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Thread: IBS and health anxiety ruining my life

  1. #1

    IBS and health anxiety ruining my life

    Hi guys,

    Just joined-so glad to have finally found a forum where people understand me! This week has been very tough-I have been having such a hard time with IBS and my anxiety is no doubt making it worse. I have constant diarrhea, constipation, gas, stomach pains, and bloating-so of course I think that I have some type of cancer or deadly stomach disease. Google certainly hasn't helped that! Anyone else familiar with the hell of IBS?

    I am just so frustrated because it seems like my health anxiety will never stop. First I was plagued with fears about my head (brain tumor, aneurysm), then it was my heart, then my legs, and now my stomach. I am in the process of finding a doctor who understands what I'm going through. My last doctor thought I was crazy for seeing him so many times.

    Thanks for listening and I hope you are all well!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    1,661

    Re: IBS and health anxiety ruining my life

    Hi, I am glad you have found this group, I only discovered it recently too and it is so good to know that there is somewhere you can come and talk to others who understand. I have had flare ups of IBS in the past and I know how horrible it can be. For me it is totally interlinked with anxiety, but when you are anxious you find it hard to believe that it is just anxiety, which makes it worse, and so the cycle goes on. I can also realte so much to what you say about moving from one health problem to another. I have done this for years. What kind of treamtment have you had, if any, for your anxiety? Have you taken any medication or tried any therapy?

  3. #3

    Re: IBS and health anxiety ruining my life

    It really is a vicious cycle. Going out with friends always helps me calm down, but with the IBS I get anxious about leaving the house, which leads to more IBS, which leads to being more anxious, etc.-horrible!

    I am still trying to find a therapist that I feel comfortable with. I've tried busiprone but it made me nervous at night and I had nightmares. Once I find a new doctor I am going to tell him about my anxiety and hopefully be prescribed something that will work.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    211

    Re: IBS and health anxiety ruining my life

    I can very much identify with this - you're not alone at all. IBS is horrid to deal with on its own, but with anxiety it's magnified. Recently when my anxiety has worse, as has the IBS... and they basically feed off each other and go in a cycle.
    Try and always reassure yourself that it's your IBS, even if there are changes in the symptoms. I know easier said than done. But it'll become a slightly more natural reaction to it then.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    1,661

    Re: IBS and health anxiety ruining my life

    Yes, that sounds very familiar! There are some good books that have helped me somewhat in the past, 'Self Help for your Nerves' is a good one and 'Overcoming Anxity using Conginitive Behaviour Therapy'. They might help you until you can find a good therapist and doctor. The medication that worked best for me was prozac. I would like to take it again now but I am breastfeeding so not sure it's a good idea :(

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