IBS and chills

You are not the only one who has chills after repeated IBS attacks. It happens to me a lot. It might be the middle of the summer and I'm wearing sweats (although we have central air). Sometimes I fall asleep with the heating pad on low, placed over my abdomen. I usually turn it off half way thru the night. But yes when I have D or the dumping that goes on for hours, I feel chilled, sometimes shaky, dizzy, achy even in my joints. And then ravenous, as if I haven't eaten in a long time, when I had just had a meal.

This IBS disease/disorder is an odd thing isn't it?

Sometimes if I feel the way you described and I'm traveling, it's really bad because someone will see me walk out of the bathroom (for that specific trip for a bm) and think - oh here's Mary, she's good to go, etc. When all I want to do is curl up in a ball, with a warm fleece blanket, heating pad, cup of tea, my dog, etc. The last thing I want to do is go somewhere or socialize. But they never understand this - at all. If they persist with questions, I ask how they feel when they have sudden D or a stomach virus, awful they say. I just say - welcome to my world. Of course then they look at me oddly, asking - do you have this everyday? As if I'm some kind of freak.

Usually I keep the details from others, which isn't easy but hey, it works for me.

But yes you are definitely not alone. And one more thing to note, when my body is doing it's natural purge thing (the dumping or all out D), I just let it happen. I no longer try to stop the bm's. Why you may ask? Well, it seems as if my body wants to do this and get rid of whatever it is that's offending my GI tract. When that episode is over, I do begin to feel better, rather quickly sometimes. And later I was glad I didn't try to stop the bm's or slow them down. But while they're going on, I feel awful.

Hope you feel better Merri.

I also had my gall bladder removed but do not experience the yellow bile D, which often comes after the GB is taken out. When you have D, do you see yellow in the stool? If so, search back through old topics, one specific member has been very helpful in suggesting calcium supplements, to control D and other loose stools after your GB has been removed. She found success from daily calcium and you may too. I believe her nickname here is inape? I don't quite fall into this group, I no longer have the lower part of my colon but do not have a permanent ostomy (had a temporary one for 8 weeks after my resection back in 1999). I did try these calcium supplements (the large fruit flavored chewables ones with vitamin D added, I think the brand is Caltrate) but they never really gave me my old normalcy back (1 or 2 bm's per day and formed at that). They somewhat constipated me and made things worse. I've found other things to level out my bm output - daily Colace (mild stool softener for stool consistency) and a good probiotic.

I can relate to how reluctant you are to go on travel tours. I have changed my life completely around since I now have IBS like symptoms. I eat small, light and plain meals. I say no to a lot of social invitations and thrive on an empty calendar (although my husband and are empty nesters when our youngest daughter is away at college, we could go out more but he likes home cooked meals and staying home too now). I know of many friends in my age group - mid 50s - who have very busy social calendars. These people somewhat drive me nuts! They seem to want a medal for never being home, they work out at the gym, meet other couples for dinner, see plays, belong to country clubs, etc. I know they think I am lame for being home so much but I like being a home body. lol The biggest challenge I have in the summer is boating with my husband. We own a simple 18 ft bow rider (without a bathroom) and he loves boating. Anchoring and swimming/floating for an hour or more. This is our third year with the boat and I've come to realize eating and boating do not mix for me. So I skip the meal prior to boating, do not eat while on the boat and then I do okay. People say - you're not eating again? I say no bathroom. They look at the water and say - hello? I just laugh. They have no idea that whenever I go #1, 99.9% of the time I go #2 also. I can't help that, the stool is barely inside my "new" lower colon and it has to come out. The two go hand in hand now (I have about 20 bm's a day). Sure I'm going to go #2 in a lake. So I've just adjusted my intake to accommodate boating. It's funny though, at the end of the season when it's time to put the boat away for winter, my husband's so sad. I inwardly sigh and smile. He knows I feel like this but I don't rub it in his face either. But I am relieved I can take a 6 month break for all that adjusting my gut to the boating lifestyle. And even if we ever could afford a bigger boat with a bathroom, I've used marine toilets before. Most boat owners do not want you to go #2 in their marine toilet. So that's not even an option either although my husband said he'd make an exception for me.

All I know is I had it so good at one time - could eat anything and still have 1 bm a day. I didn't even realize I had it so good back then! Dang it!

Merri - you are most certainly not alone. Stick around, there are very nice members on this forum. You'll find comaraderie and support here. Certainly not judgement.

Mary/Marsky

Merri, just wondering where you heard this information?

"Many sufferers of IBS also have Mitral Valve Prolapse"

I understand merri.

IBS is a common functional gi disorder, but a distint clinical entity.

I asked in part because I search pubmed for both and didn't come up with anything.

I know people with Fibro and Chronic fatique it is more common. Just never heard of the MVP association before.

10 years on BB's though and I have seen quite a few people with MVP as well as IBS, but also a lot of different conditions.

 "Just the unlucky ones have both"

I agree and feel for you.