# Medications lose effect for my IBS-D



## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

Hi, 
I am wondering if anyone has had similar experiences and if anyone can give me any help on this matter.

My doctors over the past 10 years have given me a lot of medication to try and to be fair, many of them have worked but only for about 1-2 weeks. This has happened with prescription meds, over the counter meds, herbals, and antibiotics. The medication will slow my bowels down and things will feel significantly better for about 5-7 days. Then I notice it slipping, and in about 2-3 days after that I am pretty much back to normal and I drop the med because the only thing I feel is that it increases my cramping. This has been the case with the following meds:

Peppermint oil capsules
IBgard 
Imodium
Viberzi
CBD oil
Kratom
Psyllium husk
Dicyclomine (bentyl)
Hyoscamine (levsin)
Cholestyramine
Amitriptyline
Tetracycline
Multiple home and clinical FMTs
Varying the amount of thyroid med I take
Testosterone supplementation
Even happened when I tried to eat beans for a while daily on my vegetarian stepmoms recommendation...

It is frustrating to feel like my body is winning the war. I feel ok for such a short time and then dive back into pain and diarrhea. And at the end of the good week it comes back with a vengeance! I keep trying every possibility I can find but nothing sticks. I still feel like there must be something else wrong with me.......? Had all the tests done more than once, plus some.....searching for answers.


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## celestin (May 20, 2004)

phenomenon known as tachyplylaxy...but it does not help you....

What about Lomotil, same thing?

Antiseptics?? see here


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## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

Thank you celestin, I actually ordered some nifuroxazide from France and will look forward to trying it.


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## celestin (May 20, 2004)

mellosphere said:


> .... I actually ordered some nifuroxazide from France and will look forward to trying it.


Good idea...Start at two per day +- 15 days then you'll see. Some are ok with one per day.


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## gramx3 (Mar 25, 2012)

Hi Mello,

Have you seen the "Linda's Calcium Info" thread on this website? I take 2 calcium carbonate tablets per day along with 2 servings of Benefiber (generic brand which is much less expensive). Then as needed: simethicone, Pepogest, Imodium, Tums, (over the counter products to alleviate symptoms).

I've had IBS-D all of my adlut life. This regimen doesn't fix everything but it helps.

Best Wishes!

https://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/72764-lindas-calcium-info/page-1


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## Noca (Oct 24, 2015)

Doxepin? It is the strongest antihistamine ever made. It provided me 1.5 years of remission before it stopped working. Do you have any other chronic illnesses? If so do you take meds for them and also find you become tolerant to those meds too? I build tolerance to pretty much everything.


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## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

Just coming back to this thread...

Took a while to receive my nitrofuroxazide. I am really doing poorly. I had tried pepto bismol again recently but that made everything feel inflamed within 48 hours so I stopped that. I did also try the nitrofuroxazide for the recommended dose pattern at 400mg 2x per day for 3 days - that's the instructions that came in the package for traveler's diarrhea. Well by the third day I felt pretty good, but then I stopped taking it for a couple days and was back to square 1. I am just cramping all the time and it is not fun. I have to work with people all day and I think they think I'm losing it...sometimes my response time is kinda slow because I'm just exhausted.

Anyways, I am going to try nitro as celestin recommended, 1-2 per day for a couple weeks and see how that goes. Can't hurt at this point.

Noca had asked about other meds, I only take levothyroxine as my other med. I don't take anything else ever other than ibs meds because all meds kinda mess me up in a not so good way.

Thanks for the feedback, haven't forgot about you all...just trying to get through a day at a time. Summer is coming and I usually feel better when all the snow melts and the sun is shining. That is one thing that consistently helps my cramps. Maybe I should move to central america so I can be warm all the time and have easier access to OTC antibiotics?


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## Athan (Oct 8, 2015)

Hello mellosphere

I'm currently having a combination of echinacea and probiotics and it has a very good effect on my symptoms.

My two relative posts are :

https://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/352652-echinacea-effect-on-gut-bacteria/

https://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/353214-4-combined-probiotics-vs-ibs-d/

I take two tablets of echinacea every morning (70mg each)

bought it from Amazon :

( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natures-Aid-EchinEeze-Echinacea-Equivalent/dp/B003NWXPGI/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=echineeze&qid=1554786669&s=gateway&sr=8-1 )

AND

2 capsules of probiotics combination (1 morning - 1 night) - Saccharomyces boulardii, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus plantarum

information is here :

https://www.uni-pharma.gr/en/product/lacto-levure-3/

I don't know if they are going to have any permanent curing effects on my IBS-D, but as I said before, the symptoms are much much better and they are (more or less) a natural type of medication.

Good luck !!


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## AZGuy (Nov 15, 2017)

gramx3 said:


> Hi Mello,
> 
> Have you seen the "Linda's Calcium Info" thread on this website? I take 2 calcium carbonate tablets per day along with 2 servings of Benefiber (generic brand which is much less expensive). Then as needed: simethicone, Pepogest, Imodium, Tums, (over the counter products to alleviate symptoms).
> 
> ...


That calcium is nonsense. Its a huge fallacy in my mind. We all tried it early on but those of us with chronic IBS-D it doesn't do a thing.


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## AZGuy (Nov 15, 2017)

mellosphere said:


> Hi,
> I am wondering if anyone has had similar experiences and if anyone can give me any help on this matter.
> 
> My doctors over the past 10 years have given me a lot of medication to try and to be fair, many of them have worked but only for about 1-2 weeks. This has happened with prescription meds, over the counter meds, herbals, and antibiotics. The medication will slow my bowels down and things will feel significantly better for about 5-7 days. Then I notice it slipping, and in about 2-3 days after that I am pretty much back to normal and I drop the med because the only thing I feel is that it increases my cramping. This has been the case with the following meds:
> ...


I'm in the exact same situation as you. I've tried COUNTLESS meds and like you...they all lose their effectiveness after awhile. Its like my body figures it out. I'm at a loss too and I feel my doctors are doing nothing. So I do tons of research and then bring it to them.

My current thing is trying Motofen again. I tried it back in 2008 when it was readily available. I didn't see any difference from it and Lomotil. I'm trying it again now since its been a decade and maybe my body is different. But so far I see no huge benefit.

I will say I tried an anti-d called Anafranil a few months ago and I think it helped me. But I had some side effects from the drug itself that forced me to stop it. So it might be worth trying. As a poster above said...Doxepin might help. I have a prescription for it and should start that soon. So I'll see how that helps. I never had luck with the other ones like you tried: Elavil and Tetracycline, etc. No luck with Nortriptyline either. But I'm hopeful for Doxepin.

I dont know. I guess I need to just give up and deal with a poor quality of life the rest of my life. Doesn't seem like anything helps. And all this over the counter stuff is nonsense and wasteful. I think thats for people with an occasional upset stomach. But most of us are going 8-20x a day and that just isn't normal or food related.


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## gramx3 (Mar 25, 2012)

AZGuy said:


> That calcium is nonsense. Its a huge fallacy in my mind. We all tried it early on but those of us with chronic IBS-D it doesn't do a thing.


Dear AZGuy, That's not very nice.

Everyone on here is trying to help. I may not be a Prolific Member, but I became a member of this forum on March 25, 2012. I am 70 years old and have been living with IBS-D since my early 20's, so about 50 years now. Yep, it's chronic. Been to multiple docs and had multiple tests and tried multiple meds.

I understand that IBS-D is different with everyone and what works for one person, does not work for others.

My current experience is that calcium helps me. As I said in my post, it is not a fix nor cure, but it helps me. The calcium thread started in 2005 and has over 2,000 replies. Some report that it helps and for some folks it does not work.

I beg to differ that it is "nonsense" and "huge fallacy" nor that "it doesn't do a thing."

Regards,

Gramx3


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## AZGuy (Nov 15, 2017)

gramx3 said:


> Dear AZGuy, That's not very nice.
> 
> Everyone on here is trying to help. I may not be a Prolific Member, but I became a member of this forum on March 25, 2012. I am 70 years old and have been living with IBS-D since my early 20's, so about 50 years now. Yep, it's chronic. Been to multiple docs and had multiple tests and tried multiple meds.
> 
> ...


Well I apolgize and didn't direct it at any one person. I'm glad its helped. I've suffered with this for over 20 years and I'm just tired of seeing all these home remedies pushed when it gives false hope for people. I'm truly glad its helped you and I apoligize to you and anyone else that it has helped. Its just my frustration because NOTHING seems to work for me. And its like when you go to the doctor and they dont take your condition seriously or just tell you to "watch your diet" or eat more fiber. I get very frustrated at those kinds of answers. And I really question all these over the counter things that now claim IBS help of some kind when I think its just false advertising. Thats all. I'm glad its helped you and your stage of your IBS issues.


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## gramx3 (Mar 25, 2012)

Apology accepted and appreciated. It is very frustrating. It is difficult to find a doctor who understands, is skilled and is sincerely trying to help. And every new "herbal, all natural" product out there is the latest answer to the problem. Well, of course not.

Now laughing at myself, I once tried Lion's Mane Mushroom capsules. On the bright side, they didn't hurt me.

Best wishes in finding what helps you.

Gramx3


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## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

My stools are getting more and more liquid and explosive if I am not on antibiotics. It is actually becoming alarming. This makes my sleep even worse. I wish I could work less but unfortunately I have a large amount of student debt and that is not an option.

I am concerned about the long term effects of using antibiotics, but they are the only thing that even remotely help. Im not sure what the problem is with my body but if I just take imodium or pepto to slow things down, my body reacts even more violently and gives me toilet trauma that is hard to deal with.

AZ I know you are trying another route with doxepin or paxil so let me know if that helps...

Athan I ordered echinacea but when it got here I saw that the active components are derivatives of caffeine and caffeine has always wrecked me so Ive been too nervous to try it yet to be honest.

Calcium doesnt cut it for me but thanks for the suggestion. That was one of the first things I tried and have tried again multiple times.

I really dont think it will help, but I have never tried VSL3. Considering that option. Unfortunately all probiotics in the past have made me worse but Im willing to try.

At this point Im taking bactrim 1-2x per day. It doesnt make things good but improves my quality of life a little. I know bactrim is taken long term for some conditions so Im not as worried about taking it for a couple months at least...then reassess my condition off antibiotics before I try the next one.

I still have a bottle of iodoquinol that I have not tried yet. Actually the next thing I may try is fluconazole. I have been reading about SIFO being a thing?? Anyone else heard of that? Or I can go back to tetracycline or rifaximin or nifuroxazide. I slept better on that nifuroxazide but it sure made my stools sticky.

IBS just is not fun.


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## bushja1 (Apr 23, 2003)

Have you tried to get a prescription for Viberzi, Motofen, or Lomotil? I've taken Lomotil for over 20 years and never noticed any need to increase dosage. Sometimes it works better than others, but I think that is just how my body is reacting that day. I've recently started Motofen and that seems to work best of all.


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## AZGuy (Nov 15, 2017)

mellosphere said:


> My stools are getting more and more liquid and explosive if I am not on antibiotics. It is actually becoming alarming. This makes my sleep even worse. I wish I could work less but unfortunately I have a large amount of student debt and that is not an option.
> 
> I am concerned about the long term effects of using antibiotics, but they are the only thing that even remotely help. Im not sure what the problem is with my body but if I just take imodium or pepto to slow things down, my body reacts even more violently and gives me toilet trauma that is hard to deal with.
> 
> ...


The Doxepin got off to a good start for about 3 days...but it seems my body has figured it out cause I'm right back to having pasty, loose stools again with urgency. I did manage to get my doctor to order Motofen for me...but insurance doesn't accept it, so I'm appealing their denial. I still might try Tofranil and Paxil in the future. But I guess I need to give the Doxepin another week or so to know for sure.


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## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

Okay so im having seriously increased troubles with liquid stools. I think I may be getting to the point where I am willing to try probiotics again. Its been almost 2 years since I had my FMT at Newbery clinic in Argentina (now closed). When that didnt work, I gave up on probiotics and stuck to antibiotics.

What are the best probiotic options out there? Anything new with good clinical research? Ive spent a fortune on them in the past to no avail but all tests reveal nothing and my doctors dont know what to tell me. Ive tried lots of antibiotics and just looking at my stool makes me wonder if maybe ive cleared everything out and some priobiotic may help. Doubtful but willing to try. I have never tried vsl so I will probably order that unless someone suggests something different.


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## AZGuy (Nov 15, 2017)

mellosphere said:


> Okay so im having seriously increased troubles with liquid stools. I think I may be getting to the point where I am willing to try probiotics again. Its been almost 2 years since I had my FMT at Newbery clinic in Argentina (now closed). When that didnt work, I gave up on probiotics and stuck to antibiotics.
> 
> What are the best probiotic options out there? Anything new with good clinical research? Ive spent a fortune on them in the past to no avail but all tests reveal nothing and my doctors dont know what to tell me. Ive tried lots of antibiotics and just looking at my stool makes me wonder if maybe ive cleared everything out and some priobiotic may help. Doubtful but willing to try. I have never tried vsl so I will probably order that unless someone suggests something different.


I've never had luck with any kind of probiotic. I've tried them all and they all increased my loose stools. I avoid them now.


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## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

AZGuy said:


> I've never had luck with any kind of probiotic. I've tried them all and they all increased my loose stools. I avoid them now.


Well I tend to agree. But things are going badly and I dont know what options I have right now.


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## Gutted66 (Jul 8, 2019)

AZGuy said:


> That calcium is nonsense. Its a huge fallacy in my mind. We all tried it early on but those of us with chronic IBS-D it doesn't do a thing.


I had no luck at all with calcium and only believe its a complimentary supplement alongside your normal type of medications such as Imodium etc. Just recently I have retried an old supplement of Prelief(bought it on Amazon a few years back) alongside my Codeine Phosphate and Imodium, which I take daily, and found it helped really bring some of the symptoms of a flare under control(bloating,cramps,etc.) Its nowhere near a cure but I've found it to be a helpful additive during some bad flares over the years. I actually keep forgetting about it and re-remembering it when none of my normal stuff works. Wish we in the UK could access Lotronex or Ramosetron or even the likes of Motofen as there are so few treatments available.

I have no association with this product but it helped me a lot recently and I am a veteran poster who lost his old password so signed up for another account.


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## leonedibben (5 mo ago)

Hello, well, I feel bad that this situation is happening to you. If you discussed this topic with your doctor? In this situation, I recommend you look for information on the internet at health-related sites. Also, I would recommend you to read articles from Jennifer Anyabuine. She is writing about multiple medications, so you may find a proper medication that will be effective for a long period. I'm not familiar with the tachyphylaxis phenomenon, but I'm sure modern medicine has a good answer to this diagnosis. If you are interested, reach me in private messages. I will share with you Jennifer Anyabuine's articles.


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## Macaroni (Jul 7, 2002)

Many doctors allow a significant increase in some medications. Like AZGuy (who I have exchanged many helpful emails with on this forum over the years), I am not a big fan of calcium or probiotics. No doubt those items work well for some, but for me, IBS is a chemical imbalance...which is often solved by chemicals (not surprising since that is how our synapses work communicating throughout our bodies). My doctor has allowed me to increase Immodium up to 20 a day (mostly because it doesn't get absorbed into the bloodstream too much...it stays in the colon). Lomotil wore off over the years, but Motofen is still working for me. WIth Motofen, you must remember that it is to be taken every 3 hours (as it says on the bottle). I was taking it every 5-6 hours, assuming it to be like Lomotil, and I came to the conclusion that it didn't work. When I finally read the directions and went to evey 3 hours, I had very good success! Good luck!


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## Sunstar (5 mo ago)

I have constipation instead of diarrhea but I experience a similar issue. Whatever laxative I use becomes less and less effective over time. I also experience a similar issue with antidepressants, I guess it’s common with certain types of drugs according to my psychiatrist.


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## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

I tried the Calcium as well and ended up with horrific leg and foot cramps. Calcium MUST be taken in the right form and ratio with potassium and magnesium--if not, you get cramping (notice that, for heart attacks, they give a calcium _blocker_). There is no one single answer that works for everyone; you have to learn what works for you. I always suggest keeping a food diary. I would also add that, to start, eat only baked/grilled chicken or fish with well-cooked vegetables for at least 3 days, preferably a week. Then, slowly add in other foods. Always keep track of what you try, only 1 new thing at a time, and record your reaction. This method solves 2 problems. First, you learn what you CAN eat safely, which helps with traveling and going to work. Second, you learn what your triggers are and, so, can avoid them. You will also learn that small amounts may not trigger but larger amounts or smaller amounts eaten over several days add up to a problem. For instance, I can eat spaghetti today and be fine, but if I eat the leftovers tomorrow for lunch I'm in trouble.


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## Macaroni (Jul 7, 2002)

AZGuy said:


> Well I apolgize and didn't direct it at any one person. I'm glad its helped. I've suffered with this for over 20 years and I'm just tired of seeing all these home remedies pushed when it gives false hope for people. I'm truly glad its helped you and I apoligize to you and anyone else that it has helped. Its just my frustration because NOTHING seems to work for me. And its like when you go to the doctor and they dont take your condition seriously or just tell you to "watch your diet" or eat more fiber. I get very frustrated at those kinds of answers. And I really question all these over the counter things that now claim IBS help of some kind when I think its just false advertising. Thats all. I'm glad its helped you and your stage of your IBS issues.


I agree. Like you said, different solutions for different people. For me it has NOTHING to do with diet or relaxation techniques. It is ALL chemical - which doesn't surprise me since our bodies send messages throughout the body via synapses (i.e. chemically).


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