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IBS medication question

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 5/18/2007 3:21 AM (GMT 0)
Okay.. I've been diagnosed with IBS, so far it's looking like IBS-D. My "guts" start rumbling about halfway through a meal, and I get horrible trapped gas pockets. Then I get the cramping that says "find bathroom NOW". Well.. doc scripted me something called Bentyl, that I have not filled yet. I saw side effects of drowsiness..well I'm on three other meds with that side effect. Has anyone taken this medication, and have any input on it?

Also, the doc said I had something called GI (there's a word here that I can't remember) mobility. Anyone know what that word could be? I'm such a scatter brain.

Thanks

Posted 5/18/2007 3:46 AM (GMT 0)

Hi Sarah,
Sorry you've had to join the IBS club, BUT we're happy to have you!
Bentyl is an antispasmodic that is taken (usually) on an as needed basis.  It does indeed cause drowsiness.  I do not take this med, but my best friend does.  She takes it at night when she's got nothing going on and knows she will stay home and get to bed soon.  I don't know if this is how it is with everyone.  Hopefully someone will be along shortly with another perspective.  Have you seen the website http://www.askapatient.com/ -- it is great!  Canyon, one of our regulars, provided it a little while back and now I'm hooked.  You should check it out and see what people have to say about Bentyl.

about the GI motility thing... Can't help you there.  Sorry.  I will spin my wheels and see if I can come up with something.

Are you taking anything for your IBS (fiber, probiotics, etc.)?

Posted 5/18/2007 6:28 AM (GMT 0)
Usually people have poor motility and have IBS-C. If you have too fast a motility then I guess you would have D but frankly I have never heard anyone use "motility" in that manner. People seem to have different tolerances to Bentyl. I have it also and have not taken it as haven't needed anything lately. That whole class of drugs has warnings about drowsiness. FYI any drug whose generic ending ends in "mine" usually can make you sleepy. Think Dramamine, Antihistamine,etc.
Posted 5/18/2007 12:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sarah,

I would try the med and if it doesn't work there are lots more antispasmodics to choose from. I had to try a couple to find the one that works for me which is Symax-SL. I take it as needed. It goes under the tongue so it works fast and I haven't had any issues with the drowsiness part and I'm on other meds that cause drowsiness also. You never know, Bentyl may be the med that works for you so it maybe worth a try.

Take Care
Posted 5/18/2007 12:42 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on Lotronex for a month, OMG its a god sent.  First normal Bowel month in 15 yrs.


Post Edited (kydiver) : 5/18/2007 6:56:35 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/18/2007 8:10 PM (GMT 0)
Okkayyy...thanks guys for the input. I checked that website out and no way am I taking this med. I'm so med senstive that if there is a side effect of "mild" drowsines... I'll be drooling with half a dose.
I have never had ANY dietary, or anything else suggested to me for the IBS. Are there any over the counter things that are mildly effective? I can deal with this problem if the "edge" gets taken off..simply by avoiding McDonalds..lol.
Posted 5/19/2007 1:56 AM (GMT 0)
Well, I find most my problems of bloating, gas ,etc are gone when I take Probiotics or Acidophalous on a regular basis. I seem to be able to eat most things except extremely gassy things like raw onions. We all need to find our trigger foods. Bentyl has been around a long time. You could always try it at night if you have a problem. I take Hyoscomine(or have) and have never had the drowsiness unless I am in bed but I am not med sensitive.
Posted 5/19/2007 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
(Showing my GI ignorance here) what are probiotics? Acidophalous is milk or yogurt?? I think??
Posted 5/19/2007 3:42 AM (GMT 0)
I've been perscribed Bentel but I've havent taken it because I am so sensitive to medicines also.  My friend was fussing on me tonight.  I am a chicken.  Wish I could help. 

Posted 5/19/2007 4:54 AM (GMT 0)
Definetly not milk. Acidophalous is made of organisims that benefit our stomach and grow naturally in our stomach(I think) At time our stomachs get out of balance for one reason or another and this puts the good stuff back in. It is a form of Probiotics. There are a number of them Bifidus is another one. There are some yogurts that have bifudus in them and other organisims that can help with digestion. I take it in pill form since I am sensitive to dairy but many people can handle the yogurt even if they are sensitive to dairy. Any drug store, grocery store or health food store has these. People have their favorites. Also, there is a product called Digestive Advantage which has helped a number of people. It is available at any drugstore and very reasonable. Takes about a week to work for some people. You will hear more about this from others on the forum.
Posted 5/19/2007 6:12 AM (GMT 0)
Acidophilus is a type of probiotic.  Probiotics are "good bacteria" our intestines need to function properly.  They are there to help flush out bad bacteria.  If you ever get food poisoning or the stomach flu it means your gut is overloaded with bad bacteria, it will help you get over the sickness faster if you replenish the good bacteria (either by taking supplements or by eating A LOT of yogurt).  Same goes for diarrhea... When you have D your body is trying to eliminate the intruder that is wreaking havoc; in the process of eliminating the bad your body is also eliminating the good.  Adding probiotics will also help with D.  Probiotics are also great for combating yeast overgrowth (i.e. thrush & vaginal yeast infections).  Probiotics will also help boost the immune system and reduce cholesterol.

There are a bunch of strands of probiotics; the most common are Lactobacillus, Acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium.

I take probiotics daily via supplements and yogurt.  I eat 1 Dannon Activia yogurt a day (high probiotic count), 1 Culturelle pill (supplement) and 1 Kyo-Dophilus pill (supplement).  This routine has worked wonders for me.  I am much more regular and have far less trouble with the "bad" foods and much less bloating.  By the way, you can't overdose on probiotics.  :-)    Your body will just flush out what it doesn't need.

I hope that helps, Sarah.  Please don't be shy about asking questions.

Posted 5/19/2007 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
Ahhh... I HATE yogurt..lol. But since I hate feeling like this worse... think I'll give it a try. I hate waking up in the morning belching constantly. I hate wondering with each bite whether I'm going to get the "gurgle". It's sortof like Russian Roulette with food..lol. I have three things I refuse to give up, and will have to work around... coffee, Dr. Pepper, and carbs...lol. Someone mentioned Beano to me before I eat.. but if it's a "gut problem" then Beano isn't going to help much is it?
Posted 5/20/2007 5:10 AM (GMT 0)
At one time many years ago it was thought that Dr. Pepper used prunes in the preparation. Now I know this was probably an Urban legend of long ago and I hate to have you give up your Dr. Pepper since that is a no-no but you are drinking coffee and Dr. Pepper both cafienated and both things that are known to make people go to the bathroom more. Just a thought.

Posted 5/20/2007 9:33 AM (GMT 0)
Unfortunately, SarahP, you might find that the only remedy for your diarrhea is cutting out the DP and coffee!  Caffeine can be a major stomach irritant.  If I were you, I'd give it a "trial separation" period where you cut it out of your diet for, say, a week.  You might find that cutting out the carbonation helps your gas feel a little more under control as well.  Track your symptoms and see what happens.  I know where you're coming from because I am a Pepsiholic at times, but I'm usually sorry afterwards!

Posted 5/20/2007 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
The strange thing is I'm usually fine in the mornings, and early afternoons..when I usually drink my one cup of coffee a couple glasses of Dr. Pepper... it's the late afternoons and evenings that get me the worst. My family has threatened to kick me out of my house if I give up coffee..LOL.

Going to try the yogurt thing. I bought some of those drinkable DanActive thingies. Figured I could chug something I disliked easier than spooning it in. Wish me luck getting one down..sigh.
Posted 5/20/2007 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sarah,
I have to agree with Sarita on the coffee and soda. I can't have any coffee or my guts go totally crazy. Soda I can handle in moderation though, as long as I can put up with the bloat.
That Dannon Active smoothy thing is a great probiotic source. BUT, if you don't like it then I would not eat it. Try one of the probiotic supplements instead; you can get them in pill form. Good luck!
Posted 5/20/2007 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
Well, laxatives don't work in the first few hours either. I never liked yogurt but they really taste pretty good now compared to years ago especially lemon pie and key lime pie. True these are not the ones advertised for stomach problems but they still have live cultures in them. I tried the Dannon Prune and it was excellent. Also if you throw some granola in it it makes it less slimey.
Posted 5/20/2007 11:17 PM (GMT 0)
ALRIGHT!! I managed to swig down of the DanActive drink thingies. I read the bottle, it says it has probiotics in it, so that's a good thing right? I was surprised it went down so easy without me gagging, but I was cleaning kitchen and loading dishwasher and I'd just swig here and there.. only took me five minutes.

The coffee that I drink is not straight out of pot black coffee. It's this General Foods International French Vanilla stuff. I *seem* to tolerate that well. But oh my lordy... I went out to eat a couple weeks ago... drank a cup of coffee there.. and my poor insides burned for two days. If that was my kind of coffee..it would have been gone a long, long time ago.

I wouldn't think the Danactive would work this fast, but I did manage to eat some pizza today and my guts weren't rumbling with the third bite. Do those things work in same day? Or did I just get lucky today? LOL

Thanks for answering all my questions!!
Posted 5/20/2007 11:27 PM (GMT 0)
Actually, I think the probiotics in DanActive are targeted more towards building up your immunity rather than helping with digestive tract issues.  If you read the label, it makes clear that it is an immune-system targeting yogurt.  I was taking DanActive every day until very recently, and I didn't have a cold all winter for the first time in memory.  But it did nothing for my digestive issues.  I recently switched to Activia (also by Dannon) because it is specifically designed to help with digestive problems.  It's actually pretty tasty and goes down easy-- the texture is silky smooth, unlike most yogurt.  It may be too soon to know for sure, but I think it has helped.
Posted 5/21/2007 12:41 AM (GMT 0)
I think XYZ is right but hey, whatever works. Chances are it coated your stomach a little so the pizza didn't take hold. It took me about 2 weeks before the probiotics kicked in. Now I pretty much take them everyday and don't have much trouble with intestinal problems. Wish I could say the same for the rest of me. LOL
Posted 5/22/2007 6:40 AM (GMT 0)
I NEED THE NAME OF A GOOD PILL FORM WITH NO SIDE EFFECTS. I TRIED TO FIND DIGESTIVE ADANTAGE BUT CAN ONLY FIND CHEWABLE WHICH PPL SAY IS BAD CAUSE IT HAS SWEETNERS. HELP!
Posted 5/22/2007 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
Ewwww.... Do not force yourself to drink those liquid yogurt things. They are WAY NASTY! I only eat regular yogurt. I think that DanActive yogurt was what I tried and it tasted horrible. If that's all the yogurt you know, no wonder you don't like it. Try the Activia or the Stoneyfield organic. I also get GrapeNuts to put in my yogurt because I like something crunchy.

Caffeine was what was setting off my gall bladder attacks. I used to be a big cokeaholic, but when I stopped getting sick all the time, I gave up the cokes forever. Decaf coffee, unfortunately, is not an option, as it still contains caffeine, believe it or not, not to mention acid which upsets the stomach. Might I suggest you take up drinking green tea? It has caffeine, but very little in comparison to cokes or coffee, so it might be enough to step you down.

Also, I used to be a big fan of Dr. Pepper and cherry Cokes, and I have found that the Stewart's cherry cola tops them both! It's sold in glass bottles and most large grocery stores should carry it. IBC also has a cherry cola, but I don't like it nearly as well. Fresh Market and Harris Teeter carry the Stewart's in both regular and diet (although diet is hard to find sometimes). Neither the IBC nor the Stewart's has any caffeine, so they're safe!!!
Posted 5/22/2007 9:35 PM (GMT 0)
Do you live near a Trader Joe's store? If so their Probiotic is great. Frankly I don't think that tiny bit of sweetner would make a difference. It is only there cause it is a chewable to make it palpatable. It didn't bother me. I ordered it next time over the internet and got the ones you swallow. I don't know why they are not in the stores but I haven't seen them. I have used many different brands including some that had to be refridgerated. http://www.ibstales.com/blog/digestive_advantage_the_reply.html Maybe this will explain about the artificial sweetner and chewable and nonchewables. Non chewables can be found at Costco.
Posted 5/24/2007 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
How much of an effect do you think muscle spasms have on IBS? I have noticed a bit of a decrease in symptoms since I started a new, WORKING, muscle relaxant. I'm wondering if the condition of my muscles and being in constant pain was causing bad flares of IBS? Not too sure on how it works, whether you have flares or not. I think I'm hopeless..lol.
Posted 5/24/2007 4:56 AM (GMT 0)
They definetly have an effect which is why they give us antispasmotics like Levsin, Bentyl and the like.
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