women suffering constipation - page fourteen
The tale of...Patricia
I have been in this horrible nightmare for about five years now. My heart really goes out to anyone who lives with this condition. There are no simple answers, and doctors dismiss you as quickly as possible. At first I tried to fix it myself, didn't work. I have tried so many medicines and herbs acupuncture, you name it I probably have tried it.
My life is so scary and seems unreal. I can't accept that I can't control this condition. Food is now my enemy and isolation my friend. I really can't remember what a day is like without pain. Using the bathroom can be terrifying. Sometimes I have to break off my feces to get things going. I know how that sounds but it's part of my life now.
I never plan anything, do not socialize, me and my husband share the same house, that's all. I feel trapped in my body, you can't escape the terror you feel. Only an IBS person would know what I am saying. If only the pain would stop, if only people could understand what you feel.
I carry so many medications with me I feel like an addict. A certain medicine works one day and not the next. One small thing can set off a raging storm in your body, and it will not stop, minutes can seem like hours. You pray "God please make it stop, hello God are you there?"
E-mail Patricia: patriciataylor45[at]yahoo.com
The tale of...Brooklynn
I am 24 years old and I experience severe ongoing constipation. It started when I began taking a colon cleansing supplement I saw on TV. I always thought this was a safe thing to do. What happened was that the pills ended up stripping the walls of my colon. I had a colonoscopy done and found out my peristaltic movement was basically non-existent.
My body is so used to taking laxatives that I can't function normally without them. My doctor gave me Zelnorm, but to be honest I think this medicine is just another pat-me-on-the-back drug to shut me up and appease me. No-one seems to be having any results with this drug and no-one seems to be getting any real answers or solutions.
I feel everyone's pain who suffers like this. I don't know how to wean my body off of laxatives because I have no bowel movement without them, and I get really sick, bloated and crampy when I can't have a bowel movement.
I would like to share a suggestion I heard. My mom's friend had this and went to a chiropractor and it completely helped her. I suppose the nerves in the back are connected to the nerves in the colon somehow and it stimulates activity down there. I am going to go see one soon. Also I heard an acupuncturist was good for stimulating all the areas of the body that have basically gone to sleep (like the colon).
My mom had stomach problems for years with cramping (not sure if it was IBS) and she cured herself by not drinking soda/pop and taking coral calcium - she calls it the fountain of youth, but it helped her tremendously.
I am just glad to know that I am not alone, because when I sit on the toilet (forever) in tears because of being constipated I feel depressed, alone and helpless. Thank you all for your stories. Any suggestions PLEASE let me know.
E-mail Brooklynn: bmtack2[at]hotmail.com
The tale of...Lisa
Well, I am 38 years old and have had IBS ever since I can remember, but the older I get the worse it gets. At this point I feel like I have no life at all, it controls everything in my life. I am so tired of this, I sometimes just want God to take me. I still fight, but I'm so sick of all the doctors and pills that don't work and or just make things worse. But here I go to another doc again next week, still hoping.
One of the biggest reasons I have not taken my own life yet is because of my kids, I love them so, but this IBS is starting to make me an awful mother too. It's me saying "sorry kids, can't go here, can't do this today", not to mention my husband is sick of it too, but no-one is more tired than I am. If anything at least say a pray today for me so I just don't give up one day.
E-mail Lisa: nygl67[at]aol.com
The tale of...Tammy
I am a 27 year-old female who has two kids. I have never been regular when it comes to bowel movements. I never thought too much about it when I was younger. I thought it was normal to not go for a week or two! Boy was I wrong!
I realized that it was really a problem after I had my daughter four years ago. I would get so bloated and gassy! I started to pay attention to how long I would go without going. At times I felt like my intestines were going to rupture! I talked to my OB/GYN about the situation. When I told him how long I go without bowel movements, he was in shock! He told me to go see a friend of his who is a gastro doc.
I went and had an examination and everything. He told me I was a prime candidate for IBS. I was put on Zelnorm. I had to use laxatives a lot in the past. The medicine worked for a few weeks and then seemed to stop working. They upped the dose and once again, it was like my body just got used to it. It is frustrating. I always feel like I am seven-months pregnant when I am only 105lbs! I worry, because I have a fear of intestinal rupture. I have been warned about it by my doctor.
I had another bad episode this week where I was throwing up because I was so blocked. I had to take laxatives for two days before I finally went to the bathroom! Is there ever going to be a solution to this? I'm sure you feel the same way. I just wish there was a better study on this condition. It is something many do not want to talk about. I feel that is why so many feel depressed, because it is difficult to talk about it to other people around you.
E-mail Tammy: tdragon[at]bryank12.ga.us