How Do You Handle Traveling and Anxiety/sickness??

I have had IBS for 15 years and didn't want to admit how much anxiety played into it until about 7 years ago. I found out that when I took a sedative I didn't have IBS problems!! Lightbulb moment for me. So since then I always carry Lomotil (anti-diarrheal-prescription-cheaper and better than immodium) and valium (very small dose-doesn't even make me sleepy). As long as I take these far enough in advance I do pretty well. If I'm not driving, I can take more if needed :) BUT Something that I discovered recently is--gluten makes me anxious and gives me IBS problems!!!! I went on a gluten-free diet for about 4 months and my IBS completely cleared up!!! NO anxiety either. I fell off the wagon about a month ago (vacations and company and sheer craziness around here) and have gone right back to my IBS woes. I am hopping back on the gluten-free train now and looking forward to feeling better. Also, fyi I did not test positive for celiac or food allergies--just can't tolerate it I guess.
Hope you find some relief. Yoga and regular exercise helps a lot as well as oatmeal in the mornings (not instant).

My husband has anxiety and it really flares up when he has to go somewhere that he doesn't want to, is unfamilar with, had a previous bad experience there, feels he is trapped etc. Sometimes he is totally fine and you would never know, other times things trigger his anxiety. He avoids spicy foods whenever we are planning on going anywhere, caffeine/soda also triggers his anxiety at times. He also suffers from acid reflux which seems to cause the anxiety. If you know what your triggers are, avoid those before your trip. Try to think positive and push through it for your kids. He makes an effort for me because I love to travel and be on the go. He travels for work and when he gets home is ready to stay home. He pushes through for work and for me and he has come a long way. It does get easier with time or at least it has for him. He does take medicine and he will occasionally have an anxiety attack but, so less frequent than in the past-that I had temporarily forgotten. He was having one a few weeks ago and I just thought he was in a bad mood. Hang in there and best of luck to you!

I have IBS too and stress of course, not necessarily from traveling but just basically all the extra stuff that comes along with it! Of course you are scrambled for time, but my best relief has come from working out (hard if you can), yoga, and just walking and listening to music. Foodwise, try not to eat anything that triggers your IBS, go with real bland, easy stuff. That won't necessarily stop the IBS issues, but at least you'll be minimizing it as much as you can. Just try to take time out to relax and do something for yourself. And remember, this is supposed to be fun! Good luck, have a great time!

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I have seen Emotional Freedom Techniques work wonders for many of my clients. It is helpful to find a trained therapist who can teach it to you, but it is possible to learn it from materials you can find online. Searching on Google or YouTube should allow you to view a number of explanations and examples of how to use this technique to reduce or eliminate anxieties and even physical problems.

Good Luck and bon voyage!

Are you talking about airline travel, or car travel? Airline travel anxiety is very normal and a lot of people find relief with dramamine (sp?), the pressure point wristbands and self-hypnosis all of which are good for controlling the anxiety and the motion-sickness. If it's car travel you're having a problem with, that is a little more uncommon. Maybe it's more a "comfort zone" issue, like social anxiety disorder. Maybe you're just not comfortable being away from home, period. Maybe you are just uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, which is normal, but you can't let it eat you alive and keep you from living your life. You might want to talk to your doctor and get a referral to a psychologist/psychiatrist to see if you can get to the root of what makes you so uncomfortable about traveling.

If it's the unfamiliar surroundings thing, then my best advice is to force yourself to get out there and do it more often. The more you do it, the more comfortable with it you will become. Make sure you take lots of pics and even keep a journal of all of the fun stuff you have taken your kids to do. You can look back through it to keep yourself motivated. Going into DC with my two kids used to terrify me, but I found little tricks and ways to make it work and now we go to the Smithsonian whenever they have an interesting new exhibit. We've also gone to watch Night At the Museum, Battle of the Smitsonian in their IMAX theater which was awesome. Anyways, my point is that you just need to get out there and get started. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

As for the IBS, is there anything you can get from your doctor to combat the symptoms of that. I know that traveling, even an hour or two away from home, can be very difficult if you are having stomach issues. I'm sure that's a large part of the problem. If you can, keep a food diary so you can pinpoint which foods exacerbate your condition and then plan your trips and avoid those foods for the last two days before you go and for the whole time you're gone. For me, anything high in fiber sets me on fire. If I can avoid those foods, my belly is a lot happier.

I hope you find some resolution for this problem soon. :)

Fortunately I take medicine for anxiety. However, there are things you can take such as Valerian Root. It helps calm nerves. You may want to begin taking it a few days before the trip. But just don't take it as a supplement long term.
Also you can put rubber bands around your wrist. If you start to get anxious, snap them and it will bring you back to your senses. You can try chewing gum as well. Maybe some bubble gum so you can pop bubbles.
Are you driving? If not, maybe you can call a few friends while traveling or play a hand held game the whole way.
I also used to deal with anxiety on a high level where I could not even leave my own house. I take Celexa for anxiety and it has helped me tremendously. I now drive and do things I never once could... and I haven't had a panic attack in several years.
Just try to relax and enjoy the scenery and your kids. Try deep breathing as well as the things I listed. And most importantly, do not allow your children to see you anxious. They need to grow up healthy and happy and with great memories of their Mom.
Good Luck!

I ditto the person who said Xanax, only for me it is Valium. Half the time, I didn't even take it, just knowing I had it in my purse was enough, and when I did get panicky and need it, it worked quickly. A small dose will take the edge off, but not be too much to impair you so you can't deal with your kids. I have also had wonderful success managing my IBS by taking buproprion (Wellbutrin). I do practice yoga, I find deep breathing to be helpful, and I try to be a more relaxed person in general, but honestly, those were not enough. Identifying trigger foods never worked, since when my stomach was bad, just eating seemed to be a trigger. Getting on the meds honestly changed my life. I had tried pretty much everything else. Here's a link to why it supposedly works; if you google buproprion IBS, you'll find more. Good luck!
http://www.med.unc.edu/medicine/fgidc/antidepressants.pdf

I have similar issues also I get nervous when I travel and I have to go to the bathroom alot. I will take a Xanax if I feel like I am going to be anxious and it seems to help me alot. I am not sure if there are new things out there now that might be just as good but I have had Xanax on hand for years and just take it when I am traveling or if I am just really nervous about something. Hopefully you can find something that will work for you.

Doing lots of planning ahead helps to relieve a lot of the stress. That way I know what to expect, the less surprises the better. Don't try driving during rush hour, pack snacks and beverages so if the kids get hungry you don't have to listen to the whinning and complaining, make sure the kids have something to do in the car. Pack days in advance so you don't forget anything.

Learn about your desinattion area. For example, know what time the zoo opens and closes, get a map of the park, know the times for the shows.

Another thought is you may want to talk to your doctor. He may be able to recommend some medications that may help.

Good luck