Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Hi - I'm not sure how severe the pain is. Really bad, can't move or breathe? I get attacks like this a couple of times a year, totally out of the blue. I haven't found an anti-spasmodic that will relieve this - they seem to work better for prevention, but like you I've got the diet for that and no side effects from foods, so I haven't bothered with the anti-spasmodics for a while now. So, for the big whomping pain attacks, I have roxilox, a generic narcotic painkiller. It's got oxycodone in it - like Vicodin or Percodan or some such. It's extremely strong, and it does not stop the pain immediately but after an hour or two it definitely kicks in. It totally stops the problem, and almost seems to "re-set" my system to get everything back on track again.

But - it does have side effects. It makes me a little loopy (not bad, like I'm drunk or something, but happy and spacey) and then it makes me very, very tired and I have to take a nap. No choice - either I lie down or I fall asleep standing up. But I think some of this is from the pain itself, which is exhausting. And when I wake up, I feel fine.

I don't know if this sounds like an option for you or not. It can be tough to get a doc to prescribe these drugs unless they've known you for a while. They can be abused and people can get addicted to them. My prescription was initially just for ten pills, which lasted me for a couple years. I don't need them very often, but when I do I am damn glad to have them. Constipation can be a side effect too, but I don't know what the odds are here.

You might want to try a variety of the anti-spasmodics first. Your doc may even have office samples to give you. There's a lot of individual variation in how those drugs work for people. They'll all have the same common side effects, though. And one thing about them is that the side effects seem worse when you're not used to the drug. So if you only take them occasionally, you're more likely to have the side effects than if you're using the drug daily and your body adjusts.

Best,
Heather

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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!

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