Gastrointestinal Protection

[Sojourner]

I'm wondering if many here take any type of daily medication to help with g.i./stomach issues related to regular use of stomach irritating medications such as opioids and anti inflammatories?

[ViewsAskew]

No idea. I've recently been taking probiotics in addition to eating yogurt that I make. I seem to feel things are happier in my gut, but it's relatively short duration and I'm not sure. I suppose it depends on what the issues are. I am missing part of my colon, I'm lactose intolerant, and I've gut/bloating issues when I eat corn, so I can't always tell what is causing which issues!

[Polar Bear]

I take lanzoprazole for tummy. I went through several bouts of chest pain, had lots of tests in case in was angina etc. and eventually it was discovered to be my stomach.

I am prescribed 2 Lanzoprazole per day, can usually manage on 1 per day. If I try to do without them it soon becomes very clear once again why I need to take them !!

Iburprofen in particular is not good for me but on occasion I have to resort to them for joint pain, and then voila ..... get out the Lanzoprazole.

[Sojourner]

Thanks. Have been using some Prilosec on somewhat of a regular basis as of late. Guess this will be part of the discussion at my next dr. meeting.

[ViewsAskew]

I hate taking anything for the acid issues. I never had them until I started these darn meds. I've read a lot about the altnerative approach that says we actually have too little acid, not too much, and that it's the muscle that is the issue. Only a little bit of research, so it's almost impossible to know if this could be right.

There are several articles (at least 5) in this series. He does cite some research, but I haven't checked it out yet. http://chriskresser.com/what-everybody- ... tburn-gerd

[jul2873]

I take a mild opioid, kratom, and two things have completely stopped any discomfort. The first is I take extra magnesium which prevents constipation, and then I've gone almost completely gluten and dairy-free.

Good luck!

[ViewsAskew]

The magnesium has been a lifesaver for me in terms of the constipation/slow transit times. I've usually had more issues the other way and when I started opioids I went from 1-3 BMs a day to 1 every 4 or 5 days at first. It was DEADLY! I've used lots of things that help. Some better than others. But nothing as easy as magnesium! I did a bit of reading about it - different types of magnesium do not have the laxative effect. You have to use the citrate, IIRC.

Oh - I think we often assume vitamins and minerals are safe. Clearly, iron can be very bad for you in some situations. Well, magnesium may have some drawbacks, too. While this was written for IBS sufferers, the advice is good for anyone: http://ibs.about.com/od/constipation/a/magnesium.htm

[Sojourner]

So far, with the level of opiods I take on a daily or regular basis (2x 500/325) I have not had a problem with constipation. Doesn't mean it won't happen. I'm more concerned about stomach upset/irritation from taking the opiods and anti-inflammatories such as aleve. Actually, had a dr. appt this afternoon and had a good discussion about the issue. Feel a bit better---for now.

[badnights]

I'm wondering if many here take any type of daily medication to help with g.i./stomach issues related to regular use of stomach irritating medications such as opioids and anti inflammatories?

Probably adding more medication will not solve the problem without creating another. Have you tried diet changes? Maybe check out anti-inflammatory diets, MS diets, that sort of thing; this would be a lifestyle change so don't expect results in a few weeks, but you might eventually be able to reduce your anti-inflammatory load. The crux of most of these diets is avoiding processed foods and refined carbohydrates, and eating lots of whole foods, vegetables, and cold-water wild-caught fish. Bad bacteria in our guts love carbs, especially refined carbs, so eating lots of them can lead to inflamed guts.

Other diets (like the Wahls diet that I'm on) are similar, but recommend lowering all carbohydrates, not just refined ones, and raising healthy saturated fats (which is an oxymoron in some circles, but apparently all that hoopla we grew up on about saturated fat being bad was based on flawed science). Inflammatory markers go down when our bodies switch from burning glucose (carbs) to burning ketones (fats).

Probiotic capsules as Ann mentioned would be good, especially if taken with prebiotics (good-bug food) like garlic, onion, leek, asparagus, and if you can get them, chicory root and Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes). Oh, and dandelion greens! In addition or alternatively, eat fermented foods with live cultures, like kimchi, kefir, miso, kombucha, to try to displace any bad bugs and fill your gut with good bugs. They help keep your gut lining healthy, and the importance of a healthy gut ecosystem is hard to exaggerate.