# ibs, paxil and panic



## kimmy71 (Dec 13, 2002)

I just have to laugh..this is the 3rd time i've posted this same message..once on the ibs support board, 2nd on the antidepressant board and now here...I just keep finding an even better place to discuss my problems!...What a wonderful site this is..so much info...i will probably be here for hours reading all these posts.......Ok...so here goes...I have ibs c and d...depends on the day....and sometimes even the hour! ...I've had ibs since the age of 20 and am now 31. It used to be that I was just bothered by having to spend endless hours in the loo. It interfered with my life on some level..but I could get through it and I just planned things around my ibs. Well...its gotten alot worse..i'm not sure the actual ibs has gotten much worse but I've got myself into some sort of cycle where its all I think about. Even if I see a commercial on TV showing people camping or in some remote place..I think to myself.."Lucky them...that they don't have to worry about finding a bathroom". Is that warped thinking or what?! Well , all of this, in turn has caused my anxiety and now I'm at the point where I absolutely despise travelling anywhere. This really takes a toll on a person's life. It probably sounds pretty stupid but I get so nervous worrying about finding a bathroom on time that I'm sure I induce panic attacks and an urgent rush to the loo. I had a horrible incident a few weeks ago. Everything started out just fine on a trip to a town 2 hours away. I felt just fine. Halfway there..stomach cramping...no bathroom....had to pullover on a quiet country road to go. How humiliating! Thankfully it was night and dark with very little traffic. The thing is...I'm sure if I was at home in the comfort of my home...I wouldn't have even had to go...Travelling makes me so uptight(because of the ibs)that it sends my body into some sort of panic...as soon as I'm aware that I'm a fair distance from the loo....the need to go just arises and with great urgency! So i go to my Doctor...embarrassed, and explain my problem with anxiety and ibs (she already knows about the ibs) and she prescribes paxil. I go home..take 10mg and fire up the computer to learn about paxil. I read such horrid stuff about paxil, its addiction and withdrawal symptoms that I'm petrified to keep taking it. So I've only taken one dose and that was like a week ago. So now I'm back to where I was...living with this horrible anxiety. Does anyone here have any advise for me about what to try? Is Paxil worth trying for me because I am NOT depressed...just very anxious with this whole ibs thing. Sorry for posting such a long message....I just don't know what to do anymore and how to cope with this. Thanks


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## Guest (Dec 17, 2002)

His ibspan,Not aware of any addictive qualities of Paxil. Whenever a person goes off of an SSRI, they DO experience flu-like symptoms temporarily. Is that what you are referring to?Antidepressants are not prescribed solely for depression. My original diagnosis was generalized anxiety disorder and the med prescribed for me several years ago was Zoloft. I now take Celexa because its side effects are less.... and there is a more purified form of it available (Lexapro?) for those who have difficulty with side effects.I would say the Paxil is worth a try.Antonio? Can you suggest anything here?Hope this helps, Evie


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## kimmy71 (Dec 13, 2002)

Thank you Ess for your reply. I know millions of people have tried paxil...and it would mostly be the people that have encountered difficulties with it that would post messages...but I had just done a search on yahoo for paxil and it returned tons of results and most of the stuff I read about it was horrid! This really scared me. I'm happy to hear about success stories with paxil...becuase I've heard such negative stuff. The site that I did a whole bunch of reading was http://paxil.bizland.com/ This site talks about withdrawal symptoms and addiction to the drug. I'm going to try Mike's Tapes in the New Year and hopefully I will have success with them...If not I may just give paxil a try. Thanks again and Merry Christmas


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## Rowe2 (Sep 26, 2002)

Hi..my input to your post is that my 22 year old son has been recently put on Paxil, and is doing fine. Your experiences with the road trips sounds so familiar. It is terrible to be on the road and have to search for a secluded spot to squat! I am on Prozac now, not for depression, but for IBS,insomnia, and gad. All the SSRI (which includes Paxil) is basically the same. They may be produced with different ingredients, but generally produces the same results. I have known many people taking Paxil with great results. I think you should give it a try, and if you are very unsure, maybe have the doctor to start you on the lowest dosage, and then bump you up if you do okay with the lowest starting dosage. I was scared of Prozac because of all the internet and news media, but it has been a very good thing for me. I am on 20 mg. It is much better than scanning the side of the road for a pit stop. I do have to deal with IBS-C, but that is not something I wasn't already dealing with. It was the explosive D and spasms that were isolating me from the world. No more worries with the antidepressant because as Eric has advised, the gut and brain makes connections, I am living proof! Good luck.


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## Guest (Dec 19, 2002)

Thanx for that supportive message, Rowe2







Instead of believing everything that is posted on the Internet, we would all be better off actually researching specific treatments for that which ails us.The hypno is great way to go IBSPAN........ it's possible that you can effect some good changes in the IBS with just the hypno... but if not... there is always Paxil. More people benefit from it than suffer from it.Best wishes to you, And let us know how you are doing, Hugs, Evie


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## renael (Dec 29, 2002)

Hi Ibspaniker-I've had ibs- c & d for 20 years. I also realized recently that I have some anxiety disorder. My doctor put me on paxil 2 weeks ago -- only 10 mg. I was very hesitant to take it for the same reasons as you. I'm still waiting for some effects... I'll keep you posted with any progress.


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## kimmy71 (Dec 13, 2002)

Thanks Renael....I would love to hear how you make out with it. I ordered Mike's tapes a couple days ago...so I'm going to give that a shot first.Please do keep me posted. Thanks


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## Valyias (Dec 11, 2002)

ohmygosh we should have a poopy party! I do the exact same things. I could have written your post... and probably have somewhere. I only get IBS-D but also have a panic disorder and am taking paxil... actually trying to wean off it currently so my hubby and I can start trying to conceive a child. Anyway... paxil CAN have awful withdrawal symptoms... a lot of people associate it with coming off heroin. The paxil has been great for me. I only took 10mg for it took work but it did take some time to kick in (2-3 weeks). I also don't have depression just anxiety and panic attacks. The paxil made my IBS better, not cured but noticeably better.







If you want to take it for life... great. If not I would ask your dr for something else... prozac maybe. At least getting off prozac isn't a nightmare. In sympathy... I have had to run off into the woods quite a few times. In fact hubby and I are moving out of the city and into a more rural area! YEAH! Now he won't take me on all those walks downtown... he looks in store windows and people watches while I scout out where bathrooms are.


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## rickilee82 (Aug 18, 2002)

i have been on paxil for about 1 year. and had ibs for 7 years. I found that is was difficult to go onto and very addictive. I can not come off of it now and am very much addicted. the most frustrating thing is that I didn't notice any change in my ibs symptoms. I am on a dosage of 5mg per week and have been trying to come off it for months with little success. Good luck


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2003)

Rickilee... I am curious about something... were you prescribed the Paxil for IBS or for anxiety or some other behavioral health disorder? Can you tell us what happens to you when you try to go off of the Paxil? Is it that you experience worse IBS or worse anxiety/depression or something else?If you were prescribed the Paxil for anxiety/depression, etc. you probably would feel worse when coming off of it if your brain/body needs the medication to keep the neurotransmitters doing their thing.The first and least invasive course of treatment for IBS is usually relaxation therapy such as selfhypnosis. The next most effective treatment for IBS is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Only if the above do not work, are medications such as Paxil needed... sometimes on a short-term basis, other times on a long-term basis.If you are comfortable telling us more about your situation, it might be very helpful here for everyone.Evie


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## dnvrdonna (Jan 23, 2002)

Hello,I wanted to reply to your post on Paxil. I have been on it for one year now, and I do not feel dependent on it, but it sure has helpled my IBS-DMost of us will notice that stress will set off IBS in a second's notice. Also one of the side effects is great, it's constipation.... works for me. I work as a Pharmacy Technician, and see so many rx's for IBS. Even on the lable of my perscription it says take one tablet every day for IBS. I know they have to publish everything, side effects, ect because that is the law. Everyone reacts different. I use to take Lotronex when it was on the Market, and now I feel my IBS is in control with taking the Paxil. If you go off Paxil they do it by lowering the dosage and tapering you off. If you have a good Doctor to talk about this too they will tell you that.I think the paxil has stopped my panic about being out and not being able to find a bathroom.I camp, take airline flights, ect and have not had a bad attack of IBS in a very long time.I hope this helps...Donna


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## kimmy71 (Dec 13, 2002)

Thanks Donna..........I'm trying Mike's Hypnotherapy tapes right now...I'm on Day 4, and began taking caltrate a couple weeks ago. It has helped tremendously with the urgency. The past couple days for me have been very good...so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these two things alone will be enough for me. Thanks again for your reply


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## Tummy Trouble TB (Nov 10, 2001)

Just thought I'd stick in my 2 cents and recommend Effexor. It literally rescued me from (no exaggeration here) constant panic and anxiety. I was teetering on the edge, and honestly contemplated suicide a few times because it was so horrible. Effexor has stabilized my anxiety to the point where it's very, very minimal and I haven't had any side effects except raised blood pressure, which I am keeping somewhat under control with BP meds.I take 75 mg and the only other thing I felt was some tiredness in the beginning. It's not an SSRI, but an SNRI (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor). They call it "Prozac with a punch" because it supposedly works faster than SSRIs and it targets 2 neurotransmitters in the brain, rather than one. That's as much science as I can remember from the brochures!!Good luck to you.


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## KatieB (Feb 10, 2003)

Paxil has been a lifesaver for me. I totally think you should try it. My only side effects were sleepiness, low sex drive, and abolishment of diarrhea! I can now plan trips, go to parties, and hang out with new people. My anxiety has improved, and my depression has improved.


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## shotoutmichelle (Mar 13, 2003)

HI I am new here. I took paxil for anxiety, and other mood disorders. It worked for my temper but not for my anxiety. I had my first bad anxiety attack on paxil. Then when I tried to get off it I was extremely dizzy for a week. I did not feel sick but more like falling all the time. I know what you mean about traveling, I have to go 12 hours away tommorrow and I wish I were shared "sh!tless" but it will probably be the opposite. I have to drive through the country so I may have another experience like yours.


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