For years I have suffered from the same symptoms as the lady that travels by bus in London. My gastro dr says I am the worse patient he has ever seen (he is 74 yrs old) and has practiced here in Alabama as well as in other countries. I am on a set schedule now that seems to FINALLY be working. I found my dr 7 yrs ago and am so grateful that he has experimented with me until we finally have something that seems to work when the IBS takes over. I take two lomotils every morning close to 5:30 am, along with 1 (1mg) Lotronex (only for women). I drink no caffine at all but do drink decaf coffee! I can have no foods that have skins or seeds like peas, nuts, sesame seeds, beans almonds, peanuts, corn etc. Then at 5 pm every day I take another Lotrinex. I am rarely constipated and can go one minute from feeling like I could be constipated to having explosive and uncontrollable diarrhea.
Seven years ago my son went to Afghanistan, I was about to re-marry and had other changes in my life that set off the worst episode of my life. I was having diarrhea so bad that it cost me my job. I had to stop at every gas station restroom between my house and my job. Then there were still times I didnt make it to a restroom and had to go back home. . I kept my car seat covered in plastic bags just in case I didnt make it. I was so embarassed!! I ran out of my leave time at work and they fired me. I had never been fired in my life. I called my aunt in Birmingham Alabama and told her I thought I was going to die, I had lost 37 lbs in one month. She called her gastro dr and made me an appointment. I used adult diapers and made the 75 mile trip. He put me straight in the hospital. I had C-difficule, IBS-D and antibiotic overdose (my family doctor who was just guessing at what to treat me with had put me on Cipro and Flaggyl). I still have episodes that the medicine wont control if anything happens in my life that seems to upset me or make me panic, like going on vacation, being in a place where I cant just leave the room, church, ANYTHING that makes me think that I cant just get quickly to a bathroom seems to make me start cramping, and sometimes just having diarrhea with no notice, it just starts in a couple of seconds and I cant stop it because it is explosive diarrhea. I have lived this way a long time and thought I was the only one. I just wanted to let anyone else know you arent alone.
I have often wondered if this couldnt be considered a disability, but my doctor says it doesnt qualify.
I wish everyone who has to live with this as I do, the best of luck and if you know a better medicine, let us all know. I did find out that paragoric is back on the market but my pharmacist said its now 390.00 a bottle. (Paragoric can stop diarrhea in under 10 minutes for the rest of the day)
For years I have suffered from the same symptoms as the lady that travels by bus in London. My gastro dr says I am the worse patient he has ever seen (he is 74 yrs old) and has practiced here in Alabama as well as in other countries. I am on a set schedule now that seems to FINALLY be working. I found my dr 7 yrs ago and am so grateful that he has experimented with me until we finally have something that seems to work when the IBS takes over. I take two lomotils every morning close to 5:30 am, along with 1 (1mg) Lotronex (only for women). I drink no caffine at all but do drink decaf coffee! I can have no foods that have skins or seeds like peas, nuts, sesame seeds, beans almonds, peanuts, corn etc. Then at 5 pm every day I take another Lotrinex. I am rarely constipated and can go one minute from feeling like I could be constipated to having explosive and uncontrollable diarrhea.
Seven years ago my son went to Afghanistan, I was about to re-marry and had other changes in my life that set off the worst episode of my life. I was having diarrhea so bad that it cost me my job. I had to stop at every gas station restroom between my house and my job. Then there were still times I didnt make it to a restroom and had to go back home. . I kept my car seat covered in plastic bags just in case I didnt make it. I was so embarassed!! I ran out of my leave time at work and they fired me. I had never been fired in my life. I called my aunt in Birmingham Alabama and told her I thought I was going to die, I had lost 37 lbs in one month. She called her gastro dr and made me an appointment. I used adult diapers and made the 75 mile trip. He put me straight in the hospital. I had C-difficule, IBS-D and antibiotic overdose (my family doctor who was just guessing at what to treat me with had put me on Cipro and Flaggyl). I still have episodes that the medicine wont control if anything happens in my life that seems to upset me or make me panic, like going on vacation, being in a place where I cant just leave the room, church, ANYTHING that makes me think that I cant just get quickly to a bathroom seems to make me start cramping, and sometimes just having diarrhea with no notice, it just starts in a couple of seconds and I cant stop it because it is explosive diarrhea. I have lived this way a long time and thought I was the only one. I just wanted to let anyone else know you arent alone.
I have often wondered if this couldnt be considered a disability, but my doctor says it doesnt qualify.
I wish everyone who has to live with this as I do, the best of luck and if you know a better medicine, let us all know. I did find out that paragoric is back on the market but my pharmacist said its now 390.00 a bottle. (Paragoric can stop diarrhea in under 10 minutes for the rest of the day)