I've been on it for about 10 days or so and I am thoroughly constipated. This after having been on a 5 or 6 month "streak" of having normal BM's every single day.My question is that I am not on the Elavil for abnormal bowel movements; rather I'm on it to stop the spasms in my throat and the crushing pain under my breastbone. Unfortunately it is causing major C and I am not sure what to take for the C. Any suggestions? It's been 3 days and I've already tried psyllium to no avail. Since my BM's have been so normal, and since most of the time I've had IBS the distress has all been upper gastric symptoms (indigestion, heartburn, GERD-type symptoms, dyspepsia, perhaps, near-constant nausea for sure), is it possible that I don't have IBS at all? I mean, I had C/D swings for several years following a bout of food poisoning and was told I have IBS. I eventually learned to control the swings and had fairly normal BM's for years, and recently normal BMs everyday. But through it all I've had the upper gastric symptoms the whole time and my GI doc insists it is all the same thing...IBS. Am I missing something? He said IBS can be from mouth to anus and the spasms I'm having in my esophagus is all a part of that, thus the elavil to smooth out the serotonin function or whatever. But now I'm back to IBS-C, after all the work I have done to control the lower bowel functions. This has me a little upset but I'm at my wit's end dealing with the nausea and pain in my chest and stomach all the time. It's as if I have to trade off one section of my gut to help another. Why is it an either/or thing? Why can't these doctors find a way to help the ENTIRE gut system? Sorry, I guess I just needed to vent.
Elavil for upper gastric IBS? Do I even have IBS?
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I'm sorry you're having such a tough time. I hadn't heard of IBS just affecting the upper GI, but what your doctor said does make sense, I guess different parts of the gut can be damaged. Many cases of IBS start after food poisoning and one theory is that such things cause irreversible damage giving rise to IBS symptoms. Mine started after parasites (Montezuma's Revenge) and then worsened after a bout of food poisoning. I don't know anything about the side effects of Elavil. Is constipation a side effect? If so, a number of people on this board have mentioned Zoloft (which is a SSRI - serotonin reuptake inhibitor). You might want to ask your doctor whether he thinks you should switch to that. You also might want to think about getting into the Zelnorm Phase III clinical trials for functional dypepsia/GERD (sign up for notification of drug trials on this disorder at www.centerwatch.com)as Zelnorm is basically an SSRI that targets the receptors in the gut. It is apparently very effective in treating upper GI distress from IBS.------------------***Gail
I'm sorry you're having such a tough time. I hadn't heard of IBS just affecting the upper GI, but what your doctor said does make sense, I guess different parts of the gut can be damaged. Many cases of IBS start after food poisoning and one theory is that such things cause irreversible damage giving rise to IBS symptoms. Mine started after parasites (Montezuma's Revenge) and then worsened after a bout of food poisoning. I don't know anything about the side effects of Elavil. Is constipation a side effect? If so, a number of people on this board have mentioned Zoloft (which is a SSRI - serotonin reuptake inhibitor). You might want to ask your doctor whether he thinks you should switch to that. You also might want to think about getting into the Zelnorm Phase III clinical trials for functional dypepsia/GERD (sign up for notification of drug trials on this disorder at www.centerwatch.com)as Zelnorm is basically an SSRI that targets the receptors in the gut. It is apparently very effective in treating upper GI distress from IBS.------------------***Gail
The doc said the best drug he used to control the spasms in the upper GI was just taken off the market, and it targeted gut-specific serotonin receptor sites. He didn't mention the name of it, though. He wanted to put me on Paxil and I asked him not to (I've heard of the, er, sexual side effects and want no part of that
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), so he put me on Elavil. My partner told me last night that I am already a different person (not in a good way) in that there is "less of me", whatever that means. I must admit I've had some wierd thoughts floating through my head the last couple of days and I can't seem to muster the energy to be mad, glad, or sad about anything. And this on a really low dose (25mg once at night). I can't imagine what the antidepressant doses must do to people!
The doc said the best drug he used to control the spasms in the upper GI was just taken off the market, and it targeted gut-specific serotonin receptor sites. He didn't mention the name of it, though. He wanted to put me on Paxil and I asked him not to (I've heard of the, er, sexual side effects and want no part of that
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), so he put me on Elavil. My partner told me last night that I am already a different person (not in a good way) in that there is "less of me", whatever that means. I must admit I've had some wierd thoughts floating through my head the last couple of days and I can't seem to muster the energy to be mad, glad, or sad about anything. And this on a really low dose (25mg once at night). I can't imagine what the antidepressant doses must do to people!
I'm on 50 mg at night now and it helps me alot. It did before but i was on a combo med, this time i just wanted plain old amitriptiline instead of the librium that the combo med i was taking before had in it.For four years i was/am on it in some way shape or form and it does help but your right about the thoughts, when i was first on it i had weird dreams and thoughts and my sex drive was null and void, but all this was not a big deal compared to the pains and everything else with IBS.My husband understands completely which is awesome, but i feel bad sometimes. He says i changed alot too but i'm not sure if it's just me getting older or what.I hope things go weel for you i wish you lots of luck.-------------------CadiaIM name: MedianAngelYahoo name: MedianCadiahttp://www.cakesbynikki.com
I'm on 50 mg at night now and it helps me alot. It did before but i was on a combo med, this time i just wanted plain old amitriptiline instead of the librium that the combo med i was taking before had in it.For four years i was/am on it in some way shape or form and it does help but your right about the thoughts, when i was first on it i had weird dreams and thoughts and my sex drive was null and void, but all this was not a big deal compared to the pains and everything else with IBS.My husband understands completely which is awesome, but i feel bad sometimes. He says i changed alot too but i'm not sure if it's just me getting older or what.I hope things go weel for you i wish you lots of luck.-------------------CadiaIM name: MedianAngelYahoo name: MedianCadiahttp://www.cakesbynikki.com
I personally don't understand your doctor's diagnosis. IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome..not irritable upper GI syndrome! I take Elavil as well and as a side effect have acid reflux, keep an eye on that in case the Elavil works against you. For upper GI symptoms I take digestive enzymes from the natural health food store. I haven't had any problems with it since, unless I forget to take the enzymes of course.
I personally don't understand your doctor's diagnosis. IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome..not irritable upper GI syndrome! I take Elavil as well and as a side effect have acid reflux, keep an eye on that in case the Elavil works against you. For upper GI symptoms I take digestive enzymes from the natural health food store. I haven't had any problems with it since, unless I forget to take the enzymes of course.
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Alot of people, some doctors included, use Irritible bowel to mean any and all functional GI problems.Functional problems can occur anywhere in the GI tract, but current thought tends to separate out all the functional problems into separate categories. One thing that may lead people to think it is all IBS is that it functional problems are common and alot of people have more than one. (functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel for example) It may be that the tendancy to have one functional problem may make it more likely you have others. Something I read seemed to indicate IBSers have more functional upper GI stuff than other people, so that could fuel the clinical impression that IBS occurs from mouth to anus even when they may get classified differently by other people.On the constipation. How much water do you drink? When you increase the fiber you may need to increase water consumption as well. It can in normal people take 3 days for somthing you ate to reach the anus, so it may take 3 or more days before you start passing the metamucil ladden stools, so it may take a couple of more days before it is clear if it is helping or not. Fiber is the long, slow solution to constipation which is probably why fast acting herbal and chemical laxatives are popular, who wants to wait 3-7 days for the fiber to start helping. However the fiber is safe as a long term solution where laxatives are not.Stool softeners sometimes help some people alot and the opinion seems to run to they are safer than laxatives and alot of people's docs tell them to take them daily.Magnesium supplements may help as well. Start at the USRDA of 400 mgs per day (if the supplements bother your upper GI stuff try dividing the dose and taking smaller amounts several times a day totaling what you need). Some people find the USRDA is too much, and some people take more than that (the USRDA max is like 1000 mgs a day if my memory is working).Fruits with sorbitol in them can be useful as well. There is a reason why prunes are said to keep you regular and sorbitol is part of that. Sorbitol may be degraded by cooking so if you want to use this stick to juices and raw fruit. Apples, pears, prunes/plums, peaches and apricots all have sorbitol in them. Some people find sorbitol increases gas so that may be a limitation of this idea for you.K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html
Joined
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34,955 Posts
Alot of people, some doctors included, use Irritible bowel to mean any and all functional GI problems.Functional problems can occur anywhere in the GI tract, but current thought tends to separate out all the functional problems into separate categories. One thing that may lead people to think it is all IBS is that it functional problems are common and alot of people have more than one. (functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel for example) It may be that the tendancy to have one functional problem may make it more likely you have others. Something I read seemed to indicate IBSers have more functional upper GI stuff than other people, so that could fuel the clinical impression that IBS occurs from mouth to anus even when they may get classified differently by other people.On the constipation. How much water do you drink? When you increase the fiber you may need to increase water consumption as well. It can in normal people take 3 days for somthing you ate to reach the anus, so it may take 3 or more days before you start passing the metamucil ladden stools, so it may take a couple of more days before it is clear if it is helping or not. Fiber is the long, slow solution to constipation which is probably why fast acting herbal and chemical laxatives are popular, who wants to wait 3-7 days for the fiber to start helping. However the fiber is safe as a long term solution where laxatives are not.Stool softeners sometimes help some people alot and the opinion seems to run to they are safer than laxatives and alot of people's docs tell them to take them daily.Magnesium supplements may help as well. Start at the USRDA of 400 mgs per day (if the supplements bother your upper GI stuff try dividing the dose and taking smaller amounts several times a day totaling what you need). Some people find the USRDA is too much, and some people take more than that (the USRDA max is like 1000 mgs a day if my memory is working).Fruits with sorbitol in them can be useful as well. There is a reason why prunes are said to keep you regular and sorbitol is part of that. Sorbitol may be degraded by cooking so if you want to use this stick to juices and raw fruit. Apples, pears, prunes/plums, peaches and apricots all have sorbitol in them. Some people find sorbitol increases gas so that may be a limitation of this idea for you.K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html
I constantly have gas and fleeting pain (lasts for a split second). Sometimes I feel pain around my belly button. Also, I have GERD and my stomach hurts off and on. I have been taking Aciphex for GERD but it stopped working. My doc gave me the new "purple pill" Nexium two days ago. After I took one pill I had D , took another 9 hrs later and had D and abdominal pain (two of the side effects). Needless to say, I did not touch another one. But my Doc was clueless about the abdominal pain when I told him I heard about the side effects (this was before I even took them) So, I am not taking anything until I talk to Doc. I may be having IBS (I've had it before off and on) because I am stressed and have terrible anxiety about everything. I have a cruise coming up (1st time) and I am obsessing about the pain that I have. I have to break my cycle. HELP!!
I constantly have gas and fleeting pain (lasts for a split second). Sometimes I feel pain around my belly button. Also, I have GERD and my stomach hurts off and on. I have been taking Aciphex for GERD but it stopped working. My doc gave me the new "purple pill" Nexium two days ago. After I took one pill I had D , took another 9 hrs later and had D and abdominal pain (two of the side effects). Needless to say, I did not touch another one. But my Doc was clueless about the abdominal pain when I told him I heard about the side effects (this was before I even took them) So, I am not taking anything until I talk to Doc. I may be having IBS (I've had it before off and on) because I am stressed and have terrible anxiety about everything. I have a cruise coming up (1st time) and I am obsessing about the pain that I have. I have to break my cycle. HELP!!
That's really strange. I tried Aciphex and it had absolutely no effect on me, good or bad. I have been on Nexium for a little over a month and I have no side effects except sometimes a small headache. I still feel the fullness in my chest and am a little bit constipated from the Elavil. My problems are still in the upper regions, especially in my throat. I am still kind of having a funny sensation in the back of my throat, almost like a gag, or maybe an "almost gag".
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I don't quite know how to describe it. I go back to the GI doc for a follow up on Monday so I will ask him about all these wierd sensations. The Elavil has definately helped the heartburn pain and I am having a better time at swallowing, but still having the funny throat feeling and fullness in my chest. Plus my libido has become almost non-existent which is a bit of a surprise, that didn't happen last time I was on this stuff. I have been really drinking the water and as long as I take a B-vitamin complex and an L-glutamine everyday I seem to be fully functional as far as work goes.It's strange that I am on Elavil for the upper gastric pain/acid reflux and yet some people seem to have that as a side effect! All I know is I want off this stuff as soon as possible because I am drowsy, drowsy, drowsy all the time.
That's really strange. I tried Aciphex and it had absolutely no effect on me, good or bad. I have been on Nexium for a little over a month and I have no side effects except sometimes a small headache. I still feel the fullness in my chest and am a little bit constipated from the Elavil. My problems are still in the upper regions, especially in my throat. I am still kind of having a funny sensation in the back of my throat, almost like a gag, or maybe an "almost gag".
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I don't quite know how to describe it. I go back to the GI doc for a follow up on Monday so I will ask him about all these wierd sensations. The Elavil has definately helped the heartburn pain and I am having a better time at swallowing, but still having the funny throat feeling and fullness in my chest. Plus my libido has become almost non-existent which is a bit of a surprise, that didn't happen last time I was on this stuff. I have been really drinking the water and as long as I take a B-vitamin complex and an L-glutamine everyday I seem to be fully functional as far as work goes.It's strange that I am on Elavil for the upper gastric pain/acid reflux and yet some people seem to have that as a side effect! All I know is I want off this stuff as soon as possible because I am drowsy, drowsy, drowsy all the time.
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