Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: looking for some quick answers, hopefully

Hey Thumper,

A lot of the people on here have taken (or are taking) anti-depressants for IBS. If you do a board search you should find tons of information.

I have tried both Paxil and Effexor for my IBS, I found the Paxil really helped but had some really unwanted side effects (40lb weight gain and total loss of sex drive), while the Effexor hasn't really helped at all.

My most important piece of advice would just be to really consider your options and look into the specific anti-depressant before going on it, some have worse side-effects and/or withdrawal effects. For example, both Paxil and Effexor have really short half-lives so they are really hard to get off (I'm stuck on the Effexor right now because the withdrawal effects have been so bad I can't seem to get off it). Also, know that sometimes it takes a lot of tinkering to find the right anti-depressant, you may need to switch meds a few times before you find the one that works for you

I hope this helps,
Kelly

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