I've been taking Mestinon (pyridostigmine bromide) for 20 years to treat myasthenia gravis. When I first started taking it, it caused me to have soft stools (like pudding) and abdominal cramping, so the doctor prescribed Probanthine (generic is propantheline). For many years, the Probanthine worked just fine to alleviate those side effects of Mestinon, but about 10 years ago, even though I was still taking Probanthine, the Mestinon side effects returned. I went to a gastroenterologist who said I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), but she didn't specifically say that the Mestinon caused it, and she didn't prescribed any treatment.

Within the past year, they quit manufacturing Probanthine and the generic version, and without that drug I'm having a terrible time with the IBS. My neurologist has prescribed several other drugs to offset the Mestinon side effects on my bowels, but none of the drugs have helped. He recently prescribed dicyclomine (Bentyl), but it's not working either. My neurologist says most myasthenia patients who take Mestinon don't have bowel problems. Does anyone on this board take Mestinon and have bowel problems because of it?