sympathy! I know exactly what you are going through.The worst part is not knowing *when* these things are going to happen. I actually wore one of my granddaughter's nappies to work one day, I was leaking so badly without any warning. I wore a voluminous skirt to hide it.I don't take any medication but get up 3 hours before I need to go to work, just to make sure everything is 'finished'....and then it doesn't always work..It is a pain, and does get me down too at times. I feel as if my life is spent in the loo. I keep the crossword books in the loo now, and just take my time.The doctor wasn't much help either. I told her that the only way I could be sure of a good day, was to eat absolutely nothing the day before - which is not a good long term solution. She just laughed and said, "Good luck."All the people here, have wonderful advice and help (thank God!)and know exactly what each of us has to go through.

 

[KellyB23]

I think you will find anti depressants a great help, they are constipating and help a great deal with the pain side of ibs due to the brain/gut connection. A low dose would work wonders for you and they are non habit forming. Worth looking into anyway. Kelly x

 

[KellyB23]

I think you will find anti depressants a great help, they are constipating and help a great deal with the pain side of ibs due to the brain/gut connection. A low dose would work wonders for you and they are non habit forming. Worth looking into anyway. Kelly x

 

[AlmostFamous]

I wish I read this- (see my post "want to cry") before I posted my story. My problem this morning was misreading signals my stomach was sending. It's hard trying to figure out what your body is trying to tell you. The only thing I have deducted as to why it happened was my diet hasn't been stable this last week. For me it comes down to eating a balanced diet and taking my pills as I am supposed to. The advice I can give is that there are worst things in life. I had suicidal tendencies this year too but then realized there are these really cool things that can happen if you stick around to see them if that makes sense. I mean at least you have a girlfriend who is understanding. We're all human and have flaws- just some people are better at covering them so we think it's just us.On the other hand don't feel bad for feeling bad about the situation. Part of my problem is the "other people have it worse" and that's true, but own your emotions and don't feel guilty about being pissed off with whatever level of IBS you have.

 

[AlmostFamous]

I wish I read this- (see my post "want to cry") before I posted my story. My problem this morning was misreading signals my stomach was sending. It's hard trying to figure out what your body is trying to tell you. The only thing I have deducted as to why it happened was my diet hasn't been stable this last week. For me it comes down to eating a balanced diet and taking my pills as I am supposed to. The advice I can give is that there are worst things in life. I had suicidal tendencies this year too but then realized there are these really cool things that can happen if you stick around to see them if that makes sense. I mean at least you have a girlfriend who is understanding. We're all human and have flaws- just some people are better at covering them so we think it's just us.On the other hand don't feel bad for feeling bad about the situation. Part of my problem is the "other people have it worse" and that's true, but own your emotions and don't feel guilty about being pissed off with whatever level of IBS you have.

 

[LuckiStar2]

Hi Lee, I aren't alone. I also get up really early to get over my symptoms before heading to work. I also walk with my husband and sometimes I have to tell him that I cannot go because I need to stay close to the toilet. I know sometimes he gets frustrated with me and my condition but overall he is supportive and that helps. I have been in your situation and I am there every few days when I feel like I cannot take it anymore. There are times when I curse the medical profession for not taking this seriously. If you don't have IBS you don't understand the pain it can cause. I can live with the diarrhea but the pain makes me shake and feel nauseous. I hate it! But then there are days like today where I can eat whatever I want and spend time with my husband and feel like a 'normal' person. You have to live for those days. If you get through the bad times you realize that the good times make life worth living. I hope you are doing better since you post. My thoughts are with you.Carly

 

[LuckiStar2]

Hi Lee, I aren't alone. I also get up really early to get over my symptoms before heading to work. I also walk with my husband and sometimes I have to tell him that I cannot go because I need to stay close to the toilet. I know sometimes he gets frustrated with me and my condition but overall he is supportive and that helps. I have been in your situation and I am there every few days when I feel like I cannot take it anymore. There are times when I curse the medical profession for not taking this seriously. If you don't have IBS you don't understand the pain it can cause. I can live with the diarrhea but the pain makes me shake and feel nauseous. I hate it! But then there are days like today where I can eat whatever I want and spend time with my husband and feel like a 'normal' person. You have to live for those days. If you get through the bad times you realize that the good times make life worth living. I hope you are doing better since you post. My thoughts are with you.Carly

 

[AlmostFamous]

>>If you get through the bad times you realize that the good times make life worth living. <<This is the one lesson I've learned this year!!!

 

[AlmostFamous]

>>If you get through the bad times you realize that the good times make life worth living. <<This is the one lesson I've learned this year!!!

 

[kubalee]

thankyou all for your kind words and assistance,i really appreciate the help and advice you have given me.im sorry to say about the suicidal tendincies,i would never do anything like that,its stupid even to mention something like,in the end nothing in life could ever be that bad.my stomach again this morning was bad,missed my bus for work and got in late (again).think my boss believes im on flexi-time at the moment!just one question i have (oh no i hear you say?!)this week,i have been miserable as hell,i havent seen or wanted to see my girlfriend and when i spoke to her on the phone i was quite nasty.i didnt mean to be,she is so good to me and i cant understand why i took out the problem im having with my stomach on her,does anyone else do this?i just think its not fair to take it out on her and feel very bad about doing it.its a good job i have the local florists on speed dial..anyway thankyou all for your replies,it means a hell of alot to melook after yourselves and have a great weekend(im clothes shopping with my girlfriend) :-(

 

[kubalee]

thankyou all for your kind words and assistance,i really appreciate the help and advice you have given me.im sorry to say about the suicidal tendincies,i would never do anything like that,its stupid even to mention something like,in the end nothing in life could ever be that bad.my stomach again this morning was bad,missed my bus for work and got in late (again).think my boss believes im on flexi-time at the moment!just one question i have (oh no i hear you say?!)this week,i have been miserable as hell,i havent seen or wanted to see my girlfriend and when i spoke to her on the phone i was quite nasty.i didnt mean to be,she is so good to me and i cant understand why i took out the problem im having with my stomach on her,does anyone else do this?i just think its not fair to take it out on her and feel very bad about doing it.its a good job i have the local florists on speed dial..anyway thankyou all for your replies,it means a hell of alot to melook after yourselves and have a great weekend(im clothes shopping with my girlfriend) :-(

 

[peggy06]

Oh it must be delightful to go clothes shopping in France! Enjoy.My otherwise understanding hubby some times has a hard time understanding why I refuse to budge out of the house in the mornings until "something happens".And, I have been known to snap at this long suffering man for no apparent reason other than because I am having a hard time dealing with my guts. I think it is because he is the only handy target. Most likely it is the same with your girl friend. Anyhow - when our guts get the upper hand and cause us to say or do something we regret - a prompt "I am so sorry" is in order. Have a super shopping day.HugsPeggy

 

[peggy06]

Oh it must be delightful to go clothes shopping in France! Enjoy.My otherwise understanding hubby some times has a hard time understanding why I refuse to budge out of the house in the mornings until "something happens".And, I have been known to snap at this long suffering man for no apparent reason other than because I am having a hard time dealing with my guts. I think it is because he is the only handy target. Most likely it is the same with your girl friend. Anyhow - when our guts get the upper hand and cause us to say or do something we regret - a prompt "I am so sorry" is in order. Have a super shopping day.HugsPeggy

 

[sab]

hi honey, It's ur girlfriend and I just wanna say I love u no matter what! Just saw this page so thought I might as well reply... I know ur fed up with it but remember I will always be there for u and I'll forgive u 4 being a bit moody.. Will tell u the rest in private...xsab

 

[sab]

hi honey, It's ur girlfriend and I just wanna say I love u no matter what! Just saw this page so thought I might as well reply... I know ur fed up with it but remember I will always be there for u and I'll forgive u 4 being a bit moody.. Will tell u the rest in private...xsab