[winifredjay]

Hi I am new here and am thrilled to bits to have found somewhere that understands what I have been going through. I started getting symptoms last November when the family was in crisis over my Dad going into a nursing home.I went to see my Dr with severe lower abdomen and back pain, Constipation , bloating and severe wind problems. I felt basically as if I was about to blow up from both ends of my anatomy but even though the build up was there I couldn't shift it either by belching or releasing any gas. The pain was so severe I was convinced there was something seriously wrong with me. The Dr examined me and told me I had IBS. I was stunned. He gave me some Melbeverine tablets to take 3 times a day and told me to go back and see him in 3 weeks. The tablets seemed to work and I was much improved until 3 weeks later when my Dad passed away suddenly. Overnight the symptoms were very severe again I went back to my Dr and he promised me things would get better and booked be in for counselling.Things did start to ease but this week we have been dealing with My dad's belongings and estate and the stress of breaking up the family home just sent me over the edge. I was in so much discomfort and was very constipated and bloated. took a mild laxative because I thought in may help but it only reversed the situation completely and I was still in pain only living on the toilet .My tummy feels bruised and I am scared to eat for fear of starting things off again. We have more dealings with my Dad's possessions over the weekend and as he was a council tenant I have to hand the keys back to our family home on Monday. I have dealt with my Mother Son and Daughter having cancer and can't understand why loosing my Dad however upsetting can push me over the edge like this. I feel totally out of control of my body and am unable to be a carer for my son when i'm like this let alone be a proper wife and mother. I would be so grateful for ant advice from fellow sufferers.

 

[Kathleen M.]

Sometimes it is a small stress that sets things off, especially if you have been carrying around a lot of stress for a long time and it seems you handled all of it (sometimes we just buried it until there was that one stress too many--the straw that broke the camel's back as the saying goes).Usually if eating sets it off the worst thing to do is avoid eating for as long as possible and only giving in when you are so hungry or weak you can't take it anymore.Small, frequent, light meals trigger a smaller "move it along" signal to the colon from the stomach (that always tells the rest of the GI tract when you eat) than large, fatty, or the first meal after you've skipped or delayed eating.People don't realize that IBS which they think of as "nothing" is way more painful than a lot of the GI diseases that are considered serious.Definitely take advantage of the counseling and I would look for learning some stress reduction techniques. (like meditation or progressive relaxation). A lot of us just carry the stress around and it adds up and adds up until something really bad happens rather than really dealing with the stress and releasing it along the way.