Stress = Digestive Issues?

[BreadBro]

hi everyone, this is my first post.

I’ve not been diagnosed just yet but I am in the process of seeing a specialist to have me checked.

I’ve had on and off diarrhoea now for as long as I can remember (maybe since 2015?). Probably a handful of solid poops (apologies for the lingo) a year. But more recently - I’d say in the last 6 months or so - I’ve been feeling stomach cramps, acid reflux, heartburn, anal burn after pooping.

Why? I wondered. And I am beginning to think it’s due to stress. I have noticed every time I am in debt, or my workload at work becomes overbearing, or family issues get worse…I start feeling lower back pain and painful diarrhoea. I once read there is so much connection between our guts and brains, and that certain stress triggers can make our guts really unhappy.

I’ve noticed most people link it with food diets, but for me personally, I believe the food restrictions I put on myself weren’t consistent enough. For example, sometimes taking bread out would work, but sometimes it didn’t and I would still get diarrhoea.

What are your thoughts on this? Does anyone else think this IBS issue could be triggered due to high stress/cortisol levels?

[Shoosh_kw]

hi there .. sorry to hear that you are experiencing pain .. I have been diagnosed with IBS since 1995 so up and downs until I realized that my stress was the main reason of my stomach pain.. I changed my job and avoided stress which took me long time to achieve.. but it worked miraculously.. I forgot all the symptoms of IBS until this march when I was really stressed due to financial issues that triggered my naughty IBS and it is back with bad pain and fatigue.. so you have to avoid all types of stress and believe in destiny.. we will only get what is right for us.. hope you feel better soon .. Love and Light

[BreadBro in reply to Shoosh_kw]

I’m glad to read you have made important changes to tackle your IBS. Hats off to you as those are some big changes that not a lot of people would be willing to make. It just goes to show how affective IBS can be in our day to day lives.

I’ve been actively trying to reduce my stress levels for a while now - probably around 2 years. Thinking of starting yoga or deep breathing classes as I’ve read that these things can help with stress and anxiety massively.

[Hetchins1946]

You are quite right.. If you can find my previous posts on the link between /my/ stress levels & triggers, and /my/ IBS related diahhroea then you will see my thoughts on this.

It seems to be easier to change diet than to change a mindset!

[BreadBro in reply to Hetchins1946]

haha yes agreed, diet is much easier! But can be quite exhaustive at the same time when you’ve tried to cut out so many things out of your diet and nothing seems to work!

Latest food/drink I’ve stopped is milk. I think I may be lactose intolerant which may be causing me to have bowel issues as a result. I sat down with my wife the other day and really thought about what food could be the issue. And the one thing I haven’t tried yes is milk or dairy as a whole! So first going to start off with milk and then if I see a change then I will remove cheese too if I have to - even though I love cheese!

[Shoosh_kw in reply to BreadBro]

well done ,, there are many dairy products that are lactose free so you can just substitute and see how it goes ,, good luck

[xjrs]

There is a definite connection with stress and IBS, though you would need an IBS diagnosis first to understand what you are working with. If you are diagnosed with IBS and you believe it is stress related try the Nerva gut directed hypnotherapy app.

[BreadBro in reply to xjrs]

Thanks for the recommendation! I will check it out

[Superzob]

I think, but stand to be corrected on this, that IBS is certainly made worse by stress, but not necessarily the fundamental cause (which could be a food intolerance or, as in my case, a combination of a bad infection and long-term antibiotics). The problem is that it is a vicious circle, with bouts of IBS leading to stress/anxiety which, in turn, make the IBS worse. Breaking the cycle would certainly help, but any underlying cause might still need to be investigated.

[BreadBro in reply to Superzob]

I think you’re right about the vicious circles. Plus everybody is different in their own way. I’ve found that deep meaningful breathing can help a lot with stress, which in turn can help IBS.

[Misspomfrey]

HelloMost definitely, IBS isn't caused by stress but stress and anxiety certainly cause it to flare up. I'm an anxious person by nature and have had stomach issues for years. the last 15 being especially difficult. When my IBS started, I didn't have a clue what I should do and over time, I've learned how to deal with it. Certain foods can definitely be a culprit but anxiety plays a huge part. You have to find ways of relaxing your mind more, for me, going on long walks and climbs helps me enormously, as the lungs and heart get used and it's like taking deep breaths but more of them. Cycling is another thing I enjoy. You have to find something that suits you and make it a part of your life. Take note of foods that seem to start things off and leave off them for a while. When your feeling better in yourself, you can introduce the foods again in small amounts. It's all trial and error and everyone is different. This is why we all have to take an individualistic approach to it as it's not a one size fits all.

Of course, if you think there might be something going on medically, then do get yourself seen to.

Best wishes 🙂

[Jadiegirl]

I absolutely know that stress and anxiety cause issues with my IBS- it also can mess with you being able to sleep without waking up all night and having issues when you try to go back to sleep- also eating small meals 3-4 times a day helps keep me from getting as full of gas after eating -I eat the same amount but just divide it up over the day and NO food less than 2 hrs before you go to bed-my ibs doesn't seem to be based on food as much as it is stress -my symptoms are pretty under control until i have a doctor appointment coming up or a mammogram or anything else stressful which sometimes includes driving= doc put me on generic Zoloft which has helped me sleep and regulate my ibs= it doesn't work for everyone but it's working for me- Anything you do to relieve stress should help hope you find some solutions

[BreadBro]

*UPDATE*

I’ve decided to work on removing dairy from my diet. So I have reduced milk by quite a lot and have noticed a slight improvement in my IBS. I used to have at least 250ml of milk daily, now I only have 50ml. My acid reflux and wind-passing has reduced significantly. But still dealing with loose stools.

Let’s hope the complete removal of dairy from my diet will be the solution! Will keep you all updated.

Thanks for all the help so far I really appreciate it!

[Shoosh_kw in reply to BreadBro]

well done,, good news

[overcomer42]

Wow, this has happened to me before and it was about the same time (around 2015’ish). It’s stress related but I can confidently tell you 90% it’s not IBS, but don’t take my word for it so I suggest you go for a test. Mine was caused by mental stress, I was always on my laptop for hours and hours (like 7 hours average in a day, maybe 2 to 3 hours stretches before a very short break). Another may be intense mental activity, for example I was preparing for exams and could study for many hours without taking proper breaks. I stopped using my laptop for several months and I recovered.

[BreadBro in reply to overcomer42]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, I agree, the longer I am stuck with these symptoms the more I am certain that stress has a huge part to play.

I have also noticed that when the weather is above say 15 degrees (or usually in the summer time) my diarrhoea gets a lot worse, when looking in to this online, there are articles that suggest loose stools can be caused by hot weather especially for people who are warm-blooded (like me!). So again, it comes back to stress I suppose, in this case, physical stress.

[overcomer42]

Yes, it’s linked. So maybe limit the physical stress to work and eliminate the ones at home, start from there. There might be mental aspects linking to it too e.g. working too hard to ensure you get a promotion, maybe changing that thought process to WYSIWYG and be more calm; it’s a suggestion though.