Daughter Having Problems With IBS

[Kathi49]

Hi All,

I thought I would ask this question here as the IBS forum seems slow.

Anyway, my daughter is having problems with her IBS. She takes Bentyl for it but only as needed. The problem is...when she does take it, she nods off. She is also watching her diet more closely and is trying to withdraw off all caffeine. So, she accidently nodded off in a training session the other day and feels very badly about that. Enough that it has scared her...she thinks she has all kinds of issues now. But I don't think so. :) Anyway, I tried to tell her that when I withdrew off caffeine I was sleepy for weeks until I adjusted. (I think the girl needs to stop talking to her friends all night long too!) We had a talk about that as well. I was trying to tell her to start small...go to sleep on time!!!! :)

She told me if she does NOT take the Bentyl, then of course she has the spasms and she can't go to sleep. But if she DOES take it, she is hungover the next day.

Anyway, I have researched most of the IBS meds and they do cause drowsiness. Does anyone know of something more natural? Or, is there another med out there that doesn't cause drowsiness? I am just curious. I know IBS can't be cured and she will have to watch what she eats. And she knows that as well.

[Mark N]

Kathi, we have talked about this and I know you are aware of the live cultures in yogurt that help or the other products to substitute. The best thing is fore her to have a good diet that she sticks with and to turn the cell phone off at 9 or 10 pm.

I feel sorry for her that she is going through this and struggling with the withdrawal of caffeine and the drowsiness from her meds. It is time to discipline herself [I am not saying she hasn't been just she needs to be even stricter with herself] and get everything working in her favor.

My daughter is facing this with hypoglycemia and the need to adjust her diet. It isn't easy to be that disciplined at their ages [early twenties] because I know how tough it would be for me. I hope she gets the IBS under control and find out how nice it is to feel good.

[Pharmacist.steve]

Hi All,

I thought I would ask this question here as the IBS forum seems slow.

Anyway, my daughter is having problems with her IBS. She takes Bentyl for it but only as needed. The problem is...when she does take it, she nods off. She is also watching her diet more closely and is trying to withdraw off all caffeine. So, she accidently nodded off in a training session the other day and feels very badly about that. Enough that it has scared her...she thinks she has all kinds of issues now. But I don't think so. :) Anyway, I tried to tell her that when I withdrew off caffeine I was sleepy for weeks until I adjusted. (I think the girl needs to stop talking to her friends all night long too!) We had a talk about that as well. I was trying to tell her to start small...go to sleep on time!!!! :)

She told me if she does NOT take the Bentyl, then of course she has the spasms and she can't go to sleep. But if she DOES take it, she is hungover the next day.

Anyway, I have researched most of the IBS meds and they do cause drowsiness. Does anyone know of something more natural? Or, is there another med out there that doesn't cause drowsiness? I am just curious. I know IBS can't be cured and she will have to watch what she eats. And she knows that as well.

Has she tried Imodium or Lomotil?

[Kathi49]

Steve,

No, neither one. I know about Imodium but what is or what does Lomotil do?

Thanks!

Mark,

I know it is tough to be disciplined enough in your early 20's. I was hypoglycemic too and had to really turn some things around...in my 20's. This IBS stuff actually started in college I think. You know...eating on the run, stress, etc. But she HAS turned off that darn cell phone and is going to bed at a "reasonable" hour as she says...11:00 pm LOL! Me? I am a 9:30-10:00 person. :D But I DO remember the days of staying up or out until 1:00 am or so and STILL going to work with no problem LOL!

I also know she is dying to get out on her own. And for that, I am proud of her. She is going through the apartment guides and researching on the Internet. I am just thinking back to when I was in my early 20's and developed a pre-ulcerative condition. I had a new apartment, a new job, a new boyfriend...everything was new LOL! And that's when that ulcer thing hit. I didn't get it because I was happy as could be. But the doc said WITHOUT me really realizing it, underneath it all I guess, was a lot of stress. It doesn't have to be "negative" stress. It can also be the positive type; I just had a lot going on.

And, well, that is pretty much what the gastro doc was telling her too when she first came back home from college. It was an adjustment. But she said the stuff was going on in college too. And he told her, a lot of hers was stress, take the Bentyl and work on the diet. Which she is.

[Pharmacist.steve]

No, neither one. I know about Imodium but what is or what does Lomotil do?

They are both used for diarrhea ... but will address GI spasms... Imodium is OTC .. but Lomotil is Rx only.. both are available generically..

[Kathi49]

Thanks Steve!

I will check into the Lomotil. I think I will call her (and mine) gastro doc today to let him know what is going on.