For over a year now (and getting worse) everytime my body is preparing to poop I feel sweaty, shaky, hot, dizzy and just generally really panicky until I go. Once I've been I still feel bad with stomach rumbling for a while and then it all settles.
Also I have to say that if I go for a poop but still have some left in me I feel bad until I go again. So basically until all the poop is out of my body and then slowly, after about 30-45 mins I start to feel better.
It's horrible because it really feels as if I'm going to drop dead. Anyone anything similar? I haven't been able to find many people with these kind of symptoms so I'm scared.
Thanks for reading x
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Sasical
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Yes, I understand exactly what you are saying. I have had IBS for 35 years. I find I get like this at the point when my body is almost empty. I start to shake and cannot think straight. It's like half of my brain is saying you have finished get out of the loo now and the other half of my brain is saying, no that would be a bad move and I feel kind of stuck unable to make a sensible considered decision. My right hand starts to shake. This only happens at the end of the last trip to the loo. For years I tried to go three times a day spreading out the loo trips according to my day. I never felt okay until I had got everything out but over the years I think my body got over sensitized. Now I am trying to go once a day and hold the rest . I doesn't really work but it avoids that awful feeling if I go three times. I have tried going twice but it doesn't work!
How have you lived with it for so long? Do you have any coping strategies that have worked for you or anything that helps your flare ups. I’m 21 and have been suffering since I was around 14 and it’s really ruining my life. I don’t go out much anymore because of it
Hi ccprincess, I have no idea how I have lived with this so long, but at the end of the day you have no other option, or not one that is easy to do! I can't really give you any advice as I have no idea what I am doing wrong or how to fix it. Sorry! I don't have flare-ups, it's every day. Mine started in my late 20's. It must have been really hard for you having it at school and through university. I don't go out much myself anymore either.
I'm sure I have replied to you before. But I understand how worrying and frightening this feeling is.
When it happens to me I feel sick, shaky, a horrible sinking feeling, faint, out of control... As soon as I go I begin to feel better.
All this started for me about three years ago when I had a bug and terrible diarrhoea, I think maybe I equate it with that episode and inside I am fearing that again. I suffer more with constipation now because of that and consequently get more of these frightening feelings when I need to go.
I can only think that for someone suffering anxiety we are more aware of our bodily functions without realising it and that's why we feel all these strange feelings.
If there's anyone out there that can expl it better I would be interested too!
In the meantime it's not just you, I am exactly the same.
Totally agree. I had a horrible bug when I was 12 (I’m 45 now) and I have episodes of terror going for a poop. I go through periods of time when things are settled, but I dread urgency and it really affects my entire life. I’ve had a flu virus for the past 3 and a half weeks, which ended up giving me terrible diarrhoea. I still have it and I know I have a long recovery ahead. So I’m spending most of my time dreading going and as soon as the rumbling or gurgling starts, I can feel my heart thumping. I also shake on the toilet. The anxiety of it is terrible.
I get this when I haven't been able to go and then all of a sudden get horribke stomach pain and have to go to the loo and it's the opposite and I nearly pass out everytime because I get so panicky and sweaty and dizzy!! Glad I'm not the only one
The thing is I never have pain, just the really nasty symptoms every time I go for a poop, which if it was only once a day wouldn't be so bad, but I have been up to 8 times a day. Today y. On average 3 or 4. Which makes for very miserable days indeed and always beeing afraid to go places just in case
Hi Sasical, this sounds like a panic attack of which I know something about for other reasons. Be reassured that this is nothing physical but is psychologically driven. What is happening to you is only because of your thoughts. You can see a counsellor about this who will help you break it down and overcome it, and it will probably help with all of your symptoms. Good luck.
Thank you Stuart. Yes, I know a thing or two about panic attacks too as I've had them all my life.
This is similar to a panic attack but it's unrelated to my thoughts and also I can do things to calm a panic attack whereas with this I can't do anything about it until my stomach has settled. It's purely physical.
I second that, I have anxiety and panic attacks buts it's very different to the physical symptoms before bm. dizzy, sweating, hot even if I'm safe to go to the loo and it's an empty house. I just figured it was my body giving me a warning that it was ready to reject something - kind of like nausea before being sick.
From reading on here, I see it's a common thing, so dont worry
Really asbayford ? It's funny you should say that because I have come across very few people that have these symptoms. So you have read about it on here? Have you ever read any tips to make it better. Thanks x
I can only say from my personal experience that the low fodmap diet got rid of my loose bms, so those physical symptoms disappeared with it, I take senocalm IBS for the bloating and gas though
In my case, there is no pain involved or diarrhea or past traumatic events it just seems like a purely mechanical symptoms, as if a switch is flipped in my bowel and I just start sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, hot...
At the first sign, I get a sinking feeling, then a cold sweat, faint, palpitations, dizzy, sometimes a bit nauseous, shaky, it doesn't go until I have a bm.
I think folk on here are suffering similar symptoms. I just don't understand them, not sure even a doctor would.
Someone on here mentioned about them being a form of panic attack. I am beginning to think it is, there is no other explanation. It didn't used to feel like this when I needed to go. Didn't even used to think about it and just got on with it as a matter of fact! Maybe that's the clue, too much thinking....
Funkyfaerie the more tests I have which all come back ok, the more I run out of ideas of what it could be, so like you I might finally have to think it's a form of panic attack lol.
But for now there are still a few avenues I want to explore.
I have thought of that but I've been on loads of IBS forums and people don't seem to have these symptoms.
When you say you would feel hot and ill, what do you mean by ill?
I get this I put it down to the same feeling before sickness, I end úp stripping off as soon as I feel it starting pmsl not everytime but when I'm bad. Think it's just the body's way of expelling what has made you ill.
No. I have cleaned up my diet a lot. I don’t eat commercial bread with yeast. If I eat bread I eat a proper sourdough. I eat less sugar as I believe sugar is the root of all evil. I’m still diabetic but am determined to not be. I think my success has actually been down to a Japanese probiotic called fivelac. This helped my Ibs so much. Hope that helps.
Hi IBSNetwork yes. With 2 Gp's, 2 gastro, 1 gynae, 2 neurologists. Not many suggestions, had a couple of tests done (abdominal and lumbar mri) but came back ok, so no further ideas, they just look surprised and say they have never heard of anyone having these symptoms.
Some people suggest IBS but I have asked on IBS forums and people with IBS don't seem to have these symtoms. Following a thread here on Healthunlocked found a few people with similar issues but none of them had found out what could be causing it.
The thread is called something like Panic symptoms before bowel movement.
I'm getting a bit desperate because it's horrible and very limiting and the longer it goes on the more worried I am.
Yeah mine is the exact same! I get really hot with it and don’t feel better until my bowels have properly emptied. Because I get so panicky it makes me really nervous especially when I’m out and driving for example
Is this maybe a vagus nerve thing? I had this first when I became lactose intolerant and had awful episode after that its come and gone depending on how anxious I am in general but still definitely (years later) get episodes where I sweat and start to feel faint once going. I'm sure I read it could be activated by going to the toilet.
Deronda77 yes, it seems like that might be an answer but if this is the case I don't know what to do about it. I have read all about calming the vagus nerve, I have done everything that is suggested and still no improvement. Do you have any ideas? Thanks x
Hi Sasical- sorry for the delayed response and sorry you're going through this. IBS was the bane of my life from 15 to about a year ago (I'm 43) and the symptoms used to change every few years too. I'm not sure on any formal tips to calm an unhappy vagus nerve but what helped me when my ibs mixed went to D after lactose intolerance appeared was cutting out all dairy ( miserable but apparently my body will not tolerate even low lactose) after a good few months flares became less. Then just over a year ago I started having acupuncture for chronic gastritis (hospital had given up on it and I was desperate) and it did eventually calm the gastritis but coincidentally improved my residual ibs symptoms to the lowest they've been in years. Even during lockdown and having not had acupuncture since early March and with my gastritis determinedly creeping back the most IBS I've had is a bit of C and a some nightly cramping. I realise it's not ideal as it is expensive and probably wont work for everyone but I did find it helped. I'm guessing for you even reducing the bm's would help? Does imodium not help? Or FODMAP diet? The other thing I remembered when I was getting the weird sweating / fainty feeling on toilet was I would bend forward onto this freestanding towel rail I had or once desperately laid on the floor until the last minute. The idea being that you cant faint if your head is lower or something like that. I also started always taking phone into toilet and play app games during to help distract brain. Sorry if none of this helps or you've already tried. Stay strong and keep searching for answers x
Thank you very much for such a detailed reply, there are certainly things I will look into. For example, I haven't drunk milk for years now but I still have cream, butter, kefir...so I will start by cutting absolutely all dairy out see if that helps. And other suggestions of yours I will try too. Thanks again! X
I'm maybe marginally better since removing all fruit from my diet as I had noticed that when I had fructose I am worse. I have finally found a doctor who listened to me and is interested in finding a solution. So she has a few ideas and is sending me for tests, this will take a while because of Covid but I'm so happy to find a doctor who doesn't just say...oh, that's strange, never heard of anything like that.
This one hasn't either, but she has come up with various suggestions to look into, like: side effects from my meds, vagus nerve, dumping syndrome, insuline resistance, pancreas...
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