Prescribed Bentyl for IBS. Age and BP a concern.

@fdixon63,

It looks like you have been taking Bentyl for a few months, now. Have you been feeling OK? Do you monitor your blood pressure to check and see if there have been any significant changes?

I didn't think anyone was prescribing bentyl any more.

Hi Teresa. I never took the Bentyl because of the reasons stated in my original post. Now, things have made an reversal. My BM's are very firm and I have difficulty passing it. I just can't figure it out. I saw my GP today and she advised me to begin Miralax 3 times a week to see if that helps. If not better I can take it daily. She said it will not hurt me. She also said I could try Metamucil. Any thoughts on this??

Hello @fdixon63,

I appreciate your clarification of your Bentyl use. Yes, the Miralax and the Metamucil might be helpful. The Metamucil will add the necessary fiber to your diet and the Miralax works as a stool softener. Start the Metamucil slowly, so you don't have excess gas and bloating. As your digestive tract gets used to the extra fiber you can increase it to the suggested dosage. Taking a little of the Miralax will work as a stool softener and that will help as well. A smaller starting dose might be helpful as well.

I look forward to hearing from you again. Will you post updates as you try this?

I drank Metamucil every day for about 20 years, and I found it helped my IBS tremendously. Then I got chronic fatigue syndrome and became allergic to a lot of things, including Metamucil, and had to give it up. So far I haven’t replaced it with anything except Stewed prunes, which help. I just wanted to let you know that I found Metamucil extremely helpful when I could use it. Good luck!

Thanks blessedwildapplegirl for the good input. I've got relief during the night last night and again this morning. I won't take another dose for a day or two. I don't want things to swing the other way. I know I will be experimenting for awhile to see what works best for me. At some point I will, most likely, incorporating the Metamucil--a light dose to start with.

Hi Teresa. All your experience and advice are super helpful. I'll try to remember and let you know how things go. It may take awhile to get things down pat and hopefully I can recall where the post was. Thanks.

I just asked my GI to prescribe it. I’ve been taking it for about a week and it has helped with the cramping

Hi lisag03. Would you share your age and also if you have any blood pressure issues? Those were my concerns. Thanks.

@fdixon63
I’m 58 years old and I do have high blood pressure that I take daily medication for.
I have ulcerative colitis, and have a history of colon cancer, bowel obstruction, and perforation. I started a supplement that I read about on a IBD forum (possibly here). I started their protocol and after two weeks, started having intense pain and cramping every time I ate. It got worse and started to feel like I was getting an obstruction. I stopped taking the supplement but the cramping continued. I remembered taking bentyl in the past so asked my GI for a script. It has helped a lot. I haven’t noticed any BP issues but my BP doesn’t always seem controlled by my BP meds. I’ve noticed that if I take the bentyl at night, my heart rate overnight is much lower