Hi there For a couple of years now I have been having a very strange happen to me, it used to happen occasionally but now it is every time I go for a bowel movement. I will be happily going about my business or working or whatever when suddenly out of the blue I get this horrible feeling which is hard to describe, like a sinking feeling or impending doom. My fingers go tingly, I have difficulty breathing, shaky, fast heart rate...and then I need a bowel movement immediately. If I go I start to feel better after while, if for whatever reason I can't go right away it feels as if I will die. anybody else with anything similar?
It sounds like a panic attack and stress can cause your bowel to over react. Try meditation or relaxation therapy.
I can so relate,whenever I get stressed or anxious,this can cause an IBS flare,which for me is often. I usually get very bloated and can't go or I can an get diareaha very quickly.
Thanks for replying but it's the other way round when I need a bm then I get panicky.
You will need to get some therapy for this. However, when you get a panic attack before your bowel movement, the stress of it can still upset your bowel . The gut brain axis is very strong and what you feel in your mind, can have an impact on your intestines. Even if the panic attacks are not aggravating your bowel at the moment, over time the cumulative effect of your mental distress could irritate it.
Hey Sasical72
You posted a while ago so you may not see this reply, but I get this too. It is NOT a panic attack or anxiety, it's a feeling one gets ONLY when a bowel movement needed and the relief is immediate after the BM, and on one goes with normal life. I get a feeling of 'doom', it is very hard to describe. I'm pretty sure you don't need therapy for it... Ive had for many years, it's been investigated with no cause found. I'm very used to it now as I've realised there's nothing sinister to be concerned about.
Thst's it exactly Anne29409, only before a BM and it is like a feeling of doom as you say, I call it a sinking feeling because I don't know how to explain it. I'm going to try to pm you to ask what tests you have had and if you have any ideas as to why it might happen. Thank you!!
I experience this exact feeling. But I remember a past incident that I believe triggers this reaction? I was driving and didn't have access to a bathroom. The panic was so severe I felt like I was going to faint and crash and just die. When I finally reached a gas station it was all a blur. After the bowel movement I felt a lot better but the panic stayed with me. Worrying so much about it and experiencing it over and over has created an unhealthy relationship with my mind and gut. I have been doing yoga and meditation to connect with my body better. I've been reading and learning a lot about the vagus nerve which I think plays a big role in my panic with using the bathroom.
possibility of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Panic attacks and dyspepsia(indigestion).
Consult a gastroenterologist for proper diagnosis and treatment.
*they sound like panic attacks. you need to recognise the signs then slow your heart rate down and quickly. once you do this your symptoms may stop. you need to work out what else is scaring you.
hey .. i have the same thing happen to me...you are not alone...even one just happened last night...where i started to feel kind of off first...then i had to go to the bathroom....but the anxiety was kicking in a little bit before and after...my doom feeling came .and my heart was a little up and down...its scary ...but after i finished my bowel movement...it subsided.....i hate that feeling so very much... it scares me sometimes… And also wakes me up in the middle of the night… But I don’t always have a bowel movement for those
I disagree with the poster that said anxiety. Have you had a thorough parasite testing?
Hi Anne I have just had the standard tests, I will look into where I can get thorough parasite testing. Thank you for the suggestion
I have the same thing, such a horrible scary feeling! Have you found out or been told of any way to relieve/get rid of it? thanks
I have had this for about two years, on and off. It is generally more prone to happen when I am stressed, but it truly feels like the need for a BM is what generates the panic feeling and then it goes away as soon as I use the bathroom. I'm used to it now.
When I was researching a while ago about this I came across something that said it was possibly caused by the Vagus nerve--something to look into for people who are interested.
Thank you for your reply. Vagus nerve is something that keeps appearing when I ask, but I don't know why now? or what I can do about it...I have just been put on betablockers because the severe tachy was making my life miserable. If I only had one bowel movement a day that could be bearable, but I go an average of 3 (so sometimes 1, sometimes 5 or 6)
Hello, While searching my symptoms, I found this forum, let me share my experience. Some weeks ago my doctor ordered calprotectin test to rule out IBD. He was extremely sure that I didn't have it and fortunately he was right. However when doing tests, I also prefer to get checked for the basic stuff like blood and parasites. Well as it turned out, I had cysts of E. Histolytica, my doctor send me some metronidazole to begin the purge and told me that this may be the source of my pain. I experience exactly what you describe before and after a bowel movement, plus a damn chest pain that lasts for a while.
My psychiatrist, told me that I needed to identify things that make me calm (place, odor, taste), which I'm still working on. Still, she decided to send me some gabapentin in case of a severe panic attack, because I had some bad thoughts about injuring myself to avoid IBS or colon pain (makes no sense I know). I'm still doubtful about taking gabapentin, since I saw it can cause sleepiness and if I get sleep at random hours I feel more anxious because I feel guilty about not doing anything.
Anyway, I still have to complete the metronidazole course to see how I feel afterwards.
But today I felt a little relief after 3 of 10 days of treatment, hopefully it should go away entirely, but some pain or doom sense still remains after a bowel movement. I found out that taking half a pill of hydroxyzine (prescribed of course by my doctor) , helped me, I don't feel that much sleepy and it let me complete my tasks properly, but it also helps knowing that gabapentin is there for me as a safe base.
hi sasical, i think i've commented on here before but i'll try again but a panic attack will make you HYPERVENTILATE (in other words breathe too quickly), with a paper NOT plastic bag, breathe in to it. if you are still getting this though i would be terribly worried! you should not have these now? did nobody give you any support with this?
Hi, nope, still going for tests, trying diets, different kinds of probiotics, unfortunately with no success yet. Will inform if I ever have any success with anything. And please anybody who finds an answer or a solution please let us know.
this is exactly what ive been experiencing for the past 2 months. i have crohns disease but i dont think its related as this just started out of nowhere and i have had Crohn's 22 years
i described it to someone and they said its a Vagus Nerve response/reflex to bowel movements.
it's not every time i need to poop but when it does i really feel like I'm about to die like a heart attack or panic attack. it's terrifying. i haven't found a solution yet