IBS & Narcotics: a fortunate side-effect

[Andrew_J]

I've suffered from IBS probably longer than I have IC. I can remember being huddling on the floor as a five year old in terrible pain from intestinal cramps.

My IBS symptoms have been greatly helped by the narcotics. The constipating side effects have helped make me much more, ah, "regular", as the Metamucil commercial puts it.

I wonder how many other people have found some relief from their IBS from narcotics. Since they slow down intestinal movement (hence the constipation), the reduce bowel spasms and irritations.

It's not perfect. Sometimes, my guts still get ties into knots. The Valium, ostensibly for my Pelvic Floor Disorder and my sciatica also helps to untie intestinal knots when they are really bad.

But compared to how the IBS was before narcotic therapy, the IBS symptoms have been reduced by 90% or more.

[ICNJess]

My pain meds help me when I get the most wicked of IBS cramps sometimes. Otherwise, nothing seems to help with my "irregular" problem of IBS-D.

[twiggy]

No, I am struggling with IBS-C with elavil. Will try to get more exercise and see if this helps!

[Andrew_J]

surely suck. If there's a casual connection between IBS-C/D and IC--and it seems like there must be--I wonder if any research is being done in this area.

Sometimes you have to pick the backdoor lock to get to the main problem. perhaps approaching IC obliquely, through it's ancillary conditions, could yield interesting results?

[dminton]

I definitely am helped by Vicodin when I get bad IBS (diarrhea-type). It helps me bear the pain as well as slow my guts down. Unfortunately, I am also getting headaches from Vicodin! It's always something. When I have diarrhea, I take Immodium AD (it has an anti-gas med in it also). It seems to help a lot. I know that when I take Bentyl (dicyclomine) for IBS, it makes me feel so awful (spacey, tense, brain dead) that I reach for the Vicodin instead.

Diana.

[jaime15]

My IBS-D has been terrible the past few days. Threw out my back so am on tordal and muscle relaxers. But this diarrhea and spasms have been the pits. So maybe tordal isn't really a narcotic of sorts? I mean it has helped me get through this weekend.......but the IBS-D is still going strong????!!!

And Andrew- I was dx'ed with IBS prolly 2 years before the IC dx came along.

[dragonfly7412]

Hi, in regards to IBS and pain killers, I agree that they help. Sometimes the meds from my doctor are a bit strong so I buy tylenol 1 over the counter (I live in Canada, where they are available, I don't think you can buy them in the states). However, sometimes I find in the morning I get terrible cramps, I guess b/c the meds are out of my system. I get sweaty and dizzy and it's just terrible! Do you think it is dangerous to control your bowel movements in this way? Sometimes I feel like I am just replacing one problem with another, I don't feel too bad about it , though, because it does work! I'm glad you found a solution!

[darlene]

I have IC, IBS, and Crohn's disease. Narcotic pain meds really improve the severe diarrhea and abdominal pain.

[Char*Ann]

I have C and my narcotics make things worse with the IBS sometimes.But I take Miralax or stool softeners at the first sign of getting backed up.Miralax is a prescription and is a tasteless pwder you put in a drink,it really is tasteless and dissolves completely! I take Nu-Lev which helps with the spasms of IBS,and I notice also seems to help my bladder too.

[Char*Ann]

Jaime,Toradol I belive is more like a NSAID.Made my IBS worse.

[ketty]

I have IBS and bad IC. I had a complete hysterectomy oct 2004 due to endo growing wild. My new doctor that is treating my IBS, put me on the miralax and dicyclomine 20mg, he said take 1 every 6 hours. I have to take at least 3 every 6 hours , I know that is way more than the doc said to take but I get relief from the IBS and IC within 1 hour. yes it can make my eyes hard to focus when reading or doing something close up.(no threading a needle). I need narcotics to help with the pain, and then I wouldn't have to take so much dicyclomine,but my doctors will not give me anything stronger than Tyenol 3.. Which is not worth takeing at all. I have no doubt that the endo is back and all over what is even left in there, mainly my bladder.
All this to say yes it helps, if you can get the good stuff, and does anyone have a history or info on the dicyclomine being taken at larger doses?