My ibs is caused by stress and anxiety. Not always due to your diet.

[Stella-123]

Hi there . I suffer from anxiety stress. However having being diagnosed with ibs I am worse than I have ever been. I was prescribed medication for my conditions. I feel I have hit a brick wall with everything. My ibs is worse than ever. I am now trying to reduce medication. I am scared and feel nobody is really there to help me .

[MountainHare1]

Hi Stella,

First of all, recognise that by coming onto this IBS support network, you have a group of fellow suffers who will help and support you in anyway that they can. You are not alone!

I too suffer IBS flare ups when ever I get stressed and anxious and have had to manage IBS for the past seven years. I am now in a position that I have accepted that I will have flare ups from time to time and that they will pass! I haven't labelled my IBS as IBS-C or D and have tried to eat as normally as possible. I know I shouldn't eat certain things or eat late at night but I do and I live with the consequences.

I also focus on managing my stress and anxiety by doing regular exercise, taking time out in nature, spending time doing things (hobbies) that I really enjoy doing every day. All of this reduces my stress and anxiety.

From time to time, I meditate or do yoga and just do 'nothing'! I don't feel guilty by doing any of these things. It is important to have time for me and don't care if other people think I am being selfish!

So far I have avoided going on medication although I have to admit I have come very close lots of times!

Unfortunately anyone who does not have IBS, will never truly understand our situation! Hopefully your partner/and or friends are supportive but I know this is not always the case.

There is so much out there that you can do to reduce your stress and anxiety without having to take medication and remember…

…you are not alone!

Take care. x

[Stella-123 in reply to MountainHare1]

Thank you so much . Everything you have said is so true. People do not understand . I have cancelled many family and friends events. I have had grief in doing so. I now prefer to be on my own with my partner to cope with this. Thank you I do feel better from someone who understands .

[Misspomfrey in reply to Stella-123]

Yes, it's wise just to focus on yourself for a while, to come to terms with things. If your partner is supportive, then your very lucky. Mine tries to be, does his best, but I still feel alone with it a lot of the time. I find what helps me is being amongst nature, walking. When I'm out I'm not thinking about anything else. Also, I'm making a point of doing some deep breathing whenever I feel I'm getting stressed, it really is helping. I hope you find a way for yourself, and don't worry what others think, you have to focus on what's the best thing for you.

[711debbie]

Check out Nerva hypnotherapy for ibs anxiety and stress.

thehappilyproductive.com/ne...

[Colinstar in reply to 711debbie]

I find the Nerva very helpful i soo empathise, my symptoms are really settle down, and then I had a traumatic sudden bereavement of a very close friend and it set things off again, it’s very hard to try and distract myself from it, but I agree walking in nature and being kind to oneself really helps

[711debbie in reply to Colinstar]

Dear Colinstar,

Either do the whole Nerva program again or just the maintenance part. I still pay for it every 3 months in case I need it again.

[MyStar86]

what medication have the doctors put you on? Do they know that you are reducing it?xx

[Stella-123 in reply to MyStar86]

Yes under supervision. Xx

[xjrs]

Have you tried any probiotics? Not all of them are the same. Alflorex worked best for me and has been studied for IBS, others get on with Symprove. They may not help, but are worth a punt. I also concur about the Nerva gut directed hypnotherapy app.

[Stella-123]

Thank you this is helpful x

[MyStar86 in reply to Stella-123]

What medication are you taking? Is it for your ibs? Why have you decided to stop it? So sorry you feel so scared and anxious I do understand those feelings it’s so horrible no one truly understands unless they have suffered from anxiety themselves xx

[Stella-123 in reply to MyStar86]

Hi there I was prescribed diazapam as I actually ended up in hospital with panick attack. .

[Catlover16]

hi, Like you my IBS is mostly stress related. Just recently I had a double funeral to attend so that upset my tummy. Also our building manager was from hell but even though she is gone she has left a legacy of nastiness which is also upsetting. Unfortunately we all get problems in life and need to see through them in our own way and with us lot it’s going to mean flare ups sometimes. We don’t talk about bowel problems like we can talk about cancer, migraines etc but we should because we all have them from time to time, some worse than others, and you will be surprised how many will say oh yes, I'm like that too. Talk to those who don’t understand and if they still don’t understand, do you really need them in your life. I'm with MountainHare, be selfish, make time for yourself and do the things you can enjoy without feeling guilty. We women always think of others, try to sort out the world’s problems but sometimes we deserve to have someone else help us with ours.

[Superzob]

I believe the current view is that, whilst stress and anxiety exacerbate the symptoms of IBS, they don't actually cause them. IBS is a dysfunction with a number of potential underlying causes (mine, for instance, started after a bad bowel infection), whilst the "flight or fight" response you get with stress is simply a trigger. That might sound pedantic (after all, the result is the same!) but, whilst trying to reduce stress and anxiety is obviously a good thing, the underlying dysfunction might also need to be addressed. There is also a bit of a "vicious cycle" here, with worry about IBS causing it to get worse which, in turn, increases anxiety - any help to break the cycle would obviously be beneficial.

xjrs has a number of historical replies which provide a lot of detail on various ways to try to pin down the root cause of IBS symptoms and reduce them - might be worth trawling through those replies. I fully accept that a change in diet might not work (although I found a low fibre diet helped me - though not my gut microbiome, apparently!), but there might be a test or two which has not been carried out and might indicate an issue.

I think a lot of us on this site accept that we will always have an IBS issue and try to deal with it as best we can (though I find the unpredictability is a real problem for me); more a case of management rather than cure. I really do hope you find a way of managing yours!

[Gilwats]

Hi I also suffer with anxiety ibs. Doctors, dentist even a little bingo I go to makes me have diarrhea,then I'm frightened to go anywhere because I'm constantly thinking I can't find a toilet. I only take buscopan which calms the pain. I try to take deep breaths and try to get excited about something so it makes the happy hormone work, but I'm desperate. I work in my daughters shop on a Saturday and pray it doesn't happen when I have to serve someone. It's not fair is it to have all this.

[FrostGyre in reply to Gilwats]

What do you eat and drink in a typical day?

[Stella-123 in reply to FrostGyre]

I have a terrible diet always have . Now I have toast in morning. Sandwich in afternoon with quaver Crisps. Fish with salad or a bit of veg. I do have the odd biscuits or odd cake. But always watch my weight . I have stop drinking . I do not even have a glass of wine.

[Gilwats in reply to FrostGyre]

I have to eat the right things as I have type 2 diabetes. But I should drink more. I only have tea and coffee.

[Stella-123]

I get it. Thank you 😊

[angelwings52]

Oh I know how you feel, it can be so overwhelming, there's many people here on this forum who've been through the same issues so you're definitely not alone. One of the best things that I did was to have hypnotherapy to help with the stress related flare ups, I can't recommend it enough, there are some good apps or you could see a hypnotherapist.

Try to take some time for yourself every day, even 10 minutes listening to a favourite piece of music will help.

And don't worry about what other people think, just focus on yourself 😊👍

[Poopoo1]

try cbd oil

The only negative is that it made my mouth very dry

But it worked.