Lexapro as a Treatment for IBS - My Experience

I have suffered from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (or IBS) for 20 years, though I've only been officially diagnosed for about a year. Over the last two decades I have seen many family practitioners and gastroenterologists in an attempt to find the cause of my awful symptoms, to no avail. Finally a year ago I went to a new family practitioner, who immediately recognized my symptoms as those of IBS. He advised me to take extra fiber and use Immodium for those times when cramping and diarrhea struck.

After unsuccessfully trying his recommendations for a couple of months, I began to research IBS causes and treatments on my own. One striking fact that I learned is that IBS can often be caused by an imbalance of serotonin in the digestive system. I began to do research on whether or not anti-depressants had ever been used to successfully treat IBS. There isn't much information out there. I found a few message boards where people said various anti-depressants helped, and I found a few message boards where people gave drastic warnings on the reasons to stay away from anti-depressants. I decided to ask my doctor.

I love my doctor, because he always listens to my concerns and ideas, and he's often willing to give unconventional treatment a try. I asked him about using an anti-depressant as a treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. His idea was that it might very well help with the anxiety which can trigger IBS, but he was skeptical as to whether or not an anti-depressant would really help with the symptoms. He agreed that there had been a little research done on the effects of SSRI drugs on IBS, and though the findings weren't promising, he was willing to give me a trial prescription of Lexapro.

My first week on Lexapro was awful. I began taking the drug at night with dinner, so I could sleep off the side effects. It's important to take Lexapro with food, because it can make you sick to your stomach. The other side effects I experienced the first week were blurred vision, headaches, restless legs, and bad dreams. The side effects were so bad that I almost considered discontinuing the Lexapro. Still, I wanted to see if it would help my IBS, so I decided to hang on for another week to see how it went.

The second week the side effects lessened greatly. I still feel sick to my stomach if I don't take the Lexapro with food, but don't get blurred vision, headaches, or restless legs anymore. I also don't have as many nightmares, but I do find I have many vivid dreams. My mood is also more even now. I used to have big mood swings throughout the day, with an especially crabby period in the late afternoon. My family is glad that I handle late afternoons better now.

Here's the important part, though. My IBS symptoms have lessened by 80%, in my estimation! I used to have a routine where I would get up, eat breakfast, and then spend the next 2 hours near the bathroom, in case I had an urgent need to go. I was afraid to volunteer to chaperon my children's field trips, for fear I'd have to make an emergency pit stop. I used to cramp so badly, I'd double over in pain. It was a challenge getting my children ready for school, while trying to take care of my IBS symptoms.

Lexapro changed all that. The only times my IBS symptoms are bad enough to interfere with my life these days is when I ingest something that I know is an IBS trigger (like coffee) or when I don't get enough sleep. I can live with that. Lexapro gave me my life back. I know this is just one person's story. But desperate times call for desperate measures. If you've been suffering with IBS symptoms for years, and none of the conventional treatments work, it's worth asking your doctor to consider putting you on an anti-depressant. It just might work.