I have asked this before on here but still looking for answers so hoping someone might have this and found a solution.
Just before a bowel movement I start to feel really strange, like a doom feeling, the I get shortness of breath, sweating, fast heart rate it gets worse and worse and really feels like I will drop dead. It's like a panic attack but out of control.
After pooping I feel really bad for about 20-30 mins and then I'm ok again, just tired from all the symptoms.
This only ever happens related to pooping or gas.
Anyone else get this? Any advice please? 🙏
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Sasical
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I don't have this, but I wonder if your parents were overly concerned about "regularity". This. doesn't sound like much fun, so I would talk to a psychiatrist about it, as I think it is probably anxiety based and is causing you needless pain.
This has connection to anxiety and there are many discussions about it here. Do you also feel exhilaration after eating? Try bland nutritious foods and smaller meals. How do you manage anxiety and panic?
Thanks for replying. No, don't feel anything after eating. I go to therapy for anxiety and usually exercise helps but at the moment I can't do exercise for other health reasons
Its an interesting phenomenon. I can remember as a kid being anxious before traveling and getting the urge to go to the bathroom. However, a genuine fight or flight response in a real emergency would be the opposite, expulsion of waste would be diminished.
I’ve had this for years. Quite common I’m told. There are posts about it on here if you look around. Acupuncture helped me massively. I still get the feeling but I understand it now and rarely if ever get a panic. Good luck
I’m exactly the same especially at the minute my anxiety is high so I can’t keep off the loo.. I do know that when I’m anxious it’s worse because our nerves are connected to our bowels system Nat
Hi Sasical, I found this and your posts after battling these feelings for almost 2 years thinking I was crazy! I do have a history of anxiety and depression. But it had been well controlled for quite some time then a couple years ago we were camping and I became constipated(although I didn’t realize this at the time). This was after a long period where I had basically all very loose and watery stools which I attributed to the medication I was taking. But for 4 days I was in a constant state of near panic attack. I almost went to the ER several times over the course of those 4 days. It was agonizing is the only way I can describe it. I would lay in the bed, my whole body flush and tingly feeling like my skin was crawling. I couldn’t lay again I’d have to get up and pace because if I tried to be still I was hyper aware of the feeling and just became worse. My heart raced and I just constantly felt like I was in the verge of a panic attack with no relief. I did not feel like I needed to poop when it started. About day two was when I noticed I was constipated but I did not attribute my symptoms at that time to needing to poop. I thought my constipation was a result of the near panic as your body slows down those functions during the fight or flight response. I spent the next two days fighting these feelings and getting only minimal relief when I’d go to the bathroom and pass just little tiny hard bits of stool. I’d get a little relief for a short period but then the symptoms would come back in full force. I eventually broke down and had my husband go buy a cannabis edible that I ate a quarter of (legal in my state) jut to be able to sleep. I finally had a good decent sized bowl movement in the wee hours of the morning and wen I got up for the day I noticed my symptoms were completely gone. I’m an RN so I’m trained to think critically so I made the connection to my relief of symptoms to the bowel movement fairly quickly and have spent the last 2 years of my life doing everything I can to avoid that feeling at all costs. It’s not always successful. It happened again tonight and that’s what led me in this web search to find these threads. And just knowing I’m not the only one gives me relief because I was becoming more sure I was crazy as time has gone on. I started taking Colace 100mg tabs nightly to keep my stools soft and regular and if I notice I don’t have a bowel movement one day I take 2 tabs that night hoping I’ll have a good movement the next day. This has been working for the most part but I still get quasi constipated and even though it’s only for a day at most I still get the panic feelings anytime I need to poop and it requires any effort in my part to go. So basically if I don’t have diarrhea I end up feeling at least mildly like this but depending on the day can be more severe. Thank you so much for keeping up in these posts here and other threads. They have made a world of difference to me.
Hello,I am also having symptoms like these, having panic attack like symptoms as the result of needing to go to the bathroom. Sometimes they come before I know I need to go, sometimes after. They're just debilitating, and all I've gotten from the doctors is an IBS diagnosis. I tested positive for SIBO 2 years ago and have taken 3 rounds of antibiotics for it. My symptoms seem to be worse in the summer, so I wonder if it's connected to my allergies or a histamine intolerance. But like you, usually the symptoms pass with a bowel movement. It's annoying though when it doesn't all come out so the symptoms don't fully pass or pass and then come back!! I've been to the hospital for this a few times but they never find anything wrong. I'm glad I'm not the only one suffering from this.
Sorry that you are going through this too. I was also diagnosed with Sibo, also been to hospital a few times. When it passes you think, it wasn't that bad but when I am in the middle of all the symptoms, they are terrifying and it really does feel like you will keel over any second.
Yes! I have also found that exercise can trigger it, but I wonder if it's because that's causing a bowel movement as opposed to being from the exercise itself. Have you ever noticed this?I also saw you said you were seeing some improvement with an osteopath. How is this going for you?
Sorry didn't get the message notification. I am somewhat better and the only thing I can think of is that the osteopath is helping so I continue to go in the hope that some.day it will completely resolve. I'm not cured but I'm certainly not as bad as a used to be. How are you doing?
He does these kind of massages on my bowel area and my diaphragm (sp?) also on my coccyx , well almost everywhere to be honest, but mainly those 3 areas.
It is a relief to come here and read that others can relate to something so odd and that you can’t quite understand yourself. I have been experiencing exactly what I believe you have been describing. I will be having a lovely day. No worries. No anxieties. Then all of a sudden this strange feeling comes over me. It’s almost like a flush that goes from my head to the rest of my body. I feel as if I can’t get as good of a breath as I’d like. And the weird sensation will sometimes make me feel I’m going to pass out. Then the urge to go to the bathroom comes on. It is the strangest thing. And I am not constipated. But once I use the bathroom I feel better. I feel shaken after the experience and a little weak. It only happens once every few weeks or so. I haven’t told a doctor because I don’t believe they will know what it is or what to do
I know right? it really is odd and horrible. Doctors really don't have a clue. At least it is only happening to you every few weeks. I was having it a few times a day!
I get the feeling before going, but once I do it's like the random anxiety feeling goes away. I never know why it happens, but sometimes it just does. It's weird, I don't know who to talk to about it either without seeming weird
I must have spoken to at least 15 different doctors, specialists and nutricionists, they had no idea, all they suggested was it could be my nervous system, vagus nerve or dumping syndrome.
Im too nervous to talk to a Dr about it bc i dont wanna just be brushed off about it or be told they dont know and nothing be done. Plus im embarrassed about it to mention it
I’m a woman. This happens to me every single time I need to move my bowels. I’m convinced I’m dying. It’s apparently due to the mind/gut connection. You likely have IBS as do I. We don’t move them frequently enough and our body reacts like it’s being invaded by something. That’s my belief. Hope you’re doing okay.
this happens to me!! I have been looking for answers - seriously I want to cry bc I never thought there was anyone going through this. It is terrifying and exhausting - and can happen at any time. Driving, eating, relaxing .. anytime. I wish I had answers for you - just know you’re not alone. Just happened tonight at dinner - celebrating my daughters bday - I could not even eat - I had a severe panic attack - literally thought I was gonna drop - and then boom - BM - it’s been tough
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