My IBS Changed The Way My Body Absorbed Medication

I’ve never been one to be open with others about things going on in my life, even with my own family. I always worry I will be a bother or sound like I am just complaining. I’ve always been this way. For me, keeping things to myself is just normal. I never ask for help if I can keep from it. Not that I don’t have people in my life I can go to for anything. I don’t want someone else to spend their time on me.

Mental health and IBS

Internalizing everything and just sitting with it alone was my way of life until recently. No matter what the situation, physical health, mental health, relationships, and everything else that could be something you would go to others for, whether it be advice or a listening ear, I did it alone. That is until I just couldn’t anymore. Doing this not only took a toll on my mental health but also on my gut as well.

Recently my life changed completely. I went through a breakup from an 11-year relationship, moved my daughter and me back into my childhood home, and became dependent on my sister for almost everything. The mental aspect of this was horrible. I felt useless. Asking for help almost broke me. This isn’t something I know how to do. Amy has always been there for me, but letting her step up to help me get myself into a better situation and accept her help was extremely hard for me.

I did it but fought it the entire time, knowing it was best for my daughter and me. At first, my IBS roared its face to ugly heights. So many flare-ups a day that it was hard to leave the bathroom. As time passed and I realized she was here to help because she wanted to and wasn’t obligated, I began to accept it more and just let it be. Seeing my daughter's face light up when her "Didda" (what Z has called her since she could talk) would take her to get school supplies or surprise her with a small gift helped me see it was okay.

My body stopped absorbing medication

I finally accepted it and knew this was what we needed. Physically, I have seen so much change that it is shocking. My IBS still hangs around and shows its face frequently, but other things have changed. Not only do I have IBS, but I also have Hashimoto's and deal with dumping syndrome as well. This has made it almost impossible to lose weight as my body tends to stay in a state of starvation, making anything my body digests and absorbs into fat.

In the last 10 years, my body stopped absorbing the medication I needed for my thyroid. This has kept my levels extraordinarily high and caused me to put on weight steadily. This has changed recently; at first, I was utterly unsure why.

Have you gone through something that has changed how your body behaves to medications? Did it change for the better or worse?