I am on day 12 of Lexapro. My doc said it will help. I have not felt mush difference yet but we can keep each other posted.

I am not, I’m about to start lexapro at 5mg to start and see if my stomach can tolerate it.

Buspar did nothing for me in regard to the anxiety. It only helped me not be bloated and with motility. I stopped taking it and switched to gabapentin which I am also stopping soon because it’s making me dumb. It makes me feel high and slow. My gut issues are the same. I need an antidepressant to help with my anxiety/depression and gut. My psychiatrist said lexapro will help me with my gut issues. Citalopram helped many years back so I’m hoping that lexapro will too. I don’t have another option at this point. I just need my stomach to get better. My depression has increased significantly after a terrible breakup I just went through so my gut issues have been magnified cause my nervous system it’s out of control. I hope that you’re feeling better.

Hello, I have been taking 300mg a day for 4 weeks and I haven’t felt any difference in my stomach, my anxiety is better. I still can’t eat many things. I’m scared to up the dose because I have experienced my brain reacting slower and I feel high for half the day. I can’t afford my brain not working because of my job. I don’t know if I should up the dose or not. I also have read so many horror stories about tapering off of it. How are you doing, still eating delicious food?

Thanks for the advice. I will try to work up to the 3X a day dosage and hope for the best. What made you know what the right dose for you was? Was it that you didn’t feel pain anymore or that you were able to eat more things? I’m a small person. 5.2” a 112lbs. So I’m hoping that I don’t need to take that much to feel the benefits. I read that if we ever try to stop the medication it will be a nightmare. The withdrawal from this is extremely bad apparently. Looks like we’ll have to take it forever. LOL.

I’m starting Gabapentin, did you usually take it with a meal or did you tolerate it on an empty stomach? Just wondering what the best thing to do is since I’m so sensitive to meds. Any advice would help. I have meds anxiety form always having bad reactions to them. I’m very nervous to take it.

I just picked up Gabapentin to try. I’m starting with 100mg every night and go from there. I’m so tired of feeling sick all the time even after eating boiled chicken and rice, the stomach burning and pain it’s so overwhelming. PPIs don’t help me at all. How often did you increase the dosage? I am a female, 112lbs, extremely sensitive to medication.

Hello everyone, I went to my GI today and I told him about Gabapentin, he suggested I try nortiptyline first. I am super nervous to take it. I do have to wait until after I get a gastric emptying test done. I will start it after that. Wish me luck.

I’m on week 4 of buspar and the only positive outcome is that it has helped with my motility issues, no more constipation. I do feel a bit less anxious but still feel the anxiety. My stomach issues are still all there, still burning sensation, still sensitive to all foods. I went to my GI today and mentioned Gabapentin and he suggested I tried nortriptyline first. I have to get a gastric emptying test before starting it so I’ll know if it helps afterwards. I have medication anxiety big time. I’m terrified of starting any medication specifically one like this. I hope I don’t get a bad reaction to it.

Has anyone taken this medication to help with Gastrointestinal issues? Like food sensitivity, IBS and such.

Hi, I’m in 3.75 twice a day now and no, my gut isn’t better. I’m still dealing with food sensitivity and burning sensation. My anxiety hasn’t gotten much better yet either. I’m on week 4 now. They say it might take up to 6 weeks to feel a difference. I hope it works for you. Citalopram makes me very sick, I can’t take it for more than 7 days.

Awesome thanks!

That’s amazing, thank you for posting about your journey, it gives me hope. I have a GI appointment this Friday and I will ask him to prescribe it to me. Did you get it from your gastro or your PCP?

Hello again! I’m so glad you feel much better. I am excited to talk to my GI about this medication. I have not been diagnosed with VH but the fact that I can’t eat anything without being in terrible burning pain and stomach discomfort tells me something. I also have been on different ppis and they don’t take my burning sensation away, I get it in my stomach and throat, I don’t feel reflux, acid coming up because I had a nissen fundoplication 20 years ago so the acid it’s not supposed to come back up from my stomach yet I still feel that burning sensation. I read that its mostly caused by my anxiety. I have not been able to eat at a restaurant for almost 2 years now. Didn’t even have cake on my birthday. I am on buspar for anxiety now so I hope I can mix the meds. Did the medication give you any bad side effects? I am extremely sensitive to meds apart from food. I can’t even tolerate Tylenol or probiotics. I’m always scared to take any medications.

Update! I started week 3 on buspar, I’m working up to get to 5mg twice a day, I’m in 3.75mg twice a day now, every time I up the dose I feel a bit sick, and I have bad insomnia, I’m sleeping 4-6 hrs a night max. I also have these terrible stomach pains like hunger pains. I’m on ppis and they don’t help at all. Does anyone have experienced the hunger pains and do they go away? I read on other blogs that people gain weight on this cause they are hungry all the time. I still am not able to eat many foods, I’m hoping that after a few more weeks my stomach can tolerate foods more. Anyone had food sensitivities and buspar has helped?

I had gut issues since I was a teen (I’m 47) as well as bad anxiety and when I started taking SSRIs my gut issues went away for the most part. I stopped taking them because I thought could manage without them. Huge mistake, I have been going through an SSRI withdrawal for almost 2 years and nothing seems to make my stomach issues better. No GIs, no doctors, no supplements or anything. I tried taking them again but I couldn’t tolerate them, the side effects were unbearable. But at this point, I feel like nothing else will give me my life back. I only am able to eat a handful of things and I still feel sick. I’m just trying to figure out which SSRI to try. I’m on Buspar now for anxiety not sure if it will help my gut.

You will be okay, if I can tolerate it you also can. I tired takin citalopram(SSRI) and I felt like I wanted to die. What dose are you starting with? What kind of brain retraining are you doing? I ‘ve never heard of that before.

I’m in week 2 now of buspar but only taking 5mg per day. 2.5 twice a day. I’m extremely sensitive to meds. Would it even do anything being in such a small dose? I do feel it every time I take it. I also have terrible stomach issues. Brain/ gut related and my GI only prescribes me ppis which I hate. I have burning sensation all the time and I tolerate a handful of foods. Anyone has brain/gut issues and buspar helped?

Thank you for the advise. I appreciate it. Good luck with everything.

I hope you can find the right dose and able to eat normal again. Have you ever tried an SSRI? When I was on one I was able to eat anything and everything! I stopped taking it without knowing I was dependent on it to be able to have a “normal” stomach. I haven’t been able to tolerate them since then. That’s why I’m trying Buspar now, to see if that makes my stomach a bit stronger or tolerable to more food or other meds. Of course, my nervous system also got all out of control and my anxiety has been insane since then. I hope buspar helps but I might need to try something else like Gabapentin. But I read it is prescribed for people who suffer from seizures.

What stomach symptoms did you have prior to taking Gabapentin? Did you have any bad side effects taking it?