[jblarson]

Hi all.God I hate this IBS stuff. As you can see in my profile, I enjoy coaching youth sports. It's getting tougher and tougher to coach these sports when I continue to have problems with my IBS. Bathroom facilities are not always available when holding practices. It is also getting cause problems in my marriage. I dont really want to go out to eat and then go shopping night afterwards. Sometimes I dont make it 10 minutes before I need to find a restroom. Now. You all know what I mean. I was driving to work last week, 5:30AM, about 18 mile drive to the town I work in. You guessed it, halfway there, I gotta go. No place open, didn'thave time to find one anyway. Yep...had to turn around, drive back home, and change my pants. How embarrasing. But still, my wife doesn't understand it. She thinks I should be able to jump in the car and drive down the road at anytime of the day or night. I had my Gall Bladder taken out 5 yrs ago. Usually things would get better. For me, things go worse....and worse...and worse. My gastro doc doesnt really know what to do. In the last 5 yrs...I've had an Upper GI, Barium Enema, Endoscopy, Colonoscopy and Nuclear Medicine test to check the drip of my bile, since I dont have the Gall Bladder anymore. I did have a kidney stone that they had to go in and retrieve through my bladder. And I have had a few prostate infections, but those have all cleared up. My family and I are getting ready for our vacation to Florida, in about 10 days. I got real nervous when I start traveling in unfamiliar surroundings. Does everybody have the same problems with IBS that I do?

 

[AntonioRI]

I know what you mean. It's tough. My wife is very supportive, but I can see that sometimes she gets so frustrated when I can't go somewhere. I'm on paxil which seems to be helping. I also take a regular dose of calcium that keeps the D nicely under control! And of course, God holds my hand everywhere I go, er can't go....

 

[Kathleen M.]

When your gall bladder is removed there is an unregulated flow of bile into the GI tract.For something like 5-15% of people that causes diarrhea.Eating a strict low fat diet can help with that as the less fat you eat the less bile you make.Questran (and a related med Colstid) is commonly used for these sorts of problems. It is constipating to start with (C+D= normal) and it works by binding excess bile. So if you make too much you don't end up with it in your colon irritating it.Taking an antispasmodic or Imodium 20-30 minutes befoire eating can block the eat must poop NOW response.Check out LNAPE's posts on Calcium on the OTC part of the board. She has had good luck using Calcium to control her diarrhea post gall-bladder removal problems. With the Kidney stone run this by the doctor before trying. Some people have calcium metabolism problems and while low calcium rather than high calcium is mostly associated with kidney stones there are some people that should not take much calcium at all.K.

 

[jblarson]

This is my post above and I forgot to tell you my meds Im activley on.1MG Colestid (Cholesteroal)5MG Ziac (High Blood Pressure).125MG Nulev as needed (Anti-spasmatic)The Colestid constipates and bloats me at times. Also gassy most of the time.

 

[Julee]

I agree, it's tough. I'm always looking for the bathroom when I go out just in case I need to make a run for it. Maybe if your wife read up more on IBS she would understand it's not something you can control. I know my husband gets frustrated too. It's just so hard for someone that doesn't have IBS to understand it!

 

[bethy_3]

Hi.I am not your age and I don't have a husband who has to put up with these horrible things we all go through but I have had this for 15 years and I was reading your post and I had to sigh for you. I feel for you and I hope you don't think that you are the only one in the world fighting this. Yes, we all have the same problems as you have though we all react different to different things.The best thing I found is when you go someplace new (Florida) the BEST thing is to take deep breaths and relax! Relaxation is the key. If you get nervous and tense your gut is going to react. I don't know what else to say other than hang in there and talk with your wife.I'm sorry you have to go through this.