Anyone else get a feeling like you are drowning in your own bodily fluids

[Maureen1958]

Yesterday, I was trying to decide after my first toilet visit whether to go again or hold it. This is the choice I have to make every morning. I never know if I am making the right choice! Then, if I decide to not go back to toilet, I have to try and see it through and not change my mind. Some days it works in a fashion and some days it doesn't. If I go back, that's it for the rest of the day, I probably won't get anything done and feel just awful. So I try not to go back to the loo these days unless I feel I can't hold it. Yesterday. I wasn't sure what my body was telling me (it doesn't make it very clear!). I wasn't in pain at that point and didn't feel sick (which generally means I need to go back, I think). So I thought I would see it through and not go back. It's not easy to do but I felt like I had diarrhoea but had been masses anyway and don't eat very much these days, so I thought I would try to hold it, if I hold it long enough the runny stuff sometimes seems to be absorbed by any solid that is in there. But yesterday I just had this overwhelming feeling like I was drowning in my own bodily fluids so in the end I went back to toilet. I again went a lot but it was mainly solid, soft but solid but with runny stuff over it which dissolved into the toilet water. Has anyone else experienced this feeling like drowning? I had it again this morning but not to the same degree as yesterday. It seems to have gone now (I haven't been back to the loo today) but the funny thing is that it went at about 1.30pm and I find I have this crossover time at 1.40pm each day when it can suddenly settle or change. Could the drowning feeling be anxiety do you think? Or maybe a sinus problem?

[Hidden]

Hi Maureen

I'm so sorry you are suffering like you are, I know how that feels and it's awful. I was getting diarrhoea every day along with acute nausea since the food poisoning I had back in November 2018, then a visit to the Dietician in January, started the low fodmap diet on 13 January and after 3 days I was like a different person. I know the diet doesn't work for everyone which is a shame as fortunately for me it's working, I know if I've eaten something I shouldn't.

I've read through your post and personally I think there's a little bit of anxiety there, it looks to me like you are overthinking it. I know with me if I'm out and about and think I need the toilet I will and will end up desperate.

Have you tried meditation/deep breathing as I do find this works very well although I've fallen off the wagon with both and need to start practising again myself.

I hope things settle down soon but try and avert your mind elsewhere if you can.

Take care

Alicia

[Maureen1958 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Alicia, before I start I want to say thank you for your response and I am not trying to be awkward in my reply to you.

I haven't tried the FODMAP diet as I know which foods to avoid and they are the low fodmaps so it wouldn't work for me.

Also I do have anxiety but it is triggered by the IBS. I don't get IBS because I am anxious, I am anxious because I have IBS. I do try to fight it and don't give in to it ie like not going to the toilet just because I feel like I need to go (otherwise I would be in the loo all day). I can hold it but when I start to go it doesn't want to stop and I can be in the toilet for hours (4 hours at one sitting was quite the norm some years ago).

I haven't tried meditation or deep breathing although I have tried hypnotherapy. I do a lot of holding my breath when I feel I might have an accident or in a lot of pain and that seems to work for me.

I don't think I will ever find an answer now as I have had it 35 years but I am still fighting it in my own way but I just wondered yesterday if the feeling of drowning was because I had all this stuff inside me or was due to anxiety. Sometimes I wish I could split myself into two and one of me go back to the loo and the other doesn't in order to see what works best, but it would probably be different on different occasions.

Also I wondered if the drowning sensation could be a sinus problems as my sinuses seem to mimic my bowel ie running tummy/runny nose, constipation/dry nose.

Anyway a work in progress still but thank you for trying to help but I think I am a bit of lost cause.

Thanks again, Maureen

[Hidden in reply to Maureen1958]

Dont worry Maureen yiu really are not being awkward, you know how you feel and know your own body.

The funny thing is before I started the low fodmap diet I thought I knew what foods I was reacting to and the ones that were ok, how wrong I was. I thought I was absolutely fine with almonds, sadly not. Going g on the diet is the best thing I've ever done.

I also was feeling anxious and it was the IBS making me feel like it,the diarrhoea was hard to deal with but the acute nausea was so much worse and that's what made he feel really bad and anxious.

Funnily enough if I really need the toilet I also hold my breath which helps. This isn't often now because I'm so much better. The introduction phase is hard but I have to follow that to know what I can and can't eat.

You are not a lost cause at all, you will find something that works.

Take care and stay safe.

[Suecoo66]

The dilemma most of us have, do we really need to go again or not! Public toilets not being open is making me very anxious and obviously pubs and restaurants all shut too so nowhere for me to go on our dog walk.

Yesterday wasn't sure before I went out if I needed to again or not, had already been twice. Went out within 10 mins realised I had to go back! Just about made it back too.

[Maureen1958 in reply to Suecoo66]

Yes, I know what you mean although I don't go in public toilets anymore I always come home because I can't stop going once I start so prefer to be at home where I am relaxed or as relaxed as I can be!

[Linley]

Oh Maureen so sorry you feel so bad don't know what to say except sending you a big hug and hope you feel OK soon😊

[Maureen1958]

Hi Linley, hope you are doing okay at the moment with all the problems we are facing with Coronavirus. I don't think it is helping with it constantly in the background hanging over us. I am thinking perhaps that is why mine seems to be a bit more extreme at the moment. Thank you for the big hug. Maureen

[Endersgame]

What you're experiencing sounds horrible, but at the same time i sort of admire your ability to control you BM. For me I have very little warning and need multiple visits. I have a patten where its worse in the morning but even that can be unpredictable especially if I've been at home and not actually been. As soon as someone mentions going out it starts. The current lockdown is very difficult and I cant do the walk away from home that the Govt have suggested as there is no where with any public toilets open. Even my trip to work has gotten difficult as i used to plan the journey past at least two public toilets, using at least one several times per week. Im currently stealing someone else's parking space at work (usually have to park around 500 meters away) as they are shielding.

[Maureen1958 in reply to Endersgame]

Thank you for your reply. I used to go a lot in the mornings once I gave up work and was at home with my son but I have just tried to work my bowel around what had to be done. That's all you can do really at the end of the day.

It must be difficult going out with no toilets at the moment. I don't go out much at all these days. I haven't been out for two months.

[Eternity78]

Please check out the condition Mast Cell Activation Syndrome ( MCAS ) ..I'm exactly as your situation where ( when I start going ..can't stop only after multiple trips can reach to 6 or 7 times ) followed by horrible exhaustion and just want to sleep for the rest of the day ..No life !!

Sinus also flares at the same time along with the feeling of hot feet and pain in the ankles ..It's only now when I start being nauseous with ongoing BMs when I realised something is more complicated going on other than ( it's just IBS 🤦‍♀️) I searched and also someone talked to me here about the condition ( MCAS) that is the root cause to IBS and other conditions like eczema , dermatitis food / odour sensitivities and more !!

The problem now is that i need to find an immunologist who is expert enough in this field as it is fairly new and many doctors even gastros don't know about it !! And with the lock down + curfew in my country it's taking me longer time 😞

But , if circumstances with this pandemic get better and I find the right immunologist who can address my problems and attribute them to a proper and logical root cause , then IBS will no longer be the right diagnosis to our ongoing symptoms and ( MCAS) will replace it . I was planning to come back here and write a post about it if this approach really works for me .

[Maureen1958 in reply to Eternity78]

Hi Eternity78, sorry I didn't get back to you yesterday, I felt so awful. I have looked at this before and wondered but equally lots of other things out there seem to match my symptoms too. I would be interested in how you get on with your journey on this one. My husband is convinced it is some kind of autoimmune thing and I tend to agree with him. Thank you so much for replying to me.

[Eternity78]

No worries ! I also had a horrible flare up just from smelling a ( hand Sanitizer ) !! Spend the whole day in 🚾 🤦‍♀️ and this is one of the things that convinced me that my condition is more than just IBS ..as all gastros insist that the gut / colon issues are triggered mainly by 2 factors ( psychological ( stress ,anxiety ..etc ) and Food + eating patterns ,but No one ever mentioned that it could be triggered by strong odours , cosmetic creams ,shampoo , hand soaps ..etc which I'm currently struggling with as new symptoms of 2020 !!

Anyways, I will sure post any updates about this so that others can benefit too👍

[BlueDevon]

Hi Maureen you always give such good advice as you have suffered for such a long time.I take on board a lot of what you say as you seem to have experienced it all.

Just lately my I.b.s has been worse.I get myself in such a state.

After a phone conversation with the doctor he said that he wasn’t at all worried about me and didn’t even think it was worth having a blood or stool test.He gave me Mebeverine and Diazepam.And the bloody Mebeverine made me have a terrible pain in my stomach and then the runs.

I’m phoning again Monday and pleading for a blood test and stool test .Idont feel clean after having a bowel movement even though I wash afterwards.

It’s a nightmare at the moment.

Hope you are feeling not too bad at present Maureen.Thanks again and keep in touch.x

[Maureen1958 in reply to BlueDevon]

Hi BlueDevon, I have sent you a message via Chat!