I’ve just come back from a doctors visit and he has prescribed Sertraline for my ibs-d. Now I have looked it up and can see that one of the common side effects is diarrhoea. He said this is a drug that will be expected to be tried before an appointment with a gastroenterologist can be made. I have previously taken Amitriptyline which did work but then the effects wore off and Mebeverine which didn’t help at all.
Has anyone with ibs-d found Sertraline to be beneficial? I rather think that he was treating my anxiety rather than the ibs.
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Februarygirl
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Been on Sertraline for depression for a few years. Not keen and coming off it as I can’t remember words which is embarrassing. I’ve had various antidepressants and I don’t think they work after a while. I had no idea they helped with IBS which I have had for 6 years.
Thanks for your reply Supersoo10. Did you have IBS before you started taking the Sertraline or did it start after? If before have you not noticed any difference with your symptoms?
Yes I have taken sertraline in the past when I had bad anxiety and gastritis. When I was able to stop taking it I realised that it had also helped my IBS -D.
It is a strong medication so I started with half a tablet and then increased. I found that the full dose worked better. It is probably worth trying.
Thanks for your reply Jackie 1612. It's good to know that it helped your ibs-d. The only reason I have become anxious when away from home is because of the severity of my IBS so I thought that the doctor was treating the symptom and not the cause. I did say to him that I would take anything if there was a chance of it helping. He said he would start me off on a low dose but it's 50mg. Is that low as I think there is a 25mg one?
I think I cut the tablet in half, but to be honest if your doc has prescribed 50 mg, I would try it. It might take a few days to get used to it and the leaflet says it takes a few weeks to work.
I feel that with IBS and anxiety, to determine the root cause can be very difficult and one can go around in circles. I hope that the sertraline works for you. I tried amitriptyline but it didn’t work consistently and it also caused bad constipation. I think sertraline worked better when I look back.
That's good to know. Always better to listen to someone who has experience I think. Funnily enough Amitriptyline was great for me while it worked. Unfortunately the effects lessened over time. Thanks for your thoughts on this matter.
Hi, I was also prescribed Sertraline by my GP. It gave me acute diahorrea so I stopped it immediately, sometime back I was prescribed Amitriptyline for anxiety which was causing IBS-D. Amitriptyline have me the shakes and I didn't take any more, a while later my GP prescribed Sertraline. So far, I've reacted badly to both, but the worrying acute diahorrea from taking the first Sertraline tablet was enough to make me stop taking it. My IBS is anxiety related, so my GP has attempted to control my anxiety which puts a stop to my IBS. I'm thinking your GP was trying this also. I hope you can find a solution.
Thank you. I hope I can too! I didn't have the anxiety until my IBS got worse. That's why I'm not convinced that Sertraline will help but I've got to give it a go otherwise I cant move on and try something else. Wouldn't it be fantastic if a cure could be found, it affects so many people . Thanks for your reply.
Think it's more likely to help your anxiety which is probably exacerbating IBS.I was prescribed it a few years ago. I found the side effects unpleasant . Made me feel slightly flu ISH. Only took.it twice. I try to manage my anxiety without these medications. That's just my experience however so please don't let me out you off. We all react differently to these tablets I expect. Some people get on very well with them. Not for me though. Good luck. Paul
If it is just for IBS then I found amitriptyline and Afflorex probiotics solved my gut pains and presently I am coming off of amitriptyline gradually as my gut has settled down now after a long spell. I would not be taking Sertraline because of the potential harm it can do to your body but thats my personal view.
Thank you for your reply. I have taken Amitriptyline 10mg in the past and that worked for about a month. A while later I started taking it again but 25mg. That lasted about 3 months. Towards the end of that time I took with it the left over 10mg tablets I had left over. So 35mg in total just to get me through my one week holiday. Alflorex was marvellous while it lasted but frustratingly that didn't last either. I have only just stopped taking it. I do have reservations about taking Sertraline and have not started it yet. I did ring the doctor up when I got back home after I'd read up on it. Naturally he said it will be ok. I really don't know what to do now. I'm going away for a few days at the end of the month and I'm desperate to get something that works for me beforehand.
I have been on Sertraline for some time I too asked my GP about the side effects of diarrhea and he wasn't concerned. I suffer with Depression and Anxiety it does help with that. It hasn't made my IBS any worse. Give it a try you can stop if it doesn't suit you.
Thank you for your reply. I must admit that I’m still a bit apprehensive about taking them but after feeling really panicky when I was out last night I think that’s it’s worth a try. I was just fine until my ibs got worse. It does seem rather like treating the symptom and not the cause but now I feel that anything is worth a try. Thanks again.
I 'm on Sertraline 50mcg I asked my GP for Propranolol as my anxiety was really bad as I've started to have fecal accidents. If it's for your anxiety ask for Propranolol try that it is a beta blocker I havn't had any side effects with it. I take it when I feel anxious it does help.x
Thank you Dollymae06. I too can have accidents if I’m not within 10 seconds of a toilet. That’s whats given me the anxiety. Do you think that it is the Sertraline that caused the start of yours?
No I don't think Sertraline started my accidents. When I had Covid in 2020 that's when my accidents started I think the anxiety from the lock downs and people dying started the accidents and anxiety. Propranolol is helping when I feel anxious and I take Mebeverine and Loperamide daily. I've bought Loperamide instants you put under your tongue they are a God send especially when going on long journeys. It is so depressing and disabilitating and when I get a flare my anxiety goes through the roof
I’m sorry to hear that lockdown had such repercussions for you. I too got covid in 2020. I didn’t find that Mebeverine helped me in any way but I don’t think I can survive now without Imodium. It says on the packet not to take for more than 3 days without doctor’s advice. I’m nervous about taking too much but it’s a case of needs must. Have you had any adverse effects from taking it daily? As I have said previously on another post I think, I don’t have flare ups generally but I have it all the time. So long term use is maybe not a wise thing, I don’t know. People who are lucky enough not to have this affliction don’t know how lucky they are although of course I know that there are far worse and life threatening things to have. But living on your nerves fearing what might happen and feeling awful is exhausting and wears you down.
Perhaps I will end up not having my stuff working for me like a lot of people and yourself but at the moment it is but I am always seeking a way out of taking anything especially chemical meds, until the next time things erupt. It is very hard to find a solution or indeed a balance. Everyone is different and has a different level of suffering sadly. Could anxiety be part of your problems?
I wasn’t anxious at all until my ibs got worse and I have been caught out a few times in public when I wasn’t near a toilet. Now it’s left me extremely nervous about going too far from home. It’s really altered my personality. It really is a vicious circle. I’m now at the point where I feel that anything is worth a try although I’m not convinced that the actual Sertraline will help my ibs at all. I don’t have flare ups, I have it all the time. After years of this it’s wearing me down. Thank you for your reply.
I totally get how anxious you get away from home, I’ve always been worried about going places unless I know there’s a toilet.. possibly you could have hypnotherapy for anxiety?
I signed up and paid for a course of ‘Nerva’ self hypnosis over a year ago. Although relaxing whilst listening to it I can’t say that I noticed any difference. In fact my anxiety has hugely increased since then. Thanks for your suggestion.
I had sertraline for anxiety and it messed my gut up!! Like I couldn't get off the toilet. It was horrible. Google sertraline and bowel issues... came off it in the end and went on something else
Lets face it all meds are alien to our bodies. They are chemical after all with many side effects. We are brought up with these as the norm but today the world is waking up to this fact and we are, and should in my humble opinion, go back to medicine before these come along. Its just big business, nothing to do with our health. Like homeopathy for one.
I think it depends on your own biology. I have IBS and was put on sertraline some years back for depression. I had no idea it is also prescribed for IBS. My stomach was a bit upset for a couple of weeks, but only mildly and then it settled down. Every new drug I take that has to pass through my gut upsets my system so this wasn’t too bad for me. I stayed on the sertraline for a couple of years, but although it helped my depression, I can’t say I noticed any positive change in the IBS. I think you will have to just try it and see, you never know it may work for you. Good luck.
Thank you Kariss. I can’t see how it is going to help my ibs only my anxiety which is caused in the first place by my ibs. A chicken and egg situation. I’m still in two minds what to do.
I have been taking sertraline for 6 months. I put off starting it after reading the accompanying leaflet! I found that for the first two weeks I had nausea and felt a bit weird but nothing else. I persisted and the nausea abated and then I realised the anxiety had gone so my life has improved. Less fatigue, less wind etc. only side effect now is a bit of weight gain … but this could be because I’m more zen or because I’m aging or thyroid issues….. if you do decide to try it you have to stick with it for a couple of months to see if you have any benefit it is not a pop one tablet medication.
I started Sertraline 12 weeks ago, I had quite a few side effects at the beginning, panic attacks etc but no diarrhoea. My anxiety got slowly better, I was so happy and felt like my old self. After 5 weeks the diarrhoea started and got worse. I took Lopermine but worried that I was taking it for too long so I spoke to a doctor at my surgery who said it’s not the Sertraline, it’s the Sertraline kicking off my IBS (🤯) I have had IBS for years but it didn’t often cause diarrhoea and I’ve never had constipation problems . She gave me some Buscapan and suggested I carried on with the Lopermine but to try not to take it when I had a day at home. I did that and decided I could manage without it.
However, the diarrhoea was not getting better and really getting me down and caused so much anxiety I saw my original doc who advised me to wean myself off the Sertraline, taking one every other day for a week. Today is the day I take my last tablet!
I am now waiting for withdrawal symptoms to increase. I’ve been feeling a bit lightheaded and wobbly but am I imagining it? My doc said take Propranalol which I’ve been given to take ‘when I need it’
So Februarygirl, it’s a dilemma- the Sertraline really helped my mental health but at what cost? I’m worried to go out and I’m taking a cocktail of other drugs to combat the effects of it. I have the option of trying another SRRi but I don’t know what to do about that. I don’t think I’m helping you really but I thought it might be worth telling you my story.
Thank you for your reply. I must admit that I only took one Sertraline tablet. Obviously it sounds like I didn't give it a chance. The reason being that I took the tablet at 6 o'clock in the evening and by 8 o'clock I was breaking the 4 minute mile to get to the toilet. I was in and out of the loo until 2 o'clock in the morning and the next day I felt drained and exhausted. I had to go out the following evening so didn't dare take another one and on the third evening I decided that this wasn't for me. I am looking for something that helps my IBS not makes it 10 times worse. Thanks again.
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