Just thought I would pass this along about IBS irritable bowel syndrome.

I have been battling with my stomach for years and have had surgery to correct GERD, reflux. Gall Bladder removed also. Still no end in sight, I was about to give up when my wife asked me to see another Doc. He said I was depressed and offered to put me on Lexapro, antidepressant. I reluctantly started taking the med and it was like the craziest thing, my mind was a little out there for a week or so but my stomach problems quit very quickly. I got off the med as usual thinking I was cured and soon my stomach problems came back. Two weeks later I put it together, the Lexapro helped my stomach. I got back on the med and my stomach/bowel problems are gone.

I looked it up by googling “lexapro and irritable bowel syndrome” and found that it is being used successfully for IBS according to some medical journals.

Side effects for me and I hope the go away, difficulty having an orgasm and a little foggy in the head.

I hope this helps,

Hi John,

Just wanted to share info about the success of Homeopathic medicine for ailments such as these. Not sure where you are situated/the availability of that kind of alternative health-care, but would HIGHLY recommend it. Regular consultation with a good Homeopath and accurately prescribed remedies can be unbelievably successful.

I used to suffer with IBS, along with a whole host of other ailments, including intolerance to wheat/gluten.......I have been seeing a Homeopath now for about 2&1/2 years and guess what? It seems my ailments have GONE. In fact, the IBS went away very quickly as I recall. And that's without the foggy head/orgasm difficuty, or any medication messing with my mind!.....


I also have used it for:
teething with my little boy,
for injuries/ physical recovery,
post labour trauma,
headaches,
shock,
coughs, colds, flu etc
daughter's aggravated behaviour..



..I could go on, but you get the general idea!


I am aware there also resources on the net, such as distance consultations etc, although I don't know the validity of these. Face to face is most likely the best idea for a first timer, but in the event of that not being available, the former might be worth a try,


peace
Beccy

Hey guys just wanted to update you on the IBS story. I came off the Lexapro because of the side effects. I can say it is not easy coming off, plus like a goofball I went cold turkey and felt the brain zaps and the wierd feeling for a week or so. After doing some research I called my MD and asked for levasin:

Levsin (hyoscyamine) is an anti-spasmodic that relaxes the muscles of the gut and prevents spasms.

This seems to be working very well, as for the homeopathic meds; I live in a small town with very little to offer so I am sorry to say that I am too lazy at this point to try the alternative route due to the amount of travel time it takes.

I hope this helps,

John,

I have this too. I used to take Levsin and Levbid. I've been taking Lomotil for the past few years.

Andy

Levsin spaced me right out. My ex used to take lexapro, i didn't know about the IBS positive side-effect, though. Lomotil seems to be a pretty good long-term med for it, idk if you'd have a medical issue that would preclude that option...

uhh ohh....i just started taking lexapro.

i was watching a documentry a little while back about IBS and one person on there had tried those live yoghurt drinks that are on sale these days and it worked...

i dont know if it works for everyone thou.

i hope this helps.

Update:

Levsin, Lexapro, did not pan out at all for me but guess what did?

You will not believe how crazy this is. For twenty years, since I joined the military and beyond I have worn a belt. My problems began at this time and I can only explain it as a tactile stimulation, tight belt, tight fitting cloths around my mid section. My body just got used to having a belt tightened around me. I did not use a belt before the military but have used one since that time up until two days ago.

I realized that I felt terrible all day and could not wait to get home, where you guessed it I took my belt off. I thought I just hated work and driving, bending over etc. but it has been the belt, it is the first thing I take off when I get home, at home I relax and let it fly but when I am dressed for going to work or going out I wear tight fitting "around my mid section" cloths and a belt tightened around my gut.

My mouth, above the belt my rectum below, how did I think I was going to move normally with a tourniquet blocking off the path. Gas, bloating, constipation diarrhea you name it I was miserable. My head felt like it would explode and I felt like I would pass out at any minute at least once or twice a day. I started putting two and two together and most of the time I never feel like this at home, no belt.

Posture is also playing a role in this, flexed over puts a kink in your gut; it also drives the zyphoid process into the junction between your stomach and esophagus – the pointy bone at the end of your sternum “breast bone” driving or sitting at a desk all day in a flexed posture can also cause these problems.

Hope this helps,


Oh yea, I eat activia "don't know the exact name of that yogurt" and it is great but not wearing the belt has been the key for me.

I feel like a new man.

http://users.chariot.net.au/~posture/

Here is an interesting link about posture, tight belts etc.

Hope this helps,

By the way,

My signs and symptoms with the tight belt deal:

Felt like I would pass out or wanted to sleep after eating a meal. Had a headache and or felt a tightness in my neck and head. Felt fatigued all the time except at home reclined back in a chair "without a belt on I might add, tight pants can do the same thing."

Began feeling like I did not like work or driving a car, "belt on and flexed over posture in both places."

Began feeling that I had a phobia of work or being out of the house, began doubting myself and my ability to do anything that required added attention.

Began hating to do any extra work or extra task, just wanted to get home and sit in a reclined position.

John,

I understand you very well. I started to have this syndrome, thinging retrospectively, when I was in high school. It was a nightmare... I had problems with gases all the time during classes.

In junior and later years in University situation was quite the same.

I felt a little batter later, but I still have the problem which we in Russia call the "bear illness". That means I need to go to the toilet before any social meeting or situation that makes me anxious. It can be just a talk over the phone.

I on meds now. Antidepressants help, but since it is Zoloft, it causes diarrhea, but not the spasms in my stomach I had before...

I am very glad that you found the method to win over IBS. I understand the calmity you are enjoying now. ))) Very glad for you.

Alexey

So far this is working for me guys:

Half cup of Fiber one cereal, plenty of water 8 cups a day minimum, good posture(not flexed over or slumped) and loose fitting cloths, no belt.


Hope this helps, I don't claim to know anything just what has helped me out.

I took Zoloft for almost 5yrs and it gave me diarrhea at first and I told my doc and he told me to take an over the counter medication called accidofilis and the diarrhea went away in less than a week. My doctor said that SSRI's can kill off microff flora in the intestines and that is what causes that side effect.

I hope this helps.

-Logan

I have suffered from IBS on and off for most of my adult life. I am interested if you know if there is any link between CSA and IBS? If so, could you direct me to where I culd find out more information.

I've had IBS troubles for quite awhile, also, and didn't know anything about it. I had some bleeding issues and ended up going to the ER (all is well) but that sent me on a journey to find a GI doctor.

I ended up getting a colonoscopy and an endoscopy, etc., and everything's fine. BUT, my doctor said that he thought my symptoms sounded a lot like IBS. We tried the medication for "traveler's diarrhea" but that didn't take. Then, he suggested that we try one of the "PROBIOTICS" on the market. He said he liked the "Align" product (over the counter) 'cause he said they have better quality control standards.

I started on it about three weeks ago and have been having much better regularity and my nagging feeling of "having to go" has mostly vanished. It's worked quite well for me.

Most drug stores will order it for you, or you can get it online at aligngi.com.

On a personal note, since I was abused "down there" I've had a number of issues regarding having that urgency to go to the bathroom, and the IBS has been a sort of trigger for body memories/feelings, etc. The past few weeks have been some of the best for me in terms of my physical health as well as mental health. I feel really lucky to have found a great doctor who seems to understand this issue greatly.

Best wishes,
Scott

A good GI doctor recommended another solution to me. I used it for years. It doesn't involve any medicine so it doesn't have side effects.

His recommendation was to take large doses of psyllium powder. Don't misunderstand me. In regular size doses, psyllium acts as a lubricant for the colon and will clear it out. BUTT in large doses it actually stabilizes colonic motion. The dose he recommended is about a quarter - cup to a third - cup at at time.

This is how you take it. You prepare a 12-ounce drinking glass about 2/3 full of drinking water. In a little measuring cup have ready the dose of psyllium powder. Have a stirring spoon ready. Then with quick motions you dump the psyllium powder into the water and quickly stir it. Get the psyllium wet but don't hesitate. HOLD YOUR BREATH. Then drink it quickly. Rinse the glass out with a little water to consume the dregs.

The way that it acts is that it provides 1. a lot of fiber bulk to the intestine, which helps it to not be ADHD (I know that this is an invalid comparison). The point is that the intestine is churning like a washing machine and it's not good for it to injure itself churning too much. 2. It tends to form a gel inside the intestine so that the contents stick together forming a workable lump. 3. It keeps the intestine from having this food become a mechanical irritant as it works inside like the action of a washing machine. 4. When the material is passed as fecal matter, it is kept soft so that it doesn't injure the anal opening or hemerrhoids.

Advice: Don't buy the kind with a lot of sugar in it. The sugar is not good for you. I trained myself to just take it raw without any sweeteners. The psyllium fiber itself is not capable of being absorbed by the intestine so that it is essentially nonnutritive.

I buy the stuff at a health food store. They order it in large quantities which gets the cost way down.

Allen

pufferfish

Zoinks pufferfish that would kill me! A regular dose is to much. It solidify's and makes the stool much larger and more painful to pass.

My solution which I had been working at w/o a lot of success was posture and pelvic position. It worked off and on for years and I never understood why it wouldn't take I stretched and stretched the hamstrings and arched my back. Then I got a lower back ache a few weeks ago and I could barely move then when I got going if I stoipped I was frozen to that spot for a while. I spoke to a sports massage person describing what I do and she said the only thing she could think of was the flexors.
That was it! I wasn't stretching thew flexors so they were pulling the pelvis forward too far. The pain went away as soon as I started the stretch.
A few days later I noticed I'd been having easy and clean movements for those few days. So I have it for me anyway its the position of the pelvis that was kinking or tightening the tubes down there probably not much differently that the belt John was talking about.
I've also got a stool in the bathroom that I put my feet up on to further adjust the position of my colon and pelvis. Its about 8" tall. It helps.

Kidney,

No! This really works. I used it for a number of years and I may start it up again. You just have to make sure you drink it with plenty of water.

I know it's paradoxical. Psyllium in small amounts is a laxative. In large doses it stops the irritation of IBS.

The Dr. who recommended was a board-certified GI doctor, one of the most reputable.

Psyllium is pronounced "silly-yum". It is sold as the product Metamucil. But as I said, I don't take the kind with sweeteners added.

Allen

pufferfish

Here's a link establishing a connection between IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and CSA (child sexual abuse)

http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/cgi/content/abstract/67/3/490

And here's another one:

http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/cus...;accno=EJ841139



Allen

Thanks Allen but I was serious. One teaspoon for three days in a row is as good as filling my colon with cement. I can take it weekly or every few days and I should as I'm type2, but its so painful if I get it just a little wrong I don't take it very often.

I sometimes think I might have IBS. Stress really throws my gut out of wack and it just causes me to get either constipated or diarrhea. Just too much. I know the stress from college and shitty teachers causes me to get sick.

Charlie.

I saw on ABC News about a week ago that some doctor has had success with an antibiotic in treating IBS. He prescribes the antibiotic rifaximin. It has a 40% success rate with no symptoms returning (according to the ABC News report).

At first glance 40% doesn't seem too impressive but that means a total cure in 40% of the patients.

The reason given is that a bacterium has been found in the small intestinal tract of people with IBS. The antibiotic gets rid of the bacterium.

http://www.annals.org/content/145/8/557.abstract?

IBS must be of considerable concern to CSA survivors. This thread has received about 6200 hits so far.

Allen

aka pufferfish

Allen

This is fascinating, thanks for sharing. I just saw a naturopath on Tuesday and he thinks I might have IBS. My gut having a mind of it's own.

In regards to the whole thing about this getting a lot of hits, yeah I think there is a big interest, but people are afraid to ask or talk about this subject. But having a healthy functioning intestinal seems make me feel better and I'm able to function better, figuring out what is wrong is the challenge.

Not to get too perverted but I feel better after taking care of business, if you catch my drift.

Charlie

You are right Charlie24. I didn't do anything about my intestines until I was 43 it finally got so bad.

This is a sympton i have had for a good number of years i never connected it with csa it has eased of a lot since i started the recovery process at present im taking no medication which i have done in the past for a good number of years.

James

Allen,

I just thought of a few more things that I think you keep hitting on. This is so important in understanding all of this and why it is the way it is.

The whole connection of CSA and Bowel function. No wonder I have so many issues.

I'm working with a naturopath, and he kept saying the same thing, what happened to you is part of why you are experiencing all these fucking feelings and why my gut is always so out of whack, cause I'm so out of whack and my mind is so out of whack. I realize I need more help with this shit.

More counseling here I come. God this shit never seems to end.

Charlie

Yea, Charlie

It does get better if you work on it. Mine is genuinely better. But not well yet. You have hit on what goes on with it.

I made a list of food irritants. Some were much worse than others. These were things that would set it off.

There's no doubt there is a psychological factor.

It is so true that butterfinger bars would set it off for me, I had like 2 minutes to get to a toilet. The butterfinger candies were what I ate only once during the horrible abuse.

Allen

Hi
I have suffered IBS science 10, about 30 years, it is strongly food and mind related. There is long list foods I can´t eat, for instance too hot or cold, all spicy, greasy, junk food, just baked bread and so one. If I upset my mind about something, my stomach turns around. If I am doing something physical, for instance running or walking, my stomach turns around. I have constant diarrhea with injuries in rectal area; because of my SSA I have bowel incontinence. I spent over an hour in toilet every day, still get soiled clothes or diaper.
I finally got enough and (my therapist advised) went to see doctor, first family one, she send me to hospital. I was in awful, different kind of exams in two hospitals, but it was worth it. I got diagnosis of hiatus hernia (causes strong reflux), IBS and bowel incontinence. Medication which I got, have helped but won´t take these away. I am eating Somac for reflux, Psyllium fiber ,Questran and Immodium for diarrhea and I am wearing Tena diapers for leaking.
Am I happy? No! Newer!
Am I better? Yes, bit.
When I am taking my meds and chancing my diaper, I remember those bastards who caused it.
But I am not giving up.

I have to say I'm once again humbled by how small my problems seem when I see how bad they might be.

I am lucky enough to have gotten some control over my bowels by eating beans daily, learning to chew my bites until there are no chunks before swallowing, and increasing my water intake to at least a gallon a day.
Its not perfect and I still weaken and eat beef which slows me down and even locks me up but I'm much better nowadays than I had been for most of my life.

Most guys who experienced CSA (child sexual abuse) have IBS. Possibly all of us.

I used to teach human anatomy and physiology. I found the following information in only one book out of the stack of books I have on that subject. I have not been able to find this book so far. The following information is not widely known. Probably most doctors don't even know about this.

There is a small muscle connecting the rectum to the body wall (from behind, or posterior aspect). This muscle serves to lift the rectum somewhat so that the contents are easier to control. That is, when it lifts the rectum slightly it helps to control the emptying of the rectum, or it keeps the rectum from emptying spontaneously. This small muscle usually gets torn during anal intercourse. This makes it harder for CSA victims to control defecation.

Allen

pufferfish

IBS site

There is quite good IBS site, those who want to learn more.
www.ibsgroup.org.There is lots of adverts, skip those and read facts.
Frozen