My experience: Lexapro and Culturelle

[Fiona]

Hi, haven't been on the board in a very long time, but I wanted to share my experience with two substances I know people often have questions/concerns about in the hope that it might help somebody.

First, Lexapro. People in general and MC folks in particular can be terrified of antidepressants, particularly SSRI drugs, and for lots of good reasons. I went through a serious bout of depression and really, REALLY did not want to go on an SSRI, having had negative experiences with them in the past, well before developing MC. But I finally relented and want to let you know that I was on it for about nine months and it had no observable effect on my digestion whatsoever. Maybe I'm just lucky, but throughout going on it, staying on it, and getting off it...digestion remained the same. That said, I should be clear that I am 100% gluten- and casein-free and have been for what is about five years now. No exceptions.

Second, Culturelle. And this was huge for me. I'd been continuously taking Culturelle probably since late 2015 after I was "certain" it was the reason I didn't get traveler's diarrhea while traveling abroad multiple times (I got traveler's diarrhea frequently, even pre-MC). Prior to that point, I've just read so much about how probiotics are necessary for a whole host of reasons in addition to digestive ones. But then a few months ago I read something about how your body can treat probiotics as a foreign invader just like any other and that the science is too new for there to be any one-size-fits-all probiotic. The doctor who wrote it does not recommend probiotics at all. I wish I could cite the specific article.

Well, as an experiment, I went off it. After several days (maybe a week), and much to my surprise, my digestion--and I'm referring to the "tail end" of digestion, so to speak--changed. For the BETTER. I mean norman-level better, every single day for what is several months now. For the past few years, my digestion has been good, but certainly not perfect, and never like it was pre-MC. I shudder to think that I was possibly harming my body by giving it something it neither needed nor wanted, but stopping the Culturelle is the only possible explanation for the improvement. Nothing about any of my other eating-drinking-supplement/vitamin-sleeping-exercise habits has changed. I gave the rest of my supply to my mother, who does not have MC and has been advised to take probiotics because she gets bronchitis off and on throughout the year and is prescribed a lot of antibiotics as a result.

In any case, wanted to share this with the group because I recall from when I was an active participant, there were lots of questions and discussions about SSRI drugs and probiotics. Again, just my experience, but I hope it's helpful to someone.

[tex]

Hi Fiona,

Thank you for sharing such valuable experience. That's the kind of information that is most valuable for us.

And it's good to "see" that you're doing so well, also.

Thanks,

Tex

[Fiona]

Thanks, Tex. Sharing those experiences is the very least I can do. You, the people on this board, and your book helped me when nobody/nothing else did.

Fiona

[MamaFill]

It's funny that the only info my GI gave me with my diagnosis was to try a probiotic! Or maybe not funny but sad.