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hey guys, could anyone recommend me an anti-depressant to try for IBS-D? I've tried pristiq, effexor and remeron. pristiq and effexor worked great for the D, but made me very constipated. thanks all
I take 20mg of Amitryptaline at bedtime (plus imodium each day). Ami seems to work for a few weeks and then system gets used to it. Imipramine was more successful for stopping the D but again the effects of it tapered off after a few weeks.I'm also on Amitriptyline. Helps around 50-70%, it is still better than nothing. Currently take 25 mg before bedtime.
Amitriptyline is what I took for 19 yrs. 25 mg before bedtime, first 10 yrs, 50 mg last 9 yrs.Many times I tried to get off of it. But could not, once the brain gets used to it, it doesn't want youto stop taking it. Only after I got rid of the IBS was I able to reduce it from 50 to 25, to 10, then to 5, andsoon to nothing.Be sure to read the many side effects of Amitriptyline, such as hallucinations, rash, twitching muscles, heart rhythmsirregularities, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and a gynocomastia (enlarged painful breasts)(not something a man wouldlike to see on his own chest).I'm also on Amitriptyline. Helps around 50-70%, it is still better than nothing. Currently take 25 mg before bedtime.
offtopic: how did you get rid of IBS? what IBS type (symptoms) did you have?Only after I got rid of the IBS was I able to reduce it from 50 to 25, to 10, then to 5, andsoon to nothing.
My symptoms were the following:About twice a month, on average, I would have an IBS-D attack. On a good month I would only have one attack, butthan month could have been followed or preceded by a bad month. A bad month was 3 or 4 IBS-D attacks.My IBS-D attacks consist of irritation and/or imflamation of the large intestines and a series of painful bowel movements, spaced apart from a few minutes to several minutes, until ALL the intestines are empty. The last bowel movements are mostly yellow liquid that burns as it comes out. The amount of pain and discomfort could vary, and on rare occasions, there was a feeling of nausea and anxiety or fear. Once the intestines were empty, I would wait about 30 minutes, then I could eat something. I normally would not take Imodium, because if I did, I would be constipated in my next bowel movement (in a few days). On rare occasions, like if I had ordinary diarrhea on the second day, I would take 1/2 tablet of Imodium.The first bowel movement (2 or 3 days after the attack), could have mucous, and on rare occations, a little blood mixed in the mucous.The first colonoscopy, done after a long and serious attack, about 20 years ago, showed the imflamation, the irritation, and the mucous. But NO pathological causes were found for such allergic-like reaction. My second colonoscopy, last year, was OK.These IBS-D attacks went on for 19 years. Until October of 2009.In the last 10.5 months, I have had only 2 attacks. One when I stopped taking the vitamins for 3 days, and the other one when I lowered the dosage of B6 and B12 to see if I could find the minimum dosage of B6 and B12 that I need to take in order to stay IBS-D attack free.So I did not really "get rid" of my IBS-D, I just don't have any attacks as long as I continue taking certain amounts of certain vitamins. And as long as I don't do anything crazy, like drink more than 2 beers, or eat food that is too greasy and/or too spicy.In my opinion,the chemicals inside the bowels, at the time of the attack, are not as important as the amounts of certain chemicals in the blood stream, and in the nerve cells of the brain and the large intestines.offtopic: how did you get rid of IBS? what IBS type (symptoms) did you have?
What do you mean by "IBS symptoms"?You can't mean diarrhea every day for 2 years.The only 2 times I had continuous diarrhea for a few days, I ended up in the hospital.And had to get fluids, glucose, and vitamins intravenously.Have you had a blood test, to see the levels of B6 and B12?Sometimes, our digestive system can only absorb a small % of the B12 that is in the food we eat.For example: If I wanted to get the amount of B12 I need, by eating eggs, instead of taking high potency tablets, I wouldhave to eat more than 1000 eggs ever day.I truly believe that B6 and B12 play a very important role in the proper function of the large intestine and the brain.Go to this Web page to see the importance of B12.http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12.aspB12If you decide to try the B6 and B12, remember that you must take the vegetarian dosage.Thank you for reply. So as I understood mainly you treat it with vitamins. Maybe something worse trying for me... but my situation is worse than yours - I have IBS symptoms every day for already more than two years...
I did a lot of blood tests and as doctors said that everything is normal. But I don't know what levels of vitamin B6 and B12 I have.But I don't think that vitamins can harm, so most probably I will try it. How much do you take every day?P.S. I just wonder (because of your name) are you from Russia? It is not necessary to answer this questionHave you had a blood test, to see the levels of B6 and B12?