[Guest]

anyone with ibs-c had success with this?tom

 

[webbsusa]

NO! Sorry to shout, but this drug caused me more problems than anything else. I was IBS C/D before I started taking Wellbutrin, but the drug made my C soooo much worse. I have had MAJOR problems with fissures ever since; well, it's really the same fissure that just has never healed. This has been going on since February. The worst was in July, when I developed a rectal abscess--the fissure got infected, leading to god-awful pain. I had major surgery in 99, and that pain was not as bad as what I went through in July.I never, ever should have been on Wellbutrin, in all honesty. I didn't catch on to this at the time, but I now believe my ex-dr. thought that, to some extent, the IBS was in my head. She kept asking if I was obsessive-compulsive and assumed I was in a major depression. She knew I was in therapy, which I started in 98 when I did indeed have a major depression triggered by my grandma's death. My therapist even talked to my dr., telling her that yes, I was in therapy and working on some issues, but no, I wasn't depressed, hadn't had a depressive episode in almost two years, and didn't need to be on an anti-depressant for psychological reasons. In fact, I didn't use anti-depressants when I experienced my depression during 98! The dr. resassured her and me that she was putting me on the drug for my IBS, but later it became apparent that she put me on it for psychological reasons. The dr. told me to only take it for five months and by then I should be "feeling better." When I said to her, "IBS is a chronic condition--how is it going to go away in five months?" she stammered a bit and then said something like, "Well, by then the stress will be gone." Mind you, this was during a very happy period for me--I had just been accepted to every Ph.D. school I'd applied to and was receiving very generous offers. But, wanting to be a "good patient," I trusted her and did what the dr. said. At one point, I was taking 8 fiber choices a day (that's the equivalent of 4 glasses of Citrucel!, drinking 80 oz of water and still couldn't go to the bathroom, only to be told to keep upping my fiber and water because I "needed" the wellbutrin. All I could think was, "For what?" This drug was supposed to help my IBS, not make it worse, and I was not depressed. I finally said "screw this" and quit taking the drug in June. It takes a long time to get anti-depressants out of your system; my bowels are just starting to return to "normal." Sorry to just explode in this post, but this topic is a very sore subject with me. Everyone is different, and perhaps the drug will be beneficial to you. It was an incredibly frustrating experience for me, though, as I did everything "right" (diet, exercise, fiber, water, etc), yet had the worst C of my life. Just be very careful and make sure your doctor is being honest about why you need this drug. Many people on this board and in the world, for that matter, need anti-depressants for both psychological and physical reasons, and they should definitely take them! However, no one should be misled into taking anti-depressants, as I was. And, if you would experience bad side effects, inform your doctor and make sure he/she LISTENS. My doctor did not listen to my concerns, and I let myself be talked into damaging my health. If your doctor dismisses your concerns, RUN, don't walk, to another doctor! As I learned a little too late, we must be our own advocates because the doctor does not always know best (especially when it comes to our own pain and suffering).

 

[webbsusa]

NO! Sorry to shout, but this drug caused me more problems than anything else. I was IBS C/D before I started taking Wellbutrin, but the drug made my C soooo much worse. I have had MAJOR problems with fissures ever since; well, it's really the same fissure that just has never healed. This has been going on since February. The worst was in July, when I developed a rectal abscess--the fissure got infected, leading to god-awful pain. I had major surgery in 99, and that pain was not as bad as what I went through in July.I never, ever should have been on Wellbutrin, in all honesty. I didn't catch on to this at the time, but I now believe my ex-dr. thought that, to some extent, the IBS was in my head. She kept asking if I was obsessive-compulsive and assumed I was in a major depression. She knew I was in therapy, which I started in 98 when I did indeed have a major depression triggered by my grandma's death. My therapist even talked to my dr., telling her that yes, I was in therapy and working on some issues, but no, I wasn't depressed, hadn't had a depressive episode in almost two years, and didn't need to be on an anti-depressant for psychological reasons. In fact, I didn't use anti-depressants when I experienced my depression during 98! The dr. resassured her and me that she was putting me on the drug for my IBS, but later it became apparent that she put me on it for psychological reasons. The dr. told me to only take it for five months and by then I should be "feeling better." When I said to her, "IBS is a chronic condition--how is it going to go away in five months?" she stammered a bit and then said something like, "Well, by then the stress will be gone." Mind you, this was during a very happy period for me--I had just been accepted to every Ph.D. school I'd applied to and was receiving very generous offers. But, wanting to be a "good patient," I trusted her and did what the dr. said. At one point, I was taking 8 fiber choices a day (that's the equivalent of 4 glasses of Citrucel!, drinking 80 oz of water and still couldn't go to the bathroom, only to be told to keep upping my fiber and water because I "needed" the wellbutrin. All I could think was, "For what?" This drug was supposed to help my IBS, not make it worse, and I was not depressed. I finally said "screw this" and quit taking the drug in June. It takes a long time to get anti-depressants out of your system; my bowels are just starting to return to "normal." Sorry to just explode in this post, but this topic is a very sore subject with me. Everyone is different, and perhaps the drug will be beneficial to you. It was an incredibly frustrating experience for me, though, as I did everything "right" (diet, exercise, fiber, water, etc), yet had the worst C of my life. Just be very careful and make sure your doctor is being honest about why you need this drug. Many people on this board and in the world, for that matter, need anti-depressants for both psychological and physical reasons, and they should definitely take them! However, no one should be misled into taking anti-depressants, as I was. And, if you would experience bad side effects, inform your doctor and make sure he/she LISTENS. My doctor did not listen to my concerns, and I let myself be talked into damaging my health. If your doctor dismisses your concerns, RUN, don't walk, to another doctor! As I learned a little too late, we must be our own advocates because the doctor does not always know best (especially when it comes to our own pain and suffering).

 

[Guest]

thanks for posting this. it seems odd that wellbutrin should have affected your constipation so drastically.tom

 

[Guest]

thanks for posting this. it seems odd that wellbutrin should have affected your constipation so drastically.tom

 

[webbsusa]

Really? The prescribing info lists constipation as one of the main side effects.

 

[webbsusa]

Really? The prescribing info lists constipation as one of the main side effects.

 

[Guest]

prescribing info is for normals and doesn't always apply the same way yo those with ibs.tom

 

[Guest]

prescribing info is for normals and doesn't always apply the same way yo those with ibs.tom

 

[Guest]

Abdominal pain and constipation are 2 of the first 4 side effects listed on the wellbutrin side effects page. If it works for you, great. However, I'd be very careful of using an antidepressant prescribed by anyone other than a psychiatrist. They are more familiar with the side effects, and, in my experience, are more concerned about your general well-being than your GP or GI doc. YMMV, of course.[This message has been edited by musem (edited 09-23-2001).]

 

[Guest]

Abdominal pain and constipation are 2 of the first 4 side effects listed on the wellbutrin side effects page. If it works for you, great. However, I'd be very careful of using an antidepressant prescribed by anyone other than a psychiatrist. They are more familiar with the side effects, and, in my experience, are more concerned about your general well-being than your GP or GI doc. YMMV, of course.[This message has been edited by musem (edited 09-23-2001).]

 

[angry]

trbell1:SECOND YOUR OBSERVATIONS. Wellbutrin was like epoxy in my gut. It also eliminated the ability to have sex and to sleep.It is really strange than these complaints seemed to be dismissed by the psychiatrist.They have a tendency to conclude anything that ails you is because of depression. Thus when the depression lifts, so will the problems. That's nonesense. Finally, told him I was stopping and he told me how to do it. That was the last I saw him.Another problem with all these antidepressants (and other drugs too I guess) is that there is no info on what happens after you stop them. Few have any studies beyond the 6 - 8 weeks necessary to demonstrate they work. In my case, I quickly went from 160 to 200 pounds in a matter of months-- diet/input seemingly unchanged.I pity the poor people using Zyban for smoking cessation. Weight gain is always a concern for them. With Wellbutrin, there is usually no weight gain while using it. BEWARE after stopping it.

 

[angry]

trbell1:SECOND YOUR OBSERVATIONS. Wellbutrin was like epoxy in my gut. It also eliminated the ability to have sex and to sleep.It is really strange than these complaints seemed to be dismissed by the psychiatrist.They have a tendency to conclude anything that ails you is because of depression. Thus when the depression lifts, so will the problems. That's nonesense. Finally, told him I was stopping and he told me how to do it. That was the last I saw him.Another problem with all these antidepressants (and other drugs too I guess) is that there is no info on what happens after you stop them. Few have any studies beyond the 6 - 8 weeks necessary to demonstrate they work. In my case, I quickly went from 160 to 200 pounds in a matter of months-- diet/input seemingly unchanged.I pity the poor people using Zyban for smoking cessation. Weight gain is always a concern for them. With Wellbutrin, there is usually no weight gain while using it. BEWARE after stopping it.

 

[Guest]

actually my ibs got worse after stopping wellbutrinin the past.tom

 

[Guest]

actually my ibs got worse after stopping wellbutrinin the past.tom

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

Individual response, like any drug, is highly variable and so when starting any new drug, esp. the different antidepresants, you have to be aware of the incidence of side effects and then approach it with that awareness. Just as a counterpoint of observation, my responses to it when I used it (cigartette fiend looking for a last resort) where the opposite of some reported. It did not constipate me, and it had the opposite effect on me, uh, sexually, to that reported in this thread. Lets say everything was much better, frequent, and intense and let it go at that. For me, I loved it to put it bluntly. MrsNL was a bit surprised I'll admit

So Tom, listen to each eprson, read the literature and the PDR where you will see all the side effects and how frequently they occur, check the drug interractions, etc then make an informed decision on whether you want to try it. Thinsk bout those people with similar symptosm to yours and what the preponderance of responses where in that subpopulation.Eat well. Think well. be well.MNL_____________ www.leapallergy.com

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

Individual response, like any drug, is highly variable and so when starting any new drug, esp. the different antidepresants, you have to be aware of the incidence of side effects and then approach it with that awareness. Just as a counterpoint of observation, my responses to it when I used it (cigartette fiend looking for a last resort) where the opposite of some reported. It did not constipate me, and it had the opposite effect on me, uh, sexually, to that reported in this thread. Lets say everything was much better, frequent, and intense and let it go at that. For me, I loved it to put it bluntly. MrsNL was a bit surprised I'll admit

So Tom, listen to each eprson, read the literature and the PDR where you will see all the side effects and how frequently they occur, check the drug interractions, etc then make an informed decision on whether you want to try it. Thinsk bout those people with similar symptosm to yours and what the preponderance of responses where in that subpopulation.Eat well. Think well. be well.MNL_____________ www.leapallergy.com

 

[Guest]

My sister takes Wellbutrin and Celexa..has no problems at all..also it is generally known that Wellbutrin exhibits far fewer sexual side effects than most others and for this reason makes it preferable among many of the antidepressants. It is actually a stimulent and often aids folks with ADD/ADHD as well.

 

[Guest]

My sister takes Wellbutrin and Celexa..has no problems at all..also it is generally known that Wellbutrin exhibits far fewer sexual side effects than most others and for this reason makes it preferable among many of the antidepressants. It is actually a stimulent and often aids folks with ADD/ADHD as well.

 

[DeeAnn]

Yes, we are all different in responses. I was switched to Wellbutrin about a year and a half ago and hope I never have to get off it. Whatever imbalance there is in my brain/nerve system has been marvelously fixed. Same for one of my sisters and a brother. It really hasn't affected the IBS but it does help me cope with it better. I have lost over 30 pounds since being on it and am just about where I should be weight wise. Sex is fine because I'm not depressed and feeling bad about myself.