Mebeverine and IBS

[Reportingfromwherever]

I’ve been prescribed Mebeverine for IBS-D (though I wonder if it’s actually mixed IBS) and so far, it’s been amazing. The GP has said I will need to stay on it for about three months so that my bowel has a chance to reset and get used to doing the right thing. I’m wondering what happens after that. Does anyone have any experience of taking any IBS medication more long term? I know Mebeverine is supposed to be for flareups but I can’t hear the thought of stopping it as I feel so much better now!

How does it help.

I took it for a few years - it was brilliant for me. I don’t need it anymore, my IBS has pretty much gone. That’s not necessarily due to the tablets though, I’m not as stressed as I was when I had a huge flare and needed them

I had terrible diarrhoea, sometimes every day, sometimes ‘just’ every few days. With this came terrible urgency and as soon as I felt the urge to go, I had to get to the immediately. When I didn’t have diarrhoea, I had moderate constipation. After just a couple of weeks in Mebeverine, both have stopped and I feel normal again - for the first time in several years!

Thanks for replying. I’m really glad that it worked to you, and to hear that you stayed on it for quite a long time!

That's interesting as when you look it up it doesn't mention it helps diarrhoea at all it just says it helps with abdominal pain, cramps, and spasms.

It’s an anti-spasmodic the doctor described it to me thus…. A normal bowel contracts at the top and that contraction slowly moves down through the length of the bowel until it expels food. When you have IBS in the way that I do, there are a series of random spasms through the bowel - sometimes there are too many of them and they are too fast which is why you get diarrhoea, and sometimes they don’t happen frequently enough and that leads to constipation. Apparently mebeverine works for both diarrhoea and constipation.

I've had IBS mixed for 30 years. Last January I had diarrhoea every day for the whole month. I don't always like the way imodium makes me feel so took mebeverine and I was better within a week.

Sadly it only lasted a few months then stopped working but I'm in perimenopause, have endometriosis and under a lot of stress so I think they all play a huge part in my gut issues.

Good luck, I hope it helps 'reset' your digestive issues.

Oh gosh, I’m perimenopausal and have endometriosis too so that doesn’t bode well! I’ve stopped taking Imodium be use it makes me constipated and I think that then makes the diarrhoea worse. It’s just awful. I’ve been so down and I’m just desperate to feel better.

I feel your pain, endometriosis, peri and IBS is a horrible combination of health issues to deal with, it's ruining my life atm. I just live in hope something will shift further down the line and I'll get some relief somehow.

I hope the same for you too.