My Experiences with IBS

Have you ever been nervous before a big event and had an upset stomach? Or right before a big presentation, spent most of it in the bathroom evacuating your bowels? But then, as soon as you have finished that speech or big event, you were perfectly fine. Now imagine suffering those symptoms 24/7 without relief. This is what IBS sufferers deal with every single day.

For those who aren’t aquatinted with the term, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is a bowel disorder that has a whole variety of fun symptoms; bowel spasms, nausea, bloating, nausea, constipation or diarrhea to name a few of them. It affects 10 to 15 percent of adults, the majority of them being women. But you know what the real kicker is?

GI specialists have no idea what the real cause behind it is. Sure, they know how to mask the symptoms with drugs, but the cause is usually blamed on hormones, stress, anxiety, or food triggers.

My experiences with IBS began when I was very young. I have dealt with constipation since I’d been born and I wasn’t aware that my bowel habits were abnormal until I’d spent more time with children my own age who frequently made jokes about their own bowel habits.

My pediatrician encouraged "more fiber" and to use an everyday laxative known as Miralax. Both failed to help my problems—no matter what I did, I always suffered my constipation. However, it never bothered me much; I’d always lived with it.

That was when my grandmother fell ill—ovarian cancer—and my bowel issues increased. I had terrible nausea, bowel cramps, and suffered from severe constipation. I went to my first GI specialist at the age of 21, who ran a battery of tests, had my first of three colonoscopies, and was never given a diagnosis.

After my grandmother passed after a year of fighting, I continued to fight nausea, cramping, and severe bowel upset. I lived off tums, Pepto Bismol, and tried every herbal remedy that was legal. Nothing worked.

So, I gave up. I suffered for five years since my increased symptoms flared up. I jumped from job to job where my co-workers judged me for my absences due to being so ill that I was curled up in bed with my heating pad spending days only drinking ginger ale and saltines.

I had never felt so alone. My family and friends didn’t understand what was going on with me. And yet, they always had something to say about what they thought was wrong with me. I heard to "watch what I am eating" more than I could even count.

My issues came to a head about six months ago. I was out of work more than I was there and I had developed severe anxiety. My symptoms held me back in life. I wasn’t going out on dates, I could hardly leave my bed, and I lost 15 pounds that I couldn’t afford to lose. It got to the point that I sobbed for days on hand and couldn’t stomach anything more than Gatorade and Saltines.

So what changed? What has happened to me that made me share my IBS story with you?

Well, for one, I tackled my issues with my severe anxiety. I have spent the six months taking different anti-anxiety medications and working with a cognitive behavioral therapist. It was difficult to face that my anxiety worsened my IBS and that I had to learn to face what was causing my anxiety.

I also started taking care of me. I started exercising and eating small meals. I worked with my therapist to do small things that flare up my anxiety until I could get to the point that I was working past my anxiety about going out in public with my IBS symptoms flaring up. I joined a support group on Facebook that made me feel less alone. There are so many men and women out there that suffer from the same issues that I do. Just seeing that made me feel better about the days where my co-workers whispered about how long I spent in the bathroom.

But this was not a cure. I still suffer from days where my bowels are angry and I spent time lying in bed with my heating pad. But I have learned to accept the days that I do suffer from my IBS. I still rely on Pepto Bismol when I have eaten something that doesn’t agree with me.

For all those who suffer from IBS, I just want to say it may seem impossible. There may never be a cure, but you can find ways to cope with your symptoms. It just takes trial and error and lots of patience. And, for now, there are people out there that understand how you feel.