My doctor put me on an anti-anxiety/anti-depressant drug called Effexor-XR which is a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, a minimal dose, when my IBS was really, really bad. Do you remember from Heather's book that 90 to 95% of our serotonin is in our gut, not in our brain? Gradually it made a huge difference and I got to where I was almost symptom free, though I still had a bit of a fearful thought as I would go out the door to go anywhere. But, I had no symptoms of IBS.
Unfortunately, Effexor-XR has only been tested for short-term use, and I had been on it about two and a half years when it started to MAKE me crazy. The manufacturer recommends it only be used for 6 months. I had short-term memory loss, had inappropriate emotional reactions, and had all the symptoms of what is called mania. I had switched doctors because we had moved, and I don't know if maybe doctor #2 lost track of how long I had been on the Effexor-XR. From January through April we tapered me off the medication, and now I find that my IBS symptoms are all back. Like you, I can have an attack when I think I have done everything right diet wise, and I know it is because my emotions play into it.
I'm unsure about what I am going to do about the possibility of trying a different type of anti-anxiety/anti-depressant drug. It was really frightening to feel myself losing my mind. I would caution you if you go this route to keep in mind that most of the new serotonin re-uptake inhibitors have only been tested for short-term use of about 6 months, but it seems to take about a year for it to make a real difference in the IBS. Higher doses might have worked quicker, but I'm not sure. Also, medications react differently for everyone. What happened to me might not happen to you and it was a wonderful relief to feel my IBS symptoms and fear ease.
Does anybody else out there know anything about this area?
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Re: Controling Severe IBS
