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drugs

Amitiza Ativan Bentyl Codeine Colace Colestid Correctol Dicetel Donnatal Dulcolax Duspatalin Elavil Eldicet Exlax Gas-x Imodium Kolanticon Lactulose Levsin Lexapro Librax Lomotil Lotronex Milk of magnesia Miralax Norpramin Nulev Pamelor Paregoric Paxil Pepto-bismol Prevacid Prilosec Questran Questran Light Senokot Spasmonal Welchol Xanax Xifaxan Zelnorm Zoloft UK medications

drugs

This website does not offer medical advice and has not been written or checked by doctors.

For many IBS sufferers drugs can be ineffective, but drug companies have now started to make drugs specifically for IBS symptoms, such as Lotronex and Zelnorm, and these have had more success.

Some of the older drugs available include anti-spasmodics, which are used to try to stop intestinal spasms and reduce pain, and anti-diarrheals such as Imodium. Anti-depressants can also be given to IBS sufferers in small doses to reduce pain.

I have labelled each medication as OTC (available over-the-counter) or prescription (only available through a doctor).

The medications are listed alphabetically in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen, and they are listed below by category. There is also a list of UK-specific medications.

IBS-specific medications

Amitiza
A treatment for long-term constipation (prescription).

Lotronex
Lotronex (alosetron hydrochloride) is a drug for diarrhea-predominant IBS (prescription).

Zelnorm
Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate) is for constipation-predominant IBS (prescription).

Anti-diarrheals

Codeine
An anti-diarrheal medication which is also a painkiller (usually prescription, available in some countries as OTC in smaller doses).

Imodium
The most widely available drug for short-term control of diarrhea (OTC).

Lomotil
A drug for treating diarrhea (prescription).

Paregoric
An old-fashioned anti-diarrheal which is also used as a painkiller (prescription).

Pepto-bismol
The famous pink liquid which can treat diarrhea and stomach discomfort (OTC).

Laxatives and stool softeners

Colace
Perhaps the best-known stool softener, containing docusate sodium (OTC).

Correctol
A stimulant, bisacodyl-containing laxative (OTC).

Dulcolax
A stimulant laxative containing bisacodyl (OTC).

Exlax
A stimulant, senna-containing laxative (OTC).

Lactulose
A sugary syrup which can add water to the stool (prescription).

Milk of magnesia
A saline laxative which works by drawing water into the colon (OTC).

Miralax
An osmotic laxative which comes in powder form (OTC).

Senokot
A stimulant laxative that contains senna (OTC).

Anti-spasmodics

Bentyl
Anti-spasmodic containing dicyclomine (prescription).

Dicetel
An anti-spasmodic containing pinaverium bromide (prescription).

Donnatal
An anti-spasmodic that contains phenobarbital, hyoscyamine, atropine and scopolamine (prescription).

Duspatalin
An anti-spasmodic that contains mebeverine hydrochloride (prescription).

Eldicet
An anti-spasmodic containing pinaverium bromide (prescription).

Kolanticon
A combination of four drugs: dicycloverine hydrochloride, aluminium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, and simethicone (prescription).

Levsin
Anti-spasmodic containing hyoscyamine (prescription).

Librax
A combination of an anti-spasmodic and a sedative, chlordiazepoxide and clidinium bromide (prescription).

Nulev
Hyoscyamine sulfate tablets (prescription).

Spasmonal
Anti-spasmodic containing alverine citrate (prescription).

Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications

Ativan
Ativan is a benzodiazepine drug which contains lorazepam (prescription).

Elavil
The brand name for amitriptyline, a tricyclic anti-depressant (prescription).

Lexapro
The brand name for Escitalopram, an SSRI drug (prescription).

Norpramin
The brand name for disapramine hydrochloride, a tricyclic (prescription).

Pamelor
The brand name for nortriptyline, a tricyclic anti-depressant (prescription).

Paxil
The brand name for paroxetine, an SSRI drug (prescription).

Xanax
The brand name for Alprazolam, a benzodiazepine (prescription).

Zoloft
The brand name for sertraline, an SSRI drug (prescription).

Antibiotics

Xifaxan
An antibiotic used to treat small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (prescription).

Bile-absorbing and binding medications (often used after gallbladder removal)

Colestid
Colestid is a powder which can absorb excess bile acid from the gut (prescription).

Questran
Questran is very similar to Colestid, and absorbs excess bile from the intestines (prescription).

Questran Light
Questran Light is the low-calorie version of Questran (prescription).

Welchol
Welchol binds excess bile in the intestinal tract (prescription).

Heartburn/acid reflux medication

Prevacid
For recurring heartburn pain (prescription).

Prilosec
For heartburn pain (prescription).

Medication for excess gas/wind

Gas-X
A medicine to help relieve the pain of trapped or excess gas (OTC).

UK medications

UK-specific medications
Covers medications mainly found only in the UK, including anti-spasmodics Buscopan and Colofac and the laxative Movicol.