Irritable Bowel

[Jimmy1]

Guys and Gals,

Unfortunately, one of the symptoms we may suffer attributed to stress is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Just some food for thought (excuse the pun), but it is possible that your medication is passing through your system without being digested.

Now I have also had a stomach procedure, but I basically pooped out my antidepressants. How do I know, well excuse the thought, but I had two floating perfectly symmetrical squares.

My psych was gobsmacked and said that it is the first he had heard of something like that and said it would explain the intermittent working of my medication.

Starting tomorrow, I have to crush my meds. yummmm.

 

[Friday]

I've been crushing my meds since my stomach went sideways & started seeing food as the enemy 2 years ago. Technically I chew them, then let them absorb sublingually for a bit, then swallow them. (Short acting meds, clearly, as extended release crushed is kinda lethal ;) ).

When things are bad I'll half dose to begin with, just so if I'm sick right after I know I haven't lost all of it. Wait an hour, hit the other half.

Blows my mind to think of telling our docs we've got the pukes/shits and them not putting together that sometimes things are badly timed & we're losing our meds as well. My doc gives me about 1/3 more than I need to account for bad days. Not just bad pain days but "I swear I'm not bulemic" days. Doc I had before that thought it was "just ridiculous" to plan for that type of thing. So I thought it was "just ridiculous" to continue to be their patient.

Good looking out.

 

[vikingr24]

Nurses know more about giving meds than doctor do. (And I do not LIKE nurses.)

The pharmacy here in AZ is responsible for labeling the med with eating directions, Take with food. Take with milk. Do not take with milk. Take on empty stomach.

But I have IBS and it sure is not fun. Before you go out, you have to check where the head is and is the kitty litter clean.

I found clean clear water was the best answer to it. I guess I conditioned myself. But there are times when I have still had to reach for the Immodium. I love grapefruit but man it tears up my system.

 

[Grizzly]

iBS sucks. I hate it. And at times is as debilitating as anything else.

Oddly about a month ago I was out of country. Before I left I loaded up on Immodium and pepto. I knew the food where I was going would wreck havoc on me.

Oddly enough it didn't. I ate a lot of local food. Even right from the street. The best thing I could tell was none of the food had any preservatives.

As soon as I got back in the states my IBS started again. So I'm back to my immodium and pepto coctails for breakfast daily.

 

[combatgoldfish]

Still using baby wipes. I shit 3-5 times a day. It's shit.

 

[Woodman]

I ask myself a lot if the side effects are worth the benefits on all meds. All the VA wants to do is medicate you, imho..

 

[Friday]

To me, Woodman, it depends on what the meds are doing.

First off, scratch any meds that make me worse than I already am. No point, there. So assumin I'm on meds that are seriously saving my ass...At that point, I start learning how to handle my shit on meds. As I'm starting to get a grip on meds? I peel the meds off. Learn to handle my shit off meds.

All sounds a helluva lot easier than doing it is.

((First, we're gonna take this ridge... Then... Mmmhmm. Okay. Back to the ridge part!))

No idea how long it's going to take me this time... But it took me about 5 years to learn the ropes the first go-round. And then back at square 1 again a decade later. f*cking square 1 for real. I have to relearn this shit all over again. You'd think it would be easier. I don't know, maybe it is in some ways. But the going on and then peeling off? Then and now, I'm impatient as hell. I usually try too soon, and then I'm all pissy with myself. But whether it's Rx, MMJ, whatever? If it's saving my ass, it's saving my ass. If it's not, or if it's making things worse, I need to reassess.

Personally, even if I'm completely off meds... I keep a safetynet. Something I might hit a few times a year when things start getting dark, just to throw halt on it. Oooooh no. Not doing this, thanks. & Chemical reset.

I'm not pro or anti meds. They're a tool. Sometimes I need them, sometimes I don't.