Ibs

suzy253, RN · Jul 21, 2004

I too have suffered from IBS from 10+ years.

I was put on Paxil for a generalized anxiety disorder....one of those drugs that will also work on other things as they later find out. When I moved and sought out a new GI doctor, she was pleased to see that I was on Paxil because it helps IBS. I must say, I haven't had any problems in years

Deb123j · Jul 21, 2004

I too have suffered from IBS from 10+ years.
I was put on Paxil for a generalized anxiety disorder....one of those drugs that will also work on other things as they later find out. When I moved and sought out a new GI doctor, she was pleased to see that I was on Paxil because it helps IBS. I must say, I haven't had any problems in years

I assume you take it once a day? Is it very expensive?

That irritates me - because my dr (who specializes in intestinal problems - IBS being a big one that he deals with) said that there isn't anything out there other than immodium or anti-gas pills, that are over the counter. I wonder why he doesn't know about Paxil???

ArwenAngel · Jul 21, 2004

I have also suffered from IBS for about 12 years....It's awful!!.....The first suggestion I have (if you haven't already done this) is to get a second opinion (Your GI Dr sounds like he's been livin' under a rock somewhere) .....You should be tested for ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Celiac Sprue, they even did allergy testing on me, just to be sure that its not something other than IBS.....There are MANY meds out there for IBS, I've personally tried many, such as Bentyl, Pamelor, Paxil, Prozac, LevBID, Levsinex, and there are more that I'm probably forgetting.....The Bentyl seems to work best for me, and its a prn med so you don't have to take meds every day if you don't want to........Anyway, hang in there and you will find what works for you, you may want to get a second opinion if your current Dr isn't willing to help you out.......I hope this helps!!

redshiloh · Jul 21, 2004

Why in the world is the MD not treating you for pain? IBS is a miserable pain. When I started the Zelnorm (for the constipation kind) my back pain went away which shocked me cause I had no idea colon pain referred there.

Please get a second and maybe third opinion.

Remember as nurses, WE wouldn't allow a patient to undergo this kind of pain.

ArwenAngel · Jul 21, 2004

Why in the world is the MD not treating you for pain? IBS is a miserable pain. When I started the Zelnorm (for the constipation kind) my back pain went away which shocked me cause I had no idea colon pain referred there.
Please get a second and maybe third opinion.
Remember as nurses, WE wouldn't allow a patient to undergo this kind of pain.

Isn't it odd how we nurses are sooooo good at advocating for our patients but usually not for ourselves.....We're taught to be "super-human" and not get sick...Unfortunately we are in fact only human.

laughingfairy · Jul 21, 2004

okay this may seem like quackery, but I hated the side effects of Bentyl so I tried some off the wall stuff.

A) reduce stress- that was a definete trigger for me.

B) avoid high fat foods (keep the diet under 60 gm/day)

C) add lots of fiber to my diet

Now this last one may sound counter intuitive but for it added bulk and therefor slowed everything down.

By slowing everything down the spasms that caused my pain were under control

4) Sassafrass tea- now i know its not available commurcially but it really helps me.

I've been pretty controlled for about 8 years this way, with only an occasional problem, until recently when I started haveing gallbladder problems.

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 21, 2004

Why don't you want to take Immodium? (Your post just says you don't want to... but you didn't say why.) If it works for your aunt, it might work for you. I have had IBS forever as have other members of my family. We all take Immodium with no side effects that any of us have noticed. It's easy to obtain (over the counter) ... the generic version is cheap compared to most perscription drugs, certainly worth it in light of the amount of pain you describe ... it works for the majority of people ... and it has an almost non-existent incidence of significant side effects. So, why not take it? Have you experienced some unusual side effect? Have you tried using it consistently for a while and found it ineffective in your case?

Perhaps your doctor doesn't want to try you on more expensive, less common medications because they are more expensive and have a higher incidence of side effects -- at least not until you have given the cheap, common drug a good try.

I've learned over the years to predict when I'll "be bad" and when I won't. I also know which foods are most likely to cause problems and usually manage to avoid them. So, I only take it when I think I may need it -- and whenever I travel. If I waited until I had symptoms, it would be too late -- so, I take just 1 tablet for prevention whenever I am in a high-risk situation.

llg

NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2004

I went in and out of the ER a few times and all my MD said was that I needed to lose weight. :angryfire When I went to make an appt. after the last ER trip they only had an opening for the PA that day. Talk about someone looking out for me. She is a Godsend. :saint: She too is an IBS sufferer. After she ran a bunch of tests (lower Gi, colonoscopy, ultrasound) to rule out anything else, she dx IBS. In the meantime, she put me on Bentyl PRN, Prevacid (we also found out that I have GERD) and Paxil. It has been great. Every few months I may get very mild diarrhea (if stress levels skyrocket), but nothing more than a Bentyl and tablespoon of Pepto Bismol won't cure in half an hour. I have not had insurance for awhile and boy can my body tell. Hubby and I both started working part time so you know where I'm going as soon as I get $50 together. Once I'm able to get there she'll fill me with a shopping bag of samples. The only thing I'll have to fill at the pharmacy is the Bentyl, but it's available in an inexpensive generic. I think it is $17 or $18 for sixty to seventy-five pills. They're used PRN so they usually last awhile. I would definately change doctors ASAP. Yours does not even want to find out if there is any other way to treat you. Hang in there. Please PM me and I can give you her name if you're in the area. If not, she may be able to refer you to someone in your area.

P.S. I don't know if you have tried this, but to tide me over until I can get meds again, I often use a heating pad on my lower abdomen and try to sleep for an hour. That usually gets me feeling semi-human and able to at least function at 75%. (Only use one with an auto shut-off switch though.:) ) Heating pad alone will get me to about 60%, but it will do in a pinch.

Bekahlynn · Jul 21, 2004

One of the nurses I work with who has IBS swears by eating yogurt once a day.

ArwenAngel · Jul 21, 2004

okay this may seem like quackery, but I hated the side effects of Bentyl so I tried some off the wall stuff.
A) reduce stress- that was a definete trigger for me.
B) avoid high fat foods (keep the diet under 60 gm/day)
C) add lots of fiber to my diet
Now this last one may sound counter intuitive but for it added bulk and therefor slowed everything down.
By slowing everything down the spasms that caused my pain were under control
4) Sassafrass tea- now i know its not available commurcially but it really helps me.
Just curious, but what kind of side effects did you get from the Bentyl?
and you're right, added fiber can REALLY help, and the heating pad to the abd that somebody mentioned is a definite help also.:)

RNKITTY04 · Jul 21, 2004

Effexor has almost eliminated my IBS/diarrhea completely. Only when I am under extreme stress does it rear its ugly head back in my life and it is very brief.