# Alternatives to Imodium?



## GilmoreGirl (Feb 26, 2017)

Hi all,

I'm newly diagnosed as having the D type of ibs. I've had ibs for several years, but main symptom was stomach pain, not D or C. I was on morphine for about a month for a severe anal fissure (still not resolved) but had to stop because morphine was causing a burning and cramping sensation thegoughout the whole abdomen. Since then, my body has been in chronic withdrawal - my system has reset and is taking a long time to get back to normal. Morphine is generally constipating, so without it my body is producing way too many loose bms.

It is important for my fissure that I manage to have a soft but FORMED bm - as it has caused me pelvic floor dysfunction and loose stool is too difficult to pass. Not to mention diarrhea is very traumatic and painful to the injured area. So I tried some Imodium - 1/4 pill since my system is generally very sensitive - and the diarrhea reduced slightly, but bms were still loose. And Imodium caused me the exact same unbearable stomach pain that the morphine did!! No surprise there since they are both opiates that act the same way on the gut.

I've been prescribed amitryptiline 10mg and have been taking that daily for about two and half weeks. It hasn't helped at all so far that I can tell.

I just started taking calcium carbonate (no magnesium added!) twice daily and will up the dose in a week's time to let my system adjust.

Is there ANYTHING else I can do to firm up my stools?? I could deal with the number of bms, if they were easier to pass.

I have tried various fibres in the past - psyllium worked well BUT of COURSE caused me stomach pain that only increases with time (I took it for a month and had to stop). My GI suggested normacol fibre, but I'm scared to try another fibre - has anyone used this with success?

FYI - I'm eating only gf toast, bananas, PB2 in small doses, unsweetened almond milk, some oats for fibre. These are all safe foods for me (as determined by several years of elimination dieting).

Thanks so much for your advice. I'm in a LOT of pain with this fissure and PFD, and every day is a struggle. I have been bedridden for 6 months - lost my job, apartment, boyfriend and had to take a leave from grad school. If someone could help me get these bms under control, it would go a long way to improving my nearly non-existent quality of life at the moment.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this long post.


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## rawfoodvegan (Mar 25, 2012)

simply put i believe about all our ailments are being caused by imperfect diets , and that if we lived from birth on raw plants and water we'd be disease free . and the only way to heal an ailment such as this is to provide our cells with the substances in raw plants which our cells need to rebuild . in your current state its difficult running anything thru the tract so imo its time for a RAW RICH LIQUID DIET . as in home made raw seed and nut milks , plus fresh made raw fruit and vegi juices . its a major adjustment but ive juice fasted for 30 days and personally know people that have done 90 , and see people such as jay kordich whom i completely trust say theyve lived on a juice only diet for 2 years . the focus being to find what your tract is able to accept without irritation while if need be still consuming which ever solid foods your able too . and as you currently stand your diet is obviously extremely extremely deficient and you need to experiment with fresh juices to provide your cells the building blocks they need to heal with . firstly ide suggest finding a raw green to juice that your tract accepts , spinach is said to provide all the minerals and vitamins our tracts need to heal , but who knows if it works for you so you must experiment . juicing tomatoes provides alot of vitamin c . pineapples provide bromelain with is healing for the tract for many . many say cabbage juice heals ulcers , would it help your tract sore who knows . you have to dive into it and start experimenting while believing that cooked foods dont provide the true nutrients we need to be our healthiest so you must keep searching til you find your appropriate raw seed milks and fruit n vegi juices that you utilize long term which shall eventually get you to the day your tract is 100% . ive been vegan 24 years while self studying nutrition and natural healing methods so have developed a favorite list which i'll link some of here . first is my favorite juicer , well worth the money imo because its power makes juicing go much faster , btw ive gone thru over 10 juicers : https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/breville-reg-the-juice-fountain-reg-elite/3246328?categoryId=12075 . my fave book ive ever read , the late raw foodist norman walker explains our cells need for the nutrients in raw plants , notice reviews : [URL=https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Vegetable-Fruit-Juices-Walker/dp/089019033X/ref=sr_1_1]https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Vegetable-Fruit-Juices-Walker/dp/089019033X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488758135&sr=1-1&keywords=norman+walker+fresh+vegetable+and+fruit+juices[/URL] . jay kordich developed cancer after returning from WWII like 65 years ago , his medical studies at usc led him to a doctor max gerson whom healed him via a raw juice diet . since then hes spent his life traveling the world in order to study healing methods , and the lessons hes learned are very valuable information : 



 . ide add dont take your water source for granted as being good , if your not already look to get a supply of local spring / well water going . im 100% convinced if your strong enough to control everything you ingest while finding your own proper mix of rich raw plant liquids you can easily clear this issue forever within a year while attaining progress within a month . also , it prob sounds dumb but ive read many involved in healing the gi tract speak of the mind - gut relationship and that an over stimulated / confused mind can lead to tract problems such as this . and what many have found is that daily / nightly meditation helps to calm the mind whicvh leads to calming the tract . many like utilizing youtube tracts of stuff like ocean waves or rain to meditate to . dont fear as with the internet all problems are solvable , keep searching while keeping notes . and imo forget about all medications and look only to the earth to heal your cells . ps - another site link . this isnt stomach specific but its a great health site you may not know of - <a> [URL=http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth]http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/</a> .


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## GilmoreGirl (Feb 26, 2017)

Thanks for your reply.

This is a good suggestion but sadly won't work for me. I do take some tried and tested supplements to keep my vitamins/minerals in check and drink ensure when my calories are too low. However, I am very sensitive to most fruit and veg - it took me years of elimination dieting to determine which work for me, and they are very few. I'm sensitive to all of the fodmaps, especially fructose, and insoluble fibre is very tough on my system. So juicing just won't work for me.

I do use meditation and mindfulness techniques for the pain, thanks for the suggestion.


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## rawfoodvegan (Mar 25, 2012)

ok but dont discount the powers of raw seed milks . theres tons of seeds world wide with varying properties . dig into their study at places like superfood4superhealth , then buy in bulk and easily make with blender and strainer as besides differing minerals and vitamins theyre providing needed healthy raw proteins which tissue needs for healing . some that are easily avaliable are sesame and sun flower , and for you in canada can prob get the power house hemp seed cheap which blends up into a very nice milk . find the right raw seed milk and bingo your on your way !


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## GilmoreGirl (Feb 26, 2017)

Again - probably a suggestion that would be great for some, but I have an actual allergy to flax, hemp, and sesame so seeds are not my friend!! Thank you though


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## rawfoodvegan (Mar 25, 2012)

have you ever read about soaking / sprouting seeds - http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/nuts-and-seeds.html

* this S4S site is fantastic and theres link after link in each article , well worth spending many nites of reading there


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## rawfoodvegan (Mar 25, 2012)

S4S also has great vids at youtube :


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## GilmoreGirl (Feb 26, 2017)

I will take a look, thanks!

Is anyone aware of any other things I could try to get the ibs under control? Will the amitryptiline just take time to work?

I've been wondering about antispasmodics like bentyl. I've tried buscopan without much success.


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## rawfoodvegan (Mar 25, 2012)

jay kordichs wife linda just posted about stomach issues at facebook : https://www.facebook.com/jaykordich/photos/a.231624676852872.83536.231001546915185/1670687916279867/?type=3&theater


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## GilmoreGirl (Feb 26, 2017)

Thanks - I'll check it out. But I'm not very keen on playing around with diet too much. I'm eating what my dietician and GI have recommended for diarrhea for me...not the healthiest, but I'm in a lot of pain, so whatever causes the least stomach pain and diarrhea is what I have to eat.

Thanks - I do appreciate your ideas and will take note. Hopefully some things I can try when I am a little better to improve things even more!


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

GilmoreGirl said:


> I will take a look, thanks!
> 
> Is anyone aware of any other things I could try to get the ibs under control? Will the amitryptiline just take time to work?
> 
> I've been wondering about antispasmodics like bentyl. I've tried buscopan without much success.


Amitryptyline should begin working within a day or so. It's constipating effects are fairly immediate.

Another antidepressant which supposedly has quite strong constipating effects is Wellbutrin.

A direct alternative to Imodium would be Viberzi, but it's also an opiate any many people report pain as a side effect.

I do not believe that antispasmodics help very much, if at all.

For me, Pepto Bismol really slows down my stools and is one of the most effective supplements I use for treating my issues (I can go 10+ times in a day easily). It also reduces my pain levels substantially and calms my gut.

I do not suggest the pepto pills because they have sugar alcohols in them which cause a lot of gas and gas pains for me... buy the liquid!

Other more natural things you can try are bentonite clay and activated charcoal (start with the clay).

If I think of anything else I'll edit my post!


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## GilmoreGirl (Feb 26, 2017)

PD85, thanks so much for your reply!

I don't think the amitryptiline is having much of an effect...if it is then I'm scared to see what things are like without it!

I will try the liquid Pepto for sure!

After doing some reading, I have calcium carbonate a try - it does seem to help slightly with the D, but I didn't realize it could be very gas forming - I've been in lots of pain from trapped wind the past couple of days, and I'd rather not have to deal with that too.

Thanks again so much!


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

GilmoreGirl said:


> PD85, thanks so much for your reply!
> 
> I don't think the amitryptiline is having much of an effect...if it is then I'm scared to see what things are like without it!
> 
> ...


You're welcome. If you do try the Pepto just a heads up that it will turn your stools very dark so don't be alarmed! It can also make the back of your tongue a dark color too, but this generally goes away.

The clay works well for me sometimes too, as well as others on this forum. I use Sonnes #7 brand.

Also another another thing came to mind you can try is a medicine called Ondansetron (Zofran). Some people have good success with it, but not me. Also you could try the grand-daddy of them all, Lotronex. Both of these are serotonin antagonists, although I suppose a more natural way of dealing with a serotonin problem would be eating a diet that would result in lower serotonin production.


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## GilmoreGirl (Feb 26, 2017)

Ah ok! Good to know for sure, that would be startling!

I will note down the other items in case the pepto doesn't do the trick.

I didn't realize that a serotonin antagonist would help with D! Do you know why lowering serotonin could decrease D? Do SSRIs then increase D? I'll have to do some reading!


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

GilmoreGirl said:


> I didn't realize that a serotonin antagonist would help with D! Do you know why lowering serotonin could decrease D? Do SSRIs then increase D? I'll have to do some reading!


Yes to both. Serotonin increases bowel motility, and lowering it decreases bowel motility. However one's specific problem may not be related to serotonin, and artificially lowering serotonin when it is not abnormally high could result in unforeseen problems.

Also, sometimes people have IBS-D but have low serotonin. The body may compensate for low motility by increasing water concentrations in the bowels so that the waste can still be expelled. In this case an SSRI could regulate the bowels and improve IBS-D.

In the end there is really an endless list of trial-and-error you can partake in, because so many different things can be causing the same issue. Hopefully in your case you can find a cure sooner rather than later!


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## rawfoodvegan (Mar 25, 2012)

clay utilized internally may be a topic you've not studied . im linking this particular brand because theyve a good rep and ive used there external clay for skin with good results .

the other link is a short article on using clay internally -

https://www.amazon.com/Ion-Charged-Mega-Mineral-Supplement-Detoxifier/dp/B004T73PG6/ref=pd_bxgy_194_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VVTZ3GDHPRASAXYKMXJ4

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/Earth/Clay

* im always for cheap natural attempts at healing ailments over meds as with natural theres rarely any side affect dangers . concerning clay i have read there may be issues if pregnant


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## celestin (May 20, 2004)

neutral powders could be tried:

https://www.drugs.com/international/smectites.html


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## GilmoreGirl (Feb 26, 2017)

Thank you so much for the help - the pepto + amitryptiline seem to be working for the diarrhea. I'm still having lots of bms but they are small and mostly formed which is much better!

However, I'm having a lot of gas and gas pain still. It is mostly very painful trapped gas, some relief upon passing gas, and then the pain returns in a few minutes.

I'm really hoping it is simply a symptom of withdrawal that will go away in time, but it really is very difficult as the stomach pain and pressure is constant. I would love to get rid of this before my surgery so I have less pain to worry about...

Would the charcoal tablets help with gas? I've found that gas x helps slightly maybe, hard to tell, but I have not taken very much. Is it safe to take daily?

Thanks again for the help...I'm glad things are moving in a positive direction but very frustrated that I'm still dealing with this. Resigning myself to not take opioid painkiller after surgery - may be a rough ride.


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

GilmoreGirl said:


> Thank you so much for the help - the pepto + amitryptiline seem to be working for the diarrhea. I'm still having lots of bms but they are small and mostly formed which is much better!
> 
> However, I'm having a lot of gas and gas pain still. It is mostly very painful trapped gas, some relief upon passing gas, and then the pain returns in a few minutes.
> 
> ...


Many people take charcoal for gas, but I have not found it to be of help for me.

The most important thing to look at for gas is diet. What is PB2 by the way? Also, the calcium carbonate pills cause gas for some, are you still taking those?


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