Unwanted side effects

Digestive health
1

:? My GP thinks that I may have irratable bowel syndrome, but I am not at all sure that this is the cause of my stomach problems I am experiencing.

He prescribed Mebeverine Hydrochloride to see how this worked out.

Within 45 minutes of taking the tablet, I found I was dizzy, disorientated and felt very weak and was driving at the time. This passed after about 5 minutes.

I took my second tablet and again 45 minutes after taking it the side effects were much worse than with the mornings tablet: My face and neck went very hot and the dizziness and disorientation began, I decided to work through it, but pretty soon, I felt the muscles under my ears and into the jaw line, not behave as i was expecting. I felt my jaw begin to lock and it was very very frightening. I swayed when I walked back to the kitchen and my husband, and sat down, as these symtoms continued for at least 15 minutes more, I rang the NHS Direct No. and 2 doctors told me that my symptoms were definately due to the drug taken and that I should never use them again. None of these symptoms are displayed on the contra-indications on the tablet leaflet though.

I thought after this and it suddenly came to me that around 25 years ago, a previous doctor has prescribed this type of IBS relief tablet and these too had the same effect on me and I had to stop taking them after taking 2 of them.

I would be interested to hear of any other patient who had experienced any of the symptoms I did, as I feel I cannot be the only one who has a reaction to this type of drug.

I now take no medication and my GP says to try and manage the situation with Mint Tea! I will give it a go, but dont old out much hope of help.

2

I am pleased to have found your notice on here as I am currently suffering from the same symptoms as you describe after taking mebeverine for 3 days.

The tablets have helped with the symptoms of ibs, however the dizzyness, temperature, and nausea have been unbearable - you are right - there is no indication on the packaging that these are possible side effects.

After visiting the doctor twice in the last two days, I was diagnosed with a \"virus\" as well as my ibs symptoms, however the side effects listed above only started when I took the tablets and have eased slightly since stopping yesterday afternoon, so I don't think this is a virus.

I hope this helps, and I don't think I will be continuing to take them either!!

Vicki

3

I have just been diagnosed with I B S but also microscopic colitis. My doctor has prescribed Mebeverine but shorty after takin the tablets i felt tired and lifeless, but also severe stomach pains especially at night.When i looked on my tablets none of these were mentioned.I have only been on them for a couple of days and they have relieved my complaint but these side effects just dont seem worth it.I will be contacting my doctor as the pain is so bad that i can hardly walk. I hope this helps and it just goes to show you they dont always publish all the side effects. :?

4

im so glad i found this thread.my doc just put me on theses i read all the leaflet and so thourght i would be ok.but after 30 mins of taking them i became ill shaking and hot and cold sweats and feeling dizzy.i think that it should be put on the leaflet about theses side affects as its obvious that it does happen,thanks i WONT be taking them.p.s peppermint tea does work alittle :D

5

I am on these tablets second day, no dizziness but painful side bowel side, i don't know if i will keep it up also more spasams. My diarrhea isn't as bad but i have kept away from my triggers so i don't know if that is why it is better. But then again i am back to work on the 4 september and i know it will be better because i will be busy

sad sad

6

The experiences posted are very interesting but they aren't officially recognised side effects of mebeverine hydrochloride. That is, they are not mentioned in the manufacturers information. Therefore, we (Patient UK) cannot include them in our own drug information leaflet. The only side effects currently listed by the manufacturer are allergic reactions in the form of skin rashes and angioedema.

However, if you feel that a symptom is due to a side effect of a medicine that you have taken then you may wish to report it to your doctor, or report it to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) via their yellow card scheme - http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=276

7

Has anybody who has taken Mebervine and had side effects tried again with them? Somebody told me to persist and after a week or so I should be better and was probably having rebound symptoms to the drug. I am quite scared to take them again as I have a weekend in London coming up and I dont want to jeopardise that as its my birthday and I dont want to feel ill on my birthday understandably! I am so miffed as they did really seem to work on my IBS symptoms. I am getting my GP to call me in the morning. Why is nothing ever straighforward when it comes to drugs and your health? If something cures you it then gives you other side effects and symptoms. I give up!!!

8

hi pple just like to say i have been on mebeverine 135mg twice daily for 10 yrs with no side effects been off them a week as they have been discontined and all is well fingers xed does any body know why they been stopped?ps all the best 2 u all

9

[quote:8ededbb6b8=\"ml\"]does any body know why they been stopped?

It hasnt been discontinued or stopped, folks are still being prescribed it smile

10

I was prescribed mebeverine several years ago, and had similar side effects, feeling slightly spaced out for about an hour after taking them. It does get better if you persist, though, after about a week you don't get these effects so much. They work so well for IBS cramps, you have to weigh up the pros and cons.

Re peppermint tea, yes it does work a little, also camomile tea helps, but the best thing I have found is chinese ginger tea made by Gold Kili, it is very very strong, a bit of an acquired taste, but it is recognised by the chinese medics as a cure for allsorts of ailments, and has been around for thousands of years. You can buy it online.

Colpermin works for some people, personally I find Buscopan the best.

:D

11

I've just been prescribed mebeverine today so they're not discontinued...

12

I really would not suggest mebeverine to anyone. Just my opinion.

My doctor prescribed me it as he thought i was suffering with IBS.

I was fibe with the tablet for a while.

Recently i took them, and i experienced a lot of side effects.

Granted a did take a few more then the instructions told me, but then again who doesnt do that at times ? I was feeling very unwell so i came to the conclusion the more i took the faster i would feel better...NOT TRUE!

I experienced bad vision problems, the best i can describe it is it was if i hads pressed my eyes, there were black spots around the room, also, you know on really hot days you can see the heat coming off of tarmac roads..I had that rippling effect in my vision, not matter how much i rubbed my eyes ect it didnt shift.

Next my legs are arms felt very heavy, this proved to make it a serious task on moving about. My hearing go louder, i was noticing things a lot more. I had very slurred speech, and found it hard to make sense of my words.

I start to get small small spasms in my legs and get very jumpy. I started to hallucinate after this, i was terrified somebody was trying to hurt me, seeing shadows move about hearing things sound louder like my breathing and putting a glass down seemed like a bang. I started to notice my heart was beating faster, at first i just thought i was imagining it, maybe a little scared. But i was very wrong.

Very quickly my heart beat shot up, i couldnt tell how much at the time but i knew something was wrong. This provided me with a very long panic attack. Something i had never experieced before. I started obsessing over my breathing.

An ambulance was called, and i was hooked up to the moniter. My blood pressure had soared. My heart rate was 168bpm and i couldnt stop panicking. In the end i couldnt calm down so i had to have an oxygen mask on for a long peroid of time. After a coulpe hours in A & E it slowly dropped to about 115bpm. It was a terrifying experience, i could feel my heart jumping out my chest, s if i had been for a very long run..You know the strong beating feeling. At one point i thought i was dying..But i was just panicking about my heart rate being so high, i was giving myself extra stress. its taken a couple of days now for my blood pressure to get back to normal, my heart beat is fluxuating between 70bpm - about 105bpm which is a hell of a lot better. At the minute i keep panicking about it getting fast again after that shocking ordeal, i experience a lot of small panick attactks. My vision is still quite sensitive to bright light, i feel very worn down and tired. my stomach is aching a lot and my legs are still a bit wobbly. I did feel very sick, but i couldnt properly throw up, i am now experiencing having the sick feeling although i cant vomit.

So a lot ofyou wont be as stupid as i am, but still i thought i should put my experinece up here..Might help somebody who things more is better.

Its really not and there is a lot more side effects then the leaflet says.

I know i for one will never be using them, even at a normal dose, just as i have experience those effects the thought panicks me.

13

i have just been prescribed these drugs and after reading all of these comments im actually scared to take them

14

slobby, did you take them as I'm too scared to take them also.

15

[quote:610b097f1d=\"ml \"]hi pple just like to say i have been on mebeverine 135mg twice daily for 10 yrs with no side effects been off them a week as they have been discontined and all is well fingers xed does any body know why they been stopped?ps all the best 2 u all

My 14 year old son has been given these tablets a few days ago, 3 times a day. I tell him to try to keep taking them even tho they make him have terrible stomach pains worse than before ( if it could get any worse ..seeing him doubled up in pain breaks my heart ). He has had so much time off school for his problem but I'm at a loss of what to do next.... Need some feedback from others that understand what my son is going through. Don't know where to turn for help for him...

16

I was experiencing a bloated upper abdomen since last 2 months infrequently...Went to my doctor..have been prescribed mebervine hydrochloride.... But it surely has sideeffects of dizziness & disorientation.. My doctor has asked me to stop that medicine. this compound really makes your life uneasy...

17

I explained my symptoms to my doctor, I've been off malt loaf, bread, pasta, pizza and some pastries to stop stomach cramps. He reckoned I had ibs and put me on mebeverine and to go back in 3 weeks. He's also suggested I go back to eating bread & pasta, I'm not too sure. Does anyone have an opinion on this? I don't want to go back to stomach cramps. A nurse I know from the same doctors surgery, her opinion is that I have been mis-diagnosed & should not go back to eating what made me bad in the first place as it appears to be an intolerance to gluten.

18

It sounds like you could possibly have Coeliac Disease. This is not an allergy but a physiological intolerance to gluten, which is present in wheat, barley & rye.

I recommend that you look it up for more information. I have been a Coeliac for 16yrs and have seen it become much more widely diagnosed, recognised and catered for.

If you think you may have this DONT make the common mistake of trying to cut out these foods first. There is now a very simple blood test that detects presence of Coeliac disease. If this is positive, then diagnosis is confirmed by endoscopy.

BUT - gluten MUST be present in the diet to get an accurate blood test, so this must be done first. Coeliac disease wears away the villi (surface area) of the digestive system, so other food can not be digested properly. Commonly lactose is the first food to cause difficulty. This can fool people into thinking they have a lactose intolerance, but it is only temporary. The villi recover & grow back on a gluten-free diet and then lactose etc can been digested again. However the gluten must be avoided for life.

This takes some adjusting to, but there is loads of help & support from the Coeliac Society. They have 100s of thousands of members, and it's believed that 1 person in every 100 is a Coeliac, probably a lot more as so many go undiagnosed. Doctors are not always efficient at spotting it.

There are thousands of Coeliacs alive & well today who would eventually have died of malnutrition years ago!!

Anyway, it's well worth asking your doctor for the blood test. Good luck!!

19

When I was about 15/16 I too had REALLY bad stomach cramps, I used to just roll about on floor in front of radiator with a hot water bottle, I was also sick and really tired all the time, bloated belly and kept burping!! doctors couldn't find anything so diagnosed me with IBS but medication made me even worse. Luckly my mums friend suggested that it might be an allergy/intolerance, I gave up wheat, corn and milk products (after having a test privately ) and within a few weeks I was fine. Maybe your son has something similar? It's worth checking, I am so glad that I did as I had no life when I felt like that. Doctors said that I wasn't allergic to anything (although did no tests) and I think they thought me or my mum were crazy to even consider eliminating these foods but although avoiding these foods is sometimes hard it is SO worth it :wink:

20

My 12 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with IBS and so far has taken 2 doses and feels much better. She hasn't been to school properly since christmas and feels so low. I am just hoping that Mebeverine does the trick for her and helps get back to being a normal kid.

You're not the only one out there - it's very lonely and frustrating as a Mum not being able to help your child and seeing them in so much pain. Good luck.