Antidepressants calm your gut?

[Dr.Who]

Anyone find antidepressants calm your gut?

My intestines are rolling over but my gi cant find anything wrong (ct/ultrasound/colonoscopy) so i went to another gi who suggested antidepressants. im gonna go for it.

 

[Astra]

Quite a few of us are on Amitriptyline, a tri cyclic anti depressant.
In low doses it can act as a pain blocker, I was prescribed it as a prevention for migraines.
I found out quite quickly that it stopped spasms and contractions in my bowels.
Amitriptyline is usually given as a first line of defence for IBS too.
Give it a whirl, you never know!

 

[Dazzafarr]

Doctors will prescribe anti- depressants quote quick
I used ended for a while which didn't help.
If I get prescribed with one more anti depressive I'm going to scream lol.

 

[StarGirrrrl]

I had a low dose ad for a couple years. It worked a bit and then became ineffective. Now I am worse than ever and have developed new EI symptoms.

 

[PVail]

Hi Dr Who
I have been using Amitriptyline for a bout 2 months now and it is usefull especially if you need a night sleep . It works for me where alot of painkillers just made things worse .
Its worth a go .

 

[exit4]

It's a big YES form me! Lexapro calm's my low level spasms. When I am in a bad flare I take Vicodin - it helps with pain AND slows down my BM to just a few per day.

 

[Crohnsnewbie]

I tried to get on some anti-depressents to help but no docs will prescribe it to me unless I hate myself and unless I want to kill myself which I NEVER WOULD! I could never get that depressed about life! lol

 

[Dr.Who]

I tried to get on some anti-depressents to help but no docs will prescribe it to me unless I hate myself..

lol

 

[Crohnsnewbie]

lol Dr. Who I realize how that sounds, now that I reread what I posted. I should of typed it differently hahaha. Really though they won't prescribe me anything unless I'd harm myself lol.

 

[Dazzafarr]

Just tell them that u have thoughts of death etc and they have to prescribe them
Or they can be sued... But then again, why would you want to numb
Your mind with anti depressants.
Doctors and specialists prescribe bandaid solutions
All the time - anti inflammation drugs, pain killers
Steroids. But, what it the real logic behind stomach issues?
First - what goes into your stomach?
Are you trying to fight off the fast foods and sugars with a drug?
Or are you coming to terms with maybe a change of diet?
Foods humans have trouble digesting -
Top of the list - wheat!!, processed meat, dairy.
How can you avoid these foods? Well it's hard when we grow up on it..
Try eating LSA, fruits and veg and white meats, nuts.
Try a different diet before intoxicating yourself with drugs.
It's evident that bad bacteria thrive on sugars "not natural".
Or better yet, see a dietitian... Oh wait.. They think wheat is ok..
Research some stuff on what we should be eating and not what is placed on our shelves.
Drugs are bad but even worse for you when told its ok.

 

[Rebecca85]

I went on antidepressants for a while. Not for my guts, but for my head. It was just what ai needed to get levelled out- my moods have improved and stayed improved now I'm off them.

 

[Dazzafarr]

So many people will say I have reflux and not understand
Why there is reflux. They get prescribed a drug and away they go.
No more reflux... But there is a reason your body does things.
We are not supposed to eat too much food at a time or
Are we supposed to digest certain foods.
Reflux is your body saying - make more acid to break it down.
You can get reflux from a meat pie alone so reflux is not only
Due to you being full. Imagine the trauma we are putting on our stomachs
When does your stomach get a break?
Later down the track you find yourself with osteopenia or
Osteoporosis and other body troubles due to one of your most important
Organs copping a whack of bad foods. Which we get told are good foods.
All I'm trying to say is don't just take on what they tell you.
Research it and find ways to cope naturally.

 

[annawato]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain

Not sure how relevant the above is to your question Dr Who, but interesting nonetheless.
I take antidepressants - mirtazapine - but haven't found it to help with gut pain. A few people seem to have found amitriptyline helpful though so may be worth a go since its an old and tested antidep. with (hopefully) few side effects.
Problem is often the more meds that are added the more that are needed for something they cause.Good luck qwith it all.

 

[Desiree49]

I am on Prestiq and it has made a huge difference. I wish I was on it earlier.

 

[Irene3]

I was on lexapro and avanza, didn't take lexapro for a while, and it made me feel dizzy and nauseous after 2weeks of not having it first thing. So Im going to only take avanza. It's one rather then two antidepressant, and I don't think either improve my crohns symptoms, but then it may for you if your GI says so. I ask my gp about about anything, like today, I wasn't sure if when I begin humira for crohns in a few weeks, wether normally you also take azatgiroprine or 6mp, and he said yes....so maybe ask your GI why he thinks it will help. That's what I would do. Best wishes

 

[Jennifer]

why would you want to numb
Your mind with anti depressants.

Antidepressants do not numb your mind. They help with REAL psychological disorders such as major depression, dysthymia, and anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder, OCD, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, PTSD, stress etc. That aside, sometimes medications for other illnesses can give relief for those who suffer from another illness. For instance some antidepressants can be used for chronic pain http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pain-medications/PN00044

Doctors and specialists prescribe bandaid solutions
All the time - anti inflammation drugs, pain killers
Steroids. But, what it the real logic behind stomach issues?

Doctors are always searching for the cause (and if yours isn't you better find another doctor, there are plenty out there) yet in the meantime they want you to start feeling better asap and that's why they prescribe those listed above. Also for instance if I were to just take 6MP during a major flare, chances are it wouldn't get the condition under control in time before I'd have to have surgery as it suppresses the immune system but does not reduce inflammation. Adding a steroid would help reduce the inflammation and give the 6MP enough time to take effect so the flare can get under control faster. If you don't get the inflammation under control then it just creates a layer of scar tissue putting you in danger of a blockage and/or surgery among other complications.

First - what goes into your stomach?
Are you trying to fight off the fast foods and sugars with a drug?

No one is doing that. Everyone makes changes in diet when needed or if they are able. Its not fast food that's causing IBD anyway. Saying that its all due to diet makes no sense as there are more and more children being diagnosed so they don't have years of poor eating habits behind their belts already.

Foods humans have trouble digesting -
Top of the list - wheat!!, processed meat, dairy.

All of those have been explained but none are a direct link to causing IBD. People find what foods they can a cannot eat through trial and error. Could be gluten or lactose intolerant.

How can you avoid these foods? Well it's hard when we grow up on it..
Try eating LSA, fruits and veg and white meats, nuts.

Cook fruits and veggies as raw is harder to digest (most people even without IBD can't really digest fiber anyway). Nuts are extremely hard to digest and can cause their own problems by getting stuck in the lining. Its best to avoid them if you're in a flare. As for LSA had to look it up. "Lysergic acid amide ("LSA"), listed as a sedative but considered by some to be hallucinogenic.[34][35] An inefficient precursor to and chemical relative of LSD, LSA occurs naturally in Rivea corymbosa, morning glory seeds, and Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds. LSA is not biosynthesized by the ergot fungus (Claviceps purpurea), but can be biosynthesized by other Claviceps species. LSA can be present as an artifact in extracts of ergot." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_Substances_Act#Schedule_III_controlled_substances You should never EVER take anything that may interact with other medications you may be on and since the majority of people who suffer from IBD require medication its in poor taste or judgement to suggest a potentially addictive substance like that. No non holistic doctor is likely to prescribe it anyway and if its being handed to you without a prescription, you need to stay the hell away from that person who's giving it out.

Try a different diet before intoxicating yourself with drugs.
It's evident that bad bacteria thrive on sugars "not natural".

Everyone changes their diet before medication and even keep the new diet while on medication because allowing the gut to rest does promote faster healing. Site a credible source that bacteria only attacks non natural sugars.

Or better yet, see a dietitian... Oh wait.. They think wheat is ok..

Wheat is ok unless you're gluten intolerant. Not everyone has a wheat allergy but eating less breads and pastas is a good thing because its nothing but carbs and hardly any nutrients. The point is to limit or cut down but not take it out of your diet entirely as its not needed.

Research some stuff on what we should be eating and not what is placed on our shelves.

Would have been better to suggest what humans were meant to eat such as fruits, veggies (both must contain bright or dark colors because they contain more nutrients), meats and other sources or protein (nuts (but you should avoid these while in a flare), beans etc). Problem is with IBD or even IBS a lot of these food aren't tolerated and nothing gets absorbed. Preparing the food properly may help such as steaming rather than eating raw fruits and veggies.

Drugs are bad but even worse for you when told its ok.

Sorry, drugs are keeping many of us alive. Diet and exercise only go so far. Not only do I want to live but have a better quality of life and medications provide both whereas when I did diet only, I almost died and I'm not the only one on the forum who's had a similar experience. Drugs are ok when you need them to live or at least improve your quality of life where diet and exercise fail/aren't enough.

So many people will say I have reflux and not understand
Why there is reflux. They get prescribed a drug and away they go.
No more reflux... But there is a reason your body does things.

Yes there is. In the case of acid reflux the lower esophageal sphincter doesn't close well so food, liquids, and stomach acid can leak back into the esophagus. Unfortunately many medications and even pregnancy can make this occur or worsen. In this case medication to help stop the reflux are given when the case is more severe. If you don't you're likely to run into all sorts of complications.

We are not supposed to eat too much food at a time or
Are we supposed to digest certain foods.
Reflux is your body saying - make more acid to break it down.
You can get reflux from a meat pie alone so reflux is not only
Due to you being full. Imagine the trauma we are putting on our stomachs
When does your stomach get a break?

I'm sorry but you seem to be assuming that everyone is causing their own reflux by overeating and eating bad food when I've just shown above that food is not always the case. Again, where diet fails, medication comes into play. Also, reflux is what I said above, not your body saying, "make more acid." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001311/

Research it and find ways to cope naturally.

Research yes. My research has shown that a life with medication for IBD instead of going all natural will help you get into and stay in remission faster and longer. We're dealing with an autoimmune disorder here, not the common cold.

Edit: Pardon for the hijack!

 

[Dr.Who]

finally im taking... Celexa (citalopram)... doc says i should see a difference in about a month.. and if it doesnt work, he'll prescribe something else.. though i thought psych meds take like 8months to work?


thanks for all your comments and personal stories

 

[tots]

Dr Who-
I take Welbutrin (sp? its late!).
Does it help with pain? Well, I dont have as much anxiety so I have one less trigger. In that way I guess it does help with pain. When I am in a healthier state of mind I handle things better. For Crohns that potentially means less pain. My thought process may not be right medically but- there it is. :thumright:

Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

Crabby- Well said! :rosette2:

Lauren

 

[Irene3]

I went on antidepressants for a while. Not for my guts, but for my head. It was just what ai needed to get levelled out- my moods have improved and stayed improved now I'm off them.

Hi Rebecca, I read on here that when crohns flares, it's the antidepressants that help with seraton- did you find that if you take antidepressant early, it wears off by the avo? I keep a symptoms journal, and today I noticed, that if I don't take an antidepressant late morn, then by the avo I think of sadening things. Also, my antifungal, I wonder wether I should take mid way through the day. Did you feel the same, or any of you???

 

[Rebecca85]

I didn't notice much difference through the day. But my depression didn't really manifest as sadness like that- I had more of the lethargy/ losing interest in things type symptoms.

 

[annawato]

Irene I had the same symptoms as Rebecca, lethergy, lack of interest and sadness but effectiveness of the antidepressant wasn't affected by the time of day. Have you been on the anti depressant for long? If newly started it may not have started working in full strenght just yet, some of them take a couple of weeks to be truly effective. Which isn't much fun while you're waiting for it to work.

 

[Dazzafarr]

Hey Crabby,

I first want to state that I never mentioned diet to be a cure or a drug replacement.
"Suggested option before the use of drugs"
To top it off, if the member takes anti-depressants and its not what he expected he could create further problems when stopping the anti-depressant. e.g, long term use side effects, withdrawal "www.drugs.health.gov.au/".

I really wish you didnt try to manipulate what i said so much.
Below is the reference for the natural sugars
http://naturalbias.com/how-sugar-can-ruin-your-life/

As for Reflux, that is something i can relate to and my opinion is that it is not the esophageal sphincter opening and closing as im guessing you read that somewhere.
If that was the case you would get reflux with every intake and without intake.
The purpose of the post was to demonstrate the fact that one mouth full of a certain food can cause reflux and yet you can eat an entire plate of vegis and fish with no reflux. "get my drift". - "Diagnosed severe Esophagitis"

Anti-depressants may help with the nerves which would reduce symptoms,
I was simply trying to deter the member from taking anti-depressants without actually having depression and to continue his journy for a diagnosis without the use of a drug if possible.

Member reference: My intestines are rolling over but my gi cant find anything wrong (ct/ultrasound/colonoscopy) so i went to another gi who suggested antidepressants. im gonna go for it.

 

[Dazzafarr]

Depressants*
Manipulate*

I really should read my post before posting so quick

 

[StarGirrrrl]

I think it has been demonstrated that anti-depressants are not purely for depression, they do have positive effects on other conditions- whether that is a physical or mental effect is another matter.

Generally when treating gut issues the doses are much lower than for depression- the one I was on the depression dose was 100-150mg and I was taking 10mg daily. That of course decreases the risk of withdrawal issues. I was on it for a number of years and had no issues coming off it- in fact I was instructed to stop cold turkey which I did with no problems! The dose was that low.

And there are risks with every pill you put in your mouth- be it medicine or even vitamins can cause problems. It's all about researching things fully, consulting a Dr and coming to a balanced decision that is best for you as an individual.

I have been undiagnosed for 5 1/2 years and tried many drugs in that time, none spefically have worked- I take anti-d meds as needed and also pain relief as needed, but these are "patch" meds rather than meds to relieve symptoms but if I had found one that worked on the root cause I would be taking it.

You have expressed elsewhere on the forum how much you personally are suffering, surely then you should not be critical (as I feel) of another member for wishing to try a drug without a diagnosis. Some are happy to take treatment without a dx, and some aren't. There is not a one-size fits all approach here.

I myself had sucess and failure with AD's (worked fairly well in the first few years until it became ineffective, a few years after that another attempt did nothing so I stopped after 2 months and I have since refused a higher dose of the first one which did work); but if someone wants to give it a go, who knows it may well work for them and why shouldn't they if they want to and have come to an informed choice.

 

[Irene3]

thank you Rebecca and Annavato. I have been on avanza for a few months, and was taking lexapro, which i dont take anymore. I too find that sometimes by the afternoon I'm lethargic and loss of interest in things. also, Im taking 25mg of pred in the morning, and i think through the morning this affects my energy generally, and through the afternoon, i sometimes need to take probiotics and i think having 6mp, pred, antibiotics (for a fistula or abscess), as well as antifungals, as well as vitamins, i look at my symptoms journal daily like a lot of people with crohns on here, and yesterday i felt like, i had taken my antidepressant earlier, and by mid avo, i was thinking about things, which were any every thing, but not so positive. So I thought that was probably the antidepressant wearing off by mid avo, if I take it early. Anyway, thanks for the response.

 

[Dazzafarr]

Stargirrrl -
That is correct, antidepressants can help with other health conditions.
Some doctors will prescribe full dosage antidepressants.
"which happened to me".
A second doctor prescribed me with Endep - 10mg.
I take neither antidepressants.
After using the antidepressant for some time, you will become reliant on the drug. My personal opinion is to exhaust all other tests and possibilities before adding another drug to the basket.
Some people on this site have so many drugs under their signature which they need to live quality of life.
Do remember though, the less drugs you are on the better for you, not the other way around.

 

[tots]

Dazzafarr-

For many of us the road to a diagnosis is a long and hard journey. IBD is a serious and chronic set of diseases, that none of us take lightly.

We take the drugs we do because they keep us alive! Without them I would net be able to work, I would not be able to see my son play baseball. I would not have been able to
care for them as babies. The list goes on...... It is a quality of life issue. For many people with a chronic and painful disease anxiety and depression are part of the package. I would say for IBD patients very much so as this is also very isolating disease. We don't really have people in our lives that understand as it is not a real "common" diesease.

I understand your frustration with Drs and looking for a diagnosis. This forum has a wealth of information. You should use it as a tool to research and learn. Instead many of your posts have a very angry tone and judgemental tone. I am sure thats not how you mean to come across but, it does. I think you need to find a Dr you trust and follow his directions for as long as it takes. There are alot of bumps in the road to a diagnosis.

I wish you peace in your journey and I hope a Dr comes into your life very soon who can help you.

Lauren

 

[Dazzafarr]

Tots,
I apologize if what I write communicates a tone of voice of anger.
I really don't see how my posts are angry..
I said to someone today that they are inspiring and I loved their attitude.
I understand that crohns is a disease and requires drugs.
Dr who posted that the GI doesn't know what's wrong so I simply tried to deter him from trying every drug on the planet.
But anyway, as for a diagnosis, I really have come close to giving up
and just trying to live with the symptoms even thought they keep me up all night.
I guess I must be a medical mystery or maybe I'm crazy I dunno anymore...

 

[David]

Anti-depressants may help with the nerves which would reduce symptoms, I was simply trying to deter the member from taking anti-depressants without actually having depression and to continue his journy for a diagnosis without the use of a drug if possible.

We do not "deter" people from using medications on this forum. We provide people with as much sound information as possible so they can make educated decisions in conjunction with their medical provider. Sometimes that information comes in the form of, "X medicine has A, B, C side effects but helps in D, E, F ways whereas Y does Z and has little to no side effects." But all we're doing is providing information and support in a positive manner.

The fact is, Amitriptyline is shown to have excellent results in regards to the alleviation of abdominal pain at a very low dose. Who are you to deter someone from relief from chronic abdominal pain, especially when you don't know the entire patient history? Nobody here wants to be on these medications. But there comes a point where you have to make difficult decisions for health and quality of life. People injecting their emotional bias does nothing but make those decisions clouded and more difficult to make.

 

[Rebecca85]

As for Reflux, that is something i can relate to and my opinion is that it is not the esophageal sphincter opening and closing as im guessing you read that somewhere.
If that was the case you would get reflux with every intake and without intake.
The purpose of the post was to demonstrate the fact that one mouth full of a certain food can cause reflux and yet you can eat an entire plate of vegis and fish with no reflux. "get my drift". - "Diagnosed severe Esophagitis"

Speak for yourself. I have reflux, which occurs whatever I eat and throughout the day, and particularly if I bend over or put pressure on my middle. I even regularly regurgitate water. The only effect food has is to affect the flavour!

 

[lisakuney]

finally im taking... Celexa (citalopram)... doc says i should see a difference in about a month.. and if it doesnt work, he'll prescribe something else.. though i thought psych meds take longer to work 8months.


thanks for all your comments and personal stories

Celexa tore up my digestive tract...it threw me into my first flare and precipitated my diagnosis. I hope it works better for you than it did for me.

 

[Jennifer]

Speak for yourself. I have reflux, which occurs whatever I eat and throughout the day, and particularly if I bend over or put pressure on my middle. I even regularly regurgitate water. The only effect food has is to affect the flavour!

LOL, same thing happens to me but not all the time. Happens mostly when I bend or lay down (even if its been hours after eating). I've even woken up in the morning swallowing vomit. It ain't the food for sure!

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I started taking Prozac but feel it might hurt my gut.

 

[Dazzafarr]

Ok, I will just be a sheep too i guess. Dr Who, max yourself out on drugs. go nuts. take anything and everything laying around if someone says it might help.

A. There is no decision when everyone posts saying take it.
B. Dr who made is quite clear the doctor doesn't know what's wrong with him so lets all support him by just agreeing to taking a drug without diagnosis....
C. Replying to Dr who with a different influence it not an attack and not needed for a defence.
Everyone is sick! I understand that! Why does this have to be about only posting saying - Sorry to hear you're having a hard time, Goodluck....
It's good everyone can relate... But... Common sense will tell you drugs if needed... If you can avoid it then avoid it... and if they choose to ignore my suggestion then so bloody be it!
I'm not going to make a signature gasping about how many drugs I'm on to display the severity of my symptoms.
David: You may be an Administrator but who are you to provoke the use of drugs without diagnosis.

crabby - i used to choke on my vomit in my sleep too.... i guess you have dinner 7 hours before bed.....
David- the only critical posts i recieve are from yourself,tots and crabby. i dont know what i have done to offend you three.

Please stop posting the same stupid common sense thing about people with crohns having to take medication!! WE ALL KNOW THAT!

the only reason i came back to this site was because i did get evidence of having crohns from a test today... i like this site but you three really have it in for me

 

[Rebecca85]

The doctors couldn't find anything physically wrong with Dr Who, so suggested taking a medication to possibly help with the symptom. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with that. If I have a bad enough headache, I will take a paracetamol without asking my doctor to diagnose the cause of it!

And signatures tend to be a way of letting people know or reminding them about your situation. It's not a competition to see who is the worst off. But if I was to post eg 'I have diarrhoea and I don't know what to do' then it's useful for people to see that I have Crohn's myself, and am not a parent of a sufferer, because their advice will be different!

And I don't think you fully understand Crabby and my situation. It's all very well saying have dinner 7 hours before bed, but we can't possibly not eat or drink anything for that amount of time- which is what would be required to completely prevent the reflux without resorting to drugs.

I think to be honest, you have got people's backs up (mine included) because of your sweeping statements like reflux is caused by the food you eat. In some cases it may be aggravated by food, but that is not the same as causing it. You are entitled to your opinion, but when you make statements like that, as if it is fact, it does upset people. I know it upset me because you may as well have told me it's my own fault I suffer.

 

[Jennifer]

Indeed Rebecca. I use people's signatures all the time to get info instead of having to ask them what they're taking and having to wait for them to post again and them hoping I'll be right there to respond back. It makes getting answers smoother and faster.

Also, I don't have to eat anything to get reflux. There are so many different ways to get it its ridiculous. Its up to you and your doctor to decide what's best. Mine doesn't happen that often so as you can see in my sig, I don't currently take any meds from it.

Dazzafarr, I have nothing against you personally, I just have a problem with blanket statements as if they are fact as Rebecca mentioned and this is a support forum first and foremost. Yes we don't want the forum to be full of, "oh so sorry, feel better, keep us posted," and things like that. We want information along with support. Information being either personal experience or facts and those facts could either be for or against the treatment in question. We do not force treatments on others (unless its obvious that they need to go to the ER or see their doctor asap) and we do not deter other users from treatment (there are exceptions to that rule for instance if the treatment in question is known to do more harm than good but antidepressants for pain does not fall under that rule). David and other admins and mods and the other monitors are here for everyone's benefit by making sure the site runs smoothly and if anyone seems to be doing anything other than being supportive (even if they have different views) then we step in to try and smooth things over by giving correct information so people on the forum can make informed decisions.

If you like you can make another thread about this issue or talk to people through PMs. Otherwise we should really leave this thread to what it was originally about rather than hijacking it further. Thank you!

 

[reba]

finally im taking... Celexa (citalopram)... doc says i should see a difference in about a month.. and if it doesnt work, he'll prescribe something else.. though i thought psych meds take like 8months to work?

Dr Who: my daughter (19 yrs old with Crohn's) saw a new internal med doc yesterday who prescribed Celexa for her. Said it had been shown to have beneficial effects for IBD in low doses...not prescribed high enough as antidepressant effects. She wrote Rx for 10 mg/day. I am doing my research before she tries it. Can you share your experience since you have been on it for a couple months now? Thanks!

 

[skippy111]

finally im taking... Celexa (citalopram)... doc says i should see a difference in about a month.. and if it doesnt work, he'll prescribe something else.. though i thought psych meds take like 8months to work?


thanks for all your comments and personal stories

First I would like to advise that when it comes to psych meds you should always consult a trained psychiatrist. This is his field.

I have been in treatment for my Depression and ADHD since 2001 and it took about four years just to find the right combination of meds that work for me.

I take 40 mg of celexa, Dr started me at 20 and then increased to 40... they say it takes about 4 to 6 weeks to notice a difference but I noticed a difference within two weeks.

I also am on 20 mg of adderall 2x daily for the adhd and I have the kolonopin for anxiety.

Everyone's brain chemistry is different, what works for one may not always work for another.

I had been taking Pristique and wasnt happy with the side effects, Paxil tore my stomach up, etc etc...

Dr Who: my daughter (19 yrs old with Crohn's) saw a new internal med doc yesterday who prescribed Celexa for her. Said it had been shown to have beneficial effects for IBD in low doses...not prescribed high enough as antidepressant effects. She wrote Rx for 10 mg/day. I am doing my research before she tries it. Can you share your experience since you have been on it for a couple months now? Thanks!

Reba, Celexa is an SSRI it is a Seratonin reuptake inhibitor, meaning it gives the brain the seratonin it is not getting enough of... I told my Psych DR I had chrons and actually the 40 mg seemed to help, then again, I also have depression and ADHD and am 45 yrs old... im 6 ft 2, your daughter might be fine with the 10 mg but watch her closely for manifestations of side effects..

I still think It can not hurt to consult a psych dr before making any final descisions ...

As far as the Dr not perscribing unless the person wanted to commit suicide, this is why you should let the psych dr handle psych meds....

In the hospital, after informing the Attending physician I was sposed to take Adderall, he took it upon himself to give me Ritalin, without even checking with my psych dr or consulting a psyh dr on staff there, the result was not so pleasant...
Dr's need to stay within their field. Ritalin and Adderal should never be perscribed to someone who takes adderall and never by a general practitioner, that is for the psych dr to prescribe...

Amatrypaline is a good muscle relaxer, also, there are other meds that will calm the stomach that are not anti depressants...

Chron's Disease will cause depression like symptoms and can lead to depression so it can not hurt to see a psych dr anyhow.. the two of them combined can be severely debilitating...

another avenue to explore which is something I decided to do being I have the Depression and ADHD is Psychotherapy... the mood groups and coping skills groups help too and so does the art therapy nights

I hope this helps ...

 

[nikimazur]

Your stomach/intestines/colon also contain the most serotonin then anywhere in your entire body. Antidepressants are typically ssri's or snri's, which are serotonin reuptake/ Serotonin neureporephrine re uptake inhibitors or tricycle antidepressants. Not only do they help battle serotonine to increase dopamine (or feel good chemicals) In your brain to lessen stress and or anxiety, they actually play a mechanical role in slowing down gut motality. Typically, the more serotonin, the more chemical firing at the synapse, Quickening nerve responses, including unconscious nerve responses.


Another form of antidepressant used in IBS is the controversial Lotronex, which is a 5-HT3, that also works on serotonin receptors. Lotronex weirdly also has oly proven successful in women, and also has a history of fatalities due to causing ischemic colitis. Also in this class is the safer Remeron, though it is not prescribed as often for there have not been many clinical tests on treating IBS with it.


Typically with IBD, even if there was no stress or anxiety involved, antidepressants still would not be the most effective treatment. Though it would possibly be helpful to slow gut motility, it still does not prevent the inflammatory response such as immunosuppressants or biologics. When used in conjunction with other medications, or in times of no flare, just antidepressants, more specifically tricyclines could definitely help to control Crohns.


IBS on the other hand is typically very responsive to antidepressant use, and drugs such as Elavil, are the first line of defense, for therapeutic doses for IBS use are far lower doses then at therapeutic levels of anxiety stress use... Causing the drug to be more "safe" and have fewer side effects typical of antidepressants.


Antidepressants though can be very helpful dealing with any chronic stressful illness, especially in one such as Crohn's, where stress can easily worsen the disease.


Hope this helps

 

[Supreme_2]

I suffered with anxiety/depression long before my diagnosis of UC. I am on 60 mg Cymbalta, 10 mg Doxepin, and also use .5 Klonopin as needed. The Klonopin helps me sleep when I am in pain. I use it sparingly. Now my GI doctor wants me to take Librax which calms the gut and calms me. I use it sometimes also. I rotate between the two. I prefer the Klonopin because I can wake up and feel good the next day. Sometimes the Librax makes me feel funny.

 

[Dr.Who]

Your stomach/intestines/colon also contain the most serotonin then anywhere in your entire body.

I read that too... and since most of my colon is gone and some of my small intestines as well, i figured some extra serotonin wouldn't hurt.

I found celexa gave me too much energy, i couldn't sleep. so now i'm on Mirtazapine (aka: remeron).

Ive since gained 10 pounds, and i'm working out.

giggity giggity

 

[CharBarSprStar]

My GI just started me on Celexa this past weekend. I'm excited to see if it works well with the Humira since it hasn't been doing me much good by itself. I was feeling anxious about taking it, so I'm glad there is so much info on here regarding anti-depressants!

Dr. Who, I'm glad the new medicine is working out for you.

 

[skippy111]

Give the Celexa a few weeks to show any results, I take 40mg for depression and .5mg Kolonopin for anxiety... I also take 20mg adderall2x's a day. This limits which meds I can take for my Crohn's. The Prednizone was working really well at 60mg, but now I am tapering off by 5mg/wk and starting to feel it too..