# IBS and Bipolar 11



## scotsrishs (Jul 3, 2003)

I am wondering if anyone else has been diagnosed with bipolar 11 and also has IBS. It is hard to treat IBS with antidepressants if you are bipolar as it can kick you into mania or hypomania. I have both and am certain there is a mind>guit connection but treatment is scary. I am more whats classified as cyclothymic disorder, that means that I dont have full blown mania or full blown depression but I do however bounce between depression and hypomania quite frequently. I am worried about the Bipolar meds and my poor IBS guit. Anyone have luck with meds?


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## Cindy3535 (Jun 28, 2002)

Its so funny you say this because my last visit to my shrink he thought I had Bipolar 2 since I have IBS and he thinks its mind related since he says I cycle and stuff but who knows for sure. Right now I take 25mgs of Elavil and 40mgs of valium per day sometimes I try and skip one valium and take only 20mgs but IBS again. I get IBS D. I had NO luck with the anticonvulsive drugs they tried to put me on like Topomax, Neurontin, and Zonegran they all made my IBS D worse and I said, enough. So I went back on the Elavil and then my shrink gave me some valium to the mix and it seems to be helping I'm just worried that this will all wear off and I will need more drugs to keep me from running to the toilet all the time. I have felt so much better since adding valium to the mix but I know this is not a good thing but I am not going to suffer any longer with IBS D I just cannot do it and remain sane. None of the Bipolar meds are good as far as I can see I'm sure some say there are some that help but with IBS D I find it makes for a bad IBS D episode all the time and I just couldn't tolerate them. I'm much better on the drugs that calm me down like valium and Elavil Low dose of Elavil will not make you manic high doses will.Valium is also an anitconvulant drug but its addicting but they will give it for Bipolar 2 when nothing else works they did for me.best of luckIBS QUEEN


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## chrisos (May 5, 2003)

How interesting....I am BP NOS, and have had IBS longer than i've had the bipolar.I've been on lithium for a few years, but my GI consultant reckons it may be exacerbating the IBS D. In the UK ADs are not often used as a first line of treatment for IBS. The best course would be to match your AD for bipolar to one that had clinical efficacy for IBS.One to get the pdoc and GI in conference over...It is good to hear from others here. When I meantioned my bipolar before I am sure it was the source of my no replies. Stigma is great.Until lasdt week i worked for one of the bipolar organisations in the UK, so I have access to all sorts of information...C


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## scotsrishs (Jul 3, 2003)

Hi there IBS Queen and CDOS. I am sorry that it has taken me so long to come back to this topic but truthfully I thought that there would be no replies. You are right CDOS about the stigma. I like you Queen have tried many of the anticonvulsants and did not like them at all. As for the antdepressants, I find that they make me very anxious/borderline hyper. I did take prozac, low dose, for four years and it was a God send but then it had an adverse affect and made me very hyper and anxious. I have since tried about ten antidepressants and they all do the same thing. CDOS what antidepressants did you find that the UK used for IBSD and bipolar? This mind/guit relationship is really quite intricate. I hope you both come back to this site it is nice to share some common ground.


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