SSRI's for slow transit constipation

[Orchid99]

Hi, has anyone been prescribed an ssri to help with the pain and gut brain connection associated with slow transit constipation. I was prescribed amitriptyline when the doctors thought it was standard ibs c but now I've had my diagnosis of slow transit I don't think amitriptyline is the correct one to go on, which is a shame because I know it is the best for stomach pain, but I understand that the ssri is better for constipation but don't know if it helps with slow transit/motility issues? I just need something to help ease/reduce the painful cramps of overflow d attacks and general gut pain which I experience daily, I think I have ibs along with the slow transit because I get so much visceral pain.

[Oscar091]

Yes I’m on amitryptyline and makes no difference to my symptoms it just helps me sleep. X

[Orchid99 in reply to Oscar091]

Hi, what dosage do you take? And it has no effect on the pain at all?

[Oscar091 in reply to Orchid99]

I’m taking 10 mg one tablet at night. And no nothing helps with this pain. I’ve tried everything I take co codamols for the pain but that don’t help .

[Orchid99 in reply to Oscar091]

Will they not let you up the dose of amitriptyline, sometimes 20-25mg can do it rather than 10 from what I've heard, I have mebeverine but it don't seem effective enough unfortunately

[Hidden]

Hi orchid I’m on 10 mg ssri I think it has helped speed the bowel up but no effect for the pain I’m afraid x

[Orchid99 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for replying. Which one do you take and how long have you been on it. Did your gastro suggest trying an ssri?

[Hidden in reply to Orchid99]

Hi orchid I’ve been taking ciltilopram for about 6 months I asked for it as the prolonged pain made me very miserable have not spoken to a consultant just had tests no follow up x

[Orchid99 in reply to Hidden]

Was it a transit study you had? Suprised they haven't followed it up, that's terrible. This is what is destroying my life at the moment, the pain and constant incomplete evacuation feelings, mornings are the worst then things get a bit better as the day goes on, but I normally get woken with cramps. I can't plan a day out because I'm normally feeling unwell. Have you tried any antispasmodics, the only one they have prescribed me is mebeverine but there must be more then that to try?

[Hidden in reply to Orchid99]

Hi I had a failed colonoscopy too painful then a ct colonoscopy both times the prep failed to clear out the bowels the tests were normal have no idea what’s wrong with me , laxatives take 4 days to work so I’m guessing slow bowel . I was given buscopan but that slows the bowel down ! So I won’t take it unless I’m in agony , x

[Orchid99 in reply to Hidden]

For me the overflow d is when things get really bad with pain, since I had to come of my cosmocol for a week to do my transit study I've not been feeling well at all, I couldn't go to the toilet for 8 days after because it has all got loaded up again, I've been back on the cosmocol and going everyday again but not enough, I think there is still a build up higher up that has not cleared itself yet so I'm thinking I'm going to have to do the 8 sachet clear through again which is no fun. I have a feeling my gastro may prescribe me prucalopride when I eventually speak to him but that still don't help pain.

[Hidden in reply to Orchid99]

I really feel for you I never went for 10 days after the colonoscopy and that was with taking cosmocol every day after I had to do a 8 sachet too and ended up on toilet all over Xmas the pain and bloating was horrendous have you have a colonoscopy too ? I don’t know why I havnt had a transit test ? I’ve had to go to a and e many times with blockages embarrassing 😖x

[Orchid99 in reply to Hidden]

Yes I had to have a colonoscopy and barium meal because my calprotectin came back extremely high so they wanted to rule out ibd, both tests came back negative, then my calprotectin went normal until January this year where its been sitting at 150ug. I actually felt good for about 6 weeks after the moviprep clear out but then things got worse again. Do you eat any fibre at all?

[Hidden in reply to Orchid99]

I find if I stick to soluble fibre it helps but if I eat whole meal breads/cereals it makes it worse I do take optifibre which is guar gum soluble fibre it’s got prebiotics in it which speeds up transit it’s really helped me together with the cosmocol . I’ve never had a stool test was not offered one x

[Orchid99 in reply to Hidden]

I was taking PHGG but only managed to get to 2g, but I came of that a couple of weeks ago for the test so should probably go back on it, I'm not sure if it was helping or not though

[Hidden in reply to Orchid99]

Think it just softens it doesn’t get it moving along x

[Gardenlover2020 in reply to Orchid99]

I take Prucalopride & it’s better than Cosmocol it really helps shifting things & should make you feel more comfortable & it helps with the incomplete feeling too .

I still take Cosmocol before bed & also Senna , which I’m trying to slowly wean myself off .

If you get offered Prucalopride, take it , it’s the best thing I’ve ever tried 👍

[Orchid99 in reply to Gardenlover2020]

Hi thank you for responding, I have heard that prucalopride can have side effects initially, was this the case for you? Does it help with any pain at all?

[Gardenlover2020 in reply to Orchid99]

No , it wasn’t , I’ve been fine on it , no side affects , I think I may have felt a bit sleepy the first two or 3 evenings ,but that was it & I’ve been on it since December & it’s still the same . Don’t let other people put you off , we’re all different & you’re always going to hear negative things , give it a try .

I feel more comfortable taking it because it’s helped with bowel movements & I think you should feel the same once your constipation is a bit more relieved, there should be less pain .

In the meantime of getting it , have you tried any of the medications for wind & bloating ? Windeze, simeticone ? They were recommended by someone on here & I find they’ve helped me & what I though was cramps , a lot of it was wind !

I’ve taken Rennie’s Deflatine, it’s been a big help x

[Orchid99 in reply to Gardenlover2020]

No, the only thing I'm taking is cosmocol everyday, but I think it causes a lot of my wind and bubbling in my colon but without it I block up so have no choice at the moment. The other thing I am doing is an antimicrobial protocol for Methane overgrowth that's in my colon which could be contributing to my slow transit, my gastro has agreed I have an overgrowth and dysbiosis, he did prescribe rifaximin but i want to do it naturally. I will certainly give the prucalopride a go if i get it

[Orchid99 in reply to Orchid99]

Just another question does the prucalopride give you diarrhoea?

[Gardenlover2020 in reply to Orchid99]

Hi , No it doesn’t give me diarrhoea

[IBS- in reply to Orchid99]

Hi there,

I read your post and wanted to reach out. I also suffer with slow transit and feel your pain. Regucol from H&B has been a game change for me, as has Physillium Husk. They have really helped keep me regular, combined with magnesium. Highly recommend! Good luck

[Orchid99 in reply to IBS-]

Hi, thank you for reaching out, I have been really struggling with this condition lately. I've just started a low dose of Nortriptyline to try and help with the spasms and overflow attacks I get, it'd been 5 days now and I've has hardly any side effect besides feeling a little more constipated as I was going up to 3 times a day on 1 sachet of movicol and taking a butyrate supplement. I've seen the regulan has really good reviews but I'm apprehensive because my gastro said yo remain low fibre, and try flax seed on my cereal In the mornings, which I did try and it was helping the movements but I felt awful like I had a stomach bug so I stopped. Is your slow transit in the whole of your colon or just a section, mine is in the left side only which is why I think I suffer so much with overflow attacks, if it could just get them under control my life would be so much better, because at the moment I'm struggling to eat enough to get my weight up and can't do anything like days out or eating out because of my food restrictions, i feel my life has been taken away.

I'm regards to the reglan would I be able to take it with my morning movicol laxative?