Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Hi Carol,

I have several different drugs, all prescribed by my doctor: Lomotil, NuLev, Hyoscyamine, and Donnatal. The Lomotil is for diarrhea. (Does nothing for my cramps.) The NuLev is to put under my tongue when I feel an attack coming on. (It doesn't work.) The Hyoscyamine is for cramps. (It works when the cramps aren't severe.) The Donnatal is the heavy-duty stuff. It's is my emergency med. It's dangerous stuff, so I take it ONLY when I have a severe attack. I looked up the stuff in my "Funk-n-Wagnall's" and got quite a shock! It's a combination of Atropine, Hyoscyamine, Scopolamine, and PHENOBARBITAL. Not good, not good. Check out the warning I just discovered about it:

"Warning: special mental and physical adverse effects. Older adults are especially sensitive to the harmful anticholinergic effects of a family of drugs called belladonna alkaloids. Atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine are all in this family. Drugs in this family should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Mental effects: confusion, delirium, short-term memory problems, disorientation, and impaired attention. Physical effects: dry mouth, constipation, difficulty urinating (especially for a man with an enlarged prostate), blurred vision, decreased sweating with increased body temperature, sexual dysfunction, and worsening of glaucoma." (Unquote)

My suggestion is to try Heather's peppermint caps. They're very powerful. Heather used to take Donnatal, but she found that the peppermint caps worked BETTER as an anti-spasmodic than Donnatal! I tried them, and they did work well, but they gave me terrible indigestion. They're definitely worth a try, though!

You really need the soluble fiber supplement, Girlfriend. I'm surprised your doctor didn't mention it. (Of course, if he was a GI, I understand -- but that a whole other issue!

) Check out Heather's info here about soluble fiber supplements: web page I take her acacia, as do a lot of us, which is fabulous stuff. Some people like Citrucel powder. I took Citrucel capsules but didn't care for them (I was on a too-low dosage) and switched to the acacia. You have to start out REAAAAAL slow! My recommendation is to e-mail Heather and get yourself a supply of the stuff; she'll tell you how much to start out with (probably a half teaspoon).

I also have my Equalactin. GREAT stuff! It's also a soluble fiber supplement, but you chew it. Heather talks about it in the link I just gave you, and we've talked about it in the board.

I like the Equalactin better than Fibercon or Citrucel (other soluble fiber supplements I've tried) because it just works better for some reason. At a restaurant or a friend's house or other social gathering I take an Equalactin before my meal, just to be safe.

Heather first introduced me to Equalactin when I placed my first order with her; she sent me a little purse-size supply of it, which, as a matter of fact, I still keep in my purse for emergencies. If you order the acacia, I'll bet she'll sneak in a little introductory supply of the Equalactin with your order. She's clever that way.

Only problem is it's hard to find in the drug stores. I had to ask my pharmacist to order it for me -- which he did. Now I keep a supply of the stuff in my purse, as I said, and also in the bathroom medicine cabinet.

Actually, you can order Heather's book from her if you order the acacia. She's working on a standing order for those of us who are on the stuff, so we'll get a regular supply of it periodically. I like that idea. I'm on my 4th bag already.

Hope some of this helps. Remember, regardless of what supplement you choose, START OUT SLOWLY! You can check in here for what others are taking and see what they say about theirs.

BTW, that stress is bad stuff. I hope you have a means of venting. Exercise is crucial. A lot of us do yoga, which is terrific for stress. A few of us do pilates, we have a runner, and I row. Even going for walks is terrific.

Talk to you soon!

Bev

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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy

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