Prozac and IBS? - Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Message Board

g83 · 08-06-2003, 10:42 PM

My doctor recently prescribed prozac in hopes that increasing the serotonin level in my body would help to treat IBS. Has anyone tried this before? Any success?

Sarah68 · 08-07-2003, 05:07 AM

Taking antidepressants for IBS is getting on to dangerous ground and some have more side effects than it is worth the risk taking. If you are not depressed then it is inadvisable to start taking strong antidepresssants such as Prozac for IBS.

Basically, my feeling is that to treat IBS successfully you need to treat the cause of it and not the symptoms. By treating the cause you can cure it, but not by treating the symptoms.

You really need to go back and think about when you first had IBS and try to see if this was linked to anything in particular. Were you stressed at the time, was there a recent death in your family? In most cases you can link it back to some particular event and if you can trace this and deal with it, then you can in most cases resolve the IBS. IBS can be caused by lots of things and you just need to find the cause rather than treating symptomatically and you can deal with it more effectively.

Good luck

chronic · 08-09-2003, 11:34 AM

I have been on anti-depressants in the past and had no IBS symptoms. Although food is a major trigger, if you take the mind connection out of the equation, it seems to make a world of difference. This is not to say that antidepressants do not have their own side effects and pitfalls. Each is different and not all would work for IBS. In the end, you have to decide which is worse, your IBS or the drug side effects. It becomes a personal choice. Although I was on the drugs in the past for anxiety/depression, the lack of IBS symptoms made me consider this as a course of action myself recently since my IBS is out of control again. I am having more anxiety which could be causing the worsening of IBS.

I cannot control my anxiety and cannot go back to that moment when IBS first started as a child and work out my issues. There is no logic to any of this. We are the way we are and nothing I've tried can change my personality, heredity, or predisposition to worry. Treating the mind is not treating the symtom, but the cause. I would only recommend it if nothing else has worked for you and you would do anything to make it stop.

I was on prozac for a while 7 years ago and do not remember if it helped my IBS to tell you the truth. I do remember the negative side effect is it is impossible to orgasm on it, however, strangely enough you still enjoy sex.

A psychiatrist can help you best select the proper antidepressant for your problem as they are more well versed in all of the drugs. I am trying Doxepin (a very old drug) currently with mixed results. He said he has had good luck with this drug in his IBS patients. I opted for the lowest doseage possible just to control the IBS. He wasn't sure if it would work this low. I haven't had any negative side effects but it has only helped lessen the IBS some. I may need to up the dose. It has no sexual side effects. Before this I tried Remeron which cured my IBS completely, however, the side effects were hard to handle (tiredness, weight gain, dull witted, etc.) My stomach never felt better in my entire life, however. So you see...it's all about choices.

g83 · 08-09-2003, 12:50 PM

I don't think that my case of IBS is an result of anxiety or depression. It all started in february or march. I was constipated all the time. The bloating and stomach aches only started this summer. I'm not stressed out (except for maybe dealing with the ibs). In fact, I've had a really relaxing summer. I'm a student and off from classes, I have a great summer job... the only change in mood has been a result of the ibs and not the other way around.
My doctor is thinking that the increased serotonin level will help to better coordinate my degestive tract since that is one of the many things that serotonin level influences.
I will remember remeron though incase the prozac dosen't help. Does that drug also increase serotonin level?
I hope the Doxepin works wonders for you! Have a great weekend

chronic · 08-09-2003, 04:37 PM

Remeron is very strong as I mentioned. It actually is more specialized than prozac but many people cannot take the side effects. If you ever start taking it, make sure you start on a Friday evening and don't expect to do anything all weekend. It knocks you out at first and it is hard to stay awake. Eventually this goes away although you never have quite as much energy as you normally would. It is almost impossible to control your hunger urges...very odd because I am not one of those people who eat a lot but I could never feel full.

Well I do think my IBS is more extreme during high anxiety periods but one cannot dispute the mind-gut connection regardless of if you feel stressed or not. I get mine the worst on the weekend or on vacation when I am not at work and can have fun. Being focused on work even though it can be stressful, takes my mind off my stomach. I am not currently depressed and actually didn't feel like I couldn't handle my anxiety, but perhaps my body is telling me different? I only considered anti-depressants because nothing else I've done is working so I feel it is worth a shot. The fact that there has been some improvement seems to indicate that some drugs help break the mind-gut connection which at least gives people another potential option (I know I am grateful for this possibility).

Good luck with you. Remember, regular doctors only know the meds that the pharmaceutical companies push (trendy meds like paxil) so be careful and see a psychiatrist for better advise. I realize there is a certain stigma to seeing one but I just want to stop crapping my guts out and if head-meds work, so be it!