Dealing with nervous stomach.

[Lynne75]

I know I've mentioned this a few days ago about my fear of flying and the fact my anxiety triggers serious problems where I can't stop going to the loo because my stomach gets so nervous. I'm just wondering if anyone out there suffers like me and what they do to cope on a flight. As soon as I wake up that day my stomach starts and even when we are taxiing I want to run to the loo because I feel like I'm going to have a accident in front of hundreds of people !!!

[Mysteryreader]

I don't especially get a nervous stomach before I fly but I do get nervous stomachs. What i do is make sure I go to the loo just before i have to go/do whatever so that I know that my bladder or bowel i have both is empty. I also have been known to take medication to stop me going to the loo but only in extreme situations were an accident would be really embarassing

[JoMay]

Hi Lynne I am exactly the same. I start to get anxious weeks before flying. I am not scared of crashing. I am scared of being ill, sick, and having diarrhoea on the plane and not making it to the loo. This then exasperates my nerves which then triggers my stomach and bladder into working overtime. No matter how many times I "go"before I leave the house, I am desperate to go again and again. I don't sleep the night before and spend most of the night on the loo. I have tried so many things from hypnotherapy, counselling, congestive behaviour blah blah blah. And I just can't seem to get this under control. My fear is that when I am on the plane I will need the loo and the queue will be too long or there will be turbulence and we have the seatbelt sign on. I'm scared I would "mess" myself in my chair in front of all the people on the plane. I had been "coping" by booking seats at the rear of the plane so I was near the toilet. Going to the loo when I get on the plane before we taxi off. And I also take anti-diarrhoea medication. But the last time I flew was in 2011 and I didn't have a good time at all (nothing happened in respect of messing myself) but just the experience and the nerves and anxiety were so bad. And I haven't flown since. I don't want this to be the end of me flying. I really want to fly to somewhere exotic and just enjoy the whole holiday from start to finish. I wish I had answers, I don't, but I just so understand what you are experiencing. It is horrible. Jo xx

[Lynne75]

Hi jo May thanks for your reply,I am exactly the same as you the night before I have a terrible sleep going over the next day in my mind constantly and as soon as I'm due to board the plane my stomach flips and when we are taxiing to take off I feel like I'm going to mess myself because I know I can't get up till the seatbelt sign goes off,and if we hit turbulence I'm I'll again,like you it's not a fear of something happening with the plane it's me struggling to breath or have a accident that embarrass me and my family I front of strangers,il be taking imodium an hour before I board as usually I try and take nothing,I'm currently having hypnotherapy and as much as it's helped with other things I can't seem to get the fear of getting on that plane under control,I'm away June and July and I need to try and learn to relax,hope you get sorted and get away too.x