[Guest]

I thought I really knew my body! I have had IBS all of my life, and always had pain and discomfort, spasms, and diarrhea. Never changing symptoms. In the last 20 years of my life (I am now 52), I had not had a day without diarrhea or discomfort of some type, no matter what treatment or diet I was using. I have tried them all. After taking the lotronex for 4 months (2 pills a day), and being able to live a normal life (still some loose stools, but no urgency or pain of any type, also no spasms) I find that since going off of the medication, my body has changed. I have some discomfort, but nothing like before, fewer loose stools a day, but I have a feeling in my abdomen, that there is a large hard stool moving through my system, at all times. I feel much better than I did before taking the lotronex, and have no urgency at all. It is like I have done some healing inside, and my IBS has finally improved. Maybe I will be an IBS sufferer that has episodes now instead of having such a severe "case" of it. Has anyone else experienced changes since stopping the lotronex, from before taking it???? It is like I have to learn my body all over again. Strange.~Pat~

 

[jenjen]

it always amazes me how different we all are in spite of the condition we all share.i took lotronex for a few months and only stopped because of the recall. lotronex gave me relief for the first time in 20 years. i've had ibs since i was 12 and now i'm 32. when i went off the lotronex, my symptoms reappeared after only 2 or 3 days. they were the same as before. it really was depressing. now i'm feeling better - taking imodium daily, of all things. i wish i had tried it before! (my doc didnt tell me about it - told me to take citrucel!! yah!that stuff never gave me any "binding").so my experience was different than yours. i'm happy for you that somehow your symptoms have decreased. have you told this to your doctor? i'd be curious to see what she/he thinks of this. there is a slight concern in the back of my mind, created by the hooplah about ischemic colitis linked to lotronex - could what you're experiencing right now be a bad thing? i hate to sound even slightly pessimistic, and i certainly dont want to scare you or rain on your parade, but i think it would be a good idea to see your doctor and make sure you're "ok".-jen

 

[Guest]

I too have noticed a "slight" change in my ibs-d symptons since I stopped taking lotronex. I was on it for 6 mos and just stopped it last month due to the recall. I have only had 1 major attack since being off it, and no real horrible d. I have had TERRIBLE nausea however,almost every day, and this is something that I only had with an attack pre-lotronex. i still have at least 3-4 bm dailey, and they're VERY loose, but still better than pre-lotronex. and I still have the extreme urgency. It's strange though. I wonder if symptoms change periodically anyway though. Any thoughts?

 

[toylang]

after discontinuing Lotronex my IBS did not return so drastically. I've been off of Lotronex about 2 weeks now and my only symptoms are terrible gas and burning when I pass the gas. I'm having 3-4 bms a day, semi-loose. I posted before that I had a colonoscopy and had a large polyp removed just before starting Lotronex and I wondered if removing that polyp helped my IBS. Lotronex was my wonder drug and I wish I could return to normal but this isn't as bad as it used to be. JenJen - how many Immodium do you take and when?? thanks.

 

[jenjen]

toylang--i take 2 imodium Advanced (loperamide AND simethicone - antiD & anti Gas) chewable tablets per day. i've been doing this for about 3 weeks and this is the closest thing to lotronex for me. lotronex was better, but i'm pretty close to normal with the imodium, thankfully. -jenjen

 

[toylang]

jenjen - how do you space the two tablets? Before or after meals etc..thanks.

 

[jenjen]

toylang--i take one at the end of breakfast, then the 2nd after lunch or dinner. i still get more gas than i'd prefer, so i might experiment with times to take them, and perhaps take on empty stomach instead at some point. overall, they're helping. i'm not stinking myself out like i used to B.L. (before lotronex)