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antidepressants and IBS

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Posted 7/25/2009 2:19 PM (GMT 0)
HI everyone,

I usually hang out on the IBD forum but think I need to ask my question on this forum. I have IBS and IBD. The antidepressants also help with energy/depression/anxiety from years of dealing with these darn diseases.

My question is: do many take antidepressants for IBS? How does it affect your IBS and which ones work for you/don't work for you? Also, does switching antidepressants trigger your IBS? It seems to do this to me. I have about been through the entire repetoir of antidepressants. The SSRI's seem to make the colitis much worse but work great on the depression/anxiety. Now I am taking 30 mg of cymbalta and can't seem to get off it. I tried switching to wellbutrin and had an awful time of it and had to go back to the cymbalta. The cymbalta is best on my tummy but I get bad side effects from it like high BP anxiety and have problems sleeping. Any thoughts or advice? Perhaps I should ask this question on the anxiety/depression side?? Thanks so much!!!

Posted 7/25/2009 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, jeanneac,

I also have IBS and suffer from depression and anxiety.  They often seem to go hand in hand, don't they?  I have been taking antidepressants for about 9 years; (have had IBS for about 15).  I feel that the antidepressants do help my IBS in the long run because they help me with my anxiety.  Anxiety can wreak havoc on the digestive system anyway; how much worse for those of us with IBS.

I also have tried many different antidepressants - Buspar, Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft, Cymbalta, and Paxil.  For me, the Paxil seems to work the best.  Zoloft gave me terrible digestive problems which no person with IBS needs to deal with!  The other antidepressants just didn't seem to work as well as the Paxil.  However, antidepressants seem to be an individual thing - what works for one person may not work as well for another.  My doctor was so sure Cymbalta would be great for me, but it hardly helped me at all.

I don't recall any negative effects on my IBS from changing medications.  I'm sorry to hear you have multiple digestive issues.  Having just one is bad enough!  I hope you can find something that works for you.

Posted 7/25/2009 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
It is so very individual, isn't it? Sounds like you've tried one or two as well. LOL.... Thanks so much for the reply Karen. Good luck with the IBS.
Posted 10/5/2009 7:54 PM (GMT 0)
I had terrible problems with IBS when I took Paxil. That ended about six months after I switched to a different SSRI.
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