I’ve realized over the last couple of years that I’ve become a fairly major hypochondriac.
Now, this is not the kind of traditional hypochondria where you find a small bump on your left ear and decide you’ve got a brain tumor. In fact, I’ve never suffered from anything like this kind of health hysteria, and if anything it has been the opposite, in that I’ve fantasized about doctors finding something quite majorly wrong with me which would explain why I felt so ill (although they’d then fix it by whipping out my spleen and I’d live happily ever after).
No, my hypochondria is a new kind of suffering. It basically consists of me finding some minor piffling symptom and then worrying that the new symptom is not a sinister indication of a murderous cancer, but a far more terrifying prospect: a new syndrome or disorder, like the IBS, that goes on for years, is difficult to treat, and is belittled by the world at large.
Robin Williams says in One Hour Photo that “The things you are most afraid of have already happened to you”. The thing I am most afraid of is developing another condition like the IBS that stays with me for years, grinds me down continually, and does me absolutely no good at all.
I suppose I can cope with the IBS itself. I mean, the evidence would suggest that I can, even if sometimes it feels like I can’t. I live on my own, I shop for myself and heat things up and eat them, I hoover my floor and earn my own money and still have one or two friends somewhere out there.
But I really don’t think I could cope with IBS and another health problem. I really don’t think I could.
Hi Sophie! Ive been reading your blog for a while, and i have too say, You dont have any other health problems! man, I envy that!
I am also a hypochondriac like you, though I spose I have some reason, as whenever one part of me isnt falling apart another is.
Besides IBS-D, I suffer from migraines, Bartholins cysts, horrible unidentified knee problems (another one of those deal-with-it’s from the drs) I have some sort of lump in my breast and abnormal pap smear as of late… And Im only 23 too boot, Ive pretty much determined that I will have fallen completely apart by 30.
Anyhow I suppose I had a point to this somewhere… oh yes, I think its completely normal to be somewhat of a hypochondriac as anyone who suffers with a chronic condition like we do. But at least it is one thing that the doctors can tell us “its all in your head” and truly believe. I feel your worries, and hope you never have to cope with more then you do.
I’m still on the first hypocondriac type.
Fortunately or not
I have a little of both types of hypochondria. I keep going to the doctor with a long list of all the little things that are wrong with me (most of which are side effects of the IBS, endo and SVT), and they keep glossing over everything. I’d at least like a couple of tests run, especially for the chronic illnesses, you know? If I have fibromyalgia or CFS or lupus, I want to know about it. There are so many days where I swear I have another energy-sucking condition, which isn’t really that much of a stretch, given what’s already wrong with me.
Does anyone out here actually have a doc who listens to them and addresses all their symptoms? I don’t think I’ve ever had a doc actually tell me that all my fatigue, joint pain, etc. is just an effect of something I already have. That’s all I want to know.
I agree…I don’t know if I could cope with any other chronic condition….this is enough. I was to GI doc today again for umteenth time. I don’t know why I even go anymore. He comes in with speech already prepared, does not listen to anything I have to say (why don’t they just listen?…Sometimes we just want to vent!), and tells me how basically healthy I am, and “at least it’s nothing fatal”. Being a veterinarian, I have devoted my life to “quality” of life, and not quantity..and the thought of living like this for the next 30 years is, at best, depressing. These GI docs really do not have a clue about the misery IBS causes…it’s not just about diarrhea or constipation…it’s about feeling like s— all the time. Maybe all my blood tests say everything is “normal”, but my body says it’s not. Question: Have you tried “colon cleansing” as advocated by Dr. Richard Schultze? I have a friend who claims that along with “juicing” this will correct most health problems..Sounds too good to be true…
I just want to say I know a friend who studies medicine, and is about to become a doctor. She is the most practical and sympathetic doctor to be, and wants to murder all those doctors out there who say its in your head. Her friend is also about to become a doctor, and suffers from acute IBS-D, I think her ambition is to find a conventional life long cure and reason for IBS. Make way for the next generation, and let there be light!
I’m really sorry to hear about the peeps with other health problems on TOP of IBS – like I said I can barely cope with the intestinal malaise. You’d think they could share this stuff out better…
To Marti on the colon cleansing front – I’m afraid I’d be very wary, for a number of reasons. First, anyone that says that one single thing will correct most health problems is being, well, silly. Second, colon cleansers tend to talk about colons being ‘encrusted’ with waste and the ‘toxins’ that build up in the bowel. I’ve never seen a shred of evidence to suggest colons actually get encrusted with anything, and in fact thousands of IBS patients have thousands of colonoscopies, and no-one I’ve ever heard from has said that their doctor saw encrusted filth on the pictures.
And these so-called ‘toxins’ are very vague and unscientific as well, and are used to explain all kinds of symptoms, but again I’ve never seen any evidence to suggest that they can really cause health problems, or that the body even produces toxins that it can’t deal with through the normal elimination and digestive process. Buyer beware I guess, as always!
And to Claire – can I be your friend’s first patient, she sounds wonderful!! I think a new generation is definitely what we need, as the old guard seem to have been taught very strongly that IBS is psychological and that patients just need to pull themselves together and stop whining.
Marti, just to add that I’ve taken a look at the herbdoc.com site and I’m afraid he shows all the usual signs of quackery rather than reasoned, scientific medicine. Some quotes:
“Every patient that walked into my clinic was nutritionally depleted.”
“During my two decades of clinical practice, every patient who came to see me left with my SuperFood to build nutrient-rich blood, my Intestinal Formula #1 to get the old, toxic waste out of their colon, and my Echinacea Plus to boost their immune system and create powerful health.”
Wow, it must be very easy to treat patients when you just give them all the same stuff! And the old toxic waste stuff is alive and well I see…
“The average American stores from 6 to 10 pounds of toxic fecal waste in their colon. This is NOT healthy. When the backed up poisons reach critical levels it can cause just about every disease known.”
What a complete load of old pap.
I also took a good look at his intestinal formula, and listed among the ingredients was “senna leaves and pods”. And this is on a page boasting about how effective this intestinal formula is in curing constipation. Well, yeah. If I eat senna leaves and pods I’m gonna get diarrhea, cause senna is a stimulant laxative. It’s not rocket science, and it’s not good for you in the long-term.
I’d ask the herb doc how he knows that ‘intestinal detoxification’ is occurring, rather than just a normal laxative response to the senna…
Wow! the Average American must have elongated bowels if he/she can store that amount of waste in his/hers colon !!!!! but then that country was always one of exaggeration ! I do agree so whole heartily with Sophie – steer clear of all these hyped ‘cures’- generally they have not been scientifically tested – ie. double blind with placebo – but rely on hearsay and anecdotes from ‘grateful’ patients ! and these stories have probably been subjected to Chinese whispers on the way ! I am off this w’end for a 3 week visit ,by ship and air, to the island of St. Helena – mid Atlantic – and yes! I’ll cope – taking plenty of Imodium with me, watching what I eat and drink. As we have 8 days at sea, and I have a single cabin, en suite – there’ll be no problem through lack of loo. privacy – it’ll be great – ever optimistic! I’ll report when I come back. Keep cheerful and steer away from the quacks !!!
That was my feeling on the “colon cleansing”. Thanks for all your input! Personally I’ve never seen pounds of encrusted toxins in the intestines of animals (and I presume if this happens to humans, it would also happen to animals). I certainly do NOT need anything that would cause anymore diarrhea! Claire, I would like to be your friend’s second patient!!! Let us all know when she sets up practice!
I am to be told when she discovers some good news, and I pass it all on!! Glad to have created some hope…. By the way, its my 23rd birthday this weekend, and being a non wheat/dairy dieter, any ideas on how I can still enjoy a cake?! I buy packet stuff but a homemade recipe wouldn’t go amiss… thanks
!
Claire- Im not sure what kind of cake you are looking for exactly but try searching google for flourless cake(or torte), if you eat chocolate there are tons of recipes, I also found one that is flourless orange cake that sounds really really good. If you want a frosting on it you can make a glaze out of icing sugar and whatever kind of liquid you choose.. like if its an orange icing mix a little bit of orange juice with sifted confectioners sugar, just keep adding teh sugar untill it is thick enough to spread..
I hope that helps you a bit! I knew pastry chef training would come in handy someday!!
I’m new to this site, but not IBS. Sophie, we’ve chatted. I was wondering if anyone has ever tried the “Eat Right For Your Blood Type” approach to IBS. I believe that IBS (note the believe) is just a symptom, among many, of a system that has gone awry. Other symptoms include fatigue, candida overgrowth, small bowel overgrowth, leaky gut, allergies. For other people its asthma, eczema. I feel that they’re all related and have spent years trying to figure out which came first (so as to get to the root) and fix it. Whether its the allergies or the leaky gut etc. My allergist was testing for leaky gut many years ago before it was even heard of by most. He said almost all of his allergy patients had it (but not him). He stopped testing for it because there was no treatment he could offer. So now he just tests for allergies and candida and other deficiencies. My point with all this is that the doctor who started the blood type diet is eerily accurate (in my small world) of people’s blood types and illnesses. Plus he ties together all the pieces of the puzzle.
I’m blood type O and do seem to feel best on the caveman diet. But his protocol is much more specific than just eating alot of meat and no grains. Plus it would seem that someone with Type B blood should never get IBS because that type is so well adapted to milk and other modern foods.
Sorry for such a long post.
>I’ve never seen any evidence to suggest that they can really cause health problems, or that the body even produces toxins that it can’t deal with through the normal elimination and digestive process.
If I had thought processes like that I’d still be suffering from IBS. I had it for six years, it started with food poisoning, which resulted in numerous hospital and doctor visits during a trip to Europe, with many explosive trips to the bathroom.
>or that the body even produces toxins that it can’t deal with through the normal elimination and digestive process.
Exactly! And your whole site, 15 years of life is about your body NOT having a “normal elimination and digestive process”!
>And these so-called ‘toxins’ are very vague and unscientific as well, and are used to explain all kinds of symptoms, but again I’ve never seen any evidence to suggest that they can really cause health problems
That’s closed minded and ignorant. Why are you so closed minded? A person with an open mind would look at all alternatives and consider them based on the evidence.
Go to Dr Natura, they have THOUSANDS of testimonials of people healing IBS and other problems, they can’t all be wrong or made up. Realize I’m just trying to help. This is coming from someone who’s been there. I’m 28 as well, and had I listened to the 6 quacks we call MD’s here I’d still have IBS. What have you got to lose? Why not listen to someone who’s been there and beat it instead of defining your life around a problem which many people have beat?
Sincerely, chris, vancouver, bc
Chris, I’m sorry to hear you think I’m closed minded and ignorant. You say I should look at all the alternatives and judge them on the evidence, but I said in my post that I had never seen any evidence to suggest that toxins might cause IBS – I am judging this theory by the evidence, and as far as I can see there is no evidence. And testimonials and anecdotal evidence are fine, but they can never prove a theory of causation – how can I possibly know what is going on in my body to make me feel better?
It’s great that you’ve been helped by whatever treatment you’ve tried, and I’m not saying at all that this kind of treatment won’t ever help anyone. What I am saying is that if someone is telling me that my IBS is caused by toxins, I’d like some research or science to back that up.
Otherwise, I could start claiming that IBS is caused by, let’s say, a bacteria called Fred. I would then treat all diarrhea sufferers with calcium tablets, and all constipation sufferers with senna, and you know what, a lot of them would probably feel better. But that doesn’t prove that Fred the bacteria caused the problem, it just proves that calcium and senna affect the GI tract. It’s very easy for someone to come up with a theory, especially if they conveniently ignore the huge body of work which now exists showing that IBS is a brain-gut disorder. It’s much harder to prove that theory.
In terms of the “normal elimination and digestive process”, IBS sufferers do actually have a normal digestive system, otherwise we’d all be malnourished and wasting away. We absorb nutrients and eliminate waste products just like everyone else – IBS is a functional disorder.
I do try to read any information I find on IBS, and consider any theories carefully. But I also think that IBS sufferers are very vulnerable to strange claims and magical explanations, and it’s that that I want to avoid.
Of course, it’s up to everyone individually to decide what they believe and trust, and if you or anyone else believes a particular theory then I absolutely respect that. This blog is just my personal opinion, that’s all. If you do have any evidence that toxins affect IBS, please send it to me though – I’ll always consider any new ideas.
Hi, I was reading everything and wanted to say that I have IBS. I got it after I had my first son. I worried every day, swore I had cancer and aids and everything else. I slowly became aware that I was becoming a hypochondriac. Then one day I stopped worrying and I was fine. Until I found something new to worry about. I noticed that I pay way too much attention to what my body is doing. Anyone know how to over come that?? My husband says just stop thinking about it! If only it was that easy. With all the dang commercials on tv about a new disease how can someone stop thinking and worrying?? Anyway, my IBS doesn’t bother me as bad as it use to, I learned that eating healthy and working out can really help on anything. Now if I could control my thinking!