vent

[navemj]

o.k. i am not sure if this is the thread to vent, but i just need to. i am so depressed. i stay depressed alot, but this is different. having ic is so hard, but on top of that i am now highly allergic to any perfumes or chemicals. any smells burn my sinuses and cause migrains. my boss came in the other day with perfume on and i have been sick for two days with non stop nasal burn and headache. i emailed her which i pray she will understand and not get mad. i asked her not to wear any perfume anymore. God has healed me in the past with the headaches and nasal burn. i just pray he completly heals me of being allergic to perfume and smells. i don't even want to go out of the house anymore. having ic is bad enough. i have been told by the doctors i have ibs. i am going tuesday for a colonoscopy to make sure that is what is causing all my stomach pain. sometimes i just want to lay in bed all day and not get up. the doctor put me on elavil 10 mg, but it is making me feel like a zombie. i cut it back to 5 mg. i hope the symptoms go away soon. i am going to try to find a christian counselor to talk to. it gets so hard every day trying to figure out what to eat and worrying what perfumes i will be around. i don't even care about doing anyhthing anymore. my family is great, but they can't help me. i didn't go to the july 4 family picnic because i am on a low residue diet for the colonoscopy so i couldnt' eat any of the food. plus the ic diet keeps me from enjoying alot of things. my sister had the nerve to tell me she was glad i didn't come since i was in a bad mood and basicly feeling sorry for myself. she didn't say those exact words, but i know what she meant. people have no idea what we all with ic go through. just one day in our shoes would make them more compassionate. i want to help others with ic not just sit around and feel sorry for myself! anyway, thanks for letting me vent. i know God is going to work everything out he always does. Does anyone else just feel like they are living in a daze. not really able to make any plans or dream big dreams? it is like I am a zombie living this life day by day?
Maryann

[SharonA]

I am so sorry that you are having such a difficult time of it. It must be horrible to have such a bad reaction to odors. They are everywhere. Have you been tested for allergies or are you going by the symptoms you described when you said that you are highly allergic to any perfumes or chemicals? Whatever the reason for these symptoms, I hope they go away quickly.

I really am glad you are reaching out to a counselor to help you deal with everything you are feeling. It can be so much help to talk with someone one-on-one.

Social gatherings are so important to our sense of well being. We all need interaction with people. I do understand why you chose not to attend the picnic, but I do hope you will not let IC, or any other medical problem, interfere with social outings just because you can't eat certain food.
Whenever I am placed in a situation like that, I eat before I go. That way, if I see there is nothing I can eat without worrying it might cause problems, I am still able to enjoy the outing. A group of friends gathered together at an Italian Restaurant a few weeks ago. As a matter of course, most foods at Italian places are loaded with garlic. I can not eat garlic because of stomach issues. Therefore, I did eat before I went and still had the pleasure of everyone's company.

I hope things improve for you soon. (((Hugs)))

[Tuckersmom]

I am also allergic to perfumes and perfumed cleaners, etc. Sometimes I actually have to move to a different pew in church if someone sits near me wearing frangrance. My daughter, son-in-law, and 3-year-old grandson suffer when exposed to perfume, too. It actually has given my grandson asthma attacks twice, and put him in the hospital.

If people only realized how many of us suffer when they load up on perfume, maybe they would be more considerate and at least wear less of it. It is a serious health issue for lots of folks.

[ICNDonna]

I have stopped wearing perfumes entirely. I have two family members who are sensitive to smells.

Donna

[Tuckersmom]

I applaud you, Donna!!! I'm sure your thoughtfulness is a blessing to your family.:angel:

[navemj]

Thanks for all the replies. it makes me feel good that i am not the only one. cutting back to 5mg on the elavil has made a difference. hopefully i can get into a counselor soon, but i know God will help me all through this. you all are such a blessing to me
maryann