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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by leslieg on December 28, 2011, at 15:40:30
I've browsed through past posts and I see that others have had some bad abdominal pain and/or gas w/ Lamictal, but it is the only drug we've found that can keep my bipolar II depressions under control -- this is the first winter in ages that I've not been suicidal. So I'd like to try to figure out something. The trick is that I had 3 "life changes" in the same 2 weeks.
1. I had been on Tegretol for over a year but started weaning off it about 10 months ago due to excessive fatigue. (I have narcolepsy and am also on Vyvanse). Pdoc thought it was a great opportunity to re-try Lamictal. I started a very slow ramp in May? but kept the low dose of Tegretol (100 mg / day). In August I reached full dose of Lamictal (200 mg / day) and on September 17 I stopped the Tegretol.
2. I am gluten-free but had been being poisoned by illegally marketed bread, I found out and stopped the bread on Sep 16. This also meant I skipped lunch more often and ate other foods more often as I'd had sandwiches every day.3. My son had been re-tested for food sensitivities and beef was added back into our allowed foods. (I'd had beef once every 1 or 2 weeks before but starting, you guessed it, about Sept 21, I have beef a few times a week.
Everything was fine until mid Oct.
Oct 12 - 15 I had "more stomach pain" than usual.
Oct 20 I had "bad gas and bloating" (I'd been keeping a chart of my bowel habits as I was in pelvic floor PT at the time.)
Oct 21 I saw my GP. He said "constipation" and sent me home. I've been constipated 1/2 my life and never had pain or gas like this!
Nov 2 I saw a Gastro. I had an abdominal ultrasound (and another xray) and was told "constipation", although they also gave me Nexium and that helps because now the burps are not painful.Bad times come and go. More bad than not. Good times are a day or maybe two between days and days of bad. Bad days I burp as much as 5 times a minute -- for hours! I am bloated and in pain. I now take (broad-spectrum) enzymes at every meal, probiotics at least once a day. (And 1/2 cap Miralax every day and a laxative about 1 / week.)
Nothing quite makes sense. But I'm wondering if anyone has experience with or knows any theories that might support my theory that the Lamitcal is the cause of the pain but the Tegretol was somehow holding back or preventing it. Because if there is any clue my theory is right, I'm adding back the Tegretol! (My main reason for stopping it is the cost.)
Thanks for listening...
Posted by BetweenDreams81 on January 7, 2012, at 12:54:50
In reply to From Tegretol to Lamictal, bad ab pain + gas, posted by leslieg on December 28, 2011, at 15:40:30
I just saw this
couple of things:
1. which probiotic are you on? how many colonies are they providing?2. how long have you been on Nexium and do you think it is helping at all?
3. Which brand enzymes are you taking and how much?
I've found out a lot about the GI system through helping an ex-boyfriend get major relief from Crohn's disease and a horse with ulcers recovering from major peritonitis (yes, you can learn things from animals that apply to people! lol)One thing I would do ASAP is go out and get chia seeds. Whole foods has them in the bulk section for about $7/lb put a tbsp or 2 in juice or water and let them sit a few minutes. when they are all gelatinous, drink them down.
Type of enzymes also depends on the types of foods you are eating.
Same goes for probiotics.
Apple pectin is a great stomach soother as is licorice root and papaya
The thing about ulcer meds like omeprazole/nexium is that it shuts off the acid producing pumps in your stomach, so when you stop taking it, your body all of a sudden thinks it needs more to make up for the lack of acid in the stomach...so it will feel worse before it feels better.
Have you tried pepcid or zantac instead of Nexium? (far less expensive and different action entirely in the gut)
I'll wait for some of your answers before posting more, it'll end up making more sense. :)
I hope you feel better soon!
This is the end of the thread.
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