Stomach pain and antidepressants

Hi, I'm new to posting, but I am desparate for advice. I have tried a bunch of antidepressants in the past few years and after a month or so they all give me harsh stomach pain, bloating, etc. So I always go off, but I'm finding I really need to go back on. I was wondering if anyone else, that suffers from stomach trouble, has found a way to deal with being on medication and if anyone can recommend one medication over another for having less side effects on the stomach. Thanks.

-September Sun

Hi, I used to be on Paxil, with no stomache problems.

I've been on Effexor for 3 years with no stomache problems

but my good friend has had really bad stomache problems

with almost every anti-depressant he has tried.  He is

on Lexapro with no problems but also no help with his

depression.  Sorry I don't have any helpful advise.

Try to be patient until you find one that doesn't give you

problems!

Hi September, and welcome to the forum!!

I did have some stomach distress initially with various meds (anti-d's and others). But I found that after a few weeks, the stomach distress went away entirely. I do make sure that I take my meds with food . . . that does make a big difference. I do have one med which must be taken on an empty stomach, but most anti-d's can be taken with food to minimize the stomach probs.

Good luck with the Cymbalta . . . and keep us posted!!

Blessings!

zelnorm is for irritable bowal syndrome (the constipation kind)
not depression.

oh, i'm sorry, i read "as and anti-depressant"

i have IBS which i know is made worse by depression,

my doctor won't prescribel zelnorm because it's

expensive. i would definately ask your doctor

about it! i'd like to know how it goes if you try it.

good luck!

Susan

well, i've had IBS problems on and off for years, and i've been taking effexor 225mg for about
3 years - and i've just started Neurontin. for me, i have problems when i get really constipated.
it takes effort for me to deal with my constipation - i have really bad eating habits. i highly
recomment Citracel. it's a fiber supplement that you mix with water. unlike metamucel, it doesn't
cause gas,bloating, or cramps. it really helps me. for my cramps, i'm taking Bentyl (DICYCLOMINE)
as needed, it really soothes my insides. i'm a vegetarian, but for my mom, her IBS practically
disappeared when she stopped eating red meat. oops, to answer your question, i'm not aware of
any side affects from the effexor. i've read so much about IBS and how your digestive system
works, so i know that stress and your emotions has an affect. also, each person has to find out
what works for them, doctors can't do much. i never tell people to stop eating meat, but for sure
dairy. even doctors advise patients to cut out dairy products if you have IBS. a lot of people
swear by teas, like peppermint and other kinds that soothe your stomach and assist digestion.
about the zelnorm,again, i don't know ANYTHING about it but maybe you might be able to find out
what's "triggering" your problems before you try adding another medication. it just seems to me
what's causing the problem before adding another rx. what exactly are you experiencing?

funny you should ask, there's another thread i posted on, she
said she had been on effexor for 3 years and initially lost weight,
but has recently been gaining. i had to respond and tell her the same
thing happened to me! i got pretty thin, i'm 5'4 and went from 130
to 110 without even trying and actually started to worry because i
"couldn't" eat. it did something to my appetite. now i'm back to
normal, unfortunately, and have to work to lose weight. it seems
like every anti-depressant has side-affect of weight gain or loss.
good luck!

hi there,

This thread is from 2005. I dont know if these members are still around. But welcome to the forum any way and I am glad you found something that works for you. I hope that you keep posting.

Hugs Karen