desperate for answers - info regarding medications and IBS
#254324 - 03/24/06 08:45 PM
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al
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 14
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i have IBS-A (well at least that is the presumptive DX no other conditions were ruled out first, and i have no idea if thats necessary nor why doc did not rule out other things)
anyway i take a wide variety of medications for all sorts of things from TMJ to GERD to allergies to major mental illness.
i recently stopped a bunch of medications and now find myself with extreme abdominal distension, i think from water retention? and severe constipation as well as other non GI symptoms that i must sort out.
is there a list of meds that affect IBS one way or the other (favorably or not)???
i have computer probs and would be extremely helpful to find as much info in one place as possible- it is physically very very painful for me to be surfing the web on this substitute borrowed laptop (have many physical problems besides those already listed)
thanks to anyone who can help
specific meds discontinued are:
high dose of lexapro (an SSRI antidepressant)
lithium
klonopin not taken daily
meds ADDED: muscle relaxer flexerill
increased dose of ibuprofen
diet has been the IBS diet with SFS - been doing great til i discontinued those meds!!
very upset about this.
thanks for any help!!
althea
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Sorry to hear all the trouble you're having. I'll try to help you out a bit, but haven't taken these medications. So I hope those who have taken them can add their personal info.
From reading these message boards and searching online, the following come up:
Antidepressents (such as lexapro and lithium) can help alleviate IBS symptoms. Many of the users here have posted about how the ADs helped relieve their symptoms as well as anxiety and depression. So going off them you may have had more IBS symptoms.
Ibuprofen, and somewhat flexeril both are hard on the GI. Try taking them with food or SFS if possible to cushion the effects.
I hope someone with more info could post for you soon.
Hope you feel better soon,
Kat
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Kat
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Based on your post...
flexerill - muscle relaxers can have all sorts of odd effects on the GI tract and other organ systems including but not limited too abdominal pain, acid regurgitation, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, nausea, irritability, mental acuity decreased, nervousness, upper respiratory infection, and pharyngitis.
ibuprofen - Another medication with lots of side effects on the GI tract including nausea, epigastric pain, heartburn, diarrhea, abdominal distress, vomiting, indigestion, constipation, abdominal cramps or pain, fullness of GI tract (bloating and flatulence), Gastric or duodenal ulcer with bleeding and/or perforation, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, melena, gastritis, hepatitis, jaundice, abnormal liver function tests and pancreatitis.
Since lexapro can have an effect on the GI and is beneficial with IBS, depending on when you stopped taking it, you could be seen the effects of the GI tract getting used to more serotonin. Although the rate of metabolism of lexapro is approximately 32 hours, after 5-6 days, levels should be low enough to be considered out of your system and perhaps re-adjusting (also dependent on how long you were on the med).
There is probably no true list of meds that will affect IBS one way or another because too many variables must be considered such as how one drug interacts with another or how a combination of drugs will affect a person and even how a person metabolizes drugs because everyone is different.
Hope this helps.
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Here...there....everywhere
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