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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 3/2/2006 8:42 AM (GMT -8)

Please forgive if this posts twice.   I sometimes lose my connection on this forum. (?)

I have not tried antidepressants and have read about them in this forum.   I have an extremely negative relationship with my mother (I'm sure her initials are tattooed on my intestines!) and as anyone who has experienced this knows, it does not go away.  This will be a stress situation for me for, if not the rest of my life, surely the rest of hers.

What kinds of antidepressants been taken?   How did they work?  Any unpleasant side effects?   I don't want to be a Zombie.

Posted 3/2/2006 9:00 AM (GMT -8)
It's been a while back, but some people here posted that the new thing now is to prescribe anti-depressants (I don't know which type) to people with IBS because it somehow regulates the intestinal tract (provided your IBS is caused by functional issues, not, say, bacterial overgrowth or parasites). They know that stress doesn't cause IBS, but it can make it worse. They also believe that the intestinal tract is not regulated by the brain, but by it's own semi-independent nervous system (or something to that affect), which is why it's so hard to treat. The anti-depressants, though, help un-depress the intestinal brain and make them work better. it actually has nothing to do with a person actually being depressed or even stressed. Sort of an off-label use, really.

You might want to do some research into the connection between anti-depressants and IBS and see if you can't find out which ones seem to help people with IBS (not all of them do) and see if you can't try some. It may or may not help your actual depression, but if it helps your IBS, then that's one less thing to stress you out, right?
Posted 3/2/2006 9:33 AM (GMT -8)

hi when i was first diagnoised i gto put on anti depressents in a low dosage for painrelief at night, they are called amitriptyline.  THey worked at the start then my stomach got used to them so upped dosage but again same happerened so am coming of them now, but didnt make me a zombie, only side affect was a beginning i woul dwake with a dry mouth and headache, slightly like a hangover, which was well annoying as cabt drink due to IBS so had hangover but no drunken stories to go with them!! im not against them as could work for u, and they didnt adversl effect me so could be worth a go.

hope all is good

mads

Posted 3/2/2006 9:38 AM (GMT -8)
Hi mads,
Thanks for your input on this... I'd like to welcome you to Healing Well :)
Looking forward to more postings from you... Take Care tongue
Posted 3/2/2006 10:05 AM (GMT -8)
i was first put on amitriptyline and i slept for about two days. it made me INCREDIBLY drowsy, and it was only 10mg. then i was on zoloft and that did not even make me a hint of drowsy. so who knows? that was all about the side effects i had.
as for your mom, i am really sorry. i do understand, believe it or not, but for me i believe that you should say and do everything as if it is your last day. i have one friend in particular that we had a falling out, i told her everything i wanted to say in a letter. she got the letter and read it and i have never heard from her. however i have no regrets what so ever, my heart is clear and open. i hope you and your mom can come to some peace, life is too darn short.
take care of yourself!!!
--bunny
Posted 3/2/2006 12:22 PM (GMT -8)
I was on Zoloft a few years ago, and I didn't seem to have any side effects from it.  I just know that it made me feel better about what was going on in my life at that time.  I hope everything works out for you :-)
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