Please welcome a lovely guest poster, Bryan, who’s writing about how IBS has affected his working life. More guest posts welcome – just let me know what you’d like to write about by leaving a comment on this entry. Thanks!
GUEST POST: I owe, I owe, it’s off to work I go! by Bryan White
I have always been a person who is interested in technology. As a teenager I bought an Atari 400 computer (circa 1979) and had it apart the next day for modifications. This lead me to a college degree in electronics and a fantastic career in the telecommunications industry. I worked on some amazing projects including the first cell phone technology, fiber optics and internet technology. Much of my time was spent on the road working for various customers and until my mid 30’s I enjoyed excellent health.
I can’t explain what happened or the exact causes such as stress or burnout, but things changed for me. I had a series of health problems over a period of eight years that left me with chronic pain, fybromyalgia and IBS. It became impossible to work on the road any more. The management and union which I had seen protect and help other workers with drug and alcohol problems, physical handicaps and other obvious health problems seemed to not understand what I was going through.
There is nothing more demeaning than to sit in a meeting and explain that your absences were the result of being afraid to drive anywhere because of diarrhea and cramps and the availability of washroom facilities. I could not convince them that an inside job with flexible work hours would allow me to continue my very productive career.
I ended up leaving and joining a small firm as an IT Administrator at a much lower salary (40% of previous salary). I don’t hold anything against my former employer or the national union that let me down but can’t understand why disorders such as IBS and fybromyalgia are so misunderstood.
Things improved for me in the new situation. It is a slower-paced environment with less stress and a management that is understanding of health problems. I can tell you that the struggle still continues day to day to manage my rogue intestinal system and aches and pains. The mornings are the worst. The chronic pain in my back is bad enough but throw in a morning of gut-wrenching cramps and diarrhea and it makes for a very unproductive day. I have managed to keep working and sometimes wonder when my welcome will be worn out.
I thought things were going well until one morning last year when a worse than usual night led to intense pains in my chest and a shortness of breath. There was something very wrong and I ended up in emergency with a heart attack. Honestly, I thought it was all over then and there.
After two weeks and a lot of awful food I was sent home 30 pounds lighter with a whole list of useless recommendations for a healthy life. What they don’t prepare you for is the mental battle of getting your life back together .
After a lengthy recovery I actually feel better than I have in over a decade. I still have bouts of IBS that knock me down for hours or days without any warning, and I am frequently late or need to leave early from work because of my groaning guts. It’s interesting how easy it is to explain a heart attack and get some understanding compared to IBS .
I applaud anyone struggling with IBS and trying to hold down a job. Dealing with unsympathetic workplace policies and the ‘people are replaceable’ attitudes present in this recession are too much to handle.
As I read the blog posted by Bryan, I immediately understood EXACTLY what he was saying! Right now, this very moment, I am home from work due to IBS; this isn’t a “one time” thing, and I really have little idea what causes these bouts of intense pain, diarrhea OR constipation….I feel awful, and feel as if this “syndrome” is ruining my life!!! I have seen a gastro Doc, (numerous times) he assures me I am suffering from an advanced case of IBS, but offers little in the way of solution! I currently take anti spasmodic, and a “cocktail” of Belladonna/phenabarbitol mixed with Maalox…YUM!
I am angry, disgusted, and depressed. My job has been understanding so far, but I had an “attack” less than 3 weeks ago and was out for an ENTIRE WEEK!!! I lose weight, I’m unsocial, and I am absolutely miserable when this occurs…I don’t know how to continue living like this!!!!??? How do you keep a job, and suffer from IBS???? I need some words of wisdom from people who have been there, or are there!!! HELP!
I’ve been able to help my IBS symptoms considerably by doing an elimination diet. Find a good one in books or see a naturopath and devise one together that works for you. Essentially what an elimination diet is, is to scale down to just high fiber blender smoothies full of easy to digest fruits and veggies, protein powder (I use ground hemp seeds), some whole flax seeds. Drink these all day for 2 days. On day three start eating solid simple foods like brown rice, lentils, mung beans, adzuki beans and tons of veggies and some fruits. Don’t forget to drinks lots and lots of water. This phase lasts for at least 3 to 5 days. By this time my bowel movements were regular, barely smelly and the stools were perfect. Now I started adding other foods and seeing how my body reacted. This takes a long time, over a month and a half because after every reaction, I had to take it out of my diet for 24 hours before trying another item. Now I know most of what triggers my IBS episodes: wheat (but I can eat a small amount of sprouted grain breads and tortillas), eggs, alcohol, coffee, black tea, DAIRY is a major one, sugar, CORN. I also suffer when I don’t include high fibre fruits and veggies in my diet regularly, that means every meal or drink enough water in a day. Regular exercise also helps. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a dietary Goddess. I love wine, chocolate, pizza, and all the rest of it. I just take digestive enzymes with trigger foods and that helps alot as does taking acidophilus before bed. Hope this info helps someone. Good luck
Thanks for the tips! I have been taking acidophilus in the morning. I will definitely try some of these suggestions because this year has been REALLY ROUGH!
Life is a destination, not a dream……………
I’ve been struggling with IBS for many years now, and had it not been for the wisdom of Heather Von Vorous, author of “Eating for IBS” and other books, I would not be enjoying the relief I do today. I was angered that after finally going into a GI doc that I left with this ridiculous advice: “Eat more fiber”. I grew up eating very healthy things, and at the time, all I was eating was granola, salads, fresh fruits, brown rice, whole wheat bread, etc, and I even tried the restrictive gluten-free diet thinking it may be an allergy to wheat, but my symptoms only got worse. My mom, an RN, said something that struck me; she said that while doctors can diagnose problems like IBS, they do not necessarily understand nutrition. So I decided to look elsewhere, which led to finding Heather Von Vorous, an IBS sufferer herself, and her wonderful book “Eating for IBS” with a detailed explanation of how the GI tract responds to certain types of fiber.
It’s not simply about eating fiber, it’s about starting with SOLUBLE fiber to coat the GI tract, then slowly incorporating insoluble fiber carefully into the end of the meal. Stress is a huge trigger, and everyone responds to different trigger foods, so it’s important to find what works for you personally. Sugar-substitutes like aspartame can cause symptoms to flare. Coffee, a GI stimulant, is another major trigger, as is alcohol. Raw veggies and fruit can be very hard on the gut, so it’s best to break them down with cooking or blending them. Please, do yourselves a favor and check out Heather Von Vorous; I have never needed to even try medication because I saw an improvement after a week of trying her suggestions. I’m trying to let everyone I can know about her books because it’s helped me so much. I’m on her email list, and tons of people send in letters saying the same thing.
Here are things that work for me: Citrucil (does not cause gas like Metamucil can), mint tea (settles the cramps and rumbles, though causes heartburn so I drink it while I’m up, not before bed), fennel tea (helps with gas), whole-milk plain yogurt (while regular dairy products can trigger my IBS, since I started using the plain whole-milk yogurt, I’ve been able to stop using the Citrucil every day), white rice, white bread, oatmeal (lots of it), bananas, soy milk, smoothies (this breaks fruit down so it’s easier for your gut to digest), potatoes, homemade soups (also breaks down veggies for easier digestion). There are some foods I simply can’t have: anything with coarse wheat, Balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard for some reason cause terrible flare-ups, I gave up coffee for years, but I’ve been able to carefully incorporate it back into my routine, salads are a big problem for me, so I eat very small amounts and I eat them at the end of the meal. Broccoli is very hard on me, so I make a soup with potatoes and broccoli which I blend into a creamy soup.
I could go on an on, but these are just some suggestions. I know how awful it is to sit in horrendous pain, not wanting to leave the house, travel, LIVE. I was so frustrated that my doctor had no help for this condition, so I am doing what I can by passing the word on about what helped me. My attacks still happen sometimes, but they are so seldom now that it’s almost a surprise when they do happen because this method has worked so well. It’s hard at first to track everything, but trust me, it’s worth it.
Good luck everyone!!!
PS:
Oh, and I’ve found that dancing and yoga not only help relieve stress, they also gently move the GI tract and help relieve gas (I dance privately with the door closed!!!). I left a higher paying, very stressful job and took one that, while it was much less money, it’s been much less stressful and they are more understanding about health issues. I make sure to get enough sleep, and above all, I try to be kind to myself. I’ve struggled with depression and also PTSD for many years, and it’s so much stress, so I’ve learned that simply being ok with living a low-key lifestyle is much better for my IBS, but also for depression, PTSD and for my family life. I don’t place high expectations on myself, and I’ve learned to be ok with that.
Again, all the best to everyone
Try adding fresh mint leaves in your green tea and drink in the morning. It will slower this whole IBS process. (check mint leave benefits online). I feel 85% better with this
. Also i am drinking alot of green tea, one cup in the morning and one at night.
Can anyone please tell me IBS can affect a males sexual desires. Other then being uncomfortable from stomach aches can it actually make him have a lack of desire for sex. And if so would it last 2 months? thanks so much
I know that feeling. I have had IBS for 24 years and currently at my 3rd university in another attempt to finish medical school.
I get stomach pains that leave me bed ridden for 7 hours at a time. the pain is so bad that consistently i just start vomiting cause my body just doesn’t know what to do.
in the medical field this is extremely frustrating because the work load is so high that I can’t be losing 7 hours a week to this thing and still keep up.
any tips would be great on how to maintain the work load.
@Tina well being uncomfortable is a big thing. its well within the statistical norm to have 2 months of not feeling so great overlap with sexual opportunities of those days. (based on the assumption that he is not in pain everyday but that the option for sex is not everyday either due to work, early mornings , late nights, family dinners and other social commitments)
I think anyone that can hold a job with IBS is very lucky since I can’t even work. I’ve been struggling to get disability with no luck at all.
i am so glad that i have read this page i had to leave my job a year ago and i am still struggling on a daily bases its worse from 8 in the mornin till late afternoon i am laid in bed now with such bad cramps How do i get a job that fits round me being a single parent and allows me to spend 2 hours a day wanting to cry eith the cramps and another hour on the toilet I cant even go to the supermarket with out having a rush of diarrea I had a really well paid job and now i cant even get cause apperently cause i can touch my toes i can work
can anyone advice me on how to get through the whole day of my daughters wedding withought stressing about needing the toilet every 5 minutes. i suffer terribly with ibs-d. For the last 20years, which has had a drastic effect on my life. i have had every test and nothing found, food just seems to go through me. help
@ Mags – I wonder if you have tried calcium supplements for the IBS-D? Reviews and more info here: http://www.ibstales.com/caltrate-plus.htm
Have you tried Imodium and Lomotil? Lotronex? Questran? All of those might be worth looking into (with advice from a doctor of course).
@Tina – I think that saying a guy might be ‘uncomfortable from stomach aches’ is under-estimating the power of IBS. It can leave you in very intense pain indeed, and symptoms of diarrhea/constipation, bloating, pain, intestinal spasms and nausea would put anyone off sex to be honest.
I’m currently planning my wedding and my IBS has been affecting me every day due to the stress of it all! In some ways I think it’s a waste of time trying to plan a beautiful day when i KNOW i;m going to feel ill!
I have so much sympathy with people who suffer from the kind of IBS that causes severe diarrohea, I don’t think I could cope.
Anyway, I just wanted to know if anyone has the same symptons as me:
I literally just get a terrible griping pain in the central part of my stomach, about 2 inches above my belly button which usually only comes on after eating in the afternoon or evening and hardly ever in the morning. I’m very ‘gassy’ i.e. burp and pass wind alot so I’m sure it must be trapped gas in my stomach (I don’t get diarrhoea or constipation too badly, although my bowel movements can be erratic!).
I have had every test under the sun and tried every treatment (aloe vera juice, motillium, lanzoprazole, coloflac, gaviscon, windeze, peppermint tea, cutting out dairy, wheat, etc).
Can anyone else suggest something that might work so help me through my wedding day!
PS I also suffer from anxiety which is both a cause and effect of the IBS – I am currently on 20mg of cipralex and 50mg of dosulepin. Have been to see a psychiatrist and have had CBT – didn’t help!
Sarah
xxxx
Hi…ALL I can suggest 4 your wedding day is 1st go the store and get some Prevacid they sell it over the counter now take it EVERY morning 1 hour before you eat anything do this ASAP then ON your wedding no matter if you feel great or not go get some REGULAR Immodium-AD not the generic it doesn’t work not the multi sypmtom just the regular Immodium AD and take 2 then wait about 2 hours and eat then take 2 more I swear you will be a-o.k. with your wedding congrats by the way……Good Luck….Melani(IBS-D sufferer for 14 years now
As I write this I am 42 yrs old: Back at the age of 26 I was traveling the Caribbean preparing for an adventure as a full trumpet player in a Merengue band, I’d left the States the years before, did my audition and after playing for the U.S. Military band I forsaw no problems…It was 1993 when the weird pains started on my right side, at first I thought it was my appendix, went to the ER but the medical in the Islands weren’t too good… They sent me home, I did find a specialist who told me what I have & informed me I’d have it for the rest of my life… The next 3 years were torture as the band really took off averaging 25 full gigs a week.. Making a trumpet scream while holding in the cramps was aweful.. In 1997 I returned to the States, my IBS continues at full force…. The music scene is much less and I found routine employment where bathrooms are accessible and I can take my time… Four years ago due to an othamologist’s error I know suffer from constant double vision ( diplopia ) and my IBS remains….I am still requierd to work, drive, provide for my family, etc… So yes it is hard, not one but two conditions which most people can’t understand…. I’ll keep going until I can’t go no more… I’ve given up on the medical commuity, their efforts are in vain… Tomorrow is another day of hope.
I feel for all of you so much. I’ve suffered with IBS since age 13…. I’m 29 now. I found out about 3 years ago that I also have a form of colitis. I have went from job to job trying to find a place that can understand my “issues”. I have been at home for the last 6 months and am going back to work next month. I’m so scared!! I have a 45 min drive. I hope I will do okay. Mornings are always the worst for me. I have Heather’s book and am going to start following it closely prior to my job.
ohh… and I did take imodium to get through my wedding. Plus my sister’s wedding, my brother’s wedding, 8 hour drives for vacation, for a root canal appointment, and tons of other times. My GI doc has told me to stop doing this though. I haven’t used it in almost a year.
I agree that the original immodium is the best. Its the tiny pills. they are cheaper too. I still keep some in my purse, by my bed, in my car, etc. Just in case! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE WITH THIS HORRIBLE CONDITION!!!
i have the worst kind of ibs…..yes the kind that creeps up on you at the worst times on the bus,in the longest qew at a shop when you know you cant get to a toilet.im going on a girls holiday this year and the traveling = a couple of hours on a coach,ive made excuses the past 2 years not to go and it will be really great and i am really excited…..can anyone give me any advice on anything i can take before the journey (imodiom contains things im allergic to) thank you
Hi All, Just found this site when googling in hope of finding some others out there who have the same/similar condition as myself.
I Suffer from IBS which, After a recent Colonoscopy scan has changed to IBD. Im not sure what has changed in the eyes of the doctors if this is worse than first thought or just- Different.
I have had IBS for a number of years, starting when I was about 16 years old and working part time. I remember the condition being a little embarssasing but nowhere near the scale it is now. It was with me for about 4 years until I turned 20. I remember about two weeks before I was heading to Greece for a two week holiday with friends. It was an instant change of life for me. I had more energy and had a positive outlook on everything.
A couple of years passed and I got a job with a very large global company in the UK(where I am from). The job was tough and stressful but I loved it. My IBS was still a thing of the past. Until I decided to go for a promotion- I got the job but the day before my interview my IBS flared up and has got gradually worse since. That was little over 1 year ago now and to be honest, I have got little energy, Always tired and have lost alot of weight- which isnt good when my weight was close to perfect before.
Now I have a doctor who seems out of ideas, I have been referred to the hospital who have told me nothing and my condition worsens.
I am of the opinion that it flared up due to the stress of the job interview and as much as I dont feel stressed now, It is a road I would like to go down by combining imodium and anti inflamitory tablets with something for stress. Does anyone have any input?
Hi All,
I was diagnosed with IBS over a year ago and it is distressing when i am in the middle of a class and have to run off all of a sudden. I also suffer from depression for which i am under treatment for, and feel that i have no where to turn to as i feel more low and depressed by the day. I have no apetite so it is easy not to eat when at work but force myself to eat for the sake of my 8 year old. I feel really down and it is effecting my work and my home life to which is also cauing the IBS to kick off worse. Please help and advise me folks.
i have the same stories of ibs but mine is really embarrasing it started when i gave birth to my first child , i felt pain and crumbling feeling everytime i eat , i never had a chance to take my kids out and my husband is not happy for it he started having an affair and when i ask him why is he doing his to me he answered he’s not happy anymore he’s bored of me cause he cant take me to a date or have a family outing because i always run for toilet, or sometimes thers this incident that i kept him waiting outside the restaurant cause i had an accident( i pooped on my pants) good thing someone on the bathroom help me and understand what im going through she ask my husband to buy a new pair of pants and adult diaper, i was there for 2 hours and im really embarrassed i cried for two days and my husband talk to me and said he’ll help me and finnally understand what im going through, from now everytime we go out for family outing he make sure that the night before the outing ill eat some banana’s and crackers so my stool gets hardened and he’ll packed an adult diaper so if i have an accident i wont end up in pooped pants! today im the happiest person with ibs living in philippines thanks to my husband support!
I’ve had IBS since birth. Just after birth could not go to the toilet like most babies, had to have enemas at home. Whilst growing up the biggest part of my IBS problem was constipation, bloating, cramping, wind, etc. A nightmare at school, often not being able to do up a skirt or item of clothing half way through the day due to distended stomach and tapped wind.
Often girls at school would poke fun at my large stomach with rude comments. Generally until a few years ago I had to take laxatives to be able to pass anything at all. Sometimes not being able to go to the toilet at all for several weeks.
I have had every test imaginable and a camera placed everywhere it can be placed, but IBS is the diagnosis.
I thought constipation was dreadful to have to put up with but over the last few years it has changed to diarrhoea, sudden onset with next to no warning. Trips anywhere are a nightmare unless I know where the next lot of toilets are.
Many shops do not have customer toilets, or there is only one which is an absolute nightmare once an episode starts. Trips backwards and forwards every five minutes in a restaurant, shop, office etc is highly embarrassing and totally demoralising.
IBS is a nightmare to live with and totally controls your life. Everyone that comes into contact with your life has to be made aware of it. Trips cancelled. Delays getting to work. Panic and fear that is associated with it.
I have to undergo sick reviews at work and every aspect of my bowel habits are called into question. (Is it something you are eating!, Drinking! wearing etc) the questions are intrusive and embarrassing. My boss has now asked me to keep an IBS diary, so that if possible I didn’t work on those days.
There is no end to the humiliation, upset and anxiety, that living with IBS brings. Generally people are not aware of how totally life consuming it is.
Many arrangements to go out have to be cancelled at the last minute, which again brings stress and frustration for everyone involved. Especially family members whose lives are also affected.
If only there was a simple, straightforward answer to such a dreadful ailment.
We are told by GP’s that IBS is not life threatning but one thing for sure it is certainly life alterating!
I am a young lady, 26 years of age, that suffers from IBS, and I have found it very hard to hold down a job because of the IBS. Most people do not understand what it is that we go through when it happens. I am currently trying to find a doctor to help me but they all keep saying its the way I eat or its all in my head. My grandmother has IBS as well and she told me once that she wished that there was a doctor who has IBS and understnad what it is that we go though. It feel like I have the stomach flu everytime I get it, but without the vomiting part. The aches, the pain, the tiredness, just everything. I try my best to hold a job, but it seems almost impossiable unless you work at home.
I’m 35 years old and have suffered from IBS since I was 8 (back then they said it was a “nervous stomach” and I’d grow out of it). I don’t know if they have a program like this in the UK, but in the US they do have something called FMLA (family medical leave). Basically if you are approved for it, you won’t be penalized for missing work due to your illness. A co-worker told me about it 7 years ago when I was having some very bad and frequent flare-ups, and I’ve been on it ever since. You have to re-apply every year, but once approved you are allocated a certain number of hours (usually a more than adequate amount) over a 12 month period. If you have to miss work or leave early those missed hours are applied to FMLA, and you won’t be penalized for missing work. IBS may sometimes take a chunk out of my paycheck, but I never have to worry about losing my job because of my illness. It takes a load off my mind! Good luck to all of you, and if you live in the US, definitely look into FMLA.
I have been dealing with this for approx. 15 yrs.. I am on “sulfasalzine” for regualtion. It works for me! A few years ago i discovered i could use it for flareups and be OK. its an older drug, but every time my rotating doc team switchs me to something new & improved i am miserable. during flares a also have some pain relief from a hot heating pad on my abs..
It is good to know I am not alone but I am sorry so many people have to go through this.
My IBS started one day in 1999. EVERYONE at the office noticed right away. Luckily they were very helpful. They brought me aloe vera juice and sprouted wheat and miso soup and different teas. Nothing seemed to help. My doc suggested I take Fibercon tablets. I did that for two years. I’d think it helped but then I’d have an episode. I’d think one food or drink caused it, stop eating it, and would have another episode later on, unrelated to that food. I moved to a big city, got a job at a corporation. I scoped out the toilet situation. Luckily there was a one-seater, little known, in a remote part of the building, that I could use. I am surprised there wasn’t a path worn in the carpet from my desk to that bathroom.
Moved back to hometown in 2004, and worked for the same company, from home. I had a couple of bouts, nothing too bad. Then started working outside the home again. For a couple of years I only had occasional issues (this place had one bathroom and no fan!) Then this year, it was so much worse. Vomiting at the same time as the diarrhea. I keep a bucket in my bathroom. I miss so much work. I am part time and have the most flexible schedule probably in the world, and yet I worry I will lose my job. It’s so embarrassing. My boss has Crohn’s which he has mostly controlled by diet. I am still trying to eliminate foods and nail it down to something. So far it seems like any fiber eaten at dinner causes a bout. But then last night I had no fiber and here I am home from work.
Wow I feel so releaved yet sorry at the same time. Im releaved because I now know that Im not the only one sufferng thru this condition but sorry to hear of so many bad experiences. One things definately agreed is that docs don’t have a clue! I’ve suffered for about a lil over 10 years now, it started the week before my 18th birthday (howbout that) and broughtme thru some of the most craziness experiences of my life! Currently, Im being attacked at the workplace because of this issue,I work 2 jobs and Im being attacked at both becuse people dont undrstand the issue. I was so gunho bout defeating this thing that I was bold enough to enter work around the time of my worst bouts, which you can only imagine led to severe embarrassment! I’ve experienced all the symptoms and they vary from day to day, whether I eat or starve myself, its always something to fight against. Now when I go to workplaces people laugh a me, and dog me out daily, I tried to express my situation and even tried to use workplace rules to attempt to regulate workplace bullying but thus far its been nothin but a joke. I wouldnt wish this condition on my worst enemy (although at times I wish I could afflict some ppl with this because of their cruelty), this is a hard thing to face but I think that its something that can be beat and I’m willing to give it my all to win this victory! I tried feeling bad for myself because of depression and fear but that just doesn’t work for me. I believe that life is a gift and sometime you have to run the extra mile to maximize the opportunities provided within this gift. Everyone stay encouraged!
hello friends…
i want to know that the soy chunks are trigger for IBS – C or not ???