Can you help me with my prescribed medication?

Question

I suffer from IBS and my doctor has decided to put me on amitriptiline 10mg but never explained to me how an old antidepressent in a low dose will help me with my IBS..

can someone shed some light on this for me please.

My doctor told me that this medication is now used to treat IBS

Answer 1

Sorry to hear you are not feeling well.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common stress-related condition in which the normal coordinated waves of muscular contraction responsible for moving the bowel contents smoothly through the intestines become strong and irregular.The antidepressants you have been put on are sometimes used because their anticholinergic action has a calming effect on the bowel.Anticholinergic just means calming down your digestive system.

Answer 2

Quite often, one medication serves more than one purpose. For example, an eraser is normally used to erase ink, but it can also be used to hit someone or get someone's attention.

An easier to relate example might be Weed/Pot/Marijuana. It is commonly used to.. well.. you know. But it's also a prescribed medication as an alternative pain killer.

I'd worry about the side effects, if you get any negative side effects, I'd ask your doctor to switch to something else. On that note, it is quite possible that this medication has 'less' side effects than a normal IBS medication would have, which could be why your doctor prescribed it.

"Amitriptyline may be prescribed for other conditions such as insomnia, migraine, rebound headache, chronic pain, postherpetic neuralgia (persistent pain following a shingles attack), fibromyalgia, vulvodynia, interstitial cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetic peripheral neuropathy and as a preventative (prophylaxis) for patients with frequent migraines. It is also used in small (10 mg) doses to act as a painkiller and ease the effects of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Typically lower dosages are required for pain modification of 10 to 50 mg daily.[3]"

Answer 3

I'm a nurse. This medication is generally used for depression and/or migraine headaches. I would assume you were given this medication to relax you. It could very well be used as a muscle relaxant and for a pain reliever. This is the reason why I believe it was prescribed. Please be advised this medication has dizziness as one of the side effects. If you are not able to tolerate the effects of the medication then consult your physician.

Answer 4

Hi, I'm a nurse so I looked up IBS specifically but found no direct information on this. Your best bed is to call or visit your doctor and ask all your questions. Write them down ahead of time so you don't forget any. I did copy some information for you, put below, to review. I got it off of : www.familydoctor.org. I CAN tell you that we use antidepressants for MANY things other than depression, including weight loss, stress, and assisting with pain control medications. Your doctor may attribute your exacerbations of IBS with increased stress in your life. Your mind may feel it is coping, but your body is telling you otherwise. I hope this helps?
How can stress affect IBS?
Stress may trigger symptoms in people with IBS. Talk to your family doctor about ways to deal with stress, such as exercise, relaxation training or meditation. He or she may have some suggestions or may refer you to someone who can give you some ideas. Your doctor may also suggest that you talk to a counselor about things that are bothering you.

Can my doctor prescribe medicine for IBS?
There is no cure for IBS. However, if you're having bad symptoms, your doctor may prescribe medicine to help you manage or lessen your symptoms.

For example, antispasmodic medicines may be prescribed to reduce cramping if your main symptom is pain. Hyoscyamine (some brand names: Anaspaz, Cystospaz, Levsin) and dicyclomine (some brand names: Bentyl, Di-Spaz) help relax the spasms in the colon. Heating pads and hot baths can also be comforting.

When diarrhea is a frequent problem, medicine such as loperamide (brand name: Imodium) may help.

Your doctor may give you tranquilizers or sedatives for short periods to treat anxiety that may be making your symptoms worse. Your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant for you if your symptoms are severe and you are feeling depressed.

Answer 5

low-dose antidepressants.These drugs act as pain relievers.)

IBS is often misunderstood because traditional medicine has no diagnosis for it. That's why it is labeled a syndrome for now.IBS is a combination of symptoms that lead to tenderness, throbbing and even agonizing pain. This is usually accompanied with the discomfort of bloating, embarrassing flatulence, and irregular bowel movements, including either incontinent diarrhea or obstructive constipation.

The challenge is being able to completely digest your food, when your digestive system fails to do that it will result in several symptoms:

Answer 6

Stress, Anxiety, and IBS
WebMD Medical Reference

It is not entirely clear how stress, anxiety, and IBS are related -- or which one comes first -- but studies show they tend to co-exist.

"If you do diagnostic interviews, what you find is that about 60% of IBS patients will meet the criteria for one or more psychiatric disorders," says Edward Blanchard, PhD, professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany.

The most common mental ailment suffered by people with IBS is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), says Blanchard. He suspects that more than 60% of IBS patients with a psychiatric illness have GAD. Another 20% have depression, and the rest have other disorders.

Anxiety and IBS

People with anxiety tend to worry greatly about issues such as health, money, or careers, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. Other symptoms include stomach upset, trembling, muscle aches, insomnia, dizziness, and irritability.

There are several theories about the connection between IBS and stress and anxiety:

Although psychological problems such as anxiety do not cause IBS, people with IBS may be more sensitive to emotional troubles.
Stress and anxiety may make the mind more aware of spasms in the colon.
IBS may be triggered by the immune system, which is affected by stress.

(The rest of the article is on the following website)
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/86/99278.htm

Answer 7

I know this isn't a direct reply, but zyban -the stopping smoking non-nicotine replacement drug, was initially developed as an antidepressant. During clinical trials it was noted that it had a strange side effect on smokers who were in the trial, as they became less dependent on cigarettes. This was pursued and it is now clinically approved to help stop smoking.

Also if you talk to your local pharmacist they will be happy to explain the exact reasons behind this

Answer 8

i had IBS for years but finally realized that what causes it for me is a nervous stomach/anxiety. perhaps this medication can reduce those symptoms which in turn cause IBS. i never used meds, but instead "chilled out" and i've been IBS-free ever since. if you have more questions, visit this website. it has tremendous info. www.webmd.com

Answer 9

go back too your doctor and asked them too explain how this medication will help you.if you are not satisified ask for a second opinion im sure your doctor will help you anyway they can..

Answer 10

You could look up the info on webmd.com