Young Sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Daily Dealings Young Adults Have with the Disorder
Sep 30, 2009
Just ask aspiring television writer Robyn Witt. Ever since she was 6 years old, this now 19-year-old student remembers the pain that rushed through her abdomen, causing her to lie in fetal position until the pain went away, or she fell asleep.
Now, the pain is so intense for Robyn, she can't attend an average college or is able to obtain a job.
International student Blake, 24, began her study abroad experience five years ago in the worst possible way: leaving a party early because her intestines felt inflamed and squeezed. Whereas she now has some control over her symptoms, IBS has left a mark on Blake’s university life.
Young adults seem to suffer greatly with gastrointestinal disorders, such as IBS, Crohn's Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disorders. But with IBS, onset of the suffering never has a key beginning, with some having inklings at an early age, while others' symptoms pop up after an exciting and life-changing event.
Foiled Life Plans, Too Many Tests
Those under 12 years old aren't normally diagnosed with IBS that young, which may be why most teens and young adults seem so sidelined by an unusual GI tract disorder. It couldn’t come at a worse time: Most people prepare for the rest of their lives at this stage, which includes education, activities and social networking.
How can someone try to be “normal” in front of everyone when something mysterious feels like it is attacking her body?
About nine years ago, Lucy Rigley traveled to London from her native York to begin a new life and her first job in England’s big city. IBS stepped in during this seemingly happy time.
After several doctors’ visits, specialists’ visits and many blood and stool tests, Lucy was diagnosed with IBS and an intolerance to potatoes. For Lisa, her symptoms include stomach aches, cramps and a lot of diarrhea.
With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, constant testing can get frustrating, with each test usually coming back normal despite the pain. Also, each patient has different areas of pains, onsets of the pain and different reactions to food. There is a pattern with symptoms: pain and cramping in the GI tract, diarrhea, constipation or both (IBS-D, IBS-C, and IBS-A, respectively), negative reactions to certain foods, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.
Robyn’s main symptom is extreme stomach pain, which worsened through high school, causing her to go to the emergency room with the unbearable symptom. This visit was her official diagnosis, quick in comparison to some IBS sufferers. Also different is she does not have bathroom problems usually, which many of those with IBS might be jealous about.
Bathroom Dictatorship
IBS sufferers generally spend much time in the bathroom or worrying about not being able to find one. Ask Blake, whose entire life was dictated by the bathroom.
She would receive temporary relief after using the toilet, but most of the time she couldn’t “go” properly. “My intestines were working overtime, yet cramping up,” she said. Everything seemed to trigger the sudden urges to use the toilet when Blake was 19.
“The entire semester was spent with me spending long periods of time in the bathroom, being late for lectures ... or just trying to find a desk at the corner nearest to the door during tutorials near the door in case I had to leave,” she said.
Lucy said she hasn't lost any friends because most are understanding, but she doesn't go out as much as she used to or go on vacations where she worries that she needs a toilet a lot, such as camping or festivals. For her, feeling sick usually occurs in the morning.
"I avoid morning flights after a near accident on one when I wasn't allowed to go to the toilet. I hate flying now because of that!" Lucy said.
Effects of IBS on Future Plans
Robyn is in dire straits because of the current U.S. health care system.
The Huntington Beach, Calif., native cannot drive, attend traditional school or even perform simple tasks because of the intensity of pain.
"I lost my health insurance when I turned 18, but can’t find a job to earn the insurance due to the severe pain. I am running out of medication and have had to put my life on hold due to this illness," she said.
Robyn rations her medication, Donnatal, that gives her relief from the pain, and instead takes Hydrocodone (or Vicodin) and Tylenol. If the pain is too intense and the alternative medicines aren't working fully, she takes hot baths or sleeping pills, or both, until the pain subsides.
"I must save my medication for when and if it gets worse, or when I have to attend a mandatory event or function," she said.
Despite her IBS, Lucy has become a successful freelance Web designer, designing her own company. But, she said, she still feels the pressure to get a good job and have an active lifestyle, even more so since she has IBS.
"I compare myself to friends who are well and get jealous, which probably makes me worse!" she said.
Young adults with IBS struggle with wanting to be free-spirited and on the go, like many of those in their teens, 20s and 30s. The pain and constant side effects of IBS and gastrointestinal disorders prevents them from enjoying this type of lifestyle, even if everyone around them, including doctors, thinks they are lying.
To learn more about IBS and young adults, read how this mysterious disease affects many.
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