Colpermin

[Profound15]

Has anyone tried the above peppermint oil capsules for stomach cramps caused by diverticular disease please? I’m on daily flecainide and bisoprolol for my afib and don’t want to take anything that would rock the boat.

[bantam12]

I don’t know about Colpermin but steer clear of Buscopan as it can cause bad tachycardia !

[Profound15 in reply to bantam12]

Thanks Bantam

[meadfoot]

I agree re Buscopan it irritates my gastric issues which in turn rocks my heart about. Anything peppermint based is an abdolute no no for me. Had a simple peppermint cream sweet last night and ectopics started almost immediately. I also cant deal with anything containing lemon.

My arrhythmia is triggered by gastric issues so I am ultra careful what I eat, drink and consume meds wise. Best wishes.

[Profound15 in reply to meadfoot]

thanks Meadfoot. I seem to be fine drinking peppermint tea so hopefully the Colpermin would be ok. I’m nervous about taking anything else but the stomach cramps are painful. Was looking to determine if anyone else is in a similar position and tried Colpermin so that I can reassure myself before taking them.

[Ppiman in reply to Profound15]

Peppermint tea is nothing at all like Colpermin. The minute quantity of naturally occurring peppermint oil in tea is released and digested in the stomach and small intestine as any other food would be.

Colpermin is formulated with much greater quantities of peppermint oil inside a delayed-release gastro-resistant capsule that takes the peppermint oil much further along the intestines where it isn't absorbed but is intended to have a direct anaesthetic effect on the lower bowel where the IBS is occurring. As I mentioned in your other thread on this same topic, it caused me a lot of bloating and discomfort. I wouldn't take it again myself, but it's worth trying. The science behind it - and much more so, the marketing of it - are dubious, as peppermint oil is never naturally released in that part of the body.

Steve

[Vince1001]

I tried peppermint tea first for my IBS (also on Bisoprolol) but didn't do much for me. Doctor then prescribed 0.2ml of Mintec peppermint oil capsules which were great...

[Profound15 in reply to Vince1001]

Thanks Vince. Did you have any issues with ectopics or afib at all please

[Vince1001 in reply to Profound15]

I can't recall anything specific that I could relate. I had real problems with bisoprolol at the time which seemed to cause more episodes than it was supposed to stop. Here's the patient info sheet for Mintec:

medicines.org.uk/emc/files/...

Note: Mintec is not known to interact with any other medicinal products. Please ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure.

[Profound15]

Thanks Vince I’ll have a read

[sleeksheep]

I take Mintec or Pepogest for an irritated colon - but looking at Colpermin I cant see that it says enteric coated . I found non enteric coated peppermint oil softgels can be quite irritating . Unfortunately some gels work better than others and there's no way of knowing untill you try them.

[Profound15 in reply to sleeksheep]

Thanks. I’ve had a look and they are enteric coated apparently

[ecalap]

I'm on Rivaroxaban and Bisoprolol for my AF and also suffer from IBS. I have used Colpermin a few times and whilst I haven't suffered any noticable negative affects, I can't say I've found them particularly effective either.

[Profound15 in reply to ecalap]

Thanks Ecalap. Do you get the painful stomach cramps as well pls

[sleeksheep]

If you get any reflux its usually due to having eaten to soon after taking the gel.

I always have them half an hour before eating as a minimum - an hour is even better but harder to organize.

[Profound15 in reply to sleeksheep]

Thanks sleeksheep

[Gumbie_Cat]

Sometimes I find that paracetomol (or acetominophen in the US) works best for me. Along with a walk if you can manage it.

For some reason I never thought of a painkiller with a gut issue, and of course NSAIDs are not possible with an anticoagulant, and can irritate anyway.

[Profound15 in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

Thanks Gumbie. I’ve always been nervous about any painkillers since afib reared its head. Also very nervous about using stuff for the stomach cramps. However as the discomfort is significant I think I’ll need to try the peppermint oil capsules to determine if they work. Might also try paracetamol if they help.

[Visigoth]

I also get stomach cramps and tried colpermin but it didn’t seem to help - in fact, I had the impression that it made them worse. But we are all different.

[Profound15 in reply to Visigoth]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess the only way to find out would be trying them to see if they work for me.

[Qualipop]

Oh yes I used to use it all the time when I had IBS. Absolutely brilliant; the only thing that calmed it down. Suggested first by a nurse. It's simply peppermint oil in a casing that doesn't dissolve until it gets past your stomach. PS I didn't have heart problems when I used to use it. IT can sting a bit the first time you "go" but quickly settles down.

[Profound15 in reply to Qualipop]

Thanks Qualipop that’s very reassuring.

[tunybgur]

I had diverticulitis, acid reflux and gerd.....long story short, increasing my intake of fermented foods, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha etc etc eventually made it unnecessary to take the regular lansoprazale and nightly rennies.

Might be worth a try....

Good luck

[Autumn_Leaves]

Colpermin worked for me in the past when I had bad IBS cramping. IBS manifests differently in different people. You’ll only know it helps if you try

Peppermint is a muscle relaxant, hence the reason why it helps with colon spasms. If you are having colon spasms you may be a good candidate for Colpermin. Colon spasms aren’t the only cause of symptoms though. It can also be caused be excessive fermentation and gas, or a combination of factors, so it won’t necessarily be effective in everyone.

If you have GERD/reflux or hiatus hernia, you don’t want to relax that part of the digestive system because it could result in more acidic stomach contents getting into the oesophagus, so anyone with that type of problem should avoid peppermint.

With colon pain and IBS, it is increasingly considered to be a disorder of the gut/brain axis, and some people respond well to relaxation techniques/mindfulness and so on. You may need to try a combination of approaches to get it under control. Remember that what helps one person won’t necessarily help you. The only way to find out is trial and error.

[Profound15 in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

Thanks. I agree with that. I don’t have GERD although in the past I did have heartburn fairly regularly. I don’t get any at all now which I put down to having Apple Cider Vinegar every morning. I had been advised that heartburn can happen if you don’t produce enough acid in your system. I don’t know how accurate that is or whether it’s an old wife’s tale but I guess the proof is in the pudding. I can eat anything and don’t get heartburn. I’m also teetotal so perhaps that helps too???

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Profound15]

I’m also an advocate of “closing the kitchen” after my evening meal as eating late isn’t good for anyone prone to reflux and similar. It also isn’t good for the body’s diurnal rhythm and sleep/wake cycle if your digestive system is working away when you are asleep.

[Mounder]

I also have diverticular problems, and I use the homeopathic remedy, Arsenicum album at the 30c dosage, which states it "relieves symptoms of food poisoning". It usually gets rid of cramps/pain pretty quickly. As with all homeopathics, you aren't supposed to use it within 15 minutes of eating, drinking (except plain water) or brushing teeth, but other than that it is effective and reasonably priced, about 16 doses for approximately $9 USD. There are several other homeopathic remedies recommended for diverticulosis, so you could try any of them. This one usually works best for me. These remedies have no "side" effects and are said to not interact with standard allopathic medicines. They're available under multiple brand names. My favorite is from Boiron, made in France.

[Profound15]

Thanks

[C66t]

I ve taken Colpermin it helped and it didn't cause constipation. I also tried Buscopan and Colofac, both are on prescription but did cause constipation. I take sotalol and eliquis for afib, no effect on heart rate/rhythm. Best of luck that diverticulitis pain is nasty.

[Profound15]

Thanks C66t. Yes the spasms are very uncomfortable