Wellbutrin makes my IBS pain worse?
#322041 - 01/09/08 11:10 AM
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michele
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan
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I know we have talked about antidepressants to death here but has anyone found wellbutrin specifically to make their IBS worse?
I used to suffer a lot with abdominal pain from my ibs. It has gone from C to D and back and now its anyone's guess if I will be taking stool softeners or imodium! But, even though the last couple of years have been hell, the pain in my tummy has been a rare thing. I have learned to live with the bathroom issues of it but rarely suffered from the chronic belly pain.
I just don't understand it because overall my health is a wee bit better than it has been-most of you know my story, from miscarriages, to ra and fibro to sarcoidosis. Anyway, a few weeks ago, they changed my ad to wellbutrin. About 7-10 days later, the abdominal pain is back. I have taken wellbutrin in the past along with a host of other ad's and none of them seemed to make the belly pain better or worse.
I am seeing the shrink dr next Tuesday and I am trying to figure out if the belly pain is from the wellbutrin or just what. I am very limited to what I can take because I now have a heart condition called a prolong QT and a LOT of the ad's are counter indicated.
So, for those of you who have had pain predominant IBS, what are your thoughts? The pain has been constant and pretty severe for a good week now and I have been taking lots of levsin and nothing seems to help it. I recently detoxed from oxycodone and other medications so am hesitant to take too much of the vicodin I have for the pain but somethings gotta give here! 
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Hey Michelle,
Actually I have heard it is a side effect. Are you taking SR or XL? MY step sister was on it never has stomach issues before but started having pains after on this med. And they switched her to paxil I think and she was fine. She was taking the SR. Now I take Zoloft and for the longest time I thought that was making my IBS and so did my shrink. So we tried to ween me off plus with as you know with us wanting to get preggo. But forget didnt work. Way to much withdrawl and I did it really slow with my dr. Mainly my IBS freaked out. But now since I have following EFI and SFS acacia much better. So we dont think that was it. But I remember this about the wellbutrin she called it "well beautiful thin" because her friend lost alot of weigh on it. Good luck.. maybe call the dr it could be a side effect. I checked out there website and it IS A SIDE EFFECT.
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IBS-C gas, bloating and acid reflux
Babies is the plan for 2008!!Hope this IBS cooperates.
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The XL. I a overweight and trying to lose weight and I think that was partly why he prescribed the wellbutrin over something else. Wellbutrin is known to help suppress appetite. I was on lexapro before and liked that but I can't take that, or zoloft or prozac or a bunch of others because of the prolonged QT.
I wish there was a way to know if my belly pain is just a coinsidence (sp??) or a side effect. Not taking anything for depression is not an option at the moment. I do see the dr shrink next Tuesday before my weekly scheduled therapy shrinks appt!
As far as the weight loss, very depressing. I am working out 3 times a week, up to 23 minutes on the elliptical which is 2.82 miles and trying to do more each time along with lots of arm weights and of course stretching. After being totally sedative for the last few years because of my illness, the workouts are a great start. I am eating just 1200 calories a day and haven't lost even a single pound in 6 weeks!  If I wasn't depressed before, I sure a now! LOL!
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Re: Update
#322137 - 01/10/08 01:19 PM
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michele
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan
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Tummy got so bad I called the psychiatrist this morning. He told me to stop the wellbutrin. He said he has heard abdominal pain from a good handful of people who don't even have IBS issues! Before the fertility stuff, I went through a long period of time, a good year, of severe abdominal pain and I was on wellbutrin for a while than zoloft. I wonder if they were the cause?????
I won't take anymore wellburtin and will see him Tuesday. Our options are very limited due to a heart problem I have called a prolonged qt, that eliminates about 2/3 of the antidepressants. I am also over weight so refuse to take any that have weight gain as a side effect!
I think I will try cymbalta again. I tried it about this time last year and felt more suicidal but I was in a bad place at the time. I now know the signs to watch out for as far as suicidal thoughts go. I KNOW that it didn't upset my tummy at least.
Its all making me more depressed! I can't even find an anti depressant that works! Just having a day I guess. Need chocolate but refuse to have any as I just can not lose weight and I have a bridesmaid dress to fit into and its not going to happen at my current weight! 
I wish I could go back to when the picture in my profile was taken. We were on a cruise, all was good. The proverbial [censored] hit the fan 2 months later with the first miscarriage and its been all downhill since than.
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Hey Michele,
Keep your chin up!! Trust me once you get in the funk about the weight it just gets ya down. I am over weight too but just lost 40lbs with heathers diet. I gained a huge amount of weight of the years on AD mainly Paxil. I am zoloft now due to TTC but was on effexor XR and never felt better!! You should ask about that one. Plus it picks ya up like wellbutrin and no weight gain side effects mainly lose weight. Not sure if you can take that one? However switching to zoloft I gained back the weight. So I hoping staying off the dairy and fats I will lose some more. I give you alot of credit for working out and hello the elipitcal machine. That is so hard!!!
Just make sure you just dont stop wellbutrin cold turkey others you will be going crazy.. seriously just go slowly and maybe he will switch you next week to something else.
In the meantime dont stress on the weightloss. I dont even keep a scale at home other wise I will obsess about it. I just use a belt and try to get to a smaller loop ect.. of course I am now 4 sizes smaller but still a size 18 so i still have more to go. ..
anyways, I am glad you talked to the doctor and getting off of it. I hope you feel better soon 
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IBS-C gas, bloating and acid reflux
Babies is the plan for 2008!!Hope this IBS cooperates.
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Re: Update
#322254 - 01/13/08 11:48 AM
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Nelly
Reged: 08/06/04
Posts: 4381
Loc: Within stray mortar fire of DC
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Wellbutrin made me suicidal. Everyone reacts differently to these things! I hate a/ds but I did grow a pair of boobies on them, which has overall been a good experience.
I have heard of prolonged QT but not the effect of certain a/ds on the heart. I didn't realize they had that kind of side effects. Medicine sux! Sometimes I think I'm just going to chuck them all out the window! {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}} to you!
~nelly~ 
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Re: Update
#322317 - 01/14/08 12:10 PM
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michele
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan
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You got boobies??!!! I want some!!!! Thats a neat side effect. Instead, I just got a killer belly ache which is just starting to subside. I seem to remember feeling more suicidal on cymbalta but thats about the only ad left for me to try at this point! I see the doc tomorrow.....
Yeah, I have 4 pages of drugs that I can not take, even mundane things like sudafed can cause a fatal arrhythmia!!
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Re: Update
#322318 - 01/14/08 12:16 PM
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michele
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan
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Congrats on losing the 40lbs!!! I was overweight years ago, worked really hard and got down to 126 pounds, at 5'8-I was hot! LOL   Thats when we bought the elliptical. I used to do 5 miles in 33 minutes everyday. Than, I got sick. And a year on steroids didn't help. I am now a size 16. I can not take the effexor because of the prolonged qt. I was on lexapro and really liked it. Its not on the list of no-no drugs but ever time they gave it to me while in the hospital, my ekg would go screwy so they ruled that one out as well.
Since I was only on 150mg of the welbutrin for 3 weeks, he did tell me to just stop it. My tummy is slowly feeling better. I see the doc tomorrow to see what we will try next!
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