Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

I was on Lexapro for about three months and could not tolerate it. My IBS-D became worse, my bladder nearly uncontrollable, and I was groggy most of the time. The anti-depressive properties seemed to work but this did not out weigh the side effects I was experiencing that reportedly effect 5% of patients.

My doc originally wrote a script for Zoloft but my insurance would not cover it, and it was over $100 a mos if I chose to pay for it myself. The second choice was Lexapro; it was $30 per mos with insurance coverage. I read about Fluoxetine, the generic Prozac, on this site and asked my doc about it, she said it was in the same family as Lexapro and would be easy to switch over to give it a try. The Fluoxetine is $10 per mos with my insurance. I am less groggy and the IBS-D has been more under control. I also feel like I can focus a little better.

I think you have to research and experiment to find one that works best for you. There are probably better ones, but I am happy with this one right now.

Some other brands are mentioned in articles like this:
The Use of Antidepressants in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Other Functional GI Disorders http://www.med.unc.edu/medicine/fgidc/antidepressants.pdf

Good luck!
Karen

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