Panic symptoms before bowel movement

when I weighted 100 lbs more than I do now and was eating brown rice and olive oil everyday with fish and chicken and drinking lots of coffee - I would have a huge carefree bowel movement each morning - with a nice feeling that everything was okay with bowels - then I lost the 100 lbs and went vegan and now I get constipated - and I get the panic attack prior to the bowel movements - about two years ago - there was blood - for an extra good panic attack - went to emergency room - and they said Diverticulitus - and since then, no medical person seemed to think that was a big deal since I am old man (I started taking wild yam for that) - but surprise it is a big deal to me and my daily life. -- others have mentioned the vagus nerve already - and I find if I am going and I can do the deep breathing and vibration for the vagus nerve - it does help - by way of taking my mind off the eliminaton itself - and restoring most of the calmness - still stressed but once I go things get back to managable level - however some days after not going for a day or two and perhaps different types of food - I have to go like three times - so its a process I had the colonscopy last year and it was clear but have since read that stuff can be going on inside the wall and not picked up by the colonscopy. I end up not wanting to eat anything - the only thing I can eat without pain is sardines in olive oil - and that has been breakfast for about 8 years now - I think a lot of us that have posted here are on the same page - and you would think there would be more to be found on the internet regarding what causes this condition - maybe its a whole new thing and its just easier for most people to try to fit into something that already has a name. some days I don't even want to eat - which is not good for blood sugar and if your diabetic - long before the pandemic struck this thing we are talking about led to me staying at home or around town - when really I use to love to travel - when this first started to happen I thought it was a blood sugar thing so I would eat a spoonful of honey - and it took awhile to learn that low blood sugar at that moment was part of the problem - so I try to stay aware of that now and get some sugar in me and hope for the best - and drinking lots of water when I can remember to seems to help the constipation - no caffeine but I do the dark chocolate above 82 or so coco - thats the only stimulent - hibicus and hawthorn tea and plain water - thats it. to the original poster --- It sure wears you out having to deal with this - your not alone. ya sure I take the magnesium everyday and large amounts of vit C and these things are suppose to give you easy bowel flow - but not in my case. I really try to not think about it until its there. but since its there all the time -- and the thing is I am on prescribed klon - daily - and even that which keeps me maintained cannot contain the pre panic to bowel movement deal.

i am so relieved to see im not the only person with this mine started a month ago two weeks after my first pfizer vaccine. Its caused a lot of anxiety in me in general but it builds and is particularly bad right before a bowel movement afterwards the anxiety subsides for awhile. I've never had anything like this before in my life. My immune system has been on definite overdrive since the vaccine. I'm in constant fight or flight and body thinks food is the enemy it seems like. Any one with any more insight on this would be greatly appreciated.

i am so relieved to see im not the only person with this mine started a month ago two weeks after my first pfizer vaccine. Its caused a lot of anxiety in me in general but it builds and is particularly bad right before a bowel movement afterwards the anxiety subsides for awhile. I've never had anything like this before in my life. My immune system has been on definite overdrive since the vaccine. I'm in constant fight or flight and body thinks food is the enemy it seems like. Any one with any more insight on this would be greatly appreciated.

I've been experiencing this for over a year now. It actually just happened to me and I googled it for the first time. I'm used to having panic attacks or just generalized anxiety but this is different. It's right before a BM. I was feeling good when I woke up, was trying to study then boom, it started. I had difficulty breathing, my heart was racing, I felt overwhelmed with a feeling I can't even describe. Then I felt like I had to go to the bathroom. This never happens to me when I feel anxious or have a panic attack. It's the other way around, it feels like it's the BM that triggers that weird anxiety.

sasical72,

I'm so grateful to read your post, even though it was written many months ago. I too have been experiencing panic symptoms before having BM. I've worked with several acupuncturists, GI specialists and PCP's, all of whom have dismissed these symptoms. It really is awful to have such a severe thing happening and not receive the support that's needed! There's so much ignorance and lack of compassion in the medical world.

Over time, I've noticed that the panic happens due to a sluggishness in my GI tract that makes my nerves freak out. I feel it's my body's way of letting me know, "I've been trying to let you know I have to have a bowel movement for a while, but now I really, really really have to go!"

There's something called neurogenic bowel, where a person has a tough time knowing whether they have to go have BM. I found this through my own deep searching, not from a doctor. I think this is what causes the panic.

Sources of improvement, for me, have been:

• Chinese Cupping: glass cups, warm them with fire, then place them on the skin of my legs. Apply sesame oil to any area you're going to put the cup on. Just 2 cups is enough to trigger more frequent bowel movements (for me, anyway).

• Magnesium supplements: they soften stool so it can pass more quickly.

• Warm baths (or foot soaks) with lemon juice and epsom salt.

• A gentle diet of light grains (e.g. quinoa), light protein (e.g. ground turkey) and simple meals in general. No excessive soda, coffee or sweets.

• Eat in a slow, gentle, nourishishing way, so that your bowels have a chance to calmly assimilate the food.

• If you haven't had a BM in a while, try to trigger having one so you don't have to wait until you're panicky to let go of the stool.

I really hope his helps someone who's been struggling with this awful situation. If you happen to know other solutions, please let me know.

PeachySunset

I am so relieved to hear that you and others experience extreme anxiety before a bowel movement! I have tried to find info about it or hear that others experience it, but haven't until reading your message. My gastroenterologist and other docs dismiss it, which is frustrating, because I want to find a solution. This has been going on for many years. I wonder if it has something to do with nerve damage. I'm sorry to hear that you have this problem, because it feels awful. I am experiencing it now.

Hi sasical72,

Found your discussion through Google while searching for my own symptoms. Usually a couple of seconds before it happens I feel a sinking/falling sensation in my stomach bowels and right after that my heart starts beating much faster out of nowhere and a totally horrible feeling of impending doom comes over me. While it is happening everything seems unreal, even being near family/close friends won't calm it down, my mind is completely occupied and I feel as if somebody secretly injected me with a shot of adrenaline. It seems to last an eternity but I'm guessing it starts waning off after a minute or 2 and then I feel the need to use the bathroom and the adrenaline starts leaving my body. Sometimes, but not every time, my arms and legs are shivering uncontrollably as if this rush of adrenaline needs to find its way out.

To the casual reader it might sound like a panic attack, but after having talked to close friends who have confided in me that they suffered from them, they are totally not the same. In fact I don't think I ever had one as I am generally not a panicky person. I used to be a fit and strong 210lbs 6'4 man but ever since my IBS started back in 2013 (diagnosed in 2018) I have withered down to 180lbs and feeling like crap and anxious all the time. There's definitely something wrong with my gut but according to my GP and Gastro I'm totally fine. Mind you that the symptoms I described above manifested themselves after I was diagnosed. I haven't gone back yet because I have yet to find a way to describe it without them probably brushing it of as being a panic attack or hypochondria.

I have tried every diet known to man and all probiotics, minerals & vitamins. (all tests come back as normal levels anyway...) I cut out gluten, tried the FODMAP diet, nothing seems to work.

Hopefully this story resonates with you and we can find some common causes/symptoms here to get to the bottom of it.