I have taken Elavil (a tri-cyclic anti-depressant) before, but not for IBS. I took it for many years for migraines at 45mg a day. It helped me for many years, but eventually I realized I needed something new. Maybe I built up a tolerance to it. Later I took it again for my bladder condition (Interstitial Cystitis), for pain. It did help quite a bit, and luckily I got to the point with another med that I didn't need it any more. I was on 50mg a day.
One of the common side effects of Elavil is weight gain. I did have a little bit of this because it increaased my appetite. However, I could control it by watching what I ate. Another common side effect is sleepiness/grogginess. This is most pronounced when you first start taking it. For me, it wore off as I got used to the drug after a few days, but I still wasn't quite as "sharp" as I was when off it. This affects some people more than others.
I was taking it for my IC after I was diagnosed with IBS, but I don't think it was helping my IBS at the time. I didn't notice an increase in symptoms when I went off it. It is good for pain though, which I wasn't having at the time.
-------------------- Lisa
IBS-A, Interstitial Cystitis, Migraines
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