Another random question for you lovely people please.
I’m awaiting SeHCAT results and about to start reintroduction stage of FODMAP diet. FODMAP has helped a bit but haven’t been ‘ok’, although have definitely discovered a few trigger foods.
An incident at work has triggered anxiety issues and my normal coping strategies aren’t working. I know it’s situational and it will calm down but right now my body is in bits, stomach especially. My GP has recommended and prescribed Sertraline.
I’ve taken Sertraline before, it helped in the past when I was dealing with awful circumstances, triggering high level anxiety for me. I was on it for a while last time, I needed it then.
I’m apprehensive about going on it again. I’m not emotionally where I was last time, I cope with difficult situations, which would have been hard to do last time around.
It feels like I’m going backwards. But it’s hard to move forward when my body is screaming at me to reduce the stress I’m under.
Has anyone used Sertraline for IBS before, was it helpful or is it overkill?
Thanks for redoing this. X
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Beth673
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Hi BethDon't feel like your going backwards think of it like your on a journey. Living with a health condition requires a needs must approach you have to tackle problems as they arise. I wouldn't want to advise you about taking medication but have you tried relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation. I have to admit I'm not very good at relaxing and do adjust my diet lots to rest my digestive system and avoid trigger foods. I hope your feeling better soon.
I wish I were the type of person meditation works for. My mind won’t give me peace when my anxiety is high. Mindfulness works better for me. I’m a mum and a lot of the activities we do together are mindful. I also love arts and crafts.
At the moment, even those aren’t working. I forget about the situation at work for a little while, my body doesn’t and right back to the worry.
I have recently been prescribed sertraline 50mg for anxiety / depression. Over the years various doctors have suggested I try it for my IBS but I always refused as I didn't want to go back on antidepressants after spending many years on them before for my ME symptoms. I tried every alternative going (relaxation techniques, limited diet, pro & prebiotics, acupuncture, OTC meds, etc) but nothing worked. However, I wish I'd listened to them years ago as not only has it helped with the anxiety etc, its also alleviated 90% of my IBS symptoms. I've gone from a never ending cycle of constipation followed by diarrhoea to having regular bowel movements and a lot less bloating and cramps. I'm still very careful about what I eat and have the occasional gripey pains and the annoying loud noises, but it really is so much better. Few mild side effects in the first few days, but nothing that would stop me recommending people try sertraline if its suggested by their doctor.
Thank you for your kind reply and for sharing your experiences.
I’m glad that sertraline helped you, sounds like it’s been so positive for you. Especially as you’ve had so many health issues to balance, so lovely to hear when things work,
I’m not worried about the side effects, when I had them years ago, the symptoms of my MH concerns were so bad, I didn’t really notice the side effects. It’s funny I can’t really remember what my stomach was like back then.
I’ve had another bad night/morning. Just reminds me that it’s hard to do everything I need to do when my stomach is like this. I don’t really have much of a choice, I’ll be starting the meds today.
Thank you for your reassurance abe kind words. I hope things are good for you.
I’m not normally bothered about medical tests etc but with COVID and generally feeling anxious at the moment, I did feel a bit nervous beforehand.
For the scan they give you the capsule, scan you shortly after and then scan you 3 hours later and then a week later. For this scan, the machine isn’t pulled all the way over you, just high enough to scan your bowels. You have to lift your arms over you head, of you are able to.
Like I said, I’m not normally claustrophobic but I think at the moment I would have felt panicked if it had been up over my head.
It’s not like it sounds and it’s over with in a couple of minutes. Hope you feel able to make another appointment and I hope you get answers to your health issues, x
I’ve been on 50 sertraline since early December. I was suffering really high anxiety as a result of problems with moving or rather not being able to move house, combined with other health anxiety, IBS constantly since last February, the COVID etc etc. I think it helped me. Since then I’ve moved and together with Fibrogel with mebverine I seem way better. I’d have a go if I were you. Just for a while
Thank you for your reply. I hopethings settle down soon for you, sounds stressful and I don’t know about you but when you’re poorly all the time, it’s wearing and I can’t manage things the same way.
Have the meds been helpful?
I’ve started taking them, so hoping they kick in soon. 🙃
I see you have decided to take the medication, so consider this a reinforcement for your decision. Since the brain and the gut are really connected more than we realize, maybe even though you are feeling ok emotionally and handling things well in your brain, your gut isn't quite there yet. Maybe your gut--your second nervous system still needs some support. You know what is best for you, and hopefully this makes a difference--good luck!
Sertraline has really helped my IBS. I just take 50mg a day so there a little to no side effects. As a bonus it also cured my reynauds in my hands as well.
I was prescribed Sertraline around 5 years ago. Started at 50mg and went up to 150mg after 9 months of starting it.
The main reason for prescribing it was because of my mood. I was getting fed up because I couldn't find a trigger despite doing a diary and seeing a dietitian. My stress levels had been pretty low, but my ability to actually achieve anything was constantly interrupted with pain, rushing to the loo, or both!
I do not think it is overkill because it depends on the actual reason for prescribing it. Is it for depression. See for me this, this is an issue. I have been on many many pills for depression yet I have constantly argued I'm not depressed. Being fed up with a situation, even for a long time, is not depression, it's just being fed up with something. Depression is a real serious condition, and I have met many people that actually suffer. I just don't fit all the boxes.
I tend to think it was given because I do have a weak mind, in that I fall very easily into a loop of anxiety -> IBS-D -> low anxiety -> IBS-C and might need a nudge out of it.
Throughout taking it I still had episodes. I still had panic attacks, and the pains. In September 2020 I had a bad episode and I stopped taking it all together because the amount of medicine I was taking was becoming ridiculous. This where I started taking new medicine to counter-act side affects of other medicine. I felt after a number of years of this, and for a non life threatening condition there must be a better way.
Since coming off it it could be argued I have become worse, but from my GP notes perhaps that is not really the case and that Christmas and January (my daughters birthday) are historically stressful.
I am in a loop now, have been for 2 weeks which I am finding it hard to snap out of, and I have considered going back on it, to see if that kicks me out of it. Like you, I would feel like I am going backwards if I did. Still undecided on what to do. But if I can snap out of this without taking anything I would feel much better about myself. Depends how long that might take I guess.
Thank you for your reply and sharing your experiences. I’m so sorry you’ve had such a difficult time.
Please don’t think of yourself as having a ‘weak mind’. I don’t know you, but the people I know who have experienced anxiety, depression, low mood etc, are among the strongest people I know. It’s takes real courage to face those things day to day. Our mind’s are our worst enemies at times.
I have experienced mental health concerns over the years, mainly anxiety, although I have experienced depression too. You are absolutely right, depression is so much more than low mood, which is hard enough to manage. Anxiety lead me to be on Sertraline for a couple of years, eventually in a higher dose. Like most people this was down to circumstances. I had counselling and EMDR. The EMDR was life changing for me and despite a number of difficult life events thrown in my direction, I’ve coped well.
I’m not coping with this well, I don’t feel emotionally overwhelmed. It’s the physical signs of anxiety that are difficult to cope with. I guess it’s because instead of acknowledging the events I’m still trying to go about business as usual.
My point is that I’m not where I was emotionally or physically when I was prescribed it before. I am stronger emotionally and I am functioning well enough. I remember how hard things were last time and I guess I need to acknowledge the difference in me.
Like you I also got into a routine where I was taking medications for chronic pain, for my anxiety and for my stomach, with them all interacting with each other to the point I didn’t feel like my body was my own. I still have health issues, I try not to take prescribed medication - especially in the medium to long term now and found that this has helped my stomach.
I started the tablets yesterday, I feel ok with this decision now, I am determined that this is a short term sticking plaster until me body comes out of fight or flight mode.
For you, I would just say, trust yourself, you are the expert in you. If you are ready you will get through this sticky patch. The first few weeks it’s going to be rough, you know it should start to get better day by day. Just stay in touch with your GP and try and talk things through a bit more than you would have - even if it’s on something like here. It’s sometimes hard to talk to family and friends about this kind of thing. Hope it gets easier soon. If it’s not the right time for you to do this though, please don’t be hard on yourself, we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do to get through it. Xx
Sorry it’s early and I went off in a tangent there. I meant to say in there somewhere that I would find it frustrating, as you alluded to, if my GP wasn’t listening to me when I was telling them I’m not depressed. We know ourselves better than anyone and we know what fits us and what doesn’t. I think it’s easier for them to put us into those boxes rather than look deeper at the situation.
Hi Beth673 and all who replied, I have suffered from Ibs-d for over 30 years mostly able to cope with my prescription of Codeine Imodium capsules and instants. This last 10 months of covid19 has been horrendous. I’m key worker so have to go to work, but with all the toilets being closed my anxiety levels have skyrocketed and my ibs is off the charts, apart from work I found increasingly I don’t want to leave the house. I have my shit kit in the car, my mantra, nipping my hand all my coping strategies, tried taking medication at different times but I was unraveling. I might say no one else has really noticed. I have become so good at hiding my anxiety.
Two weeks ago I called the doctor, ( no f2f) and she prescribed50 g Sertaline. I have always resisted anti depressants but was feeling so bad I agreed. I’m now in 3 rd week and not sure if it’s the drug but I do feel a bit better. Not sure how long she will keep me on them but if they work I’m happy to take them. I have always felt so alone with this condition. However through this forum I realised there are so many people living with their own personal struggle. Sorry it’s a long post. Take care Beth everyone else.
Although the Fodmaps diet says you can eat some fruits, I was told by a dietician not to eat fruit at all particularly banana. No tomatoes either. Though I can eat those if tinned. I would steer clear of porridge too. Anxiety does play a big part in IBS. You could try hypnosis and coping exercises to stop panic attacks etc. Go back to the low Fodmaps diet, cut out the fruit for a while, see what happens. Also, just to mention, a lot of medications, even those prescribed for IBS or the stomach can cause problems.
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