Stress and Your Crohn's

[tonya_n_ky]

On a scale of 1 to 10...how much does stress affect your Crohn's? And what symptoms do you get when you are stressin?

I'd give it a 10...When something starts going on that is stressful, I find myself going straight to the bathroom.

 

[Cara Fusinato]

12! Pain in the side . . .

 

[GeoGiGi]

Hmmmm... really stressful things (like presenting in front of a bunch of professors) = 10+.

General times of higher stress... ~7

 

[Dekar]

10,000

 

[kix66]

Oh yeah - sends me straight to the bathroom. I've gotten a stressful phone call, had to put the person on hold and run to the bathroom. I don't get pain, thank heavens.
I'd give it a 10.

 

[ruthymg]

I generally get pain in my stomach and back, feel really tired and anxious and then the D starts.


Ruth

 

[DannyB]

Interesting question this one...

Obviously it looks like stress causes the IBD too flare up a little bit. I have to say that I am grateful not to have suffered any stress in my life, if I was anymore laid back i'd be horizontal I think but maybe its a good think.

Hopefully you guys and gals can try not to let things get you down too much.

 

[danika]

10

 

[wi_girl]

10!My stomach starts hurting and I start feeling like I'm going to vomit.

 

[mikeyarmo]

I think the answer seems to be pretty similar for most . I found it that it usually would build up. So if I had stress for one day nothing may happen. But if I was continually stressed for a while (or just extremely stressed) then I usually would have a bad reaction to food more easily. This could involve cramps, bloating and on the bad days vomiting.

 

[Nancy Lee]

A 10 for sure!!

 

[tonya_n_ky]

It's really weird seeing it on here that it affects everyone so far that has posted. I did talk to my fiance' about stress and his body does certain things when he's stressed as well (D, ect) and he doesn't have IBD.. maybe it's human...maybe it's crohn's?

 

[andilynn09]

Also a 10 for me....I start getting terrible pains as soon as I start getting stresses. If my husband and I start arguing about something, I can feel it almost instantly....almost creepy!

 

[Valentina]

used to be a 10 for me when I was flairing... now it will send me to the washroom if its bad enough, and I find that when Im upset the first thing that goes is my apetite now, which was always the opposite for me.

 

[Valentina]

p.s I also notice if Im stressed, scared or upset about something I start to want to fall asleep. lol... when I argued with my ex, I used to start to yawn and could barely keep my eyes open.. needless to say that went over very well. lol
now Im awake all the time, poor Jonny hehe

 

[ravyn142003]

10 for sure! Stress is evil!!!! Stress is what triggered this for me. Oh my gosh, maybe I'll tell ya all about it one day! But yeah, when I get extremely stressed, which is alot these days I get nauseaus, in the bathroom alot more, foggy headed and so so deppressed so I have to get my spiritual books out to find any kind of comfort and I pray! Plus my lil Poms help too!!!

Then there are times that no matter what I do, I'm suffering and it's way above 10!!!

 

[Bubba91873]

When I am emotionally upset, it always triggers the classic symptoms of Crohn's pain
for me.

D has never been a problem for me. Throughout my 2 years of the disease it's only been severe constipation from what I think is bad narrowing of the small intestines.

I truly beleive in my heart that the events that I went through before I developed Crohn's either caused the disease or helped trigger it in some way.

I went through 2 really bad relationships, got married to my wonderful wife, lost my mother to colon cancer 2 years ago (she was only 48 years old btw), got custody of my 15 yo brother and sister 21 yo (retarded).

Then I joined the US Army and went through BCT at Fort Benning, Georgia. I was medically discharged because of my lungs.

2 months after leaving the army is when the disease hit me full-force after after mild symptoms 6 months previously.

I am scheduled to have my first intestinal resection Friday December the 8th 2006.

I hope that it takes some of my pain away at least for alittle while and keep me off of prednisone which I have refused so far to take.

BTW, I cannot take Pentasa and I'm allergic to Sulfa drugs. My only treatment choice now is Surgery or pred - 6-MP.

 

[tonya_n_ky]

Bubba- Hope the surgery goes well for you. I had a resection done in 2001 and it helped me for some time. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Let us know how it goes

 

[crohns_student]

Stress has a noticeable impact. Of course, it doesn't help that I have finals here next week as well as numerous papers, projects..... :yrolleyes:

 

[KCMike]

Surgery

Hey Bubba. I had a resection in late October of this year and I haven't felt this good in a long time. I know surgery should be a last resort, but in my case I had major inflammation and 90% blockage in one area and I had no choice. There weren't any drugs out there that could fix that. It was my own fault. I didn't go to the doctor for years. I totally agree with you about the impact of stress. I'm on my second marriage and owned a small business for 10 years. I don't think it is a coincidence that my flareups happened during the most stressful times of my life. I wasn't smart enough to realize that I had something seriously wrong with me. I thought all of the pain would all go away if I got rid of the stress in my life. For what it's worth; I would rather go through surgery than another divorce! Stay strong!

 

[Mazen]

10... When I'm stressed I cannot eat, cannot sleep, and I start feeling nausea and flu like symtoms, and this eventually leads to Crohn's symptoms, fatigue and pain...

 

[kissycole_1979]

10 if I am stressed for more than a couple of days. I get D and stomach pains and cramping. And gas like crazy. I hate it.

 

[GoBucks26]

Definitely a 10. No questions about it, for me it is directly related.