[Rowe2]

Although I have the spasm pain under control with Effexor, I still have to eliminate onions and cabbage, therefore interfering with my slawdogs with onions that I love dearly

The worst part if constipation lasts over three days..I feel like the mouse the cat brought home

No energy to even wiggle

 

[Ganas]

Rowework is what it interfers with the most if the Effexor works for me it will no longer be a problem because otherwise it hurts everyday no matter what I do or eatI can no longer do Pizza under any curcumstance.Thank you for all your help, you have been a big help to me with this med battle

 

[Rowe2]

Ganas..so good to hear from you. This site is wonderful isn't it? I've also had a lot of people on the board to help me. We are here to help each other, and if I did anything at all to help, I'll give God the glory..He is the one who helps my directions. Are you going to try the Effexor? If so, let me recommend you start out at 37.5 mgs and work up. Best of luck to you, and keep me informed.

 

[asian_girl]

ibs interferes with my work. it was so bad, i had to quit my job. and now i go to school full time. it also interferes with my social outtings. i cant spend time with my family as much, since they all like nature and going on vacations. it really sucks. the last three years, whether it be christmas, new years, everything, i jsut sat home. i feel bad for my bf because i know he wants to do things outside the house. he tells me it doesnt bother him, but then he tells me "the good ole days when i used to go out." man, i feel awful. i would often wonder why me??? why out of all the other millions of people on earth, why do i have it? it sucks. ibs should be considered a disability. i cant go out on road trips with friends, or picnics with family. and now, i feel like the outcast.

 

[Rowe2]

Asian_girl

I'm so sorry to hear your having a rough time. I've been there also. It can really mess up a person's lifestyle. Are you taking any medication for it? If so, what are you taking?

 

[LaVidaCrapa]

Where to start? Where to start?Boy, IBS puts a spin on everything you do, literally. -where you shop(do they have bathrooms?),-how long you can travel(are there bathrooms on the way?),-what kind of events you attend(sorry, can't camp out for concert tickets),-what sort of activities you participate in (hiking? horseback riding? whitewater rafting? no-can-do, sorry)-friends (close friends you tell about it, others you don't)-romance (what if she invites me back to her place?)-career (will my job allow frequent bathroom breaks?)Really, it colors everything we do. You could almost call it an alternative lifestyle, I guess.

 

[TomC]

I guess the biggest problem is the 'leaky' gas. It basically gives me no social life whatsoever. Second would be having to go the bathroom every two hours or so (or every twenty minutes when I used to take laxatives), and never having a "complete" bowel movement. After that would be the cramps, bloating, and general hell of being constipated. Oh, and all of this happens 24/7, no matter what. Basically, I wouldn't wish IBS upon anyone, and I hope doctors would do more research into it. I barely go anywhere besides school, and even doing that is hell. I can't get a job, because no one would want to hire someone who smells like #### (literally). Oh, and back to the social thing. Girlfriend? Nope. Friends? Nope. Without IBS, I'm sure I'd be answering differently. And if it wasn't for the hope of actually getting rid of this one day, I would of killed myself by now.

 

[cairn2cairn]

Maybe quietly venting here will make me feel better. I quit smoking 6 years ago. I lived in Maine and learned to x-c ski and hike. My husband and I went to the White Mt. in new Hampshire every chance we got. I was hiking 4000-6000 footers regularly. We also climbed Kahtadin and sveral others in Maine, the Grand Canyon and last Dec. did some hiking around Mt. Rainier. We moved to N.C. in 2000 and started on the mountains here. Every vacation was planned around our hikes. Now we have cancelled two trips. I don't want explosive D on a plane or on the side of a mountain. Plus I don't have the stamina. I usually can't be far from a bathroom till after noon. Then things ease up a little. I've lost 40 lb.; a lot of it being muscle. Some days I feel very sorry for myself, which does no good at all. Luckily, my boss and co-workers have been very patient and sympathetic to my problem.I thank all who have given advice and suggestions in this forum. My doctors sure haven't been any help.

 

[Guest]

Hi Rowe...

No matter what I eat, I have IBS... which is why the hypno has been so good for me.... I'll never be totally symptom free, but it helps to temper the worst of it for me.I also have Alternating IBS D and C, gas predominant, for which there is no specific medication.The best way to calm the "waves" that I have found is to eat smaller amounts more frequently, avoid drinking a lot while eating, avoid carbonated beverages, and limit simple carbohydrates as well as animal protein and fat.Evie

 

[Cartoon Creature]

IBS has a huge effect on my socail life and my emotional state of mind. If I am bloated and constipated the last thing I want to do I go out anywhere. Also the horrid feeling it brings with it depresses me ALOT!!!!