LDN and Imodium (plus leakage- oh my!)

[Lucy_B]

Hi, folks! Does anyone know if it's a problem to take Imodium in conjunction with LDN? They both work on opiate receptors and I've read conflicting opinions online about combining them. My doc suggested going off the Imodium (I guess mainly to see if the LDN will work on its own), but my D is back with a vengeance and I've already had two leakage accidents since going stopping it yesterday- yikes! Imodium seems like the only thing that takes care of my D. Pepto does nothing and I haven't tried soluble fiber supplements (as that seems potentially exacerbatory). I know I can't expect the LDN to work right away- it will probably take weeks or months. But I need something to prevent incontinence in the meantime. Just went back and read through some of Lesley's post "I wish I had worn a diaper"- haha, I can TOTALLY identify. I pooped in my car one time, and there have been SO many near misses/wet farts/leakages. It's the worst.

Anyhoo, please let me know what you think about LDN and Imodium. And also if there are any other anti-diarrheal alternatives I might consider. Your help/insight is much appreciated!

Lucy

[tex]

OK, here is my 2 cents worth (and I'm not sure it's even worth that much, for that matter):

Why punish yourself? Life is too short to spend any more of it dealing with incontinence than is absolutely unavoidable. LDN is a last resort treatment for MC, not a first line of treatment. Take the Imodium, and either postpone using the LDN or take a chance on using it concurrently. The LDN is not going to do anything for D until your gut has had time for the diet changes to reverse the inflammation and allow some healing. IMO, thinking that LDN is going to help MC before the inflammation has been resolved is strictly wishful thinking.

Please don't get me wrong, LDN has it's place, but it's not as a first line treatment for MC. And that's especially true since you do not seem to have any other preexisting AI diseases. It's something to try after you have done your homework and diligently tried everything else for a year or 2, without success. You're trying to skip over high school, and go straight from middle school to college. Very few people are able to successfully pull that off.

Tex

[Lucy_B]

Thanks, Tex. I guess I feel like it's not the first line for me, since I've tried several other things already- Imodium (great for D, does nothing for inflammation); Lialda (caused WD, even with Imodium); and Pepto Bismol (caused horrible abdominal cramping and WD). I've also experimented with diet, as well as supplements like aloe, turmeric, fish oil, probiotics, l-glutamine, Vitamin D, magnesium, etc. The last thing I have yet to try is budesonide, which I was hoping to avoid due to both cost and side effects (I don't do well with steroids). I know diet is the biggest part of this, so I'm currently adhering as closely as possible to the AIP while also avoiding raw vegetables, most fruit except for bananas and pears, and foods that are high in salicylates. Not one crumb of gluten has passed these lips in several weeks, at least. Making my first batch of bone broth today. :)

Anyhoo, I have hopes that the LDN might eventually be effective as an overall anti-inflammatory (for high serum TNF-a) and a means of getting my thyroid antibodies down. My GP actually took me off Synthroid after starting the LDN for that reason. I've also heard it can help minimize food sensitivities, which lord knows I could use. Anything that might help speed this process along is something I'm gonna get on board with. That being said, if there really IS a problem with taking Imodium alongside the LDN, I probably can't stick it out. I do need some relief from the D now, and Imodium is my magic bullet for that. I'm talking to my doc on Wednesday and will see what he has to say. Maybe if spread them apart by at least 8 hours, it'll be alright. Otherwise, budesonide it is.

Thanks for the feedback,

Lucy

[Gabes-Apg]

Lucy
sorry you are having a tough time of it

I would be cautious with the pears, too high in fibre
I used to use pear juice to help with constipation!!!

While the meds are taking a bit of time to work, the diet is your main way to minimise the D, all major triggers out of your eating plan.
it will take a few weeks for the gut to settle down once you remove ALL your identified major triggers.

In my early days I had spare work clothes at work, always had spare undies and clothes in the car.
To this day I still wear liners for any leakage.

[christinakay]

Lucy

I don't do well with steroids either, but Entocort worked very well for me
along with diet changes. Regarding the cost of Entocort, I went online to
Canada Pharmacy. The cost was reasonable. I took Entocort for
approximately 1 1/2 years. I am doing well now but still have "those"
days.

Hope this helps.

Christina

[Clemmie]

I don't like steroids but Budesonide ( Entocort) is not like taking Prednisolone etc. It doesn't get absorbed until it gets to the bowel so there are very few side effects. It worked very well for me.
Clemmie

[Lucy_B]

Thanks, everyone! I'm really glad to hear that Entocort has been successful for you, C and C. My main concern is that I don't want it to exacerbate overgrowth of yeast or bad bacteria (as I suspect I may be dealing with a bit of dysbiosis, not sure). Do you both take probiotics along with the budesonide, and if so, do you believe it helps combat infections? Anyhoo, I really am desperate for some relief and may just have to bite the bullet. I'm seeing my doc this afternoon and am going to ask his opinion. I don't want to give up on the LDN before I've given it a fair shot, so I'm thinking maybe one more month of LDN + AIP diet, then moving on to budesonide if that combo proves ineffective. Or, perhaps I'll see about adding some budesonide to the mix now (I believe I've read that Zizzle and maybe some others took LDN and budesonide at the same time?). I'll see what my doc advises. Thanks again!

[Cynthia]

This might just confuse the issue for you, I don’t know. There are so many pieces to the puzzle and everyone is so different. For myself, originally I had really severe SIBO, and although I know now that diet, and for me, giving up gluten, dairy, soy and eggs has done wonders, back then I really think I had such an overgrowth of bad bacteria that Rifaxamin really helped to get the numbers down and gain some control. After I had achieved more normal bowel activity my naturopath, at my request, put me on LDN. The theory was that it was to help to get the migrating motor complex working better. It also works for the inflammation and lots of other things, but as Tex said, it would not be the first line of treatment, rather something to do after things had calmed a bit. Having said that, I have never been warned about a contradiction between LDN and Imodium, that’s a new one for me. I have been on LDN at 2.5 mg dose for a couple of years and I really think it has helped with immune issues, I never catch colds anymore. I have still had my ups and downs with the MC despite being on LDN but I still think it has merits as an adjunctive treatment.