teenagers and diarrhea - page seven
The tale of...Aussie
I am 16 years old and have had IBS with diarrhea since I was about eight years old, in first or second grade. It started out as simply some pretty bad pains in my lower stomach, but now I have the whole shebang, diarrhea, cramps, cold sweats and all. Luckily for me though, not as bad as many others.
I sympathize greatly with those who must face the full wrath of this horrible illness, and wish that there was a shot or pill to rid one's self of it. It is just SO embarrassing when IBS strikes, leaving its mark on the dozens of trashed underpants.
I have found that some things that help are definitely lots of vegetables (or any fiber supplement) and also, I cannot drink juice when feeling "on the edge", nor a single cup of coffee or a can of soda anymore. Going without them seems to greatly help me, and apparently others too. Also, sleep is a huge factor. I can do very well without any sleep hardly, except the fact that I will, positively, face IBS early the next morning.
I also have lactose intolerance, but I'm not sure if it's actually lactose intolerance or just an aggravation of my IBS, because of the fact that even small amounts of milk or ice cream leave me having attacks for the next few days. Even with the full dose of the lactose enzyme pills, they do not seem to work. And oh how I miss McDonald's ice cream!
So I recommend, beware of soda, coffee, fruit juice, dairy products and lack of sleep!! I am also very grateful to come upon this website and see (finally!) people who understand!
The tale of...Emma
I am 13. I have been suffering from IBS since I was 11 and it has been horrible. Huge stomach cramps and urges to go to the washroom everyday! I was diagnosed by a gastroenterologist last year. I have been through every test for IBS imaginable.
It has been a very hard time coping with the syndrome. I have missed multiple days of school including weeks at times. Many school days spent in the emergency room with my mom with cramps, nausea and diarrhea. Nausea has been a big part of IBS for me. I feel very sick to my stomach at times, but do not throw up. I only gag. Throughout this time I have taken many different medications, some helped and some didn't. Thank you for this site, it makes me feel a lot better to hear that someone else cares about others' problems with IBS.
The tale of... Sobia
I'm 17 years old, and I've had IBS since I was about 12 (just like most other teenagers on this site). It just started out with diarrhea...and my mom telling me "Beta, why you try to get attention," because as a Pakistani mother, she was not at all thrilled. Found out pops' family had a history of lactose intolerance. Great, I just assumed I was lactose intolerant, like the rest of the family.
By 13/14, I cut out all diary products from my diet, which helped, but I still had diarrhea, and not only diarrhea, but constipation and extreme stomach aches...I mean extreme, like the X-games for stomach cramps! I went to the doctor who proclaimed, "Why hun, you're lactose intolerant."
"Yes'm, I kind of figured that out."
"Well, stop drinking juices too; I think fructose, only from juices, has been hurting you too."
"Okay, but..."
"ARE YOU ARGUING WITH ME?" I personally think my doctor was PMS-ing that day, but I took her advice, and it helped, but it cured nothing.
As I got older, the symptoms worsened. The stomach pains got so bad, it felt as if the life force was being sucked out of me, and I would randomly need to rush to the bathroom or sit down from the pain. I took diarrhea pills; I thought it was stress for a while, and then the stress left, but the symptoms stayed.
Being pre-med myself, I have many pre-med friends, most of which know my woeful plight. One of these ran a search on my symptoms, and alas! I knew what I had: IBS. I went to the doctor, and he concurred. My mother was not at all thrilled: "Beta, now you will not get a good proposal. No-one will want to marry you."
"Mum, I'm engaged."
"Doesn't matter, don't tell him."
Haha. My mother, no doubt, is the only one who views people with any type of dysfunction as incapable of living. Although IBS does hinder many things in my life, it never completely stops them. It only reinforces my gratitude towards the rest of my well-functioning system and reminds me to be careful.