Irritable Bowel and Taking Medication

G.,

I'm wondering if you are aware that hypnosis is very effective in assisting in managing IBS symptoms? A person trained in IBS hypnosis protocol should be able to assist you in 5-7 sessions to begin managing symptoms without the need for medication.

K.

Just curious, have you been tested for celiac's or tried a completely wheat free diet??

I have IBS with diarrhea and was told by my doctor that medications were a last resort because the side effects were awful. I didn't ask further and figured I would explore it more if I needed them. I would definitely ask your doctor for more information.

The first step he had me take was to add a lot of fiber to my diet. This is very counterintuitive (I figured I'd be living in my bathroom with MORE fiber!), but it worked wonders. I use a no-taste fiber supplement in my water, eat Fiber One cereal and eat foods that have lots of fiber. For whatever reason, it really helps stabilize things. Within a week, I had no diarrhea problems and could leave the house without charting potential bathrooms along my route.

I have since added in Greek yogurt into my diet, which is rich in probiotics. Between the two, my IBS has been a lot better. I still have problems if I eat irritants like chocolate or tomatoes, but just arm myself with Immodium when I splurge.

Good luck! Hope you're able to find a good solution to your IBS.

Hi G.,

I cannot help you about the medications, but I wanted to ask you if you drink a lot of diet drinks? Aspertane has been shown to cause sympotms of irritable bowel.

If you're worried about the medication, look at your diet. It doesn't always help, but sometimes a change in what you're eating can. My Mom & Grandfather had irritable bowel, and I started to show symptoms until I changed my diet.

Good Luck!

R. Magby

I have ibs too. I haven't tried hyoscyamine but my doc prescribed donnatal for me. I really like it and havent had any side effects from it. He also prescribed lomotil for the diarrhea part, but it didn't really seem to help for me. My friend at work also takes donnatal and seems to like it too. I've noticed that certain foods also aggravate my belly so I stay away from diet drinks, msg, and many processed foods because those seem to give me really bad stomachaches. I hope this helps!!Good luck!

I second doing an elimination diet if you haven't done that already, or do a delayed food allergy test, a blood test that tests for IgG. For me, it's diary, wheat, soy, chilli and shitake mushrooms. You have to go off your sensitive foods for a couple of weeks before the issue will resolve.

I have IBS but so far all they wanted to do is colonoscopy. I've had it for 12 years.

I will tell you this though, that i took a very heavy dose(4 pills 3 x day) broad spectrum antibiotic when my root canal was hurting, and it wiped out the IBS for about 4 months!!!! totally gone, with very solid stools! unfortunately, It is slowly starting to return now, but it is nowhere near as bad as it was..

I think an overgrowth of vile bacteria is the cilprit. I think certain things help it grow- sugar, carbs and sodas.

Magnesium oil rubbed on the skin is suppose to help increase cellular levels of magensium. (low magensium has been blamed for IBS). Magnesium citrate or malate that you ingest can give loose stools- that is why i suggested the oil topically.

G.,
Here is a website that has audios you can listen to on various health issues. I am sure there is one on ibs.
http://www.bobsfiles.net
Victoria

I don't know about the medication but my general view is to avoid meds if at all possible. I think they all have negative side effects but I know sometimes it is unavoidable. I know that is so painful and also causes anxiety my sister and also a friend of mine have dealt with it. It's hard but an elimination diet where you take almost everything out of your diet and then start adding things back slowly to see what makes it worse can really help. You probably already know all this. I'm sorry you are dealing with this. Also anything you can do to manage stress might help.

Google: Hyoscyamine Side Effects
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/hyoscyamine-side-effects.html
Hyoscyamine
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Hyoscyamine:
Bloated feeling; blurred vision; constipation; decreased sweating; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; enlarged pupils; excitability; headache; nausea; nervousness; trouble sleeping; weakness.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Hyoscyamine:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); agitation; behavior changes; confusion; decreased sexual ability; diarrhea; difficulty focusing eyes; disorientation; exaggerated sense of well-being; fast or irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; loss of consciousness; loss of coordination; memory loss; mental or mood changes; severe or persistent trouble sleeping; speech changes; taste changes or loss; trouble urinating; unusual tiredness or weakness; vision changes; vomiting.
I love Google. Ansers at your fingertips.
GOOD LUCK

I have had Chron's disease for 25 years. I was pregnant and on Remicade and nurse my son on it (doesn't pass through breastmilk due to a massive molecular weight and high protein binding capacity).

When I have diarrhea, otc anti-diarrhea works well for me.

ps - i can look up your drug in my Hale book if you are worried about nursing.

The only product I am aware of on the market for IBS is Amitiza (marketed by Takeda pharmaceuticals). The FDA approval information I can find only shows that it is approved for IBS with constipation, though.

Zelnorm was another product previously approved by the FDA but it was removed from the market in 2007 and was not approved for use in people with diarrhea.

I'd trust your physician, but if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask one or many pharmacists. They usually have access to the most current information. Or, see if you can find a manufacturer for the product and ask them (also check sites like drugs.com and epocrates.com for information).

If you're not comfortable, don't take it. Make sure you understand all the benefits and risks of any medication before taking it (this comes from someone with 10 years of pharmaceutical sales experience).

Good luck!