Anti-depressants for IBS: Paxil-CR vs. Others
#296441 - 01/14/07 12:50 AM
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Beth
Reged: 02/17/03
Posts: 46
Loc: San Diego, CA
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First, I have to thank Heather for her IBS newsletters. Because of one of them, nearly three years ago, I started taking Paxil-CR. With a combination of smart eating and the Paxil, I have almost completely eliminated my IBS attacks. I haven't had one in over a year, and no more then three since I started taking the paxil-CR.
Unfortunately, when I eliminated the IBS, I also eliminated my sex drive. I actually broke up with my significant other because it was not fair to them.
I would very much like to return to a "normal" libido, but I am terrified that if I change from Paxil-CR to something else, that all of my symtoms will come back (and they were so bad). The withdrawal symptoms of Paxil on its own are horrible, so if I move off of it, I want to have some reasurance that it has been shown to work. Are there any significant studies on Wellbutrin or any other related anti-depressants to show improvement in symptoms?
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Food for thought: the only kind I can digest.
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My 1.5 cents
#296443 - 01/14/07 03:18 AM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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I can't give you a whole 2 cents because I've never tried any other antidepressant except the one I'm on - it worked perfectly, and I never had any reason to try any others. I'm on Lexapro. It's had no effect whatsoever on my libido. It DID help my IBS symptoms quite a bit, but it wasn't a total cure - I still get a monthly "bad day" right in time with my period, and I do still have to follow the diet and be careful about what I eat.
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I was on Lexapro but a low dosage and I did think it might have lowered my sex drive, but it's not so high to begin with  so that is another consideration of mine as I think about going back on it. My doc just said that it does that to some people but I think it's sort of like IBS...(my non-medical opinion)...what affects one of us may not affect another. It sounds like your super happy with the AD you're on now so I can understand your caution in thinking about changing. Have you spoken to your OB/GYN? Maybe he/she can suggest something else besides changing your meds that you are doing so well on. Sorry I am not of so much help.
Oh...and by the way, I love your quote about food for thought 
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I had great success with Celexa. But I also have OCD and the Celexa may have been working on the OCD, which therefore helped the IBS (didn't know I had OCD when I took it). I then became pregnant and switched to Wellbutrin, which did absolutely nothing. I have IBS with pain and bloating.
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~jules
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ok heres how i arrived at the good combo for me/
was opn zoloft as a teenager and had a sex drive but no orgasms. tried switching to wellbutrin and slowly all issues came back, but for the first time in my life i knew waht orgasms were. then tried to go off the wellbutrin and try all sorts of natural methods, which wound up bombing to the point where i was a mess and had no orgasms because my mind was all over the place and i feared that being shaken would make me feel sick again, so that wasn't good either. then 6 monts ago i finally gave in to the fact that natural wasn't going to work for my stomach and my anxiety and ocd, so back to meds, this time i tried lexapro, it has helped soooo much, i have my life and persopnality back, but i also had 6 months of lowered libido and the frustration of no orgasms.
then last month i went to the doc to ask about trying the lexapro with wellbutrin, since i had success libido wise on wellbutrin. He said he had heard of people trying that, but in his experience it hasnb't worked, well for me he was wrong, he gave me a prescription and said to goive it a shot, and two weeks into taking it i can have orgasms again and my interest is back to normal, still takes longer than with no lexapro, but its possible. So i am on 10-mg lexapro and 150 mg wellbutrin in the morning. Hope all of this helps, there are a bunch of other meds that can go in conjunction with the paxil to see if it helps, talk to your doc about your options.
Hope that helps
Bonnie
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I've been on Celexa before. It never helped my IBS and it made me completely unable to reach orgasm. The problem was that it did NOT hinder my sex drive. I think I was pretty close to giving myself carple tunnel syndrome!!!
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Food for thought: the only kind I can digest.
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hmmm, I wonder if they have a little blue happy pill for women... must ask doctor.
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Food for thought: the only kind I can digest.
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yeah, there is a definite change in my digestion around my period too. Thankfully, it is still nothing like it used to be. Sometimes I just want to spread the joys of paxil-cr to everyone with IBS so that they at least TRY it, lol. Anti-depressant, anti-IBS and I bet it would lower the risk of teen pregnancy too, cuz no one would be in the mood!!!
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Food for thought: the only kind I can digest.
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hmmm, a combination may be something to consider. Thanks for your thoughts!
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Food for thought: the only kind I can digest.
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I have also had great success with Paxil in the past. It got rid of all IBS symptoms and made me feel normal. I noticed some sexual side effects, but the worst side effect for me was a large weight gain. Each time I went on it (3 different times over the last 7 years) I would stay on it for 2 or so years and then be so uncomfortable from the extra 30-40 pounds I had put on that I would slowly wean myself off of it and within 2 months the weight would fall right off. I would feel OK for 6 months or more but then the symptoms would return with a good round of stress and I would take the Paxil again and again the weight would come and not go away. Last Spring, I tried once more to begin Paxil and for some reason I made me incredibly nauseated for over 2 weeks so I gave it up. I now take Xanax for anxiety which has helped with the panic attacks that accompany the IBS attacks, but I am still not as well as when I am on Paxil, but I am still at a normal weight. I am hoping that after my appt. with new GI to discuss some new symptoms that I will be able to take Lexapro or some other SSRI to find relief. I will be interested to see what combo you find and how it works for you. Have you had any weight issues with the Paxil?
Christy
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