Best Meds for Spasms?
#65941 - 04/29/04 11:54 AM
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stevan
Reged: 04/26/04
Posts: 19
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I have been taking Bentyl (Diclonomine) as an anti-spasmodic for a long time, with just fair results. It seems that many pills are needed to see a result. Does anyone have an anti-spasmodic that they feel is more effective?
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i take bentyl and it only works for so long. have yo u tried drinking peppermint tea during meals? that helps my spasms. heather talks about medication in her book. try looking thru all the information on this website, its helpful. best wishes!
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I don't know where you live....but in Canada we have something called Dicetel and another one called Modulon.
I tried the Dicetel and it didn't work at all for me...although some people do well with it.
I'm now on Modulon and it seems to be working quite well.
Good Luck!! 
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Donnatal
#65962 - 04/29/04 01:03 PM
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Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
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Best med for cramping? DONNATAL -- hands down! Works every single time. But BEWARE!
(Quote)
"Donnatal is actually a combination of Atropine, Hyoscyamine, Scopolamine, and -- are you ready -- Phenobarbital."
"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)
Hey, this might explain why I'm so crazy!
I'm a D. If I have diarrhea only, I take Lomotil. If I have light cramps but no diarrhea, I take Hyoscyamine which I dissolve under my tongue. Also, Nu-Lev is supposed to do the same for cramps (you dissolve it under your tongue) but it does nothing for me.
If I have diarrhea and my cramps are SEVERE, then I pull out the big guns -- Donnatal -- and it works every single time -- without FAIL! However, it takes awhile to kick in (about an hour to an hour and a half), so I also take Equalactin, which works immediately.
Now, having said that, Heather used to take Donnatal as well, but she said she found that her peppermint caps work BETTER than Donnatal as an anti-spasmodic! WOW! So, you might contact Heather and order some of her peppermint caps. (It caused me terrible indigestion, so I can't take it.)
One last comment about Donnatal: my GI wouldn't give it to me, claiming it is addictive. It's not addictive to me; my prescription that my California doctors gave me expired before I had even finished half the bottle! The bottle I have now which my regular doc prescribed for me is almost a year old and is still half full. Obviously it's not addictive to me. Nevertheless, that might be an issue. Obviously, the side effects are the real problem with this drug, so if you ask your doc for it, and he will actually prescribe it for you (as I said, my GI wouldn't), USE IT ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES!
Good luck,
Bev
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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when i took bentyl there was no impact. i night as well have been taking M&Ms! i take hycosamine and like it well enough. especially if i take the Equalactin, too. it's a one-two punch!
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Like Bevrs, I tried Donnatal years ago and it did work, but I definitely had the side effects. I was dizzy and couldn't remember things. My doctor put me on Librax years ago and it really worked. After having another bout this fall, I am back on it regularly now. It definitely controls the D, and little to no side effects. It has a slight sedative in it b/c of the Librium and the "new" drs are all afraid of the addiction aspect. My dr. was great and laughed about that. There is such a small trace of a sedative that he is not worried. He said people get addicted to Valium and things like that, but he doesn't know of any Librax addicts! I love his sense of humor. Usually once an attack comes on, the gas pain I get is so bad, that I just usually have to wait until it passes. The med. controls it before I eat. The sed. controls the stress issue. Good luck.
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hycosamine
#66071 - 04/29/04 04:57 PM
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Vicam
Reged: 02/24/04
Posts: 1955
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Is this a generic name or the trade name? I'm looking for something better for the spasms I've been having, I've tried Buscapan and Dicetel but neither work  I don't really want to go on the Donnatel because of all the side-effects, but maybe this would work. Do you have anymore information on it?
Thanks,
Kelly
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It is generic for Levsin - Ive been on it since July and it worked great at first but it almost seems like it doesnt work for me anymore - I still take it usually 2-3 times a day but Im going to try to substitute a dose here and there with the peppermint caps and see how that works.
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Another one is Levsin or Levbid. Never did much for me, but may work for you.
Amy
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Just curious does anyone take painkillers? My pain gets so bad I wish I had some when I have an attack. I'm also on Levsin,I tried NuLev and it didn't do it for me either. When you are in such pain you need something to work FAST!!!! What is with these doctors that won't prescribe Librax,Donnatal etc. all because of the addiction factor! Do they have IBS do they know what it feels like? I'm sure if they do have IBS they are probably writing their own Rx for whatever helps them! Each person is different and I think we should be able to use trial and error when it comes to all the medicines out there. I think I'm going to order the peppermint capsules and buy some Equalactin tomorrow. Hope everyone is feeling well!
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I find that the levsin pills that disolve under the tongue don't really do much for me, but the larger dose - .375mg tablets work for me usually. I only take them when I'm feeling really awful. They take about 30 minutes but after that my stomach begins to gurgle as it relaxes and the "knots" come undone.
dan
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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I totally agree with you. That's why I LOVE my doctor!! He feels that if Librax works for me, then why shouldn't I be on it. He is not worried about the addiction part at all. He said there is such a small trace of a sedative that it wouldn't be a problem. I have taken it on and off for years and never felt when I was off of it that I had to have it. No side effects at all, really. Great point you made.
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Vicam
#66308 - 04/30/04 09:51 AM
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Kimm
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 1171
Loc: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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You said you've tried Dicetel and Buscopan...have you tried Modulon? It's another type of antispasmodic.
I also tried dicetel and it did nothing for me but I've been taking modulon for about 3 weeks now and it's like a miracle drug so far....this week I haven't had ANY stomach pain and I've had "normal" BM's everyday.
If you haven't tried it yet....you really should!! 
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No, I'M sorry, Jen. I had no intention of misleading people. I just didn't realize they were the same thing. Thanks for the correction.
Amy
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For Kimm
#66489 - 04/30/04 05:33 PM
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Vicam
Reged: 02/24/04
Posts: 1955
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Hey Kimm,
I haven't tried Modulon, I think I'll mention it to my doc the next time I'm in. The dicetel does nothing as far as I can tell, and I've been taking it for awhile, the buscapan helped a little, but only a very little.
I'll see what he says...do you know what's different about modulon? Is it just stronger?
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