# What Meds/ supplements/ etc. have helped your Symptoms?



## My Life is Sad (Jun 28, 2011)

I just wanted to post this topic to see what you all use to help relieve/control your symptoms or if anything has cured you.My gastroenterologist prescribed me Librax (Chlordiazepox-Clidinium)and I'm not sure if it is helping.







Do any of you take this?Also, what symptoms do you have? and what do you take to relieve your symptoms?My symptoms are usually:-diarrhea -painful gas inside my bowels-painful "D" cramps.







Do you know anything that can help this? Anything I should ask my Dr about?


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## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

I use calcium (citrate, not carbonate) for the constipating action. I also take a probiotic called Rezyst, and I take Lotronex. What seems to have helped me the most is the anti-inflammatory supplements--fish oil, cats claw, cinnamon, olive oil, glucosamine/chondroitin....If this is caused by inflammation (I was searching for arthritis supplements and saw all this stuff), then you can try and see if they do you any good. Still have the occasional bad event, but sooo much better than before. I try to stay away from drugs if I can.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

To echo Trudy, I have been using a flavonoid supplement to treat my cholesterol that seems to have major GI anti-inflammatory value. It has stopped my D and GERD since the end of 1999, and that had been a daily event for about 3650 days in a row before finding this.Mark


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## LisaW (Jun 10, 2010)

How many Librax do you take a day? When my IBS ws really bad I had to take 4 pills a day. It made me very tired but helped. Now I take 2 a day, Align, follow the FOODMAPS DIET, exercise, take acupuncture treatments(who has treated many IBS patients) and recently started some Chinese herbs under the guidance of my acupuncturist. There is no easy fix for IBS. It's a royal pain and I hate it but there are worse health conditions.Good luck.Lisa


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## One_Day_At_A_Time (Aug 11, 2011)

I'm having good luck with an acupuncturist as well, and following the TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) diet instructions that he suggests. I also think that probiotics have helped me, and avoiding dairy & wheat products. I'm also trying acacia fiber from Heather's Tummy Fiber (google it) and whey protein isolate (not concentrate!) but I don't know if those have had any effects yet.


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## BlueBerry Hill (Jul 19, 2009)

The only prescription that i took that helped me a little was called DiCyclomine. For supplements, vitamin D3 helped considerably I believe. Since I began taking D3 close to 5 years ago, it has become rare to have a major upset stomach. Gut woes used to be a daily problem, so to say the least it was a nice change. I take 6000ius of D3 a day in order to reach a testing level between 60 to 70ng/ml. Thought this a nice article explaining how to take D3 and how to test. Good luck! "Getting vitamin D right"http://www.trackyourplaque.com/blog/2010/01/getting-vitamin-d-right.html


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## My Life is Sad (Jun 28, 2011)

LisaW said:


> How many Librax do you take a day? When my IBS ws really bad I had to take 4 pills a day. It made me very tired but helped. Now I take 2 a day, Align, follow the FOODMAPS DIET, exercise, take acupuncture treatments(who has treated many IBS patients) and recently started some Chinese herbs under the guidance of my acupuncturist. There is no easy fix for IBS. It's a royal pain and I hate it but there are worse health conditions.Good luck.Lisa


Thank you so much for this response Lisa. He has me taking 2 Librax a day but I usually don't do this, I usually will take one on a day when I am going to an event of some sorts. But if you are saying if helped you, I will start taking 2 a day like he told me to do.


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## My Life is Sad (Jun 28, 2011)

One_Day_At_A_Time said:


> I'm having good luck with an acupuncturist as well, and following the TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) diet instructions that he suggests. I also think that probiotics have helped me, and avoiding dairy & wheat products. I'm also trying acacia fiber from Heather's Tummy Fiber (google it) and whey protein isolate (not concentrate!) but I don't know if those have had any effects yet.


Thank you for the suggestions. I have never even thought of Acupuncture, but now maybe I'll do more research on it and perhaps give it a try. I've heard of Heather's tummy fiber, before I go and buy this is there anything else from her website you would reccomend as well? Also, which probiotics do you think has the most benefits for you?


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## My Life is Sad (Jun 28, 2011)

BlueBerry Hill said:


> The only prescription that i took that helped me a little was called DiCyclomine. For supplements, vitamin D3 helped considerably I believe. Since I began taking D3 close to 5 years ago, it has become rare to have a major upset stomach. Gut woes used to be a daily problem, so to say the least it was a nice change. I take 6000ius of D3 a day in order to reach a testing level between 60 to 70ng/ml. Thought this a nice article explaining how to take D3 and how to test. Good luck! "Getting vitamin D right"http://www.trackyourplaque.com/blog/2010/01/getting-vitamin-d-right.html


Thank you so much, I'll read that article right now. and I will ask my gasterentologist about DiCyclomine.


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## My Life is Sad (Jun 28, 2011)

overitnow said:


> To echo Trudy, I have been using a flavonoid supplement to treat my cholesterol that seems to have major GI anti-inflammatory value. It has stopped my D and GERD since the end of 1999, and that had been a daily event for about 3650 days in a row before finding this.Mark


Wow, I am very happy for you. I have no idea what a flavanoid supplement is







but I'll do some research on it. Thank you for the tips Mark!


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## My Life is Sad (Jun 28, 2011)

Trudyg said:


> I use calcium (citrate, not carbonate) for the constipating action. I also take a probiotic called Rezyst, and I take Lotronex. What seems to have helped me the most is the anti-inflammatory supplements--fish oil, cats claw, cinnamon, olive oil, glucosamine/chondroitin....If this is caused by inflammation (I was searching for arthritis supplements and saw all this stuff), then you can try and see if they do you any good. Still have the occasional bad event, but sooo much better than before. I try to stay away from drugs if I can.


Wow, thanks for all the advice Trudy! These are all great suggestions and I did just start taking calcium







Would you say Rezyst and Lotronex help you a lot?


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## Novarider (Oct 28, 2011)

I also take dicyclomine (generic for bentyl) and cholestramine light powder. I don't have high cholesterol I take the powder for the constipating side effect. I also take imodium daily. I use to take librax buy my gi dr said its addicting kinda like a narcotic. He told me the gi community was moving away from librax so he took me off of it and my symptoms actually improved! I am much more regular then I was before. I still have the occasional flairups but am much more happy now then I was before I changed meds.


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## catarific (Oct 6, 2010)

I took Welchol for a long time for IBS-D and the medicine worked wonders. My IBS has gone through changes now and the Welchol no longer works for me. Now, instead of IBS-D I have IBS-A so I just find I have to be very careful about what I eat. Before though, I would go many times during the day and even during the night, as well. But that has been cured by using the Welchol.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Catarific,welchol or cholestagel as its called here in the UK is my next medication to try,how did you take it and how long did it take to work?Thanks.


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## catarific (Oct 6, 2010)

jmc09 said:


> Catarific,welchol or cholestagel as its called here in the UK is my next medication to try,how did you take it and how long did it take to work?Thanks.


It comes in pill form - I took 625 mg twice daily. You can take it with food in the morning unless you take thyroid or other medications that may interact with it. If that is the case, take your regular medication in the A.M. and wait 4 hours to take the Welchol. Also take it in the evening, after dinner. Some doctors may prescribe more than 2 pills a day - I have heard where some take 2 pills in the A.M. and 2 at night - depending on the severity. I think it was about 4 or 5 days that I started feeling much better and had less and less diarrhea. It was a God send at night - not having to get up multiple times. I had taken the medication for almost 7 months. I have read where some people take it for much longer - even years. But in my case, as I had said, my IBS morphed into IBS-A and am hoping that sometime soon it will morph back to the IBS-C that I had before all this happened.Good luck with the medication - keep me posted and let me know how it works for you!


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Thank you.Its actually an anti cholesterol medicine often also used by diabetics with a 6 tabs a day dose,so im reliably told but ive read that ibs sufferers can dose to suit their needs.I will keep you informed.


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## My Life is Sad (Jun 28, 2011)

Novarider said:


> I also take dicyclomine (generic for bentyl) and cholestramine light powder. I don't have high cholesterol I take the powder for the constipating side effect. I also take imodium daily. I use to take librax buy my gi dr said its addicting kinda like a narcotic. He told me the gi community was moving away from librax so he took me off of it and my symptoms actually improved! I am much more regular then I was before. I still have the occasional flairups but am much more happy now then I was before I changed meds.


Hmmm, next time I see my Doc I'll definately ask him about this. And yeah I take immodium everytime I am going out somewhere too


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Just been prescribed it yesterday and no noticeable difference in the first 24 hours but I dont expect miracles for a few days at least.


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## Ted12345 (Nov 5, 2011)

I take calcium - thats all these days, I'm trying to contain mine by addressing the triggers through CT counselling, exercise and diet.


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## IBS-D Veteran (Mar 2, 2010)

As I've posted elsewhere on this forum - the four things which have made my life normal again are - an Orange (an actual Orange - not Vitamin C Tablets) first thing in the morning followed by Bran Flakes with Lactose Free Milk. Throughout the day I take a quarter teaspoon of Ground Cumin. Outside of these I can eat pretty much anything and have perfectly normal BMs - but if I miss any one of these steps my IBS-D can flare back up.Good Luck Everybody.


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## Hana (Nov 16, 2011)

What were the site effects of Welchol, if any?


catarific said:


> I took Welchol for a long time for IBS-D and the medicine worked wonders. My IBS has gone through changes now and the Welchol no longer works for me. Now, instead of IBS-D I have IBS-A so I just find I have to be very careful about what I eat. Before though, I would go many times during the day and even during the night, as well. But that has been cured by using the Welchol.


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## catarific (Oct 6, 2010)

The only side effect I had from the Welchol was gas. Other than that, it worked fine. I did not have bloating but some people do. If you google Welchol, it will tell you the potential side effects that may or may not occur.


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