IBS?

I am new to this site...I had diarrhea last month on the 7th and I thought it was pretty bad....and then about 2 weeks later it happened again....I started to get anxious so I looked up stuff online and I saw IBS.  I started to get really scared that I might have IBS and I started to have really bad anxiety...so my doctor put me on anti anxiety medicine...I have been having a bm every morning now for the past 2 weeks with no D...its relatively normal...maybe a little loose but I have no abdominal pain when I go to the bathroom and I eat whatever I want...do you guys think I have IBS???

Anyone have a response???

No one can diagnose you..not even yourself.  Only by going through some GI tests and consulting with a GI specialist will you be able to exclude all other causes, and come up with a diagnosis of IBS.

There are many things that can cause diarrhea..not just IBS.  Stress, diet, bacteria imbalance, hormones, etc. etc....those are only a few possible causes.

The anti-anxiety meds...some can actually help with IBS symptoms..as can some antidepressants.  Not because the symptoms are in your head, but because of the central nervous system being involved.  There are many more receptors in our guts than in our brains..so some medications can make quite an impact on our guts.

It sounds like you have things pretty well under control at this point.  If your symptoms return, worsen or change, then call and make an appt. and find out what might be going on.

A healthy diet, less stress, regular exercise and keeping a food journal for a few weeks could possibly help too.  In the food journal you'd log EVERYTHING you eat and drink...and if you notice symptoms returning when certain items are ingested, make note of that, and then exclude that item from your diet for awhile.

Also remember that some OTC and healthstore items can affect your GI, so keep track of what you're taking and be very careful about adding new things in..only add one thing at a time and give it several days to see if there is a reaction or not. Some 'health' or 'natural' products/regimens can actually cause a response you may not want..so be a wise consumer.

IBS is not death sentence..but it can be a very major disturbance in your life.  The thing you would want to do if diagnosed is realice that you learn to live with IBS, not let IBS live your life.  That means being very proactive...and very patient.  It is a very, very rare case where a person starts a medication/supplement and it changes the course of the condition. It's very trial and error, and requires a person to realize that there is no easy fix or quick cure..there is none. But some medications/supplements can help manage the symptoms to the point that you can live your life very well.

I've had IBS for 25 years..and I still have my bad days...but my life is now more 'normal' than it was 10 years ago.

So don't let yourself get anxious by trying to diagnose yourself (although the great majority of us have done the same thing).  All it does is cause you to worry about things that may have nothing to do with you at all.

This is a great site for support, isn't it? It was the first website I found when I first was connected to the Internet. Until then, I thought I was the only one that suffered from the bowel problems I had...and suffered in silence. What a relief to know that there were others out there with their own issues, too,

Since you admit to being an anxious type person, you're already headed in the right direction. Once you can admit that, you can start to understand how stress and anxiety affect the gut. Even people with no GI issues can run into bowel problems at one time or another.

As an example, the day after my father passed away, my mother called and asked me what she could do..she was having crippling diarrhea . It was 'event' caused..great emotional upheavel..and it was treated with OTC and getting past those first few hard days. I believe it was the first time she had a small taste of what I had been dealing with for so many days. (She's always been much more understanding of my issues since...lol)

When you had your problems initially, you could have been suffering from some GI bug going around. I know in this area, there's been a very prevalent stomach bug hitting alot of people. Short lived, but miserable until it's out of your system. Also many people on antibiotics around here because of sinus infections, etc. And antibiotics can definitely wreak havoc on your GI. (Try to start and continue a probiotic before and during an antibiotic regimen)

Best of luck to you, and I hope you go out and enjoy yourself.

Many of us make sure we know where the restrooms are when we go out in public..especially restaurants. It definitely takes the edge off the anxiety. I hate to see you start worrying about things like that, but always remember if its public, it more than always will have a public restroom if needed.
There's all kinds of 'tricks' we can employ to make our time out more relaxed and enjoyable. For you, just remember to not get on that viscious circle of worrying about 'what if'.

I did go see my doctor...he said I don't fit the criteria for IBS...becuase I asked him about it...I have been eating what I want and I seem to be fine for the past 2 weeks...pizza..hotdogs...chocolate...I have been fine...still having my one bowel movement in the morning and I think its actually starting to look like my old Bm's...if that makes sense...it has been like a yellow brown color but I noticed today that it is getting the dark brown color back and it is getting firmer...I did have a sinus infection when I had the D the first time and I was on 2 different antibiotics...I have been on the effexor for 2 weeks now and I will reach the top dose in another 2 weeks so I'm hoping everything is completely back to normal by then....you guys are amazing and it makes me feel better to talk to you all....I was wondering if you guys think I should be taking a daily mulitvitamin for the calcium....Thanks