Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Ibs Paxil

Question:
I really feel so much better that there actually are other people who have the same problem as me. I've been troubled by what I now know as IBS for over 10 years (I'm 24 now). I've lost count of the number of trips to doctor I've made. I was repeatedly sent away with an indigestion remedy or told to eat more fiber. I lost complete faith with all doctors, so I just refused to see them any more and just decided I was resigned to this problem. A couple of years ago a doctor told me I had IBS - and that was that. There's no cure and you're not going to die. You look healthy enough to me.... Maybe I'm not going to die, but my IBS is running my life. �Just after Christmas I visited one of the doctors on my university campus. She is quite young and obviously more in tune with the lifestyle of young people. She gave me numerous blood tests that confirmed that nothing serious was wrong, which at least eliminated all the serious things. Finally I got to learn about this problem that I had. I didn't realize that I had a link between anxiety and my stomach/bowel problems. I'm due to return to my doctor on Tuesday to decide on the next step to take. It seems from reading the postings that there are two distinct types of the problem. IBS due to dodgy bowel etc and IBS induced by stress and anxiety. It seems I have the latter. I was interested to read about people's experience with Paxil. Do you suggest I talk about this drug with my doctor?

Answer:
Matt, try some other NG's for Paxil experience. soc.support.depression.treatment or alt.support.anxiety-panic You wanted information on paxil well I have been on paxil 20mg a day for 3 months now and I can�t tell you how much my life has changed. �I had been living with panics and IBS for about 10 yrs and have tried almost everything on earth but nothing seem to help until my DR suggested paxil to stop the vicious circle as she calls it. �First you get a panic attack then you get your IBS then you get more anxious so more IBS and on and on. �So she suggested paxil to get me stable emotionally and she thought that would help me with my IBS. I also changed dramatically my diet and reduced my daily stress and I have been 98% better since. I think Paxil is the kind of drug that doctors think people should take when things are really dire. On a day-to-day basis, most IBS sufferers don't have a problem. The problems occur at certain occasions, in which case Paxil won't help. I don't think it's the great cure. Perhaps it relieves the anxiety and reduces the vicious circle problem, but it doesn't cure. Nobody said Paxil cured anything. But put with a good diet, some exercises, get lots of sleep and I think no I know I can work to help get your IBS in check. I don�t think IBS has one cure I think that a combination of stuff. Matt, I tried paxil late last year. �I was having terrible nightmares when I took it. �I know not everyone has the same experience. �It's a mild anti-depressant from what my psychiatrist told me. And it has wonderful results for some. �My psych now has me on another anti-depressant. �I'm not sure how it's going yet. �Too soon to tell. As gets said in here over and over - what works for one doesn't work for another. �Take what you like and leave the rest. �Try something if you think it will help, if it's something you haven't tried yet. � Or ask your doctor about it. � I feel that most of my ibs comes from food intolerances, and due to my diet. �Stress can also cause me to have a terrible ibs bout. But on a day to day basis I feel that my ibs problems have to do with my diet, and amt of exercise I do or don't get. Good luck. �I'm glad you found a new doctor you can talk with. Well, the thing about the drugs like Paxil et al., is that based on the most recent information about what the underlying physical problems are with IBS, these types of drugs are the ones that are most likely to be able to resolve those problems. �Everything else basically is putting band-aids on the symptoms. What the research shows is most likely what is causing all of the various things that we call IBS is that the nervous system that controls the gut has gone haywire for some reason. � So the peristatic movements are too fast, too slow, too strong, or inappropriate for the stimulus (like somehow deciding that a particular food is really evil and the system responds with flushing everything out). �While some people may not be having symptoms every day, the nerves are probably out of whack every day, just whatever triggers the particular symptoms the person has isn't present everyday. �There is feedback between the brain and the gut, which explains why mental stuff often affects the gut. The drugs like Paxil et al. (which generally for IBS can be given at lower doses than is needed to help with depression... thus lowering the risk of side effects) seem to be helping the nerves in the gut get back under control. �Whether this assistance is gonna be needed on a long-term basis, or a short-term basis, probably depends on what got the nerves whacked out in the first place. � For many people the nerves were damaged from some sort of an infection, so after the nerves heal, the problem is resolved. There may be other types of problems in the nervous system that would be more likely to be associated with more of a life-long problem. Granted, it doesn't cure the nerves being screwed up, but it can support more normal functioning of the nerves so they don't cause the IBS symptoms. Of course, I think there is more than one way to skin a cat. And as the whole thing is, as you rightly say, a gut-mind problem, then a good way to tackle things is through the mind and gut. A basic point, really. But the causes of each individual IBS sufferer have to be taken into account. And while Paxil may help some, it will not help everyone, because the causes and symptoms vary so much. Of course, I'd suggest something like acupuncture that has helped me overcome a lot of IBS symptoms. I am not cured. I don't believe IBS can be cured - IBS like migraine is a symptom of circumstance. But both can be alleviated. Something that involves as little synthetic intrusion into the chemical balance of the body, can only help the body cope with itself rather than relying on drugs. And I think a lot of treatments that deal with the nervous system, particularly acupuncture or even shiatsu massage and aromatherapy, can stimulate the body to react effectively. I know that I'm going to have a barrage of complaints from Anonymous and KMottus, who are skeptical of these remedies, but I really think they work. I could barely leave the house, until I had a course of acupuncture that improved my physical symptoms and my mental attitude. So, although it's anecdoctal and unscientific, I recommend a GOOD acupuncturist approved by a professional acupuncture body, such as the British Society of Acupuncturists (I think) or, for homeopathy, the Royal Society of Homeopaths, which is linked to the Royal Homeopathic Hospital in London. Hey If acupuncture worked for you great You found something that works for you. �We all have to find something that works for us. I think that there are as many cures than IBS sufferers. I don�t think one remedy can help ALL. I tried acupuncture and it did nothing for me than make my wallet lighter but I stress that that was my experience and it does not mean it can�t work for someone else. �I found for me that my IBS kicked in when I was stressed out or having a panic attack so now I take paxil and have changed my diet and have been without IBS for about 3 months now. But also, the problem with alternative therapies is that they aren't properly regulated by professional bodies, and one practitioner might be terrible , while many are alright. That's why I always say, look for an acupuncturist who is registered with a body that has high standards of service - especially since you are dealing with needles, and there's the possibility of infection.