When should I consider antidepressants for irritable bowel symptoms?

If so, then an antidepressant drug dose will be needed, because the presence of depression can magnify and amplify your symptoms. If you are not depressed, then lower antidepressant drug doses may be effective.Do you have previous experience with antidepressant drugs? If a drug helped before, it may be wise to select the same one again.

But, if a specific antidepressant was not helpful before or caused unacceptable side effects, then it doesn't make much sense to try it again.Do you have concerns about taking antidepressants? If you have taken antidepressant drugs previously, inform your doctor about which drug or drugs that you have taken, whether they helped or whether they caused unacceptable side effects. Also, discuss any reluctance that you may have regarding taking antidepressants.

The purpose of treatment with an antidepressant drug is to help you to feel better and not to alter your mind adversely. Antidepressant drugs are not addictive.Do you also have other functional symptoms and/or syndromes, such as fibromyalgia and interstitial cystitis? If so, then antidepressant drugs may be helpful in reducing or relieving more than just the digestive symptoms.Do you have a family member or family members who have benefited from a specific antidepressant or had unwanted side effects?

You may want to take this into consideration when you and your doctor select an antidepressant.Do you have any significant health problems, especially with your heart and circulation, liver and kidneys? For example, it may be important to avoid the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) if you have heart arrhythmia. What are your predominant symptoms?

Pain or discomfort: TCAs may be the best initial choice. Diarrhea: some antidepressants have constipation as a side effect and could be helpful for diarrhea. Constipation: some antidepressants are more likely to cause diarrhea, which might improve the constipation.

TCAs have not been shown to be beneficial in treatment of constipation and may either cause or aggravate the condition. Sleeping problems: some antidepressants are more helpful in promoting sleep than others, and some may actually interfere with sleep. Sleepy or sluggish: some antidepressants can boost energy.

Nervous or jittery: some drugs can bring a calming effect.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.