# Benadryl helped me!



## TaniaF (Jan 23, 2001)

For some strange reason the liquid Benadryl I took for my allergies last night helped my BM.The last couple of days my morning BM's were what I call MUSH. They have been soft and smelly. Today after the Benadryl I had a normal one. Go figure! Do you think Benadryl can help IBS? Or antihistamines in general?Tania


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

Yes, Tania.It was established some time ago, and repeatedly, that proinflammatory mediator release both from "tissue" immune cells (mast cells) and circulating immunocytes ("white blood cells") are involved in the symptom generating processes related to what is commonly called "diarrheic predominant IBS" (or epople who apear to cycle from one extreme to the other). It appears to be far less a mechanism of importance in chronically constipated people.Regardless of which mechanism is involved among the eight or more possible which can evoke mediator release in such a way that it upregulates the bowels' nerves, smooth muscles, and exocrine (mucous) production, and other body systems as well, anything which will STABILIZE the immunocytes (reduce their tendency to release preformed mediators and/or synthesize mediators and release them) will reduce symptoms. This accounts for the success seen with diets based on in vivo assessments of mediator-release provoking events as well as the successses seen over the years with "immunocyte stabilizing substances" like cromolyn sodium (too bad CS effect is temporary...but there are other substances which may prove out to be effective at stabilizing immunocytes).Also, any drug which will block the effects of one or more of the upt to 100 different mediators that may be involved (serotonin and histamine are merely two of them, important but not sole) will help reduce symptoms.It depends upon an individuals reaction profile. There are a multitude of possible types of reaction which can and do occur in a multitude of combinations which vary from person to person. The only common end point is mediator release from either tissue immunocytes, circulating immunocytes, or both.In each different type of response a different combination of these mediators can be evoked...so if you are a patient who happens to release alot of histamine when provoked, so this is an important mediator in your case in upregulating your gut function just like if you dumped it in the lungs or upper airways it would change smooth muscle tone, neural response, and exocrine function, then an antihistamine delivered to the GI tract will have some positive effect.Unfortunately, the drugs used to try to STOP the effects of a given mediator AFTER it is released are never as effective as doing something which will prevent the mediator from being released in the first place (keeping it in storage within the particualr type of immunocyte that carries it for real emergencies like infection). Once the horse is out of the barn you cannot put him back in this case. It takes a lot more effort to stop him from trampling the cabbage patch than if you just kept him in the barn. AND pharmacotherapy comes with more than a "fiscal" price...it comes with the price tag of untoward effects (undesoreable side effects). hence the focus on prevention, and preventive medicine as an emerging science.On the other hand there is a huge market for drugs, whereas prophylaxis is not as profitable, nor as easy for people to follow. Our healthcare system is driven by the market and the market wants pills.Anyway your observations are indeed accurate. Sometimes, not always in medicine as IBS proves, but sometimes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, talks like a duck....it's a duck.







MNL


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## TaniaF (Jan 23, 2001)

Thanks Mike,Long time --no talk. You can always tell when I'm in a remission--my posts are limited. Then wow, IBS hits me again and I'm asking questions galore. Here's another one, if you see this post.Can changing diets cause the bowel to go into havoc. Since you're from the same area you might understand. Just recently changed meats from Publix to Whole Foods. Now, I know organic is the way to go, but it caused me alot of tummy trouble. Any thoughts about this?Tania


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## SLBEL3 (Jun 1, 2000)

I used to take benadryl on a regular basis in the Spring because of allergies and I did notice a big difference in my ibs-d. Helped quite a bit actually. I don't know why I stopped taking it. maybe I'll try again since I'm off all my other meds except for Percocet.


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## LNAPE (Feb 9, 1999)

H2Blockers or histamine receptor antagonists like Pepcid AC, Tagamet HB, Axid AR, Zantac 75 these partially block the production of acid in the stomach cells by inhibiting histamine which stimulates the secretion of stomach acid. So benadryl is a anti histimine thus working on the histimines like the other meds above.Linda


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## RSKindred (Oct 13, 2002)

You know...I am so glad you said this. I thought I was strange.When I fall ill, I regularly take Sudafed Allergy Sinus or Cold and Allergy...whatever it's called.And my IBS symptons are lessened and things are fairly normal with everything else.I thought I was crazy...but Benedryl and this Sudafed have anti-histamines in common.Wonder if that has anything to do with it.Anyway, that is my thoughtBob


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## ect (Nov 13, 2002)

To Mike NoLom,Can Albuterol work like Benadryl? I've noticed a difference this week with my ibs-d while sick and using Albuterol. Anyone else notice a difference?Love,ect


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

This is a reply I sent to a private email from another member with similar questions. The names have been changed to protect the innocent







____________________________Yes this can happen, especially if you are taking Benadryl and/or any other asthma medication at the same time. There are 2 kinds of IBS d-type people who can feel some benefit from asthma medications...the least likely to benefit are those who do not have asthma comorbid with their IBS. Those, like you, who suffer IBS and asthma together are more likely to experience some relief from their asthma meds, as the mechanisms which casue the symptoms in the GI tract and the structures (mast cells, white cells, smooth muscle, exocrine cells, etc) are very similar to those in the lung.So any drug which effects a certain structure in the lung which can reach the gut either systemically (if it is inhaled this happens by absorption) or directly (swallowed, then it can be direct effect).You will probably relate to this: __________________________________________Am J Gastroenterol 2001 May;96(5):1511-6	Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary functional changes in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.Yazar A, Atis S, Konca K, Pata C, Akbay E, Calikoglu M, Hafta A.Department of Internal Medicine, Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey.OBJECTIVE: Scientific evidence of functional interface between the immune and sensory motor systems of the gut and respiratory systems has been reported. In recent studies excess prevalence of bronchial hyper-responsiveness has been shown among patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The purpose of our study was to investigate the possible relationship between IBS and asthma. METHODS: One hundred thirty-three patients with IBS (108 women, 25 men) and 137 control subjects (105 women, 32 men) were included in this study. Both for IBS and the control group, the mean ages were 41.64+/-9.45 yr and 39.94+/-10.62 yr, respectively. Patients more than 50 yr old, with any organic GI disease, acute respiratory system infection, current or ex-smokers, and patients using drugs affecting smooth muscle and autonomic nervous system were not included in the study. Respiratory symptoms were questioned and pulmonary function tests were performed for every subject. RESULTS: There were 45 (33.8%) and eight (5.8%) subjects with respiratory symptoms in IBS and control groups, respectively (p less than 0.0001). Twenty-one (15.8%) patients from the IBS group and two (1.45%) patients from the control group had the diagnosis of asthma according to history, clinical, and PFT findings. There was no statistical difference between two groups with respect to percentage of forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 s-to-forced vital capacity. The difference between the two groups in forced expiratory volume in 1 s, flow after 50% of the vital capacity has been exhaled, peak expiratory flow rate, and maximal mid-expiratory flow rate was statistically significant (p less than 0.01). CONCLUSION: We found that the prevalence of asthma was more common in the IBS group than in controls. Our finding supports the speculation that asthma and IBS may share common pathophysiological processes. _______________________________________________Indeed Stafanini has achieved remission rates in IBS patients using sodium cromoglycate as high as 97%...until tachyphylaxis sets in unfortunately (the med stops working and you have to keep increasing the dose to ridiculous levels, as the effected cells become "tolerant&#8221







...but this does demonstrate the links in the mechanisms between the two.Also, while scientists have recently discovered the actual cell mediated inflammatory responses of the small bowel in IBS d-types to foods and chemicals, they have also been surprised to find allergenic markers as well in the small bowel (even IgE) leading to the possibility that actual food ALLERGY, not just non-allergic intolerance and sensitivity, may be much more prevalent among IBS patients as a symptom generator than once thought. ESPECIALLY when asthma is comorbid. You could have an inhalant allergy which produces, for example, a food-allergic cross reaction which you are not even aware of. Anyway, these patients studied had no circulating IgE antibodies to the provoking foods, but local IgE ws found in the jejunum to the foods arming the mast cells.Further investigation continues in vivo in Sweden, but we observe it in our lab every day in patients test results.This book may help understand some of this:"FOOD ALLERGIES AND FOOD INTOLERANCE: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THEIR IDENTIFICTION AND TREATMENT", Professor Jonathan Brostoff , M.D.. Allergy, Immunology and Environmental Medicine, Kings' College, London http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/089...6487508-3420903 Take care and glad the asthma meds help a bit! It does make sense and has been seen before esp. in Europe where the perspective is a bit different on these things.MNL


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