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Reglan is working - I'm doing better!!

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 8/19/2008 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
It's been over a week now on the Reglan and I'm happy to report I'm doing MUCH better!!  HOORAY!!  I've been able to eat again without feeling like I'm going to throw up or die.  It even took away the constant nausea!  I could cry I feel so relieved by that!  I still have gut-pain, some reflux-like symptoms, and I still feel like I'm having "incomplete emptying", but I'm eating!  I'm actually eating real food multiple times a day!!  It feels SO good!  I still haven't started the Nexium, but I think I will this week since I've determined the Reglan is ok.  I didn't want to start them both at the same time in case one of them didn't work and I couldn't tell which one.

The Reglan has had some unpleasant side effects, though, which is annoying but they're not so bad it's not worth it.  I can feel my stomach cramping if I don't go to sleep right after taking my before-bed dose, and while it doesn't really hurt, it doesn't feel good either.  I'm also still experiencing mild C and that incomplete emptying feeling.  But I'm a LOT more regular which has been a welcome change of pace.  The worst is that it makes me really sleepy and it's hard to get through the day if I take my morning dose.  I'm not much of a breakfast eater anyway though, so I've been skipping it and just having plain toast for breakfast if I have anything.  It seems to be working, and I don't fall asleep at my desk when I stick to that plan.

The best part, better than eating again and better than not feeling sick is that my Mommy, who hates doctors and distrusts them all as a matter of course, is considering seeing my new GI.  Her IBS is just as bad as mine, maybe even worse, but after seeing how much better I'm doing, and seeing how much the Reglan has helped me, she's willing to give my doctor a shot to see if he can help her too.  I can't tell you how happy that makes me!!  I mean, it's not set in stone, but the fact that she's even considering it is awesome!

October 3rd I get alien scoped and hopefully they'll solve the rest of my problems.  Even though I'm absolutely NOT looking forward to it, I can't wait because I really believe this doctor is going to figure it out and come up with a treatment plan that WORKS!

Dude... I can eat.  I can eat real food in real portions.  It feels so good!  I had forgotten how delicious food can be. LOL

*does the Happy Happy Joy Joy dance!*

Posted 8/19/2008 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
I'm glad it's working for you! My mother has a slow emptying stomach and was on reglan for a long time. I think she still uses it as needed, but sometimes her stomach works better than other times. I've taken it on occasion when I have something sitting on my stomach that will not go away.

The sleepiness problem might go away after a while if your body adjusts. Some people don't adjust to some medicines' side effects, but a lot of people do to the milder ones.
Posted 8/19/2008 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
I think Reglan is very underprescribed. I know there are some side effects but not for everyone and it is worth a try. I do not understand why when I was diagnosed with a motility problem no one suggested it. I had to find a motility drug on my own.
Posted 8/20/2008 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
What where your symptoms before (sorry been out of the loop for a while)?  I think I have a motility problem, not so much traditional C.  I'll have 3 great days, then like 3 days of feeling I have to go, which goes away, and then a just go anyway and have skinny poos (gross right?) that can be loose.  I feel the incomplete emptying feeling too.  Then I feel all bloated and in pain for the rest of the day.  It's pretty much that schedule all the time.  I think that's so weird.  Then of course I can't go unless I'm in my exact routine.  Could that be related to certain types of food?  I don't know the fact that it's on a schedule makes me think not.  If I'm on vacation for 10 days nothings gonna happen, or if I'm away from home during the day.  So there's a mental component (this is what they tell you, which is REAL helpful...of course offering no solution).  But obviously the digestive system just shuts down for me.  I've did the antidepressant thing, which didn't work.  Once I had bipolar episodes I can't take those or I go nuts anyway.  I wonder if Reglan can help me.  Unfortunately I gave up on the GI doctor a long time ago.  I'd try one thing, doesn't work, wait a month.  Repeat over and over.  I'd rather try amitza and have diarreha all the time, at least that's regular! 

Posted 8/20/2008 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
Good deal on the Reglan.  If you are having heartburn, you probably do need an antacid... for at least some time to help heal the stomach.  You may want to consider / look into DGL Licorice tablets.  You can read up, probably here and at sites like:  http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=e0498803-7f62-4563-8d47-5fe33da65dd4&chunkiid=33802

Lot's of people have reported it works for them, I know it works well for me to maintain. 

I'm cautious of PPI antacids.  They have been found (in at least one study) to reduce gallbladder efficiency with extended use.  Gallbladder is part of the same smooth muscle system as the stomach.  I suspect if folks have motility problems then a PPI would (long term) not be as good as alternatives--if there are alternatives.  Thus, If you do need an antacid (DGL Licorice is not working) you might want to try just an OTC H2 Blocker instead (like PepcidAC, etc).  There are a number to choose from.  (I had one other person tell me, via email, that they had worse issues with their stomach motility while on PPI). 

On the plus side, Nexium is a powerful antacid and has magnesium in it.   It's interesting because Magnesium deficiencies can supposedly cause stomach symptoms and they are hard to test for.  Do a search and you'll likely find some folks have felt better simply by taking magnesium supplements, but you have to really research it as there are different types and they absorb differently, and taking too much magnesium can make things worse, you may need calcium or some other supplements to go with it, etc.  Not very complex but not simply a matter of picking up a bottle of pills either.

 

Posted 8/21/2008 4:41 AM (GMT 0)
PPI's definitly affect my motility, it goes from slow to sloooooooooow. While on Nexium the food just sat there for so long, I wanted to charge it rent!
Posted 8/22/2008 10:55 AM (GMT 0)
Sophie,

I had something similar to what you describe. I wouldn't be able to really poo for three or four days, with just these little rabbit-pellet poops, then I'd get what my family and I call "The Soft-Serve Machine Poop" where you feel like someone turned your butt into a soft-serve machine and you can't stop the long, thin poop-ribbon. Then it was right back to the rabbit pellets. When I got "lucky" I'd get D for a few days and things would clear out a little bit, but it was always, always ALWAYS right back to C eventually. There's just no avoiding it for me.

My new doctor explained that I do have a back-up of poop in my intestines - one that's large enough for him to detect by just tapping and pressing on my belly. He showed me how to feel for it, and once he did I was horrified because I realized that I'd been living with this poop back-up for YEARS!! But my doc promised me that the Reglan would at least help, if not totally fix, the motility problem and he did not lie to me! I'm a LOT more regular, and while it's not perfect, it's a lot better than it had been. To the point where I'd suggest anyone who has a motility problem like mine talk to their doctor about Reglan (if they haven't already).
Posted 8/23/2008 1:16 PM (GMT 0)
So, I'm sort of glad to hear (I'm not alone) that I have pretty much the same BM issues as Sophie and RC as described above (usually yellow too). It's funny because when I travel I do have issues with C (which is pretty common I hear). Then when I get back home, almost the moment I'd be in the door (sometimes just before--ugh) it all resumes. I can't explain it mentally, I have no conscious issues going elsewhere. When I know I'm going to travel, or be away, I'll be extra careful with my foods. I found that I really have to eat a lot of healthy fiber and drink a lot of water, avoid anything 'C' for foods and it helps. Mentally I try not to worry about it either way, and not sure if that helps.

As best I can tell, the diagnosis for me is Gastroparesis suspected from a virus. This was based on my recent gastric emptying study that came back as below average (but not awful). Since I've been slowly improving from the start (Oct '07) my doc suspects I'm just in the typical (for this GP cause) recovery phase and should continue to do better. So, I discussed the BM issues and since I've not had any blood or dark stool, or other concerning issues he doesn't think the Colonoscopy needs to be done. That and an MRI are about all I have left to do for tests. He's willing to schedule further tests it if I desire, but even with insurance they are costly so I'm mulling it over. Since I'm doing OK lately I'm letting it go, but will definitely get tested if I have another bad spell.

Of course I'm getting a cold now so this next week or two will be interesting.
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