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Working with IBS HELP

Posted , 10 users are following.

sagewizard
sagewizard

Hi Guys,

Sorry in advance if I seem as I am rambling but I don’t normally do things like this. I was diagnosed with IBS 2 years ago; however I believe that I have had it for a lot longer, but being a typical man refused to go to the doctors. I went through a whole load of test & examinations before IBS was finally confirmed. As with other that have posted here I am by nature a nervous/anxious person, I also a very private person, which is why doing something like this is so hard.

My doctors was great the whole time that they were investigating the problem, but I feel that since it was diagnosed he has lost interest and now falls into the category of you have IBS there’s nothing else to do live with it. I am now on so many tablets I am sure that I rattle when I walk. I suffer from bouts of constipation followed by diarrhoea, with sever abdominal pains, nausea, excessive sweating and wind, dizziness my symptoms are not always so disabilitating, which brings me to where I need some advice.

Ever since I left school some 24 years ago, I have always worked and work has been my life, to the extent that I don’t really have any friends and don’t think twice about working long hours when asked. My wife & daughter have been absolutely brilliant support during this, however it now looks that because of my IBS, I am going to lose the one thing outside of my family that I live for, [b:e1d86ab6da]my job[/b:e1d86ab6da]. Even with all the tablets I take and precautions that I take with what I eat etc, over the past 18 months I have only managed an 87% attendance and have been informed by my manager that the company does not find this acceptable, I am currently off work again, with my IBS, however I have been told that when I return I will be going into a disciplinary hearing regarding the level of my attendance. I have kept my employer full informed due the full period of the both the investigations and subsequent absences. I don’t know what I would do if I lost my job as well as having IBS, I believe that this new twist is causing me to become extremely depressed, or more than normal at least, with the thought of after 7 years with the same company they can just throw you out the door for something that is out of my control.

I would appreciate any advice that anybody can give me on either ways I can stay in my current job or how other people with IBS manage working with IBS.

Thanks for reading this I have to say actually sitting down and writing it has made me feel a little better.

0 likes, 21 replies

21 Replies

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  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    I doubt theyll sack you if you make noises about it being no different than any other disability :D
  • mookiemoomoo
    mookiemoomoo

    Posted

    it is very hard i know i have suffered for 5 years among other things i have but never had to have time off work with it you must go back to doctors . all i get with it is bloated tummy and trapped wind ect but i was prescribed mintex that i take before i eat . do you take it it does help good luck its crap but you gotta stay positive
  • sagewizard
    sagewizard

    Posted

    Thank you Dr_Spook and Mookiemoomoo for you kind words of encouragement, although I am trying to keep positive about this I am not holding out much hope, after speaking to a representative from CAB they said as long as my employer follows the correct disaplinary procedure there would be nothing that I could do, but lets hope that on this occasion they are wrong.

    Yes Mookiemoomoo I do take Mintec as well as Fybogel, Buscapan, Tramadol, Colofac MR and Prozac all on a daily basis, so as you can see my doctor has covered all bases with medication, but when it gets really bad none of these help, which is one of the reasons why I end up off work. The strange thing is until 2½ years ago I would not even take a tablet for a headache and look at me now.

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    The CAB bod is probably right but I was under the impression its verging on employment law illegal to sack you for such a weak reason, youll be able to take them to the employment tribunal smile
  • mookiemoomoo
    mookiemoomoo

    Posted

    could the tramadol be making things worse my doc as just put me on them and i dont feel good with my ibs at the moment could they be a link , i dont know but its not good feeling like this i know keep your chin up mate .
  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Dont worry your managers will have their day with something unpleasant out of these Forums its only a matter of time :lol:
  • sagewizard
    sagewizard

    Posted

    Hi Guys,

    I thought I would just give you a quick up date, I did return to work and met with my current manager and our HR department, the overall result was they were looking into what options they can offer me, but have already told me that this could take up to 6 months, even thought my doctors has sent them a letter sugguesting that they look at letting me work from home. I have also been given a written warning and moved from my current team to a new team with a new manager who has been there 2 weeks and comes from a call centre back ground. Also the stress of all these meetings has caused my IBS to flare up again, so my doctors has signed me off work again.

    Thanks for the support and giving me somewhere to vent my annoyances

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Thanks for the update, no problem smile
  • ginantonic16
    ginantonic16

    Posted

    Sorry to hear about your problems, but has anyone told you that Tramadol actually causes constipation? Why are you on so many tablets, as at least 2 of them do the same thing anyway? I would go and see a different doctor, in fact, I would hold out for a consultation at your local hospital, as your medications are all over the place. Has anyone suggested you keep a food diary? As for the work situation, it sounds like you are doing the best thing, but, as you know, cutting down on the stress is a huge part of controlling IBS.

    And symptoms of IBS are similar to other complaints, and is commonly diagnosed wrongly, so I think a full hospital investigation is the first thing to sort out. Good luck with it, and please keep us posted. smile

  • suzanne
    suzanne

    Posted

    Hi I am sorry to hear about your work situation, I think you are right to be upfront and tell your employer about your medical condition and the fact that it flares up at times. Tell them that you enjoy working for the company and it gives you a purpose and that you will always give 100% even though you may spend more time in the loo. I used to work in a shop and told my employer and work colleagues about my dicky tummy some did not understand but others were tollerant and helpfull if I had to dash. I work for my family now and dont know how I could work for another company as my condition has got worse and is unpredictable. I also sugest you contact the gut trust, formerly the ibs network, you can ring them after 10pm in the day its a busy phone keep trying, they can always find some one to ring you back and help you. The quarterly magazine is a great comfort to me, knowing i an not alone is a comfort. You generally know your own symptoms so if you had people around you that were aware and tollerant and a nearby loo, you may be able to spend more time in the office even when you are having a flare up. I would suggest this to them. I hope this helps, and try to stay positive.
  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hiya,

    Sorry to hear about the problem you are having and I know stressful situations make matters worse. I have been keeping a weekly diary and I know that bread, dairy produts, fizzy drink and chocolate make my problems alot worse.

    Why don't you just go back to work and spend you full day in the loo, I know it would be hard but it would be worth it.

    Good Luck

  • glentheplumber
    glentheplumber

    Posted

    hi there your story is carbon copy of my own,please read my post dated 25th april 2008 titled ibs and food introlerance good luck glen
  • Diane_G
    Diane_G

    Posted

    [quote:1e890f5b4f=\"Anonymous\"]Hiya,

    Sorry to hear about the problem you are having and I know stressful situations make matters worse. I have been keeping a weekly diary and I know that bread, dairy produts, fizzy drink and chocolate make my problems alot worse.

    Why don't you just go back to work and spend you full day in the loo, I know it would be hard but it would be worth it.

    Good Luck[/quote:1e890f5b4f]

    Interesting your point about chocolate because recently I've been hormonal and eating lots of chocolate and feeling really bad with IBS - thanks for that. Any ideas on a substitute for chocolate to cure the sugar cravings?!

  • ginantonic16
    ginantonic16

    Posted

    smile Dried cranberries sort of work as a substitute for me, but, hey, NOTHING replaces chocolate..... :oops:
  • sagewizard
    sagewizard

    Posted

    Well hello again

    It is just over 6 months since I last posted and it's nice to see that my posting has had as many responses. I thought I would give you all an up date of what has happen over the last 6 months.

    Well I have been back to the doctor's on many occasions and was sent to see a consultant to have even more tests done with the out come being they have taken me off Mintec and doubled the dosage of everything else, I am now on 40mg of Procaz(Fluoxetine) twice a day 100mg of Tranadol twice a day 400mg of Colofac MR twice a day and 30mg of Buscapan twice a day. Has this sorted it I hear you say, well you guessed it [b:67dbedb1ec]NO[/b:67dbedb1ec] :evil: , but it has turned me into a zombie with IBS.

    On the work front well nothings changed, well that's a lie I have had 3 different managers since the last time I posted, the company is still ignoring my doctors request to allow me to work from home, but I am so tired these days I don't have the energy to challenge them anymore.

    It was nice to read all your sugguestions and they are greatly appreacited, however I have already tried most of these, glentheplumber's sugguestion is a new one so I might give that a go.

    Wish you all well and hope you symptons are as mild a possible for as long as possible

    :cry: :cry: :cry:

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