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I am a generally healthy and active 23 year old who has drawn the conclusion that I am suffering from IBS-C and I don’t know where to begin in terms of managing this/ healing myself. I believe my symptoms are related to stress and anxiety. (Especially as my dentist has recently noticed I am an intense teeth clencher ). I have never dealt with irregular bowel movements before. I first had a bout of terrible constipation and bloating in May of this year. I was terribly stressed and anxious over a final exam in my hardest course that would inevitably determine wether I’d make or break my Straight A streak. I had never felt more terrible. The bloating, the gas, the lack of appetite, the nausea. Though I still managed to pass at least one bowel movement a day I still didn’t feel great. Once the test was over, my grades came in and I walked across that stage excepting my diploma, all was well again. I dealt with mild bloating the months after but nothing Intense that weren’t self resolving very quickly. However, when august rolled around and I found myself under immense stress and anxiety once again my bowels locked up. I am preparing to move abroad to the UK to begin law school and the visa process was severely stressing me out. I had the same symptoms I did last may. Within a little over a week my ailments dissipated. And here I am again….almost exactly a month later. A week and a half out from making my big move to the UK and im dealing with this constipation, bloating, gas, nausea, and lack of appetite again. I don’t know what to do or where to begin to manage this. I don’t want to feel sick anymore. I have a bowel movement once a day but its never a complete elimination and I can feel as stressful events come up my body stops working. My mom has urged me to join these types of forums and groups just as she’s done to help heal her own gut health and thyroid. I also have a really great boyfriend, who I’m about be living with in the UK, who also deals with IBS, more specifically IBS-D, that he was diagnosed with back in our early teen years. I want to know where to begin in terms of diet and supplements and healing. I know I first and foremost need to manage my stress and anxiety and if anyone has any good tips on how to do this I would greatly appreciate it. I’m 23, I feel far too young to be dealing with the level of stress and anxiety I am enduring. I am crying out into the void of an uncertain world, I’m about to make a huge move across the globe, and I feel under immense pressure to “make it” in my adult life. I WANT TO FEEL GOOD AND HEALTHY AND NORMAL!!! This was a long post and probably more of a ramble than anything useful but I just need to break into a space where maybe I can seek out and find help. What I’m Currently doing to manage this all now: 1. Taking 2 types of magnesium supplements together 2. Peppermint tea 3. Beginning a process of elimination diet.

Maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D and the B vitamins is essential for health and is moderated through the microbiome. Learn how deficiencies in these nutrients are related to a brain chemical called acetylcholine, which in turn impacts anxiety, insomnia, infertility, IBS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and ADHD. Learn more about how to maintain a healthy balance of your B vitamins and vitamin D with Stasha Gominak MD, neurologist and sleep coach on The Perfect Stool Podcast with host Lindsey Parsons, EdD. Listen below or find the podcast version at: https://link.chtbl.com/theperfectstool-IBS

Hello! I am new to this group but have been stalking for awhile. 😃 I appreciate all the information everyone shares and hope I can help others with anything I have found to be beneficial in my journey with IBS. I was diagnosed with IBS-D nearly 10 years ago. Over the years, I have tried many things including food sensitivity testing, extra fiber, probiotics, Imodium, IBGard, and cutting out most gluten and dairy. Everything helped a little and I have gotten to the point where I rarely have any symptoms EXCEPT when I leave the house. Over the last 2 years, anxiety seems to be the biggest trigger that causes my IBS-D symptoms. I tried a low dose of amitriptyline for about a month but had some side effects I didn’t like (dry eyes, more agitated). I admit that I may not have given it enough time to see if it would help. Now I am using Ashwagandha and am about 2 weeks into a 6 week hypnotherapy program with the Nerva app. I don’t know if hypnotherapy will work but it has become a 20 minute treat each day because it is suuuuper relaxing! Being stuck inside because of the pandemic has not helped but I am also trying to make myself get out more. Like go to the store first thing in the morning to prove that I can do it without any issues, etc. But I need to get to the point where I can meet a friend for lunch without anxiety being a big part of the experience. Have others experienced what I am describing – where anxiety seems to be the trigger – and what has helped you overcome the anxiety? Thank you!

Ah, it’s that time again, friends. Time for New Year’s Resolutions. This year especially, we may not have the mental space to think about improving ourselves next year (and that’s okay!). We don’t even know if our lives will regain some semblance of “normal” next year. My vote is that we don’t add unnecessary pressure to our lives, but instead we take this new beginning as an opportunity to better care for ourselves. Learn to listen to your body and mind. If you’re looking to improve your IBS symptoms in 2021, consider these low pressure, high impact options. Take Your Needs Seriously If you know that something triggers you, you have the power to turn it down. Even if you feel it would be rude to decline something you’re offered, remind yourself that it isn’t. I can’t count the number of times I’ve eaten just a bit of something I shouldn’t have or cleared my plate knowing I would feel sick afterward. It has taken me so much practice to learn that I can say no. If you’re comfortable, share a bit about why you are declining a food or only serving yourself a child-sized portion at dinner. Share Your Truth Find someone who understands you. Maybe it’s a fellow IBS sufferer or an online forum. Maybe it’s a close friend who doesn’t have a similar experience, but who is willing to listen and learn. Just establishing the freedom to share when you have a flare up with someone you know won’t judge you can be extremely liberating. Even those who aren’t afflicted have likely experienced some level of gut dysfunction in their lives and would be delighted to be there for you when you need some support. The more we normalize our experiences the better things get for all of us. Start with just one person. Acknowledge Anxiety Learn to listen to your body’s signals. When you start feeling that tightness in your chest or when that rumbling starts in your tummy, take a moment to breathe. Allow yourself to say, “I’m not okay.” Write it down in a journal, tell a friend, say it aloud to your dog or whisper your thoughts to a plant. Whatever it takes to release the pressure you’re feeling will be tremendously helpful. In time, this will become second nature and you’ll find that freeing your mind of burdens is the first step to freeing your body too. Be Kind to Yourself Allow yourself to indulge in the foods and drinks and activities that bring you joy. Eat pancakes for dinner, have the occasional glass of wine, skip the run and dance in your kitchen for 20 minutes instead. Forgive yourself for overindulging when you inevitably do and learn from your experiences about moderation and your body’s needs. No one is perfect all the time. - - - - - For most of us, 2020 has been a rollercoaster. Whether you’re working from home and helping your child in the virtual classroom or picking up groceries for your elderly neighbor or sewing masks for everyone you know, there is no doubt in my mind that you spent time this year caring for someone else. And while that can be extremely fulfilling, it can also be draining when we continue to prioritize everyone else before ourselves. The truth is, the better we are to ourselves, the more we can offer to others. Take time in 2021 to be kind to yourself and to take your needs seriously. Share your truth with those you love and ask for their support on your journey. Acknowledge your fears, worries, and anxieties, but don’t let them rule your mind or your gut. Recognize that you deserve to be a top priority in your life and make choices that reflect how much you care about yourself. - - - - - Happy New Year to all. May 2021 bring you happiness, health, and love. Read more about my experience with IBS at https://gut-vibes.com/

A visual representation from someone on Reddit (and other sources) of what it’s like to have IBS. (Credit in pic is @youvegutthis ie: Lottie Drynan)

So, I'm new here and I am just impatiently jumping into this. I'm a 44 year old male who was diagnosed with a case of uncomplicated diverticulitis in late January of this year (2019). I emotionally struggled with this and continued to have pain and intestinal issues post treatment. My doctor and my GI specialist diagnosed me with IBS-C for these symptoms. Does anyone else live with these two issues and if so how do you deal with anxiety when your IBS is acting up that it could be diverticulitis instead?

Hello all, Haven't visited here in months - mainly because I thought I was over IBS. SO, I ate whatever I wanted, drank lots of coffee, and simply did not take good care of myself. Fast forward: A stressful weekend, and my enemy is back in full force! I am feeling alone and just wanted to connect. As many of you know, most who do not suffer IBS just don't get it, even if they try. I am trying to be positive, but feel pretty awful. I have diarrhea, lower stomach pain, and zero appetite. I am going back on the FODMAP as well as I can, have started my pro-biotics, and am taking my hyoskyamine for intestinal spasms. I am also doing a guided meditation for IBS I found on YouTube. I have always been somewhat overweight, but over the past year after bouts of IBS-d, I have lost weight and have not gained it back. While that's a good thing, I don't want to lose any more. Has anyone experienced this? I have read that weight loss is not a part of IBS, it sure has been for me! Here's to healing and peace for my fellow IBS sufferers! Peggy

Drossman: Evidence that there may be brain cell death due to the vicious cycle of pain from FGID (Functional Gastrointestinal) condition. Drossman: Validate symptoms, explain thoroughly, & don’t abandon your patients. Chey: Shared “Advice from a patient” from J Ruddy Gastroenterology 2018 Chey: Non-verbal communication is incredibly important in approaching a patient. It gives hope and trust. Chey: We’re still learning about the genetic factors behind IBS Chey: How I describe IBS to patients. With hope, trust and confidence. Chey: Role of Stress & Anxiety in GI Disorders. Anxiety... Is this a chicken and egg situation?? “It’s not all in your head but your head may be playing a role in your symptoms” Chey: Post-infectious IBS (PI-IBS), are we giving patient hope or taking it away? Chey: Potty talk. How you can talk to patients about pooping. Chey: Rodin’s “The Thinker” might just be the perfect position to have a good bowel movement! Chey: Create a spirit of collaboration. “What matters is what the patient takes away from you.” Chey: Give your patients hope.

Hi All, I'm new to this group, having just left another one that scared the hell out of me. I do have mental health issues, which I'm sure contribute to my daily struggles with IBS-C, and I do have a story, but will let you know for now I suffer from debilitating anxiety, equally debilitating IBS-C, have very little medical support, am on Constella (or Linzess, as it's know in the US), don't use stimulate laxatives, and am wondering what your views of long-term use of Constella happen to be? It's not classified as a laxative, and has no stimulant properties, and I've been on it for two years as max dose. Can anyone provide their own experiences with Constella, along with their idea about its safety for long-term use, and perhaps offer any suggestions about how I may manage IBS-C, which I've had for years and has destroyed my life (along with many other things -- I'll provide a bio later, but since the other group was not very supportive and kept telling me Constella/Linzess is a laxative, will fail, and I'd better be prepared to suffer ever more unless I did this, this, and that, I'm tentative about share too much. I will tell you' I'm 43, posted this in the IBS-C forum but didn't realize there was an introduction process, and I apologize. I am a supportive person, very sensitive, and incredibly empathetic. Any replies that are kind and not combative or dismissive would be incredible. Thank you, Seroquelled

What Comes First — the Psychological Disorder or the Gastrointestinal Disorder? 2358 GI Tract - Kristine Novak More patients receive a diagnosis of a mood or anxiety disorder before diagnosis of a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID), researchers report in the July issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The findings indicate opportunities for prevention and support the role of adverse socioeconomic factors in development of FGIDs in patients with psychological disorders. Functional gut conditions are not associated with any identifiable pathology, but have been associated with anxiety and depression. Understanding the interactions between brain and gastrointestinal disorders requires analysis of the order of disease onset. >> Full article © 2017 iMagPress. All Rights Reserved.