The Pepto "Cure"
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| Wed, 09-20-2006 - 12:09pm |
I was diagnosed with IBS (by default because the doctor couldn't come up with a different diagnosis) over 20 years ago, in my late teens. I believe it started after an attack of gastroenteritis. A few years later i had my gallbladder removed and have suffered from daily attacks of loose bowel movements, usually several times a day, since then. This is despite avoiding the things i know can cause diarrhea in my case - onions, caffeine (cola, chocolate, coffee, tea) overly fatty foods, overly acidic foods, most carbonated liquids, dairy products, eggs. I've learned a few tricks along the way: full-cream milk is less likely to cause problems than skim because the fat in milk slows down lactose absorption; half-strength coffee is more tolerable; i can eat onions that are cooked until they're almost charcoal - something to do with the "slime" being removed; anything that causes constipation in other people will make me "normal".
I got to know where every public restroom was located, learned to time my meals so that i wasn't having to leave the house straight after eating, took anti-diarrhea preparations in advance of going just about anywhere, took babywipes and a change of underwear every place i went, etc, etc - you all know what it's like, i'm sure. I don't need to go on.
I was living in another country at the time and had access to medications containing atropine and hyoscine, which helped enormously but had some unpleasant side-effects. Then i read about the Pepto-Bismol regime that some sufferers of various forms of colitis had been put on, where they were swallowing large amounts of PB every day, and how well it worked. However, PB wasn't available where i lived.
I came to the US a couple of years ago - and that long plane flight was an experience! Never book a window seat if you're a diarrhea sufferer :-( Anyway, while i was here i was able to purchase PB - well, actually the cheaper generic version - and it worked like a charm. I took some back home with me and when that supply ran out a friend sent me some in the mail, threaded on string to look like a necklace!
This year i came back to the US for a long-term visit and i'm able to get PB again. I find that this is the only medication that will not only stop the diarrhea but has no nasty side-effects (like dry mouth, constipation, irregular heartbeat, drowsiness, etc) apart from the black tongue if i don't rinse my mouth well and clean my teeth after chewing the pills.
Now, here's my question. Is there anybody here who has been taking PB on a continuous basis and at least once a week for more than a year or two? Does it remain effective or does one develop a tolerance? Is it a permanent cure for some people, as i've heard claimed? What's the maximum amount you take in a day?
Also, since reading the messages on these boards i've learned about the calcium carbonate treatment, so i'm going to try that and see if it helps. I think my IBS is probably a long-term post-cholecystectomy problem (i also suffer "bilious" symptoms) so i'm hoping the calcium carbonate will be useful in "mopping up" excess bile.
Looking forward to hearing of other people's experiences with high doses of Pepto-Bismol.

I have also found that higher fat content makes lactose more tolerable for me, but not always.
I have never heard of using Pepto Bismol the way you described and would not recommend that anyone follow this protocol! I tried searching for information about what you wrote, but did not find anything to corroborate it.
Like any other OTC medication, it should be used as directed on the label and always should be OK'd by your personal physician, especially if you are taking any other drugs that could interact with it.
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<Elise, here are some extracts from medical reports, also some links to longer articles. The patients being talked about are people with various forms of colitis, but for me Pepto seems to help with my IBS symptoms and doesn't seem to interact with any other drugs i'm taking. Of course i have told a couple of doctors about this and in each case the reaction was, "If it works, go for it."
"High dose Pepto-bismol is sometimes tried as an alternative agent usually given as 8 chewable tablets daily for 8 weeks. Research done at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, suggests this can be quite effective in some patients" - article at www.gihealth.com
"I have had Ulcerative Colitis for 35 years. About 10 years ago while I was going to the bathroom 10-15 times a day I read an article which said Pepto-Bismol was part of a cure for Ulcers. I began taking it everyday, about 8 ounces per day. After a week, my colitis symptoms were reduce by half, after 3 weeks, by about 90%. Nothing I had ever been prescribed worked as well. It is one of those well guarded medical secrets. I know others with colitis for whom it has helped. Try it, full force for a week" - review at www.epinions.com
Also the following links:
http://health.ivillage.com/digestion/colon/0,,6cg4,00.html (that one should be easy to find)
http://www.finerhealth.com/Educational_Info/Microscopic_Colitis/FAQ/
http://hopkins-gi.nts.jhu.edu/pages/latin/templates/index.cfm?pg=disease4&organ=6&disease=29&lang_id=1
http://www.henryfordhealth.org/1358.cfm