Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | This is why I hesitated to post my story

I was afraid someone with an attitude would half-read it and conclude EFI doesn't really work after all. So please keep in mind...

I only need medicine because of my anxiety. On Heather's EFI approach, as long as I'm not in a situation that makes me anxious about my IBS, I'm fine. Whatever part of my IBS is caused by food, the EFI diet takes care of. And for anyone who thinks that's no big deal, let me tell you: before I found EFI I had continuous IBS attacks even if I locked myself in my house for weeks on end. I suspect - although I cannot know for sure, of course - that part of the reason my anxiety over my IBS is so bad is because I had it so long and so severely before finding EFI. I know part of it is because of my other health problems.

Furthermore, the more closely I follow EFI the less my anxiety-triggered IBS flares. It's like x percent of my IBS is food-trigged and y percent is anxiety-triggered and so long as I keep the food part under control the anxiety part can only do limited damage. Travel, of course, means that it's harder for me to stick to EFI *and* that my anxiety over my IBS goes up - a deadly combination for me. Add to that my other health problems and it's a recipe for misery.

So lose the, "Ah-ha, I knew this didn't work" attitude. Based on the posts of yours I've read and answered, skh, you aren't following the EFI Diet. That's your choice and, yes, Lotronex may provide a short cut but it's a dangerous drug and I think it's a mistake to jump right to that without doing your darnedest to get relief elsewhere. So here's my advice for *anyone* thinking about Lotronex.

Before you try Lotronex, be sure you're doing EFI right. I don't think anything would help the IBS I had when I wasn't doing EFI - I barely left the house and taking Imodium was like taking a sugar pill. I'm pretty sure my gut would have laughed at Lotronex. Make sure you're on an SFS and getting enough of it. Try peppermint capsules and/or peppermint tea. Try Imodium.

Once you're doing all that, then if you still need help, try the hypno. If you're still having symptoms after that, try anti-anxiety meds. If those don't do it, try anti-depressants. Some people with IBS-D get relief from Elavil - for me it kind of worked but not really and the side-effects were horrible. If none of that works, then think about Lotronex.

Lotronex is a big, big drug and it has two major side-effects. One is constipation. That's easily coped with: if you get constipated, you stop taking the medicine - but some people don't and get themselves into trouble. The other is bowel necrosis: this is disastrous and can be deadly.

Lotronex is not something you take because you're feeling cranky about not being able to figure out EFI and somehow vindicated because someone else needs it. Lotronex is something you take when you've tried EFI and over the counter remedies; tried hypno, anti-anxiety meds, and anti-depressants; and absolutely have to have something else to do what you want in life.

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