Antidepressants and IBS -D

Doxycycline is an antibiotic, right? Why would you take that, assuming you don't have a bacterial infection? Just curious. Did a Dr. recommend/prescribe it?

Why are they giving you a Antibiotic? Do you have Diverticulitis or some other bacterial intestinal infection? Some of the Anti Depressents can cause constipation and there is a group of them that can cause loose stool. So you do have to be careful and do this under a Doctor's supervision.

Wondering if anyone has taken anti-depressants for treatment of IBS-D and if it eliminated diarrhea and urgency?
Thank you

My doctor prescribed Nortriptyline. I started with 25 mg, but I had a fast heart beat. Not palpitations, just fast. When I told my gastro this, he gave me 50 mgs. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I once again got a fast heartbeat (of course). He then put me on 10 mg and said I could go up to 20 mg if 10 mg didn't work. Neither 20 or 10 mgs worked for me, but I didn't get a fast heartbeat. 25 & 50 mg most definitely worked for the diarrhea and cramping. I'm waiting for my next appointment to see what we will try next.

Hi, @dbrstwrt - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Trying to get the right balance with your heartbeat and addressing the diarrhea and cramping sounds like it's been tricky.

So members can get to know you, I'm guessing you have IBS-D? If so, when were you diagnosed? Did the doctor give you some background on why he prescribed nortriptyline?

I had a colonoscopy & an endoscopy because I was getting a sick stomach with diarrhea and vomiting. It was negative with just some slight redness, irritation, so my gastro gave me a prescription for cholestyramine. I was still having a sick stomach, diarrhea and vomiting, but I went to the emergency room because I now had a fever, chills & cramps. I had my appendix out (which was a nightmare, because when I woke up, I couldn't breathe). Every nerve in my body stood up when the anesthesiologist only asked me one question. One question for major surgery. I ended up in the hospital for 6 days. Normally, an appendectomy, you're in and out (even though my appendix was twisted and in my back, the surgery, although more difficult, went well). But, they kept me in the hospital because I could not breathe from anesthesia. In the 6 days I was there, they gave me bags and bags of antibiotics everyday for 5 days. Why? Because I couldn't breathe? Doesn't make sense. Two weeks after I got home, I was vomiting and had fever, chills and cramps... again. I went to a different emergency room, because the hospital where I had the appendectomy, I did not trust. The ER doctor did an MRI on my abdomen. He said I had C-diff and the start of sepsis. I was in that hospital for 5 days. At this point, I had no idea I had IBS-d, until the infectious disease doctor came in and said we have to get the IBS-d under control if we're going to get rid of the C-diff. They had spoken to my gastro, who told them I had IBS-d. News to me. So my gastro started me on the Nortriptyline, as I explained in my previous post. It's wonderful for Ibs-d at the 25 and 50 mg point, but if you get a fast heartbeat, you have to stop it. I believe my gastro mention possibly giving me Amtriptyline next. It's also an antidepressant that is used off label for IBS-d to slow down the bowels. I have a couple of drugs that I'd like to talk to him about, but I believe the one that works is $5,000. a month and will not have a generic for it until 2029. I'm not totally sure on that. I apologize for this being so lengthy. I will post back when I try the next medication to let you know if it works. I believe I read somewhere that Amtriptyline does not give you a fast heartbeat, but I would rather my doctor advise me whether it does or not.