[Angry Canadian Girl]

I just thought I would post an update here and there on how my prescription with Dicetel is going. I have been taking it since the 25th of Jan now and at first it didn't seem to make any changes. Now after 7 days I have to admit the diarrhea is nowhere to be found. I am now constipated! Nothing is moving and has not since Saturday. Hmmmm.... I am hoping that this side effect passes and my movements will end up somewhere in between where I am not having D yet not completely plugged either. Has anyone had the same experience with this stuff? Anyway I am going to try to contact the doctor who prescribed it, which is probably impossible right away and if I can't get a hold of him than a pharmacy to find out what to do if I don't start going soon. I am enjoying not having D but I am hoping it isn't going to hit me hard and fast after not pooping for 4 days! Yikes! Why oh why can't I just have normal guts?

 

[faithxlove]

haha, well.. first of all... I'm an "angry canadian girl" as well

secondly, my dicetel experience was a bit different. I found that even though i was on the highest doasage.. all it did was slighty relax my gut. ( i mean not even enough to truly see any results ) if anything, i thought it made my D worse! But I was taking a Peppermint capsule at the same time, and I wondered if that could have interfered :S who knows, honestly? So, i guess i was wondering if it was worth giving Dicetel another shot? And from your opinion at least.. I'm thinking perhaps no.. man, i know.. i don't even remember what normal guts feel like

 

[On Edge]

Dicetel made me feel bloated and abdominally stressed, and the headache and fatigue side effects made me decide to stop it.

 

[Angry Canadian Girl]

Dicetel made me feel bloated and abdominally stressed, and the headache and fatigue side effects made me decide to stop it.

Actually it is interesting but I was going to mention something about the abdominal pain today. I haven't had it all thoughout taking the drug but I have had two days, about 4 or so hours each time where I have been in the most excrutiating pain ever. I wrote the first one off seeing how it could have been something I ate or anything but I had it again last night so bad I actually vomited. It feels kind of like horrendous gas in my upper-mid abdomen under my rib cage. I wound up in bed with a heating pad on my tummy that really did a whole lot of nothing. Today I am noticing pain all over my abdomen not unlike the pain I had prior to taking Dicetel. I have never had it so sharp thought I had to throw up before though. Of course the constipation could play a part in this. I did start moving some stool last night and some more today. Now that it is moving, it will indicate better whether it is going to keep controlling D. That is if the pain subsides a bit or I will not continue to take it. Besides the problem with pain and the constipation that may be going away, I have had no other side effects.

 

[Angry Canadian Girl]

You know what Faith, I forget what having a normal gut is like too! I can only imagine in my wildest dreams. When I do have an odd day where it feels "normal" aka nothing is going on in there, it actually kind of freaks me out because I am so used to feeling something there ALL THE TIME! Normal tummy people have no idea what they have!

 

[Angry Canadian Girl]

No D yet but the pain in my lower right side is back. Not the one on the top of my stomach that made me vomit but the one I have always had in that spot. It's a dull achy pain right on that side. I really wonder if that one has anything at all to do with IBS. I get the feeling it does not but since the doctors aren't listening to me there isn't much I can do. That particular one has been here since around last October and it is fairly constant. Does anyone have one like that? I am continuing to take the Dicetel until the end of the month unless that other horrible pain returns but I want to see this through so I have a leg to stand on when I tell that stupid doctor that it didn't work.

 

[Angry Canadian Girl]

So the right side pain has been horrible the last few days again and I am still convinced that it has nothing to do with IBS. I am not saying I don't have IBS because the explosive D and the gas that sometimes shows up in other parts of my bowels certainly points to my having it. That one pain though I am not so sure about so I went to yet another doctor today and he has ordered a CT scan after I told him my family history of cancer on my dad's side, my dad and aunt passed away from cancers in their early 50's and my grandma had breast lumps removed as well as my mom's side that is riddled with "female" problems. Endometriosis and tumors. My mother had a hysterectomy at my age for tumors. At least one doctor around here is willing to try to exclude some things. It should at least put my mind at ease. As far as the Dicetel is concerned I still have had no major crampings and no D so I am happy with that. Still gassy but I am taking fiber every two days so that could be contributing to that.

 

[Angry Canadian Girl]

So it has been a month since I started to take Dicetel and this will probably be my last entry on it because although it seemed to be helping with the strange rectal pain I was having, and originally with the cramping, it is all back in full force now. Aches, cramping and today the most horrible watery D I have had for months actually. I was in the bathroom about 5 times within a half hour. It hit completely out of nowhere and the only difference between it and my normal D is that I didn't get the big cramps of a warning, it just literally went wooosh, and luckily I made it to the washroom although I thought I wasn't going to make it a couple of the times. I of course was at work and after spending that half hour in and out of the washroom I finally just went home but I am very upset about having to leave. I don't want to get in trouble and I really can't afford to leave like the all the time but I was pretty much useless to everyone anyway. Oh and of course I was embarrased( What a humiliating disorder! So that is it I suppose, Dicetel unfortunately was a wash. I don't know what is next...

 

[Angry Canadian Girl]

It has been a week since I said that I was stopping the Dicetel but thanks to dealing with a man who is for sure the biggest ###### doctor I have ever encountered, I am still taking it. He will not prescribe me anything else so it is either that, or nothing. It is a long story but he basically told me that he did not diagnose me last time, (he did, he told me it was IBS and he wasn't going to do a colonoscopy because it wouldn't turn anything up) and that he would not write me a note like my work requested to cover my bathroom absences. He then told me to tell them I have the flu! Anyway he is a douchebag and I am working on finding a different doctor. I will say this, I have had no more diarrhea and my stomach has been pretty calm lately. The pain in my right side has not been acting up, the incomplete evacuation feeling has not come back and I have been less nauseous. I am still having very firm movements. That being said, I have been religiously taking metamucil wafers every day and I think they are helping as much if not more than the Dicetel. I have taken the odd immodium when I knew we had to go somewhere I didn't want D. Hopefully things hold till I find a better doctor and D aside, I am glad the pain has improved.

 

[skdriver67]

Hi, I am also Canadian. I was wondering what other medications, if any, you are on? What type of IBS do you have, and how long have you had it? I have found, from my own personal experiences, that most doctors are incapable and unsympathetic to treating ibs patients. I had searched and suffered for many years, after I had complicated gall-bladder surgery (2007). The best Gastroentologist that I found was Dr. Christopher Andrews (Calgary). He truly is interested in treating his patients because he is knowledgeable, compassionate, and understanding. I wish you all the best, Carol.

 

[ferrarisa]

It has been a week since I said that I was stopping the Dicetel but thanks to dealing with a man who is for sure the biggest ###### doctor I have ever encountered, I am still taking it. He will not prescribe me anything else so it is either that, or nothing. It is a long story but he basically told me that he did not diagnose me last time, (he did, he told me it was IBS and he wasn't going to do a colonoscopy because it wouldn't turn anything up) and that he would not write me a note like my work requested to cover my bathroom absences. He then told me to tell them I have the flu! Anyway he is a douchebag and I am working on finding a different doctor. I will say this, I have had no more diarrhea and my stomach has been pretty calm lately. The pain in my right side has not been acting up, the incomplete evacuation feeling has not come back and I have been less nauseous. I am still having very firm movements. That being said, I have been religiously taking metamucil wafers every day and I think they are helping as much if not more than the Dicetel. I have taken the odd immodium when I knew we had to go somewhere I didn't want D. Hopefully things hold till I find a better doctor and D aside, I am glad the pain has improved.

It is okay to fire your gastro! I went through almost a dozen of them here in Columbus, Ohio. I actually had one who told me that I had IBS and would just have to deal with it the rest of my life. He told me to go on disability. I don't think that is possible in Ohio?

 

[BQ]

Ferrarisa have you seen this thread about getting US Disability for IBS?http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?/topic/136312-how-to-file-for-american-social-security-disability-for-ibs/

 

[Angry Canadian Girl]

I haven't posted in this thread for a long time so I thought I would update. I have been taking Dicetel for months now and so far I am happy to say that it, Imodium a few times a week and the Metamucil caplets with calcium have actually been working somewhat for the D! I have only had one major episode of D and one minor one since the middle of March. That is down from one or two a week. I still have cramping in my guts quite often and some pain. I am only able to take Tylenol when that happens. I have tried codeine but the nausea I get from it is worse than the pain. I try to stay away from gassy foods as much as possible. I have been able to go on somewhat long car rides and everything! Yay! Most of the time when I know I need to go somewhere I make sure I take some Imodium a few hours or even the day ahead of the event. I also have Lomotil although I try to only use that if I REALLY don't have bathroom access. I am even able to eat almost everything again! I hope it lasts but I thought I would share in hopes this combo can help someone else.

 

[harrietgate]

I found it totally useless. Even having up to 6 pills a day made no difference. Might as well have been taking a sugar pill. No side effects, though.

 

[Angry Canadian Girl]

I found it totally useless. Even having up to 6 pills a day made no difference. Might as well have been taking a sugar pill. No side effects, though.

I take two pills a day. 100mg each. The Dicetel does nothing for the diarrhea. It seems to help the chronic pain I used to have in my lower right side. I still get bad spells where I get the large, painful cramps but they are fewer than they used to be. I actually believe that the biggest thing that has helped the diarrhea is that Metamucil with calcium. I purposely take them with enough water to get them down but less than they recommend as a laxative. Imodium I use when my movements start to speed up. If I get to 3 or over, even if they are normal consistancy, in a 24 hour period I take Imodium. It doesn't seem to stop me up but it slows me down.

 

[waffles]

I take two pills a day. 100mg each. The Dicetel does nothing for the diarrhea. It seems to help the chronic pain I used to have in my lower right side. I still get bad spells where I get the large, painful cramps but they are fewer than they used to be. I actually believe that the biggest thing that has helped the diarrhea is that Metamucil with calcium. I purposely take them with enough water to get them down but less than they recommend as a laxative. Imodium I use when my movements start to speed up. If I get to 3 or over, even if they are normal consistancy, in a 24 hour period I take Imodium. It doesn't seem to stop me up but it slows me down.

Canadian here too, and glad you are keeping us updated on your progress. I think we can all benefit from each other's experiences as the combination of medications and OTC products you mention help those of us (me) who are trying to get a grasp on this awful condition. Two thumbs up.

 

[Showstopper75]

I have taken Dicetel since May 2 and have had no improvement and no side effects. Like other people here, my doctor is clueless and won't prescribe anything but the Dicetel. This same doctor has misdiagnosed me or failed to diagnose two other serious illnesses so it is time for a new doctor, but, in my city, finding a family doctor who is accepting new patients is practically impossible. I am considering driving to one of the smaller cities nearby to see a doctor but am starting to think I am not going to get any further with a new doctor (family doctors don't seem to be very knowledgeable about IBS). I see my gastroenterologist in October but don't have particularly high hopes...she is not the most compassionate person. My diarrhea has been so bad every day since April 18 that I have cancelled several family vacations and have missed my family reunion this year. My doctor just tells me to keep taking the Dicetel and Metamucil (which does not work - I've taken it for four years). My experience with Dicetel is that I might as well take a jolly rancher for all the medicinal value of the drug.

 

[Angry Canadian Girl]

I still seem to have to do the dicetel/metimucil+calcium/imodium trifecta. If I start skimping on any of them I have problems. I started skipping the metimucil for a few weeks and last week I had a horrible flare. Two days of very painful D. I have been taking them again not only no D but the pain seems better. I am a little concerned because I have been suffering some hair loss, (I am female and it does not run in my family) and I believe it is something I am taking that is causing it. Unfortunately to get off Dicetel I am afraid I will have a return of the pain and D perhaps worse than before for a while. I am going to wait until the end of August when I am on holidays to do it. I have yet to find a doctor who cares one bit about IBS either. Most have the attitude that if it isn't going to kill you, you need to just suck it up and deal with it. I think that is the attitude of a lot of people who don't deal with this daily. My family doctor was good but he really can do no more. The specialists are not helpful and I have been on a waiting list for a colonoscopy and endoscopy for 4 months now!

 

[Mandy]

Dicetel made me feel bloated and abdominally stressed, and the headache and fatigue side effects made me decide to stop it.

Try taking buscopan otc... helps me with bloating gas and cramps..

 

[Mandy]

Actually it is interesting but I was going to mention something about the abdominal pain today. I haven't had it all thoughout taking the drug but I have had two days, about 4 or so hours each time where I have been in the most excrutiating pain ever. I wrote the first one off seeing how it could have been something I ate or anything but I had it again last night so bad I actually vomited. It feels kind of like horrendous gas in my upper-mid abdomen under my rib cage. I wound up in bed with a heating pad on my tummy that really did a whole lot of nothing. Today I am noticing pain all over my abdomen not unlike the pain I had prior to taking Dicetel. I have never had it so sharp thought I had to throw up before though. Of course the constipation could play a part in this. I did start moving some stool last night and some more today. Now that it is moving, it will indicate better whether it is going to keep controlling D. That is if the pain subsides a bit or I will not continue to take it. Besides the problem with pain and the constipation that may be going away, I have had no other side effects.

Try buscopan...