anyone here need to take a tranquilizer for IBS-c episodes?
#232159 - 12/16/05 03:32 PM
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catnapt
Reged: 10/21/05
Posts: 22
Loc: NH
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or is it just me? i thought it was a coincidence the last time, but now i know, i can totally releive severe C by taking my klonopin. (i am supposed to take it twice a day- for another reason, not IBS!!)
does anyone else take a tranquilizer and notice the same effect?
it just seems weird to me.
althea
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I can tell you that anti-anxiety medication (Lexapro, in my case) has TOTALLY made a huge difference on my IBS symptoms. Not a cure, mind you, and I still can have really bad attacks, but definitely a noticeable difference over all. And I'm not taking it specifically for IBS, either.
If you do a search for "antidepressants" on here, you'll find oodles more discussions on similar drugs being used for IBS. Basically, they work like this for some people, but not everyone.
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hi and thanks
well i have bipolar disorder so i already take a huge dose of lexapro- i also take lithium and my doc added two different tranquilizers, a benzo- klonopin, from the same family as valium, and buspar, which i have had trouble with so i stopped taking.
i am an IBS-A too.
i am wondering if my emotional state has a much bigger influence on my digestion than i ever thought.
i took the klonopin last nite and the nite before and finally got a good six hours sleep last nite (i usually only sleep two to four and they are very restless, up with the sick old cat etc)
and today, not to be too graphic, but i completely emptied out- went three times, all um of considerable volume.
i have had nausea for days now and finally got my primary care physician to refer me to a GI doc, but had to cancel that when i found out who the doctor is (he has a very bad reputation)
so now i need to find a new doc.
BTW i love lexapro, i had no idea it was also prescribed for anxiety, for me it was prescribed for the depressive side of my manic depression. lithium alone is not enough, i have treatment resistant bipolar disorder.
my identical twin sister was just FINALLY diagnosed, and started lithium. i have been telling her for years that she has bipolar too, but she was afraid to be called 'crazy'
i said, wait just a minute!!! do you think of *me* as crazy?!?!
but she is worried about what others may think.
i dont care any more what others think. in fact i am a bit fed up with the persistance of ignorant attitudes and opinions of the mentally ill.........
um, getting off my soap box now *blush*
do you have any side effects with lexapro? that is one thing i love about it, except for occasional involuntary yawning spells, i have no side effects!
so many drugs have such bad side effects you wonder why you even take them, just trading one problem for another!!
i will do that search as you suggested.
i also need to find information about pain- as i am having pain, but it seems far too low down to be GI related..........
sigh
i wish i were a doctor and could cure myself!!
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I'd love to cure myself AND everyone I know... but I know that would be impossible, even if I were a doctor. 
I **love** Lexapro. I was getting periods of depression too, but mostly my problems were anxiety - generalized anxiety disorder since I was a child, and post-traumatic stress disorder since my early 20s. I finally saw a doctor & therapist about all of this a little over a year ago, and they put me on the lexapro. Talk about having your life handed back to you! I couldn't even believe the difference it made.
And yeah... I did have side effects when I first started it, pretty severe, but those went away after a week and I've had no problems with it since, even when my dose was increased.
Hey, you can stay on that soapbox! Part of the reason I waited so long to get treatment and get on meds is because I was afraid of people thinking less of me because of my "problems". But ya know what? I've got the problems whether I'm medicated for them or not, so I might as well get the help I need, right? And I'm with you - the ridiculous, archaic, ignorant attitudes about mental illness should really go the way of the dinosaur.
A lovely woman who used to post here, LauraSue, said on more than one occasion: would you think less of a diabetic because they need insulin? then why would you think less of someone who needs medication for any *other* reason? it's the same darn thing.
Anyway, I'm glad your sister is getting the help she needs too!
And yes, the mind and gut are VERY connected. I believe there's a lot of articles about this in the Research Library (link at the top of the page... don't you just love how I'm giving you more stuff to read? LOL!). Your emotional state can definitely affect your digestion. Incidentally, so can lack of sleep... as well as the weather (extremes, typically), hormones, and a whole host of other things that you'd never think would be an issue.
I saw your question about pain, but I don't have much pain at all, so I'm not going to be much help with that one. I'm sure someone else will come along with some input, though. It's kind of quiet here on the weekends, so hang in there if it takes a while.
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Post deleted by Jeano
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I don't know what happened to her specifically, just that one day she said she was busy and needed to focus on things in her life (and getting her migraines under control), and then she was gone.  I miss her too.
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I take 2 mg at night. It has not helped my C at all. In fact, sometimes I worry that it is making it worse. It does help me sleep though, which is vital for my IBS. I told my doctor I didn't think it was helping with anxiety ....only working as a sleeping pill. But he said that it probably is without me knowing it.  I just know I am still very constipated and still very anxious.
I also have tried Lexapro and that didn't help either. I think everyone is just different.
Glad you are finding relief with it. Wish I would/did.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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