[Jimmi]

I am 21 from NJ, and have been diagnosed since I was around 14...but it seems like my pains are getting more frequent and more painful in the past year. My pains stopped all together for about a 1 1/2 years while I was dating ym girlfriend then when she dumped me in october of 2001 they got so much worse and my depression and stress was alot worse. It also seems that I once i finally decided to go to california for law school i was getting better, but all my parents keep doing is to pressure me to stay around the NYC area because of my condition, but they jsut dont seem to understand that I am not happy around here, the atmosphere and people are not me and i dont get along with them. If anyone can help I would appreciate it.Jimmi

 

[Nikki]

DOn't let your parents pressure you into staying in NYC. You will be fine wherever you go...IBS does not rule your life, you rule your IBS.DO what you want, go to law school. Live your life. I am sorry thatyour girlfriend dumped you. That sucks. But, she obviously wasn't worth it if she dumped you. So you are better off out. I know it doesn't seem like that right now. you will find someone who will love you for what you are then you will wonder what you were so upset about.I know its hard, but you need try and not get stressed. VERY difficult to do. What medications have you tried? I did hypnotherapy and it was by far the most effective thing i have done so far.If you want any more help feel free to ask. Hope you feel better soon...Spliffy

 

[Jimmi]

I have not used any medications because even though ive been diagnosed since i was 14 which was um 7 years ago...no one has ever mentioned therapy or medicine for me not even my stomach specilaist so this is all new to me. I believed that it was just food that bothered me. Thanks for the help though...I am looking into therapies now...not sure what to do.

 

[NicoleXX]

yes, therapies are a good helping! But I can�t understand that you haven`t used any medications yet. I tried a lot, but nothing helps. But I�m always on the search. I�m sorry, too that your girlfriend dumped you. I know this situation. I�m now since 2 years togehter with my boyfriend. But a year ago I wanted finish this realtionsship. I was feeling very bad and a few days we get together again and my pains were better.

 

[Krystyn]

Hi Jimmi,I am 22 and in college... I can see where your parents are coming from wanting you to stay around, but in the end you have to make your own decision. It doesn't sound like you are getting any better care in NYC than you will get anywhere else. So go for it. Stress/anxiety about your girlfriend is probably making your symptoms worse. Find someone to talk to so you are not holding all these feelings inside - that has helped me in the past. Good luck with your big decision, I admire you for going to law school despite IBS

Kristin

 

[FionaBabe17]

One of my very best friends had ibs also. It seems that when she is stressed out her ibs gets out of control. She has started using hipnoltherapy (spelling?) tapes and they have helped her a lot to say the least. maybe that's something you should try.

 

[Nikki]

hypnotherapy. its is really good. really works actually.www.ibsaudioprogram is what i used. But you can check out the hypno and CBT forum for more info.

 

[slammjamminlammy]

Hey Jimmi,I'm 21 as well. Just wanted to let you know that I am from Connecticut but I go to school in California (outside LA). Just thought it might help if your parents knew that someone else had switched coasts and survived. I love it out here, the vibe definitely is different, although I miss the atmosphere in New England as well.Just don't expect a change of location to magically take away your stress and depression - it won't, I've tried that. Have you seen a couselor about the stress and stuff? Getting my depression under control did a LOT to help make my ibs more manageable. As for meds, etc, check out the section of this website dedicated to drugs, it is very informative. And hey! if you're a girl and your main symptom is d, Lotronex just went back on the market, so woo hoo to that.Good luck,Sarah

 

[methical]

jimmi,it may take you quite a while, but i think you should try different therapies and hopefully find one that works for you. this bboard is so full of information that you could come up with an endless list of strategies from searching through it. of course there's no certainty that anything would definitely work, as many of us find out, but we should sure try, especially in your case since you haven't tried anything yet.hypnotherapy, cbt, exercise/diet/therapy, calcium, acidophilus, an huge list of medications....they're all possibilities. you have to do a little research and find what therapies are most likely to work for you....i live in nj also, in bergen county. where in nj are u from? do u a see any good doctors?meth

 

[bubbles]

It sounds like a strange coincidence that your symptoms stopped altogether while dating your gf, and that now that you've broken up they're back. Have you tried antidepressants? Paxil helped me a lot.

 

[lisa_webby]

I'm so interested in what other people have to say about links between depression and IBS...I've had IBS-D for about four years - it started during my first year of college and against my will it got steadily worse all through... I had an attack during baccalaureate and thought I might as well be dead...

But after graduation I went on a 3-month trip with my wonderfully understanding bf of four years and my symptoms COMPLETELY disappeared (even though I had a terrible case of "Montezuma's revenge" in Mexico). Now I've been working about a year and hating it, and wouldn't you know it, my symptoms are back.I don't feel particularly depressed (I never check more than two or three of the signs in those "National Depression Screening Day" magazine quizzes, and in fact, people often comment on my optimism) but after reading your posts I am wondering if depression is part of my problem...I just discovered this board today and it feels SO GOOD to know I am not alone!!

 

[kinetic]

sailaway-I'm in much the same situation as you... my IBS started getting bad about 3-4 years ago when i was in college (it eventually forced me to drop out). over the years, I have noticed a correllation between IBS and depression or emotional stress... either one seems to make the other worse, though it varies as to which one starts off the problem. while you say you don't feel particularly depressed, that again sounds a lot like me.... while I am almost always optimistic and cheerful around other people, I do have moments of clarity and introspection where I do realise that I am depressed on some subconscious level or something... so perhaps you are more depressed than you realise and just don't want to admit it to yourself (I've done that before too... heh). though I do definitely think that since you don't like working your current job, that probably has a lot to do with it... again i've noticed my symptoms get worse... sometimes extremely worse... when working a job i didn't like (the less i liked it, the worse my symptoms got.) If it's an option, you may want to consider finding a different job that you would enjoy doing... it would probably help you out considerably.

Oh yes, and welcome to the board