# SSRI's in IBS-C, i think they help



## Ichibod (Jun 11, 2004)

After reading about SSRI's on the research board, i searched for information about this medication on google. Not only does the SSRI regulate the serotonine in the brain, a reaction that reduces depression and compulsive disorders, but it also plays a vital role in reducing the visceral hypersensivity in the gut. That's the theory. I've been using half a tablet daily for 5 days now and i already am experiencing a less cramped stomach and also toilet visits are a little less painful. Not all that much, but seeing that the medication should completely kick in in about 2 weeks i have my hopes up high.


> quote:Anti-Depressant Drug, Paroxetine, Improves Symptoms Of Irritable Bowel SyndromeParticipants on high-fiber diet also showed improvementPITTSBURGH, PA -- May 7, 2004 -- Paroxetine, a drug commonly used to treat depression, can improve symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a study in the May issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.In a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that the drug relieved some symptoms of IBS and improved the well-being of people with IBS."This study points out the benefits of this drug as a potential new and improved treatment for IBS, a disease that is very difficult for physicians to manage," said George Arnold, M.D., F.A.C.P., clinical professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and principal investigator in the study.IBS is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that affects 14-24 percent of women and 5-19 percent of men in western populations and is characterized by abdominal pain, altered bowel habits and abdominal bloating. It generally has been treated with high-fiber diet, drugs or both.The study found that the percentage of participants experiencing an improvement in overall well-being was significantly greater (63.3 percent) in the paroxetine group than the placebo group (26.3 percent). The percentage of participants experiencing an improvement in bowel movements was significantly greater in the paroxetine recipients (58.6 percent) than the placebo recipients (32.4 percent). There was a significant improvement in food avoidance and work function for those on paroxetine. There was no significant improvement in abdominal pain or bloating between the paroxetine and placebo groups."This study showed that in absence of depression, paroxetine helped irritable bowel syndrome," said Dr. Arnold. "This is a medicine that has been in use for some years and is safe with no long term side effects, which is a problem with current medications for IBS."The effectiveness of paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), has been reported in case reports but not in controlled studies. SSRIs are considered first line treatments in psychiatric illnesses such as major depression and generalized anxiety disorder, which are found in 50 to 90 percent of patients with IBS, according to Dr. Arnold, who is a gastroenterologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's (UPMC) Shadyside Hospital.The two-part clinical study enrolled a total of 110 participants with IBS. Group one consisted of 98 participants who at enrollment were consuming a low-fiber or average-fiber diet, who were then put on a high-fiber diet. In this group, 26 percent reported an overall improvement in well-being. Abdominal pain and bloating decreased in 22 percent and 26 percent of participants respectively.Group two consisted of 12 participants who at enrollment were already consuming a high-fiber diet plus the 69 participants from group one who reported an inadequate response to the high-fiber diet. Group two participants continued to consume their high-fiber diet throughout the study and were randomized to receive a 12-week course of either paroxetine or a placebo. All participants began with a dosage of paroxetine of 10 mg/day. Participants who experienced improvement in their condition were instructed to continue at the same dosage while those who experienced no improvements were instructed to increase their dosage.Because SSRIs have a well-recognized effect on depression, the researchers also performed a separate analysis of participants and showed that the improvement in well-being held true for non-depressed patients taking paroxetine.Also participating in the study were Gary Tabas, M.D., Mary Beaves, R.N., Jiping Wang, M.D., Paul Friday, Ph.D. and Houssam Mardini, M.D.The study was funded by the Competitive Research Fund of the Shadyside Hospital Foundation of Pittsburgh.SOURCE: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center


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## Ichibod (Jun 11, 2004)

I'm in day 6 now. I notice that nausea in the morning is lessened with paroxetine. But the bloating in the evening seems to be worse. Results aren't really 'stunning' as until now. But i still have my hopes up.


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## Cher202 (Nov 4, 2003)

Hi!I was taking Celexa for a IBS-D and only took it for about a week. The side affects were so awful that I stopped taking it. I was only taking 10mg in the morning. I'm not sure if weighing only 100 lbs makes a difference but I feel better since I stopped. I have taken dairy and a couple other things out of my diet and take Citrucel at night time and it seems to be helping.Cheryl


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## Ichibod (Jun 11, 2004)

Hi cherI'm not familiar with cipramil(celexa). Actually, seroxat(paxil) is the first anti-depressant i'm taking. I'm now taking it for a week. 10mg a day. The abdominal pain is a little less. The brainfog is also less. Visits to the toilet are less painful. And also morning sickness is a little less.Unfortunately bloating is still the same and in the evening it seems sometimes even worse. I don't know if it's correlated to the paxil because right now the bloating seems back to it's old level.So far i don't really notice any side effects. I primarily take paxil for the effect on the digestive tract and not for psychological reasons. However i notice that a lot of repeating negative thoughts i used to have are also lessened.I've put myself on a 2 week trial of seroxat, taking 10mg daily. Next week i'll evaluate the situation and decide wether or not i will continue treatment or if i'll look out for something else.I hope you find something that helps and works for you without any of those side effects. take care.


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## 16341 (Feb 27, 2006)

Celexa makes IBS worse for the first week or so and then it gets better.I would encourage people to hang in there and try it for at least a month.It made those sypmtoms way better for me.


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