Stress-related flares

[karenswans]

For those of you who have flares related to stress, have you found that as you eliminated your food sensitivies, that the stress-related flares were lessened as well? If not, have you found any other strategies for dealing with the D caused by stress? Thank you.

[sarkin]

For me, stress does make things worse, but is not a primary cause.

I can sometimes feel myself stressing out, and intentionally slowing my breathing down can be really helpful. Sometimes just intentionally exhaling for a little longer than my inhale can make a difference.

As far as addressing the D - sometimes I'm stressed that I *might* have D (if I have to be away from home for an extended period, or am traveling, or visiting with people, or eating in an environment I can't control ideally). For those occasions I carry Pepto Bismol, and will sometimes take it even if I don't think I need it, just as insurance. I try to do that pretty rarely.

If my symptoms seem headed in the wrong direction for more than about half a day, I go back to basics on diet.

Try the breathing thing - it's similar to the effect from the Resperate device, used to help people lower their blood pressure without drugs (several households in our neighborhood are sharing one at the moment, and I think I need another turn of having it here). You don't really force it, just take an extra second or so on the exhale... my husband finds this helpful when he's having trouble falling asleep. There are, of course, real breathing exercises (lots described online, of course!) - but this is so simple, it works better for me when I'm really wound up, because I don't have to think about how I'm breathing (slightly stressful), I just slow down as I breathe out.

Hope this helps - I actually find life generally less stressful now, in some funny way, because nothing is as bad as the prospect of a serious MC crash. So I'm harder to derail. (I have a nice life, so it's easier for me to say that than for some people, whose circumstances are extra difficult or demanding.)

--Sara

[JLH]

http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/

My Mom like this. I need to use it. I thought I'd posted it previously but it didn't show up when I searched. I found some interesting old posts that I had forgotten, though.

[harma]

my MC as besides food also stress related. My MC started in 2009 after an emotional event for me, that really hit me deep. Let say the feeling that the foundation under your feet is cracking (had to with a relationship), two years later, this spring, other country, other man, but something similar happened to me again. It got me straight into a flare up, that was almost worse than when it started. Cramping during night and also nauseous. Medication did not help. What helped me to get back my life on track was diet. Very strict, I lived for 4 to 6 weeks on fish, chicken, rice and tea. That worked. Now I am back to normal, and funny thing is, the foods that give me a very bad reaction during my last flare, lemon, carrots, I don't react on it anymore at the moment.

What I see in my stress, it is not the stress of a lot to do, being busy, not things like change of country, exiting things. No for me it's what really hit me emotional on a deep level. That's another kind of stress for me. That also still confuses me in this disease, what is food related and what is stress related.

[karenswans]

It confuses me too, Harma. I feel like I have a constant level of symptoms that I'm getting under control with diet. But those emotionally stressful things are still going to pop up--I'm wondering if having that constant level under control will make the emotionally stressful flares less severe or maybe even keep them from happening. Time will tell, I guess.

Sara, your breathing trick is great! I already used it yesterday. I know several breathing exercises but I never seem to get around to doing them. Yours is so easy that I actually do it!

Joan, I'm familiar with the relaxation response and have tried it before. Maybe I'll try it again, though I'm bad about carving any time out of the day for meditation.

[patc73]

My first memorable bout with MC (although I was not yet diagnosed at the time) was right after my Dad passed away. I had explosive D and hives (perhaps dermatitis herpetiformis)? It lasted two months, until I had gallbladder surgery, which somehow shocked my system back to a relatively normal state. Now, five years later, I finally know that CC was the reason for my problems. Being GF and DF now has helped tremendously; I hope that a future shock doesn't send me back on a flare, although now I know how to control it.

[coryhub]

My Colitis was diagnosed when I was in the midst of a big stress time. I think it must have been lying dormant and the ultra-stress kicked it in. At first I thought it was just acid stomach. It wasn't until a year later a GI did a biopsy and declared MC. The only instruction I received was "no fiber", and I was given a prescription for 6 weeks of entocort. I am convinced stress kicked this disease into gear. After 6 weeks of entocort I went a year without gut pain then had a flare up. After another 6 weeks of Entocort I found this site and I am eating gluten-free to the best of my ability. Presently, I go a few days being okay with almost normal stools, but every few days, the plug comes out and I have Runny stools. Anyone else have this pattern?

[draperygoddess]

I definitely think there is a correlation. Although I have had some symptoms since I was about 13, there is a definite stress component to the severity of my symptoms. I also have an anxiety disorder that showed up right after my third child was born, and when something triggers my anxiety, I head straight for the bathroom. We went through a three-year period of extreme stress (I lost my job, my husband was in school, one of our kids had some severe emotional issues) from 2007-2010, and during that time my symptoms became much more prevalent. My stomach hurt every day, and that was when I started having D much more frequently. Unfortunately, the stressors went away, but the D stayed!

[Zizzle]

Stress is a big trigger for me. I just spent a relaxing weekend in Key West without the kids, and really worked on relaxation. Despite all the risks of cross-contamination with all the restaurant food I ate (including mistaken mozzarella added to my omelet) my MC was better than it's been in a long time. Now I'm back in DC, the "stress capitol of the world" as my Key West cabbie described it, and I'm trying to retain some of those feelings of relaxation. I even got glutened in my first breakfast back (My MIL said the pancake batter was GF, then after my questions regarding taste and texture, she remembered she made the multi-grain !! I panicked and went to the bathroom, tried to make myself throw up, got most of it out, but I'm sure some remained. The reaction has been minimal so far... So state of mind seems to have a lot to do with it.

Here's a must-read article by Dr. Mercola about the possibiity that our digestive problems CAUSE depression.



http://articles.mercola.com/sites/artic ... _DNL_art_2

[coryhub]

Thanks for the interesting article, ".....the primary cause of inflammation may be the dysfunction of the "gut-brain axis". I don't call myself CoryGut for nothing. LOL! My MC started in 2010 when massive layoffs were taking place at work. Even co-workers just a year or two from retirement were being let go. I survived the layoffs but my stomach, which never bothered me before, has never been the same. My life has changed and I get fatigue, the blues, and migraines, as well as bowel flare ups. How does one tell the brain all is well when it isn't? Even when I think I'm doing well my stomach knows the truth.

[Zizzle]

Even when I think I'm doing well my stomach knows the truth.

That is my biggest truth. I am a seemingly laid-back, even-keeled, Type B personality, but all my emotions and all my stress go straight to my gut, no matter what my brain is trying to believe. The gut is truly like a second brain.