Medication question
#186005 - 06/13/05 10:27 AM
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misery459
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 13
Loc: Jefferson City, MO
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Well it has been about 2 months since my last post. I took all the advice and went for the colonoscopy. The doc said everything was fine and he concurred with my diagnosis of IBS. They have me taking 2 different pills 4 times per day. The cramping and D is not any better. I have lost almost 40 pounds and I am sure I am not getting any nutrients at all. I wouldn't be surprised if I am not dehydrated. Everything I eat and drink, (I am on the when you can't eat anything list and have been for 2 months) goes straight through me. I am at my wits end and have now found it is easier to stay home alone rather than be around people, plus it is closer to my now favorite room. My question is: Has anyone tried the digestive advantage? I don't know what else to do. My doc is about as sensitive as a wart on a mules butt so continuing with him is not sounding all that good to me right now. Anyway, if anyone has tried this new med I would really appreciate knowing if it helped. 
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Misery459: Life is a Highway, live it on a Harley.
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probiotics have worked for me. specifically primal defense by garden of life. i really needed to rebuild the good bacteria in my gut after a round of antibiotics destroyed them. i find that now my bm's are getting normal and much less frequent.
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Thank you for your response. I figure I have nothing to lose at this point.
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Misery459: Life is a Highway, live it on a Harley.
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for more info do some research on the internet on primal defense. there is tons of info that i found very helpful. it was recommended to me and i would recommend this to anyone. they are pricey but for me they are worth every penny. good luck.
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Quote:
Well it has been about 2 months since my last post. I took all the advice and went for the colonoscopy. The doc said everything was fine and he concurred with my diagnosis of IBS. I'm glad all you tests were normal. Sorry you have IBS, but it's better than something more serious. Really - even when it doesn't feel that way.
They have me taking 2 different pills 4 times per day. What pills are you on?
The cramping and D is not any better. I have lost almost 40 pounds and I am sure I am not getting any nutrients at all. I wouldn't be surprised if I am not dehydrated. OMG, I'm so sorry. That sounds awful. I seem to remember people on the Board saying dehydration itself can bring on or worsen diarrhea so perhaps you're caught in a vicious cycle.
Everything I eat and drink, (I am on the when you can't eat anything list and have been for 2 months) goes straight through me. Whoa! Two months? I'm pretty sure that is supposed to be a few days only diet!
I am at my wits end and have now found it is easier to stay home alone rather than be around people, plus it is closer to my now favorite room. I know the feeling, but it gets awfully boring, doesn't it? Especially if the bathroom is small.
My question is: Has anyone tried the digestive advantage? You should search on Digestive Advantage on this Board. (If you don't know how to Search, please ask.) There have been a number of posts about it and the report is mixed, to say the least.
I don't know what else to do. My doc is about as sensitive as a wart on a mules butt so continuing with him is not sounding all that good to me right now. LOL - love the image of your doctor. Did you check this thread to see if there's a good IBS doctor anywhere near you? Any doctor who ignores 2 months of D and a 40-pound weight loss sounds less like the wart and more like the mule's butt to me.
Here's some stuff to try:
- Immodium - that might slow down the D. I know a lot of people are reluctant to use it (I was, too), but it can help. Try taking one tablet at night and one in the morning to see if you can ward off the diarrhea before it starts. If you get a D attack anyhow, follow the package directions.
- Get on a more normal diet. Take a look at the Break The Cycle diet page. I'm NOT suggesting you try that diet - it's just a variation of the diet you've been on for 2 months. However, read down a little and you'll see what Heather says about coming off it and beginning to incorporate IF into your meals. You can follow the same steps for getting more different kinds of food into you, too.
- Have you tried peppermint tea and/or peppermint capsules. Peppermint is a natural anti-spasmodic.
- Are you taking a SFS supplement? It sounds contradictory, but the soluble fiber can "sop up" the excess water in your colon. I take acacia - I'm up to 8 teaspoons a day, but you have to start really low and increase really slow.
- If Immodium and peppermint doesn't do it, there are other, more powerful, anti-diarrheal agents you can try. There are prescription anti-spasmodics and anti-depressants. Even if an anti-depressant like Elavil only provides temporary relief of your diarrhea, it seems like that would give you a chance to catch your breath, get some nourishment in you, and make sure you're hydrated. Again, what pills does your doctor have you on now?
I haven't tried probiotics like Primal Defense, but you can do a Search on this Website for Primal Defense itself and for probiotics generally.
I hope this helps. If you have any questions about stuff I've suggested, please ask. I'm so sorry you're having such a terrible time.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Well, I'm at the other end of the spectrum, suffering from C 98% of the time. However, I'm on the Digestive Advantage now, and it seems to help some most of the time. It took about 3-5 days on it to see a difference. My bloating, gas, pain, got worse at first when I started it...but then it kicked in & started really helping me! It is supposed to be for D or C, so maybe it will help. I've also seen several people on this board say that they take Immodium every day.
Hope you feel better soon!! I know C is bad, but when I get D for more than a day or so, I'm even more miserable! Best wishes!!
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Shelli - Wife & stay at home mom to 1 son, 1 dog & 2 parrots! IBS-A, usually C.
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You can take it everyday as a preventative (in fact this is recommended). Try taking one every morning...but if that's not enough you can increase the dose alot (just space them out a bit through the day to get the best effect).
Do a search on Digestive Advantage. To be honest, unless you've been on antibiotics, probiotics aren't likely to have a BIG effect on you (they're usually useful to reduce gas and more minor symptoms like that).
What SFS are you on?
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misery459. i tried the digestive advantage. it didnt work for me at all. it made my symptoms worse. it caused alot of gas pains and d to. hope this stuff can work for you. jasper
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ive had ibs for 8 years now. im learning alot on this web board. thanks again everyone
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Thanks to each of you for your responses. I started taking the Digestive Advantage last night, (had to do something so I went to WalGreens and picked it up) anyway, the crampy isn't nearly as severe and as of 1:50 p.m. today I have only been to the bathroom 6 times..this is tremendous since I spent more time there than in my office. I stopped taking the 2 scripts - (Sand, I left these at home but will bring them with me tomorrow so I can tell you what they are.) Both seemed to make the symptoms worse. The green capsule starts w/ an L, I looked it up on the internet and it seems the FDA had removed this pill from the market a year or so ago due to serious health issues including deaths then approved them to be put back on the market! Good grief!! I tried to expand the "when you can't eat anything list" but everything on that list went through me as well. I did add sweet potatoes or baked potato a few times, flour tortillas and mushrooms was added but nothing seemed to matter...I even tried to eat baked fish and baked chicken breast but solid foods really seem to make it worse. I will check out the doctor link and thanks again for your help!
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Misery459: Life is a Highway, live it on a Harley.
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I tried the immodium when I first started getting sick but it didn't seem to help. I didn't increase the doses though. I really hope the digestive advantage works but if it doesn't I am going to have to find a new doctor. Thanks so much for your help.
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Misery459: Life is a Highway, live it on a Harley.
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