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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by islandangel on October 12, 2008, at 18:48:43
I am a 40 year old woman with fibromyalgia, ulcerative colitis and enteropathic arthritis in hip and spine. I have been on Cymbalta for about a year. My dr. just upped the dose to 60mg about 8 weeks ago. I'm noticing the little white Cymbalta beads in my stool! Does this mean I'm not absorbing the drug OR not absorbing some of it? Any input is much appreciated.
Posted by Phillipa on October 12, 2008, at 19:48:48
In reply to Cymbalta beads in stool, posted by islandangel on October 12, 2008, at 18:48:43
Welcome to babble. Lots of great info here. Sometime in the past I think I read that you were absorbing the med but boy could I be wrong. Phillipa ps how is the med working for the fibromyalgia?
Posted by Hygieia's Bowl on October 13, 2008, at 5:38:21
In reply to Cymbalta beads in stool, posted by islandangel on October 12, 2008, at 18:48:43
> I am a 40 year old woman with fibromyalgia, ulcerative colitis and enteropathic arthritis in hip and spine. I have been on Cymbalta for about a year. My dr. just upped the dose to 60mg about 8 weeks ago. I'm noticing the little white Cymbalta beads in my stool! Does this mean I'm not absorbing the drug OR not absorbing some of it? Any input is much appreciated.
~~~ The outer shell of the pill only holds the contents. The med is released via a hole with a meltable plug over it. If you were to, uh, examine the used shell you would find it empty of it's contents and thus the med was released.
Posted by Phillipa on October 13, 2008, at 12:40:02
In reply to Cymbalta beads in stool, posted by islandangel on October 12, 2008, at 18:48:43
It's my understanding that it is the beads from the capsule that are time release so it's possible you may not be absorbing all the med contents if it's the beads you're seeing in your stool guess that is why you doc is raising the dose. Good luck. And have you asked you doc about the absorbsion with your disorders? Phillipa
Posted by islandangel on October 13, 2008, at 14:24:50
In reply to Re: Cymbalta beads in stool » islandangel, posted by Phillipa on October 13, 2008, at 12:40:02
Hi Philipa! I remember you from a long time ago when I posted about Wellbutrin. I switched to Cymbalta because Wellbutrin gave me bad rage moments.
I actually asked the dr. to up the dose of Cymbalta recently due to stress and increase in colitis and fibro pain. The Cymbalta seems to have helped but I just recently had a horrible flare and I was just diagnosed with the enteropathic arthritis in the spine & hip(its related to the colitis). So darn painful. I'm on steroids now to hopefully get it in remission. When I go back to my rheumatologist in 2 weeks I'll ask him about absorption issues with the colitis.
Wondering if anyone else has experienced the beads in the stool?
Thanks for being so helpful!
Posted by islandangel on October 13, 2008, at 15:28:00
In reply to Re: Cymbalta beads in stool » islandangel, posted by Hygieia's Bowl on October 13, 2008, at 5:38:21
>
> ~~~ The outer shell of the pill only holds the contents. The med is released via a hole with a meltable plug over it. If you were to, uh, examine the used shell you would find it empty of it's contents and thus the med was released.
>
Yes, I'm aware that the outer capsule melts.
I'm actually seeing the white beads in my stool.
Posted by Hygieia's Bowl on October 13, 2008, at 15:31:13
In reply to Re: Cymbalta beads in stool » Hygieia's Bowl, posted by islandangel on October 13, 2008, at 15:28:00
Actually, that's my bad so disregard my previous. My apologies.
Posted by Phillipa on October 13, 2008, at 18:58:44
In reply to Re: Cymbalta beads in stool » Phillipa, posted by islandangel on October 13, 2008, at 14:24:50
What is enteric arthritis and how is it related to colitis and which type of colitis do you have. Not IBS right? Colitis can cause all types of absorption problems had it once and also steroids when pregnant with second many moons ago lost a lot of weight and the tiredness was incridible. Is It autoimmune? Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on October 13, 2008, at 19:06:27
In reply to Re: Cymbalta beads in stool » islandangel, posted by Phillipa on October 13, 2008, at 18:58:44
Interesting so it can resolve and go away? Phillipa
Enteropathic Arthritis
Enteropathic arthritis involves the peripheral joints, usually in the lower extremities such as the knees or ankles. It commonly involves only a few or a limited number of joints and may closely follow the bowel condition. This occurs in approximately 11 percent of patients with ulcerative colitis and 21 percent of those with Crohn's disease. The synovitis is generally self-limited and non-deforming.Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory arthropathy of the spine. It occurs in about 7 percent of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Minimally it involves the sacroiliac joints of the pelvis causing low back or "hip" pain. In some individuals, it may involve the lumbar spine, upper back, and neck. This form seems to follow a course independent of the activity of the bowel disease.
Reactive arthritis is an acute inflammatory arthritis that follows bacillary (infectious) dysentery. It occurs following a bacterial infection of the small or large colon, but it is not a direct infection of joints. Something occurs in the process of the body protecting itself at the intestine that results in a more distant reaction of inflammation in the peripheral joints. This type of arthritis can linger for weeks or months and then subside. It can also become a recurring type of arthritis called Reiter's syndrome. A fascinating aspect of reactive arthritis is that a cause that "triggers" the process leading to arthritis can be identified.
Bowel bypass arthritis offers similar clues. Intestinal bypass was a technique to control obesity by surgically excluding a section of the small bowel and then connecting the proximal and distal portions of the intestines. The "excluded" portion of the intestine was bypassed by food material but remained in the abdomen. Among several frequent complications, patients developed an enteropathic type of arthritis. It was observed that in patients in which the excluded bowel was surgically reconnected to the intestine, the arthritis resolved.
It has been suspected that the "excluded" portion of the colon allows an overgrowth of intestinal bacteria that triggers different varieties of arthritis. The association with the intestinal tract and the immune system in these disorders may be a clue for future treatment or prevention
Posted by elanor roosevelt on October 15, 2008, at 12:10:51
In reply to Re: Cymbalta beads in stool, posted by Phillipa on October 13, 2008, at 19:06:27
is this a time-release med?
times release meds have beads that vary in thickness of coating
even if this is not the case, the meds are obviously not staying in your system long enough
please call your doctor
Posted by Phillipa on October 15, 2008, at 19:57:01
In reply to Re: Cymbalta beads in stool, posted by elanor roosevelt on October 15, 2008, at 12:10:51
It is and was on it twice. Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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