Spasms!!! (Question)
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The word "spasm" is usually unclear to me because (even as indicated by the dictionary) it can be CLONIC or TONIC. This means that there is one type of spasm that involves repetitive, constant, or continuous movement of the intestine. Then another type (I can't recall which is which) will be a single movement or contraction that stays in its contracted position for a prolonged time. I assume it's a little like comparing a vibrating sensation to more of a "squeezed in" sensation.I personally wish all of those antispasmodics would be designed to correct only one type of spasms. Ever since I discovered my own IBS symptoms and researched it and read about it, I continued to think of the word "spasm" as vague, mainly because of the two types. It would help me a lot to know which things help or hurt which spasm type.
No, IBS is a diagnosis based on symptoms not on a specific motor physiology. In general, specific dysmotility is something that scientists have not been able to associate with IBS. Even visceral hypersensitivity doesn�t show up in all cases: hence the reason the diagnosis is based on symptoms and the reason the term "spastic colon" was dropped. Once a specific motor problem is found then that is the problem and not IBS.
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·Hi ncottle,it's too bad you are having unpleasant side effects..perhaps you need to try another antispasmodic for a while if there is something else available.It's really important to take them regularly; they don't work like an aspirin or tylenol that you can chuck down after the pain to get quick relief. Rather they help move the food along the guts on a regular basis. In so doing helps give relief from muscle contractions in your colon that you may feel [by awareness or by painful spasm as described variously above].I've had both.The antispasmodics are not a cure. We also need to find natural ways to reduce sensitivity in the gut overall. Relaxation therapies are very beneficial tools.Cheers
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Wrongo, Flux. IBS is definitely associated with colon spasms. Quit spreading misinformation. This is from my board-certified GI:"Because doctors have been unable to find an organic cause, IBS often has been thought to be caused by emotional conflict or stress. While stress may worsen IBS symptoms, research suggests that other factors also are important. Researchers have found that the colon muscle of a person with IBS begins to spasm after only mild stimulation. The person with IBS seems to have a colon that is more sensitive and reactive than usual, so it responds strongly to stimuli that would not bother most people. Ordinary events such as eating and distention from gas or other material in the colon can cause the colon to overreact in the person with IBS. Certain medicines and foods may trigger spasms in some people. Sometimes the spasm delays the passage of stool, leading to constipation. Chocolate, milk products, or large amounts of alcohol are frequent offenders. Caffeine causes loose stools in many people, but it is more likely to affect those with IBS. Researchers also have found that women with IBS may have more symptoms during their menstrual periods, suggesting that reproductive hormones can increase IBS symptoms."
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Stace, what is your experience with your antispasmodic? I was just prescribed it today, altho my doctor called it a type of tranquilizer.
No, IBS is a term invented by doctors based soley on symptoms, and it covers what are almost certainly many disparate disorders. In many cases, there is no physical motor correlate in the gut. Once something like "spasms", whatever that really is, is detected, the diagnosis should be changed. Lotronex in a sense causes spasms.Loperamide/Lomotil definitely causes spasms (tonic contraction at sphincters).
So would you consider taking these other drugs instead?
Aurora,I have taken the one he prescribed you. Librax is a combination of 2 drugs: one's an antispasmodic and the other a very mild tranquilizer. I loved both Librax and Bentyl, which both work really well for relieving the painful spasms so common in IBS. Librax didn't make me drowsy, either.Stacey
Things that make you go, hmmmmmm.I am following you Flux and understand really what your saying and also what are people are saying and experiencing. Wether also its normal contractions causing alter persception etc, and non painful stimulus causing pain I of course have been reading about also and understand somewhat all though some of it is not completely clear to me.Since my IBS started with such a majorally inflammed colon, maybe I personally do have some motor issues along with the IBS.Another very important part to me also is the ability I have from the HT and the actual physical relaxing sensation I can achieve in my gut this way.I do have rectal sensitivity and sometimess seem to feel that spasm and sometimes seem to feel it really tighten up so it hinders the ability to pass gas and since the HT seems to have given me the ability to relax my gut and even it seems the rectum, I have been able to pass gas more easily.
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Since I have ccalmed down my brain gut axis I sure am doing 85 percent better, but I still have some occassional sensations and feelings of minor hypersensitivty. Sometimes I just also feel the nerves in my gut as if its the whole digestive system like the sunburn description and at other times the sensations do feel like altered contractions or spasms, differently then say when I am in pain and actually feel waves of contractions, like every minute or two it seems, then it relaxes then it starts again in another minute. But this does not always happen. I also have to say I have felt all kinds of different sensations down there and don't think I would possibly be able to explain them all really. One however in the past was like haing a cable wrapped around my abdomen that felt like it was squeezing me into a different waistline. LOL But I have had it seems hundreds of different sensations.
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Flux NEVER agrees with anyone
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. I'm beginning to think the only reason he comes on here is to tear apart all of our posts. He acts like he's the only one who knows anything. These are real people on here with real symptoms. I have colon spasms too, and I can relate to the pain
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. Flux, why don't you go find a debate forum.
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Yes Ian, I read that IBS has also been referred to as spastic colon.
Flux, has nothing to do with money and this bb. And in his defense its also important to listen and try to understand what he is saying even if you don't agree because this is all super complicated really and he does have a good grip on the science aspect of it all, even if we all don' t agree on this spasm aspect completely and the role of perceptions in IBS versus actual problems. I have learned a lot from flux personally and am very greatful for that. If there is something I don't understand I look it up and try to understand it anyway for my own personal reasons and health.
Sorry Eric, but I cannot agree with you about Flux knowing all that much on the "science" aspect of it. At my GI appt. 2 months ago I printed out some of the threads on trapped gas (which Flux has argued with me to a great extent about) and spasms. My GI shook his head and said that it was misinformation. Misinformation can be dangerous.
Lisa, Jeff runs this bb and all decissions are up to him on any matter.I personally am not seeing misinformation per se, however I do see a lot of misunderstandings, especially on the gas front from people, but this is a really complicated condition.Really when I take the time to ask him questions on the science aspects he explains it. So if you disagree then ask him to point out or explain the what and why's of what he is saying and talking about and the reasons behind it, is all I can say, but I would try sometimes to understand he is saying things to understand and hence maybe understand some aspects of IBS you didn't before. I agree he may not have the bedside manner we would all hope for, but he has a lot of knowledge in digestive problems and understands a lot of the science behind it.I have seen him help just as many if not more people on the whole then he has chased off personally.This is not I am taking a sides issue here, its lets all come together and talk and figure out the spasms and contractions aspect of it all with everyones input. We may not all agree, but it will give us all somethings to think about that could really help.
The problem here is that Flux is trying to make sense out of it from medical books. Yes perhaps to someone who experiences IBS from symptoms in a book ...maybe. But then why do doctors prescribe antispasmotics?I too know exactly what the spasm feels like, or perhaps medically it would be considered really really strong, spastic contractions...to me, same thing. The thing is we've all experienced these spasms. The only one who hasn't only "suffers" from a book. I think a GI would know more about spasms than someone who reads books and the sufferer would know more about his or her own symptoms than a book.
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