A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:Hey all, i have a problem, but im too scared to sort it out.I think i have IBS, actually im about 100% sure i have IBS. Ive read numerous amounts of articles on it and symptoms about it. I have almost like contractions or spasms of really intense pain, to the point where im ready to cry it hurts so much. They come and go often. Ive been having this for about 4 years, and havent told anyone, but its now got to the point where i cant control it anymore. I used to be able to pretend like it wasnt happening, and just breathe through the pain, then when i got home have diarrhea and the pain would go away. Now though, its become more urgent. I get some intense painful contractions, then i get to the point where i have to stop myself having diarrhea or run to the toilet. Its really embarresing me, and i dread the pain. Its so painful, i cant describe how much it hurts. I recently got with my boyfriend, well 8 months ago. He really worrys about me when i say my stomachs hurting. The worst part is though i cant find the courage to tell him what it is, so i feel like im almost lieing to him. I get the bad pains and i know that im going to have to have diarrhea, so i say i need to have a shower, turn the water on open up all the windows and have diarrhea, then wait until the smells gone then come back out, just so he doesnt no im leaving him in such a hurry as if i dont im going to, well, poo myself. Ive also told him that when i have a bad stomach getting into a warm bath or shower helps it to go away, and soothes the pain. So i have an easy excuse to go to the bathroom.Two factors that really trigger it, 1. Fizzy drinks and 2. When im stressed and upset.He knows i cant drink fizzy drinks, and he just thinks it gives me a bad stomach. He makes sure i drink squash or flat drinks when i go out.My mum has crohns disease, i dont know if that helps or not, she had IBS when she was my age, and has now got crohns. However, im getting quite depressed over it. When me and my boyfriend go out to meals im constantly worrying whether its going to upset my stomach and im going to have to dash off. Im fed up of making excuses and lieing. Ive told my mum about it recently, but she doesnt know how long its been going on for. She said you might have a touch of IBS, and thats how ive been researching it.Im ready to go get treatment, the only problem being, im TERRIFIED on needles, and on most of the articles ive read it says you need to have blood tests. I hate the thought of other people touching the inside of my arm, i cringe at the thought actually. I cry at the sight and thought of needles, ive been scared ever since i went into hospital when i was about 5, and all i can remember is them telling me it wont hurt, the next thing i new they had burst a vein or something and blood was spraying out of my arm. Ever since then i wont have an injection, piercing, anything. I simply freak out at the thought.Help, im doomed.
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female
reader, anonymous, writes (29 September 2010): I get IBS sometimes. I had it diagnosed without any injections. So can you. Wheat and milk are two common causes. And stress can make it flare up. It can be very painful because the guts goes into spasms. Like you, before i went to the doctor i was all over the place with it. But its fine now. I manage any bouts with medication recommended by the doctor. One sort kicks the gut back into its normal rhythm and the other med stops the "squits" within minutes. Both are over the counter remedies. So go to the doctor. Get it diagnosed properly and by next week you will be feeling fine, i can promise you that x
A
reader, anonymous, writes (29 September 2010): I'm afraid of needles as well, but I've learned to control that fear whenever I get them. Always breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth when they come at you with the needle, unless they start telling you to take a deep breath and hold it. This helps calm you, no matter how nervous you get. Also, as tempting as it is to look at what's coming at you, just tell yourself you're more interested in looking at the other side of the room.
It also helps to tell the nurse or doctor that you're really afraid of needles, each time they're about to administer one. When you express your fear, you release alot of that fear by refusing to hide it, and thus hold it in and build it up. Tell yourself, "I don't care, go ahead and give me that needle." Convince yourself by talking to yourself on the inside, like that. Tell yourself, "These newer needles never even hurt, whereas the old ones did sometimes.." It's true,.. the needles they use today are painless, and not comparable to the old style needles. You'll laugh to yourself when you find out how painless they really are, now. I don't even feel blood tests anymore, with the new type of needles they use now. The old ones, I did.
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A
female
reader, Dorothy Dix  +, writes (29 September 2010):
Hi there. I don't know a lot about IBS, but there are some pretty good vitamin preparations at any good health food stores, that would help I'm sure.
I would check that out.
But even more importantly, it would be very wise to first of all have it properly diagnosed by your family doctor who can definitely advise you professionally. He might also after some testing, suggest a different diet that could help.
Also, to see your family doctor will rule out anything else more serious.
In the meantime, whenever you get these pain spasms you mention, you could try some slow deep breathing whenever they occur.
I learnt this many years ago from a book I once purchased, on pain management.
I have used this method whenever I have had a stomach cramp myself, and have found it helped me through the worst of the cramps and actually settled them down.
(1) Take a long slow, deep breath. Breathe in slowly to the count of 4. (1....2....3....4). Meaning counting 4 seconds slowly.
(2) Hold the breath for 2 seconds.
(3) Breathe out slowly for 4 seconds.
(4) Keep lungs empty for 2 seconds.
Repeat about 3 times total or at any rate, until the pain begins to ease.
What this does is actually relaxing you by slowing down your breathing. When you relax like this, your whole body relaxes and consequently, the muscle spasms ease. You still feel some pain, but it's very manageable. It reduces the severity by about 80 percent.
The secret is, you do this as soon as you feel the pain coming on. I can practically guarantee you that this will help. It does take some discipline doing this slow deep breathing, when the pain is severe, but if you concentrate only on your breathing during the pain spasms, you will feel it easing very quickly as you continue. Just keep concentrating only on the breathing. It always works and never fails. The secret is slowly breathing, that's the relaxing part. Don't pant or take deep sighs, that won't help. It has to always be very slow.
Just remember to do the slow deep breathing whenever the pain happens, and it will help you to cope more comfortably.
Of course I am not trying to say do this relaxation and forget about doctors - no. You will still need to see your doctor, but the breathing will help with pain management. It will work better than any pain killers and much quicker also.
Hope this helps you. Take care and best wishes.
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A
male
reader, Kenj +, writes (29 September 2010):
 IBS doesnt nessearily lead onto other problems later on so you may never develop chrones.
Its clear your fear of needles comes from when you were younger, what you have to know now is that technology has advanced more since then, staff have better training now.
Having a needle really does not hurt that much. The pain compared to your IBS will be nothing at all. I would suggest you ask your boyfriend or family member to go with you when the injection is being done for moral support.
Look away from it and try and focus on happier things in your relationship or life to get you through it.
I was once scared of needles but needed an operation on both my eyes so had no choice. I really dont know what the fear was but it was not warranted at all.
Now I can have blood taken without feeling overwhelmed and sick it really is not that big of a deal.
Go and speak with your doctor on how to progress with treatment and if the IBS is controlled you can go on and live life to the full.
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A
female
reader, k_c100 +, writes (29 September 2010):
 Just ask yourself this - what is worse, suffering in silence for the rest of your life or taking a blood test that does not hurt?
You had a bad experience when you were young so I understand your fear, but one bad experience does not mean you cannot do that thing ever again. So first things first, go to your doctors and explain your symptoms. Get that bit over and done with first - doctors (GP's) dont normally do blood tests so you wont have to have one on your first visit anyway. They will schedule you in for a blood test, and when the time comes all you need to do is take a deep breath, turn the other way so you are not looking at the needle, and take your mum or boyfriend with you to hold your hand.
No-one really likes needles, it is not much fun having one stuck in your arm but the reality is that these nurses that do the blood tests do hundreds each week, and they are pretty painless. No-one can "touch" the inside of your arm, that is impossible. The nurse is not sticking her fingers into the inside of your arm, the needle is millimeters thick and takes a few seconds to draw a tiny amount of blood from your vein.
I cant believe you have not had an injection for over 10 years, surely that means you cannot have had any vaccinations and you are at massive risk of things like TB etc?
Phobias are horrible things, but one of the best forms of therapy for phobias is to just be surrounded by the thing you fear until your body calms down enough to realise it cannot harm you. So the best way for you to get over your fear of needles is just to go ahead and have a blood test, get the first one over and done with then the fear will be greatly reduced in the future.
There is no harm in telling the nurse taking your blood that you have a very strong fear of needles and you had a very bad experience with a blood test as a child - they see thousands of people with the same fear as you so they will know how to handle it.
You need to learn to put your fear into perspective - this blood test will take a couple of minutes out of your life and it will really make a difference in your life. Whereas the symptoms you are experiencing are making your life incredibly difficult, it is affecting your relationship and your life is made worse by it. Therefore to have one little blood test, where you will experience 1-2 minutes of fear, compared to many years to come of discomfort, embarassment and pain - what would you rather do?
The human mind is incredibly powerful, and can overcome ANY fear that we may have. All you have to do is believe that you are stronger than your fear, and that the outcome of doing somthing scary like having a blood test will benefit your life in such a huge way that it makes it worth it. All you have to do is rationalise your fear, because at the moment your mind is telling you that all needles equate to loss of blood. However thousands of people each day have blood tests and are fine, and thousands of lives are saved because of blood tests. So the pro's of blood tests definitely outweigh the cons. Keep explaining to yourself in your head why you are having the test, how it will make your life better and imagine yourself without the discomfort and pain you are experiencing now. You can overcome your fear, but only if you pull yourself together and be so much stronger than you are now.
And a few tips for easy, stress free blood test:
- Make sure you eat 1-2 hours before hand (this stops you from feeling faint)
- Take someone with you to talk to in the waiting room so you dont stress yourself out about the test, and they can hold your hand during the test too
- Have a look at your left and right arms before you go in, and see if either arm has more prominent vains. If your vains are very difficult to see then this causes problems, so if one arm looks like it has a stronger vain then suggest to the nurse they take the blood from that one and not the other arm.
- Look the other way as soon as she goes to pick up the needle. In fact, try not to look at any needles at all if possible. Keep your eyes closed or look at the person that has come with you
- Take deep breaths and keep telling yourself the positive outcomes that will happen because of the blood test
You can do this, it is a very common fear yet most people are able to get over it for the sake of their health. I'm sure you can be strong when you need to be so just channel some of that strength and you will be fine.
I hope this helps and good luck!
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