Or could it be sympathy IBS?My significant other has begun to display IBS-like symptoms...of course we'll check him out (I sincerely hope it's just an occasional tummy rumble), but I thought it was curious.Anybody have a similar situation occur?------------------RhetanaIBS D
Is IBS catching?
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Rhetana, this is my theory on IBS/D. IBS is for me a brain/gut nerve motility disorder. I can experience instantaneous D with enough anxiety. Just as the brain regulates other functions ; heart, breathing,etc. Anxiety also causes these functions to respond wrong ; palpitations, hyperventilation,etc. I believe that some of us are more sensitive to our thoughts and brain perceptions because of our genetics. I had a P/Doc who was positive that anyone can experience anxiety caused IBS/D with sufficient stress. He said that when he took his MD college exams almost everyone ran straight to the toilet upon leaving the exam room. Lotronex, a drug that slows gut motility stopped my IBS/D completely on the first dose, and this was after 30yrs of trying nearly everything. Some other things helped but not nearly enough. Many of my family members also have IBS/D, I once had a MD that thought it was mental and we all learned it from each other but there was never that kind of personal interaction in our case. Besides, I told you Lotronex worked and nothing else did. If is just mental to where others can acquire it from example, just about any med or placebo would produce results. I don't believe it is a disease but a disorder, it can't be transmitted. That is assuming you don't have "Bacterial Overgrowth" in your gut. This is a new theory and I don't know enough about it. I do know that I have been prescribed strong antibiotics several times over these 30yrs for other problems. If it was "BO" for me it should have been stopped.Norb
It's an interesting theory. I agree that a lot of people probably have IBS-like attacks given enough stress. That makes sense to me.I've never needed to try Lotronex...I have a fairly mild to moderate case. Glad it worked for you!What I was wondering though, whether there could be a psychosomatic element to it...For example, some newcomers to this board who do have IBS sometimes experience a worsening of symptoms just after finding us.Or whether it could be a learned behaviour (oops...showing off my canuck roots again...Hi JennT!) for those who do NOT have IBS but are displaying a stress reaction. For example, my SO, who would have seen me experience a predictable set of responses to a certain situation...So given that, in this theoretical case, could IBS be catching? Not in the traditional germy, contagious sense, but in learned behaviour (
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) or psychosomatic response.Please note...I am NOT suggesting IBS is in our heads and does not exist...I'm talking about those people displaying symptoms who have not been diagnosed with IBS or have symptoms so infrequently that they cannot be considered as having IBS in the sense that we deal with every day.Thanks for your reply, Norb...obviously I had to explain myself a little more...
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Rhetana, I always liked the letter "u", and wish someday to travel north of the border. It is pretty up there and has very nice people. You are right about an IBS person having psychosomatic problems. I have been told I have GAD(generalized anxiety disorder), some OCD and Social Anxiety, however, when the Lotronex stopped the gut spasm and "D", all the other symptoms disappeared. Lotronex supposedly only blocks the serotonin in your gut and doesn't act on your brain chemicals. The meds for brain chemicals never stopped the IBS and many of them work on the serotonin receptors. I do believe that worry and pondering an attack does influence the severity and frequency. So once you do have it your thoughts can greatly compound the IBS. Once on Lotronex, I couldn't even force myself to have gut spasms and I tried to test it. When my psyche can't affect my gut motolity, the IBS disappears. Sure hope Lotronex is returned to market, many people benefitted greatly. I hope to have answered your question, I just think it is a hereditary gut disorder. Some research has shown IBS victims to have more gut receptors that are also hypersensitive to serotonin causing more sensations to the brain of pain and fullness. Possibly you and your husband are both experiencing the same severe stressors and they are affecting him similarly. I sure hope not. Good luck to the both of you and God bless. Norb
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