SSRIs and expected symptoms
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SSRIs and expected symptoms
Hi all, Newly diagnosed in June 2023. I have two questions. First, I have taken a variety of SSRI's for over 20 years. I am in the process of slowly weaning off Prozac right now. I should be entirely off of it by January. I am curious about what to expect. I have read that many see improvements after stopping an SSRI. How long does this typically take? Is it soon after, or is it months? My second question is about symptoms. When I was diagnosed, I had watery diarrhea. That stopped a couple of months ago, but I continue to have abdominal pain and bloating. Is this MC or does the diarrhea have to be present? Thanks!!
Re: SSRIs and expected symptoms
Hi,
Welcome to the group. When the development of MC is triggered by a medication, normally, the medication has to be stopped relatively soon after the development of symptoms, because if they persist long enough to cause increased increased intestinal porosity (leaky gut), then the food sensitivities that develop as a result of leaky gut perpetuate the inflammation, implying that they will also perpetuate the disease. But we're all different, so sometimes we have different outcomes. In other words, it's possible that your MC may go into remission as you stop using the SSRI, but that's not likely, based on the experience of most MC patients in that situation.
Regarding your other question, no, although most gastroenterologists believe MC involves only diarrhea, some of us have symptoms that alternate between diarrhea and constipation when our disease is active (including me), some of us have only constipation, and a few of us have normal bowel movements when our disease is active. But the point is, MC is a permanent diagnosis, once it develops. The disease can be held in remission, with the proper treatment, but the symptoms will bounce right back if we slip up on our treatment, except in the rare cases of spontaneous remission.
I hope this helps. Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to the group. When the development of MC is triggered by a medication, normally, the medication has to be stopped relatively soon after the development of symptoms, because if they persist long enough to cause increased increased intestinal porosity (leaky gut), then the food sensitivities that develop as a result of leaky gut perpetuate the inflammation, implying that they will also perpetuate the disease. But we're all different, so sometimes we have different outcomes. In other words, it's possible that your MC may go into remission as you stop using the SSRI, but that's not likely, based on the experience of most MC patients in that situation.
Regarding your other question, no, although most gastroenterologists believe MC involves only diarrhea, some of us have symptoms that alternate between diarrhea and constipation when our disease is active (including me), some of us have only constipation, and a few of us have normal bowel movements when our disease is active. But the point is, MC is a permanent diagnosis, once it develops. The disease can be held in remission, with the proper treatment, but the symptoms will bounce right back if we slip up on our treatment, except in the rare cases of spontaneous remission.
I hope this helps. Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.