Anxiety Help

[ollie88]

Hi all,

when i get panicky i get ibs symptoms and stomach cramps. I have to go to the loo and then the pain goes.. I get this when i go somewhere new.. Is this anxiety related? How can i get rid of this? I get sweaty palms and feel panicky... do anti spasmodic drugs work?

thanks

[rock chick]

I have IBS and when I'm having lots of stress, anxiety, etc. it tends to play up, it's a rather common symptom of anxiety. Now I usually don't take the stuff I take for a spastic colon when I get it but if it happens for days in a row and even more than once day than perhaps diarrhea pills might help in the short term, just to give your bowels a bit of a rest for a few days, I've done this before but obviously not a good idea long term.

Now anti spasmodic drugs might work but I'm not sure, obviously they would be more useful with the pain part but it depends on whether the IBS is causing intestinal spasms I gather. If you get a feeling like gut pain that feels like it builds up from mild to massive and then lasts for say a few mins and then subsides and it say comes back again and again hour after hour and going to the toilet relives it that does sound like a spastic colon and those drugs would be really useful. Just trying to understand whether that's the problem or more general IBS with different cramps that indicate something slightly different.

However as many would probably say there's other things to lessen the IBS issue so those drugs are needed but at moment I can't remember specially what they are. Obviously the more you overcome the anxiety the less of an issue it would be so working on that is paramount to reducing it too.

I'm not sure whether you've read this article but it covers the IBS issue and lower down talks about ways of reducing it. http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/ibs/

[ollie88]

Hi thanks for the reply

Firstly,yeah but mine seems really different to most ibs'ers. When i go and get stressed out i get it say i panic, i get sweaty palms and then get nervous about finding a toilet i then get stomach cramps. When i relax i goes sometimes.. and sometimes i go to the toilet and it goes but only like once or twice and pain goes within like 10 mins.. its not your normal ibs symptoms. It is just the stomach cramps that get me.. they are mild put like an ache and the panic makes me need the toilet.. I have done breathing techqniues and normally goes away but sometimes its not. I get cold sweats even if the weather is cold also have sweaty arm pits thats nerves i guess.

You say it comes and goes and comes back an hour after mine does not once its gone its gone and i can then go like a month or couple of weeks without having it. I dont get any problem siwth food. I get it more now as i am more focused on it..

Thanks for your reply is it worth trying buscopan? also what is best way to relieve the stress many thanks

:) smillleeeee

[rock chick]

I don't think I've had Buscopan (or whatever other names its generic form may have) before, however based on what it does you might as well try it and see if it helps. I perhaps should have explained about the spastic colon a bit more, it can go away quickly sometimes if you're able to fully or mostly empty your bowels not long after its onset, a lot of times that wasn't the case for me so that's why I mentioned the pain getting better and worse in intervals, I don't have too much of the IBS intensity either, I have a mild form and it can be a long time before it starts playing up again.

Actually it sounds like when you panic you seem to be worrying about the toilet issue, perhaps if you somehow find a way to alleviate that concern the latter symptoms wouldn't be as bad and eventually maybe not happen.

As for the best way to relieve stress, if only I knew. So many ways and it depends somewhat on the situation. Do you currently have any ways that work with handling anxiety? The most obvious things that come to mind are the deep breaths you mentioned, distraction but of course that's not always easy I know, exercise, some types of vitamins like B3 I think. Therapy can also be useful.

[ollie88]

True, Its just the worry that makes it worse. I want to find n anti spasmodic that takes the pain away and make me feel better. That would make me more conifdent and calmer.. i spose ours is mild... Just want it to go. Glad i dont have constipation that would be a pain.. Just need to de stress and find a good way of manging it.. Wont let it ruin my life :)