Nervous....scared....need support.....

I had a TAH/BSO in September 2006. I did great for the first three months after surgery...then I started having anxiety and IBS-D symptoms return like I had before surgery. Since December, I've been trying to get the hormone situation under control by trying to go bioidentical in the form of progesterone, estradiol, and DHEA creams. I've been on them for a month and a half and no relief from the anxiety and IBS-D....so I decided to make an appointment with my gastroenterologist about my IBS-D to see if there's anything he could prescribe for me....I take Imodium, but it's not that effective first thing in the morning. They wouldn't prescribe anything without seeing me because I haven't been to him for three years. My appointment is this Thursday, and it's just a consultation....no poking and proding....and I'm getting nervous and scared. I don't want to go through any extensive tests, etc. I just want a prescription for the IBS-D and hopefully some answers about the return of such symptoms after hysterectomy. I know the consultation will go well....I'm just naturally getting nervous about the whole thing. I hate feeling sick. I want to be well by July because hubby and I are taking a road trip up the Coast of Oregon. I don't want to have to be looking for a bathroom all the time. I guess I'm posting just looking for a little moral support....thanks

Littlesister,
I am sorry things are not going well for you . Hopefully since your appointment is your first one, he will go by your history. Try to have all your questions and information ready for him. Maybe he will go ahead and just try to start back on medications. I would imagine at minimum he would want blood tests, but maybe nothing more. I am glad you are getting things done now in plenty of time for your vacation. I hope all goes well!

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Originally Posted by nurse83 Littlesister, I am sorry things are not going well for you . Hopefully since your appointment is your first one, he will go by your history. Try to have all your questions and information ready for him. Maybe he will go ahead and just try to start back on medications. I would imagine at minimum he would want blood tests, but maybe nothing more. I am glad you are getting things done now in plenty of time for your vacation. I hope all goes well!

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and respond. I appreciate it very much. Thankfully, we are having our "health day" here at work tomorrow and will have our blood drawn and tested...so my doctor will have those results within a couple days. After all that I've been through in the past couple years with doctors (hysterectomy and a year earlier an appendectomy) you would think that I wouldn't get nervous about a doctors visit, but I am.

Hi, again! I'm sorry you are feeling so anxious about this. IBS-D is no fun.

If you want to do a little research on meds to ask for, I suggest dicyclomine, lomotil, and tramadol. I took dicyclomine for a long time, and it really helped with that crampy feeling. Take it with vitamin B-12 if you are feeling nauseous also. The lomotil stopped the D dead in its tracks, but it also made me really tired, so I could only take it at night. The tramadol is technically an analgesic, but it has a trace of opiates that slows down the bowel. I take it 3x/day for endo pain; consequently, I don't need dicyclomine or lomotil anymore.

I tried lotronex, but it did nothing for me. Hyoscyamine was ok, but I felt strange and out of sorts when I took it.

Keep us updated!

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Originally Posted by knittymcknitter Hi, again! I'm sorry you are feeling so anxious about this. IBS-D is no fun. If you want to do a little research on meds to ask for, I suggest dicyclomine, lomotil, and tramadol. I took dicyclomine for a long time, and it really helped with that crampy feeling. Take it with vitamin B-12 if you are feeling nauseous also. The lomotil stopped the D dead in its tracks, but it also made me really tired, so I could only take it at night. The tramadol is technically an analgesic, but it has a trace of opiates that slows down the bowel. I take it 3x/day for endo pain; consequently, I don't need dicyclomine or lomotil anymore. I tried lotronex, but it did nothing for me. Hyoscyamine was ok, but I felt strange and out of sorts when I took it. Keep us updated!

thanks so much for the information on meds. I'll ask lots of questions tomorrow when I go to the doc and keep you posted. I just hope to feel good for our trip to Oregon....

Well, I took Xanax off and on and it really helped with the anxiety. Mabye you could use something like that. Just to calm you down a bit.

I hope it helps!

I have IBS too. It used to be just constipation. But the past 7 years, just as my periods were getting worse, it turned into diarrhea. So I became an Alternate. I might have a normal b.m once in a blue moon. I really believed the enlarged uterus was causing the diarrhea. I put so much wishful thinking into having the diarrhea "cured" by having this operation that when I did have diarrhea last week after a fairly big meal I instantly became depressed and discouraged. I'm being told to give it more time. The diarrhea could be caused by the irritated bowel from surgery. If you still are having a hard time with the IBS symptoms, there is a great website you can go to for support and advice. Everybody there is really nice. Just like on here. Just let me know if you want the address. It was actually someone on that forum that told me about this forum.

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Originally Posted by EasterLily I have IBS too. It used to be just constipation. But the past 7 years, just as my periods were getting worse, it turned into diarrhea. So I became an Alternate. I might have a normal b.m once in a blue moon. I really believed the enlarged uterus was causing the diarrhea. I put so much wishful thinking into having the diarrhea "cured" by having this operation that when I did have diarrhea last week after a fairly big meal I instantly became depressed and discouraged. I'm being told to give it more time. The diarrhea could be caused by the irritated bowel from surgery. If you still are having a hard time with the IBS symptoms, there is a great website you can go to for support and advice. Everybody there is really nice. Just like on here. Just let me know if you want the address. It was actually someone on that forum that told me about this forum.

thanks EasterLily.....what is the website address for IBS? I'd be interested in checking it out. It's just all so frustrating. I, too, thought that surgery would "cure" my IBS-D because it was always worse around "that time of month". I felt great for three months after surgery and then started having the symptoms again....and it's made me feel depressed, etc......

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Originally Posted by suezeeque Well, I took Xanax off and on and it really helped with the anxiety. Mabye you could use something like that. Just to calm you down a bit. I hope it helps!

thanks! Yes....I'm hoping they can give me something to calm me down without all the nasty side effect I went through when I was on Effexor. I've heard that a Magnesium supplement can help with anxiety, but too much can also cause diarrhea.

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Originally Posted by littlesister196 thanks EasterLily.....what is the website address for IBS? I'd be interested in checking it out. It's just all so frustrating. I, too, thought that surgery would "cure" my IBS-D because it was always worse around "that time of month". I felt great for three months after surgery and then started having the symptoms again....and it's made me feel depressed, etc......

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/