# Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)



## SpaceNeedle (Jul 22, 2000)

Have any fellow IBS-C types tried taking any of the SSRI drugs for constipation? One of the side effects of SSRI's is supposedly diarrhea. I want to give it a shot!--------------------------------Prozac, Paxil, ZoloftDrugs in this class include (trade names in parentheses): (from wikipedia)* fluoxetine (Prozac, Fontex, Seromex, Seronil, Sarafem, Fluctin (EUR), Fluox (NZ), Depress (UZB), Lovan (AUS))* paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat, Sereupin, Aropax, Deroxat, Rexetin, Xetanor, Paroxat)* sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral, Serlain)* citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil, Dalsan, Recital, Emocal, Sepram, Seropram, Citox)* dapoxetine (no trade name yet; not yet approved by the FDA)* escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex, Esertia)* fluvoxamine (Luvox, Fevarin, Faverin, Dumyrox, Favoxil, Movox)* zimelidine (Zelmid, Normud)--------------------------------Please respond if you've tried this and had success! I'm scheduled to visit my GI doc this week to discuss...Thank yoU!


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

I'm also curious about it.


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## Pilgrim (Feb 23, 2009)

I think you have bad information. I've been on almost all the SSRI's on and off for 20 years and it is has no effect on my IBS.


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## distressed (Jan 7, 2009)

My advice would be to first try Effexor its an SNRI, more likely to help and have less side effects....SSRI's are supposed to be better for constipation, but you need to understand that using any antidepressant for the gut is treating the gut using the side effects of the drug not what it was originally developed for so it is a bit hit and miss....I have tried 16 different drugs in all the different categories with no real benefit...i dont have constipation though....mostly just pain, gas, nausea


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## carrieline (Feb 24, 2009)

I was using lexapro for awhile because my IBS had caused such anxiety and depression - i believe it helped my mood and therefore my IBS-C. But it never created diarrhea. It did have a weird sexual side effect that i didnt like so i stopped taking it...however my symptoms are back and i'm considering going back on a medicine for anxiety that doesnt have the side effect. My therapist said that all SSRI's tend to have sexual side effects and suggested I might consider Buspar - has anyone tried this? did it treat you IBS-C? I hate to be on "depression" medicine my whole life just because i'm CONSTIPATED, but I'll definitely do it if it works and doesn't affect other areas of my life....any thoughts?


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## tummyA (Dec 11, 2008)

Hi all! I was taking 10 mg lexapro for a few years and just recently switched to celaxa. I believe celaxa is very similar to lexapro, but is the generic and less expensive. For me the SRSRI takes the edge off. It helps me not worry so much about having a stomach ache. I don't know if it is more of the placebo effect (ya no because i take a pill I don't care as much), but it definitely helps. This past year has been a transitional year for me, i just moved to a new city and have had more anxiety then i did the last few years in college... I have considered going up a dose, but really don't want to have to.SSRI's can help people with pain and how much of it you feel. I don't know the science behind all of that, its best to act a doctor, but I know that people take them for many other reasons besides depression. I too don't like the idea of taking an antidepressant, but if it helps, then its worth it.


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## Alexanderfromdenmark (Dec 17, 2008)

If anyone try's SSRI's for specifically IBS, they should do so on doses much lower than used for depression and anxiety.


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## pharmaprincess (Jun 18, 2009)

i have been on lexapro for about 4 months for my ibs-c. ive always been a super anxious person but never thought id qualify for an antidepressant/anti-anxiety med. i am on 5mg a day and only had 3 days of some slight nausea. my mood is much more stable and i feel amazing. it really helped with my ibs too. the only down side is i can no longer achieve an orgasm.does anyone else have this?does anyone know of anything without the sexual side effects or are we all out of luck???


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Read this http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/antidepressants/AN01739Buspar sometimes reduces them for some patients, is primarily for anxiety and sometimes helps with IBS as well.It also lists some of the other antidepressants that tend to be less likely to cause this.


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## KElizabeth (Jun 30, 2009)

I have had IBS-C for 10 years and since then been on Zoloft and now Prozac for depression and neither one has helped my constipation.


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## neakybird (Jul 4, 2009)

I have been on zoloft for 5 years for depression and have never had any change in bowel habits (or lack there of in my case). As a matter of fact I have read that constipation is a side effect of Zoloft, but anyway, no, it did not help me. How ever I have found help and I posted just now to tell all about it if you are interested you can read that post and believe me I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy to have the results I do.Neakybird


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## Lit'lNutz (Jun 10, 2009)

i was on paxil for depression and anxiety. Was working great. Noticed an incredible difference in my ibs . Ya it works. Yet paxil made me go a little loopy so had to get off it. lolBut ya, I went on paxil not even thinking about my stomach and then i began to not notice my stomach. When you don't notice it in your everyday life, that is a beautiful thing.


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## Teacupmama (Sep 16, 2009)

Yes it is one of the side effects if you google Lexapro. I did that as i am going back on after being off for 5 years but my IBS is bad and I want to see if it has a positive effect. If you are in pain gassy and bloated you dont feel all that sexy anyway so I thought what the heck....I am hoping to get results for the IBS and then switch or wean myself off once I have the anxiety and stress under control.Hope this helps


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## Lit'lNutz (Jun 10, 2009)

i have been on paxil for about a month for anxiety. Helping a lot with my ibs!!! Definitely nothing like a zelnorm cure but a great improvement in energy, bloating, bowel movements. Some days are gassy though. I find that the ibs is still there but once i get moving with my day, it kinda goes away, comes back a bit, decreases. Not scared of how im going to feel in the am.. so that is for sure a plus. Ibs can be a cause of depression.. which doesn't help the ibs. Give paxil a shot!


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## gfactor (Apr 13, 2012)

Hi there,I was on Lexapro for awhile for IBS-C and it worked wonders. Absolute wonders. I mean...within 2 days of being on the drug, things were starting to regulate, and the symptoms were almost completely relived. Apparently that's not completely unheard of: SSRI's can have a much faster impact on GI issues than they do on mood.Also, of relevance: I do *not* suffer from anxiety or depression. Which is simply to say that the effect that Lexapro had for me really wasn't mood related - it really corrected something in my gut.Unfortunately Lexapro *is* a mood altering agent, and so it has some unfortunate side effects: brain fog, in particular, for me. And so I've been trying to stay off it, despite its success. At the moment I'm having a pretty bad bout of it, and so I'm considering going back on it for awhile. But I'd obviously prefer not to be a life-long SSRI user, especially since I don't need it for mood issues.Anyway...from what I gather SSRIs work for some, but not all, people. But boy did it work for me.


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