# IBS and Xanex



## 20093 (Jul 27, 2006)

I am 49 and started taking one, .5 mg of Xanex a day in January to help with menopausal mood swings and migraines. Over the next six months, I developed a severe case of IBS. Test after test showed nothing internal, yet I was reduced to a liquid diet by June. My docs offered little advice and no medication, other than Levbid to help with the cramps, and I began my own research. I did not find any reference in the Xanex literature to anything other than vague "abdominal discomfort," so I turned to IBS sites. At one, I found a recent study which indicated there may be a link between seritonin levels in the GI tract and the onset of IBS. Since Xanex works by raising the seritonin level in the body, I discontinued the medication and within 72 hours began to improve. It's been three weeks and my IBS symptoms have all but disappeared. My GI doc was floored. This is a matter for serious research, I hope, in the medical community. Beyond that, I have to say the entire process was disturbing, in that, when the tests showed no apparent cause for my condition, I was left to seek a solution on my own. My medications weren't reviewed, my diet, or anything of the kind discussed. This a serious matter. I was literally starving to death -- I lost 25 pounds in the process, more if not for nutritional drinks. I think the medical community, in some cases, over-relies on tests instead of old fashioned detective work to get to the bottom of a problem. If I figured it out, they should have been able to as well.


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2006)

to my knowledge anti-depressants are made to target serotonin, which is a chemical found 95% in the gut and 5% of it in the brain. serotonin is linked to depression, ibs, and hunger too.


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## 20093 (Jul 27, 2006)

If I know this and you know this, then how come my GI was so floored? (his word). It seems women's health issues, especially menopausal women, often end up overlooked. I have a friend with similar symptoms, who has had the same tests, and very little advice as to her diet, meds or lifestyle.


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