HiI have been told I have Anxiety and IBS. My anxiety sets my IBS off and the cramping from my IBS sets my Anxiety off.Is anyone else in this circle and how did/do you cope/take ?I'm on Buspar 5mg x twice a day and Nortriptyline 20 mg for the IBS. and I am having CBT as well.My stomach consultant who put me on Nort, says it will calm the nerves in the stomach down and will help with the anxiety (Been on it 2 weeks) . I had such a bad night last night, I doubt I will return to normal.Fiona x
what do people take for anxietty/ibs
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They can take 4-6 weeks to work, especially for the anxiety. So it really is too soon to give up.
for me ibs and anxiety go hand and hand. it's such an awful cycle! stick with your meds and give them time. as someone else posted; it can take 4 to 6 weeks to notice an improvement overall. even though i take anti anxiety medication there are still times when the "what if" loop starts playing games with me. what if the pain i'm feeling on the lower right side of my abdomen isn't ibs but appendicitis; what if i'm vacationing somewhere without adequate(sp) medical care and i have an ibs emergency, what if i get cramps and need a restroom but can't find one, what if my friends w/o ibs don't get "it" and think i'm neurotic. my therapist keeps telling me to live in the moment and stop trying to control the future. if only!
Oh and by the way: I am going to try supplementing my Prozac with valerian and passionflower herb capsules. SSRI's are okay to use with these two herbs (they don't contraindicate). I will let everyone know if it works well for my anxiety. A key part of my IBS is my overbearing anxiety, so getting that under control will help my IBS immensely.
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