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Gut Issues, Weird Poo, Panic Attacks, I am plain scarred.

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 8/8/2014 1:28 PM (GMT 0)
I am a 22 year old female and I have been over weight since my first child nearly 5 years ago. At the start of this year I decided to start loosing weight, I was working out and taking pills called FucoThin Green, an all natural pill from the health store that helped to speed up metabolism and block fat obsession.. well I went from 226 to about 214 in like two weeks or so.. for the next couple of months I still took the fucothin and I would eat healthy at the start of my day and binge on fast/junk food the rest...
I stopped taking the pills around 5 months ago, now, about 3 months ago my husband and I were going through a time where we fought HARDCORE everyday, screaming and angry like every time we were around each other... I was eating A LOT of fast food, super fatty foods, taco bell, mcdonalds, whataburger, you name it and when I was home I would eat fatty foods too... Well After a stressful fight and a fast food bindge later I had mushy yellow floating poo.. and that continued for days... I was noticing that I was getting anxious too, like feeling the need to poo was making me anxious.. I stared googling my symptoms and the first thing that came up was of course cancer, I was in a panic attack nonstop for two days over it and when I was not panicing, I was anxious, I barely slept, I could hardly function... I was having symptoms of so many things, gallbladder problems being one as well, I was a wreck, i cannot even tell you.
This all went on for about 4 weeks. I cut gluten from my diet, I cut fat from my diet, I found out a lot about the gut/brain connection... I went and saw the doctor finally when I got insurance at the start of last month and he wants me to go for a sono of my abdomen and a HIDA to test my gallbladder (which I am still trying to set up as I have limited insurance coverage)
Now, I started taking probiotics at the end of June... I was taking 3 a day and did not really see a change, so I increased to 5-6 a day and noticed things were improving, my anxiety being one of them, my poo started forming and staying together though it was still bright yellow when I wiped and there were visible bits of food in it... Then a little over a week ago I increased to 8-9 a day (which it says on the bottle you can do) My poo turned normal brown colour, hardly any food bits in it at all and was normal sausage shaped. I was stupid and read an article about how on rare occasion probiotics can cause sepsis so I freaked out and stopped taking them for a day or two and then only took 3 a day once I calmed down... my poo is back to being soft and sausage shaped, food bits in it, yellow when I wipe and brown in the toilet. Throughout all of this, if I am sitting down and I push on the top of my belly I feel a pain on the right side under my rib cage.. sometimes I feel it under my shoulder blade too if I eat something that does not agree with me, which I understand can be gallbladder related..
I have been more anxious the past few days because I have not been taking probiotics and my poo is going back to being yellow when I wipe.. I have also noticed that food passes through me rather quickly.. well quicker than it used to.. like if I eat some nuts at 4-5pm, the next morning at 7 when I get up I immediately have to poo and I see the nuts that I ate... same with most everything else.
Yesterday I was in a panic all day and most of the night because I read about lymphoma and colon cancer and really freaked myself out, plus I have a swollen node on my right side groin.. My anxiety is through the roof and I am trying to keep it together and tell myself to control what I can control..
Also when I push my tummy to feel my guts they are always sore feeling.
Other than the anxiety, panic attacks, sore guts, occasional gut cramping and cramping in my pelvic region (maybe happened a whole 3-4 times since this all started), discomfort in my large intestine, gallbladder area ache, and now swollen node I have not other symptoms.. I have not once had a fever or thrown up, the only really bad pain I have felt was when I had the sharp poop cramps in my guts and pelvis area, I have only lost my appetite when I have been anxious and in a panic.. and the only weight I have lost was at the start of all of this when I was nothing but anxious and having panic attacks, I barely ate, which I thought was a symptom and I ended up making myself more worried.
Oh one more thing, the soreness I feel when I push on the top of my belly when i am sitting down in mainly in the right side but I feel it on the left side too and after I poo or if I have not eaten anything yet I do not feel the pain at all....

I do plan on talking with my doctor about all of this but if I can get some input on it from other people that would be great.. I am a stay at home mom of two little boys and when I get like this it really effects my family

:(
Posted 8/8/2014 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
Apple Cakes, your family loves you and your boys love you and we all want you to calm down.

Stop reading about health issues. You are 22 and doing fine, other than some digestive problems. You do not have cancer or sepsis or lymphoma.

I hope you will find someone to talk to in real life. Do you go to a church? Do you have any older women in your life that you can talk to like a mentor or your mom or your grandmother?

Anxiety can strongly effect the gut and mostly it seems like you are very very anxious all the time. I am so glad to hear that you have made healthier choices in your foods, and I hope you are learning how to prepare healthy meals for your sons and yourself. These are great lifelong habits and can even save you money.

As it is often said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." The probiotics you were taking seemed to be doing a good job of keeping your stool formed and healthy. Keep doing that. And definitely go see a DR, hopefully someone you can develop a good relationship with and who can be your DR for a long time.
Posted 8/8/2014 3:30 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you. There have been days and even a week in a row that I have gone through my day with out being anxious but the soreness is still there... I know that I need to talk to someone about my mental health for sure and I will get to that as soon as I am able.
This has all just really taken a toll on me and it has been difficult to deal with at times.. I have noticed that my anxiety increased around ovulation and has stayed.. I am trying to calm myself down, I keep saying to myself "Control what you can control." and I have been reading on anxiety self help but it is hard to calm down when my brain keeps circling cancers and scary things. I have always been terrified of death yet I seem to think about it like everyday for years. I know it is not healthy and I plan on seeking help.
My mom helps as best she can but there is only so much she can say and do to try to help me the rest is up to me ya know?
I just want to be happy and healthy and feel normal again, this all is so much to deal with.
Posted 8/8/2014 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
Apple Cakes, I'm glad to know that you are having some good days and that your mom is able to help you some. Sometimes Moms can make us more crazy (I know mine does!) so I'd really encourage you to find another older woman to kind of be your friend/mentor/shoulder to cry on.

Reproductive hormones are a *****. That's all. :-)

So I realize that your belly hurts and I hate being told that "its all in my head," so I won't say that to you. It's not all in your head. But what's in your head is making the belly problems worse, how's that? That's not very helpful, I realize, and I don't want you to get more anxious about being anxious, ugh. I think you know that you can put yourself on a really hurtful loop of worry that makes your stomach hurt. So what I'd like you to do is this:

- find a therapist (through your insurance, through your church, through a friend) and make an appointment for a very specific purpose - learning how to relax. There are relaxation methods that you can use to calm yourself down when you feel yourself getting out of control. As an alternative, find a yoga class that includes breathing practice and make time to do this weekly.

- you should talk to this therapist AND your DR about anxiety disorders. Sometimes meds are really helpful.

- you should get out of the house and walk. Walk walk walk. At least 30 minutes a day. Outside. In the sun.

- at your DR appointment get a complete physical and make sure they test your vitamin D levels. Most Americans are low and this can affect your mood as well as your health.

Posted 8/8/2014 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
None of these things above are going to totally solve the tummy problems but they will help you cope with the tummy problems. You need to talk to a DR about the digestive stuff, and you need to be calm and focused when you do that. Keep up the healthy eating habits and the exercise and the relaxation and I think you'll feel a lot better tummy-wise too.
Posted 8/8/2014 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, and don't take diet pills you buy over the counter. Ever.
Posted 8/8/2014 5:47 PM (GMT 0)
My mom can at times drive me batty but 95% of the time she is my best friend and most of the time when I am really anxious just being around her gives me comfort. I know that my anxiety and worrying are not helping my issues and over analyzing every little thing just makes it worse but once the hell circle starts it is hard to break free of it. I am working on setting up my sono of my abdomen and HIDA scan today, if I am able to get those done I will know the next step from there, but I plan on talking to my doctor about my anxiety and maybe he can help refer me to someone... I have been looking a lot online since yesterday about anxiety self help and I have an App on my phone that is designed for it as well. It is called SAM and it helps in a lot of different ways...
I live in Texas and it has been very hot this summer, so we keep the blinds closed to keep the A/C in but I have noticed that when I get like this I need light.. I want real light, windows open... Right before all of this gut stuff began I repainted our living room from dark green to a cream colour because the dark green was starting to make me feel weird and gloomy. Also, the past few days I have been taking my boys out to play a the park or for a walk or drive because being outside in the sun and doing something actually made me feel better. My husband and I share a car and he is a night time bartender so he leaves in the afternoon and yesterday I did not keep the car and right after he left my anxiety spiked like crazy (though it had been present all morning as well) and once I get to a certain point and I cannot pull myself out I just pace the house nervous and scarred, even the thought of a walk is beyond me at the point.. I am however getting out later today with mom and my boys and I am about to rearrange the living room to gain more light (whatever I can do to help myself)

I do need to start exercising again and have been telling myself that for a few weeks, when I stopped going to the gym a month later all of this crap started. As far as the diet pills go.. NEVER AGAIN... Just, NEVER AGAIN. I only took them because they were all natural and gave no side effects... except in my case, possible gallstones from quick weight loss and or gut troubles though I do not know for sure.

Let me just say thank you for taking time to talk to me.. it has helped calm me down and I really appreciate it.

Oh also, that swollen node... it has gone down since I noticed it last night and not to TMI you but I had a pretty nasty pimple/ingrown hair on the same right side almost right next to the node that I have had to mess with for a few days and after a bit of googling I read that nodes help get rid of infection too and that a groin bump can make for a swollen node... still have my fears about everything because I am crazy but the node and my bump are both going down so that is good
Posted 8/8/2014 6:09 PM (GMT 0)
Hey, I live in Texas too! It is really hot right now. I'm at the age where you get hot flashes so sometimes I'm about to melt.

You know, depending on when your boys are up and at 'em, you might be able to sneak in some me-time and a nice walk outside in the early morning. I realize your husband probably sleeps late but if you can keep your boys in their rooms and safe, how about getting out for a walk at 7 am? The sun is up and it is not too hot. Feels nice to be out when the world is still quiet. I walk the dog almost every day between 7 and 8 and I enjoy that time just to myself.

I'm proud of you for getting your appointments made today. Good job.
Posted 8/8/2014 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Apple Cakes:

I often ask my Headache Doctor questions, maybe something I read somewhere. Sometimes he tells me to stop reading.

It is possible that the diet stuff you took might have upset your stomach. Yes, it sounds like probiotics are helping you so no harm to use them.

I am overweight and have a hard time to lose weight. I cannot judge anyone. I have been successful many times in getting my weight under control. It is hard to maintain. Do try to eat healthier. Maybe you could get help from a Dietitian.

Stress is not good. You are worrying too much about all the possible bad things that may or may not ever happen to you. Go for regular wellness visits with your Doctor, if you can.

Focus on what is positive not negative. Teach yourself how to meditate. Enjoy time with your children.

Take care.

Loring
Posted 8/8/2014 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
Well Howdy! haha They boys would be safe in there room and they do not usually wake until about 7:30-8 sometimes depending how long it takes them to fall asleep as late as 8:30. My hubs does sleep in a bit later, he does not get up until around 10-10:30 usually. I will try and go for a walk tomorrow morning and see if it does not help my day.
Well, I am still waiting for my doctors office to call back so I can give them the information to send the referral for the appointment buuuut it is something, we have been playing phone tag for about a week now but I am ready to get this moving along as best as I can. But thank you! I am trying to stay positive and take care of what I can.

On a side note, I take b complex to help my mood and I got a new brand and bottle a few days ago. I take two first thing every morning... but after reading a very informative article and looking at the amount of each vitamin in a dose I am thinking they may be doing more harm to my nerves right now than good, so I think I may cut back to one a day and see if that does not help...

As far as the Vitamin D goes that you mentioned earlier, I need to get that checked... I do not take a daily vitamin (though my boys do) and I am thinking I should start...
Posted 8/8/2014 6:42 PM (GMT 0)

Loring said...
Hi Apple Cakes:

I often ask my Headache Doctor questions, maybe something I read somewhere. Sometimes he tells me to stop reading.

It is possible that the diet stuff you took might have upset your stomach. Yes, it sounds like probiotics are helping you so no harm to use them.

I am overweight and have a hard time to lose weight. I cannot judge anyone. I have been successful many times in getting my weight under control. It is hard to maintain. Do try to eat healthier. Maybe you could get help from a Dietitian.

Stress is not good. You are worrying too much about all the possible bad things that may or may not ever happen to you. Go for regular wellness visits with your Doctor, if you can.

Focus on what is positive not negative. Teach yourself how to meditate. Enjoy time with your children.

Take care.

Loring




Loring, thank you very much for responding. Since January I have gone from 226 to 188 (weighed this morning) I am 5'4 so I am still very over weight but it is going down nonetheless. I know I need to fix my mind set... and I am trying my best to do so, not just for myself but my family as well.
Posted 8/8/2014 6:58 PM (GMT 0)
Apple Cakes, honestly I am not a fan of a daily multivitamin. I take plenty of pills every day (see my signature) and I take vitamin D because I know I need it, but I try to eat healthy balanced meals to provide the nutrients I need. I know some people feel B supplements are helpful, but it is my understanding that it would be quite unusual for a healthy person to need a B supplement. Frankly, I wouldn't take any of it, nor would I take a multivitamin. This assumes that you are eating vegetables, some animal protein and whole grains, etc.

Some women need to take calcium supplements. They really bother my stomach so I don't do that. I rely on my vitamin D and good amount of dairy and dark leafy greens in my diet to protect my bones (plus weight-bearing exercise).

Just a little bit of additional info for you. Simple is best in my mind - eat healthy, get good exercise, sleep enough every night and the body will take care of itself.
Posted 8/9/2014 12:55 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I have decided to not take the b-complex any longer, I am going to talk to my doctor to check my vitamins in my blood and everything like that.

I ended up waking up with anxiety last night, staying up for a while and then going to sleep again but not very good sleep.. and I woke up with anxiety this morning and immediately I had to poo... I am so worried about my health and there is only so much I can do because of money and insurance limits which is so crapty (no pun intended)..
I am anxious right now though I am trying not to be.. I am trying to remind myself that all of this stared during a horribly stressful time and a poor diet but it is not really helping. I really do not want to take any drugs to calm down but I am almost at the point where I will. This is so much for me to handle and I hate going through my day like this. (sorry to unload I am just so anxioussss)
Posted 8/9/2014 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I think uncontrolled anxiety and panic attacks are worthy of a discussion with a doctor. It is not a reflection on you if you need meds to control this. You are not alone. In fact, there is a forum here for people with anxiety and I would encourage you to visit it.
Posted 8/9/2014 2:44 PM (GMT 0)
I planned on posting in the anxiety section today. Mom is about to go with me to my doctors in hopes of some chatting about this anxiety. I know this is not helping my guts at all and until we figure out what is the issue with my guts I need to ease this anxiety
Posted 9/3/2014 3:11 AM (GMT 0)
I read your article and being upset will make your problems worse. I find if I eat 6 small meals it helps a lot...I am a nervous person to,but I try to keep busy..listen to relaxing music......I do hope thing work out for you.
Posted 9/3/2014 2:24 PM (GMT 0)
I have come to realize that i am on edge or stressed out even when i do not think that i am. I have been thinking well if i am not anxious my symptims should go away but they do not which of course makes me anxious and makes my gut even worse.
I finally added more fruit and veg back into my diet after that week of eating badly and it has helped the pain on my right side a lot, i mean it is still there but only when i push on my tummy... i do not know why i seem to be more sensitive to gas and whatever else on my right side because before all of my anxiety started it normally was my left side that i would occasionally feel gas pain on if i ate too much cabbage or something but not anymore...
Looking back i suppose i have always been a nervous person and i guess my gut just finally had enough.
Posted 9/3/2014 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
AppleCakes have you started treating your anxiety yet?

I'm glad you're feeling better and becoming more self-aware about your anxiety. And I'm glad you've improved your diet. You might want to add psyllium husk capsules (metamucil makes these and there are generics too) to your daily diet, very very slowly. These will bulk up your stool and keep things moving more regularly. If they increase your gas or pain then stop.
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