bad bowels again, on and off all the time -anxiety related?

[tan235]

So Ive been diagnosed with IBS.

NB : Please don't change this to IBS forum - no one ever answers!

I think I have IBS, I haven't had a colonscopy and Dr says that it's IBS.

However I never am normal.
People talk of flares, but I"m in a constant flare.
At the moment I can't go and when I do it's small but soft not pebbles but I'm constipated... what on earth is going on.

I'm so over it I just want to cry.

I wake up in the morning and my stomach is so tight I feel like I'm going to vomit.

My anxiety is bad now - it was good but since this has been happening it's just terrible.

All related you think?
I really want a colonoscopy but as all my tests came back clear I can't get one.

so worried and I just want a normal BM!
Not soft stools then constipation.

Please anyone?
I"m kinda desperate for some support.

[worriedallthetime35]

When my health anxiety is really bad my stomach is always affected, which just reaffirms my HA, it's a vicious circle. Last year I was 100% convinced I had stomach or colon cancer because I had strange stools, I was always examining them and my stomach for bloating. Like you my bloods all came back fine and the GP put it down to anxiety, it took me a while to believe it but as soon as I stopped worrying, miraculously enough my stomach and bowls returned to normal. I used to wake up with a horrible sicky dread feeling every morning and it was definitely anxiety related. I know it's hard but try and remind yourself that if your doctor was concerned he would send you for further tests and the tests you've had have all been positive. I came across googling during that bad time that exercise was great for IBS so I tried jogging, I got really into it for a while and the exercise definitely helped to kick start my bowels into a normal rhythm again. Anxiety can cause some funny symptoms.
I hope this helps a little :)

[tan235]

It does help thank you. I've had anxiety for about 15 years.
I dont know why I just can't deal with it. I'm so terrified something bad is wrong with me that I"m not living properly and probably in the process telling my body to be unhealthy.
it's a vicious cycle and I can't cope anymore.
Maybe it's time for antidepressants, this is just too much for me.
I just want normal bowels!

[Toby2000]

Hi,

I don't think that this is anything to worry about. When I was anxious about bowel cancer, my BMs were all over the place. They came thin, loose, small. Trust me it's either the anxiety or IBS.

There's. Nothing. Wrong. With. You.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS!!

Good luck
Toby

[tan235]

Thank you for your replies, I really do appreciate it!

[johnburns232]

What's important to realise is that it will never be the same every day - you'll never get consistency. It's heavily influenced on diet, activity during the day, drink, anxiety state.

I had a bad bout of anxiety over Christmas and I fluctuated from constipation to loose for weeks, and I freaked out. The key was getting a hold of the anxiety and avoiding checking every day. Yes, even during the 'normal' moments it's different most days, but I've grown to know that different is ok.

Sometimes they float, sometimes they sink, sometimes they smell bad, sometimes they don't, sometimes they're different colours, sometimes they're not. But the more you worry about it, then the more changes and alterations you'll see.

I feel that with Anxiety, it is often tied closely with some form of OCD...I speak from my own experience here, but I looked for perfection and stressed when I didn't get it every day - but the key is that you won't, so you have to stop searching for the perfect 'poo'.

Anxiety feeds IBS and IBS feeds anxiety, it's a horrible circle to get in...but once you find some activities to focus on and avoid checking every day, you'll break it. It's not easy, but just believe it's IBS and don't fear the worst and you'll be surprised at how quickly it improves for you.

[MrH]

I've had IBS for years and never even been to a doctor about it; luckily I started many years ago when I wasn't so health anxious and just put it down to "the way I am" (my dad's always been the same too so I just blamed him for the genes!). It's been so long now that if it was something nasty I would know, and probably not even be here...

I don't do myself any favours by eating quite badly, and there's some triggers I'm aware of (stress, too much beer, takeaway pizza, exercise after a big meal...), but other times it's very random. And in terms of worrying about what it looks like, in fear of TMI, I don't think I've had two poos that look the same in about 20 years!

IBS is annoying and random and inconvenient in itself to have to start worrying about anything else. More than anything it's one of those anxiety symptoms that make you anxious and get you into a spiral. If the doctors aren't worried about it being anything more sinister you shouldn't be either. You need to work on your anxiety, and probably your diet, and it'll help a lot.

[wnsos]

Stress always hits my stomach first and hardest and cos my stomach is the root of my anxiety, I get pulled into a vicious cycle. As my anxiety has decreased, my BMs have slowly gotten back to normal.