This is pure irony.

Pharmaceuticals can cause IBS.

This was my story. I developed symptoms after a massive 3-week daily dose of intravenous antibiotics to treat my intractable case of Lyme disease.

It is rare that pharmaceuticals heal IBS but did you know that certain drugs can clog up your liver, break down your intestinal lining, throw off you Ph balance and kill your beneficial bacteria?

I wish someone told me this before I got sick. I had no idea the effects that my pill popping habits had on my health and delicate digestive system.

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MY DRUG HISTORY

As a kid I was regularly given allergy shots for my severe environmental allergies. And when that didn’t work, doctors brought in the big guns. They gave me an immune suppressing steroid called prednisone.

Prednisone can suppress the production of adrenal hormones, increase blood sugar, cause mood swings and kill beneficial bacteria.

Then in my early 20s I got a massive dose of antibiotics to treat dose Lyme disease. Because antibiotic tablets would not work, I was given a daily dose of intravenous antibiotics for three weeks.

Despite the intensity of this doses, no one mentioned probiotics to me. Antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria and when combined with a high sugar diet and a stressful lifestyle, it’s a recipe for digestive problems.

I was diagnosed with IBS a few years later.

JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS

My initial IBS symptoms were annoying but manageable. They got much worse after I started taking the birth control pill. The birth control pill can also kill beneficial bacteria, cause Candida infections and compromise the liver’s ability to regulate estrogen in the blood.

Not only did the birth control pill worsen my digestive symptoms, it caused symptoms of anxiety and depression. I didn’t realize at the time time that the pill was the cause of these symptoms, so I went on antidepressants to fix the problem.

Antidepressants added a bigger toxic load to my struggling liver.

After this I began to get chronic yeast infections, for which I was prescribed Diflucan, which is one of the harshest pharmaceuticals on the liver. I didn’t know at the time, I just kept taking it over and over again.

Soon I had hit rock bottom with my health.

I got off all the drugs but it took years and a lot of hard work and sacrifice to bring my body back into balance.

What I wish my doctors told me about pharmaceuticals

Doctors seem to gloss over the fact that pharmaceutical treatment comes with a price. Not only are they as hard on the liver as street drugs, but they can solve one health problem and create a new one in the process.

Leaky gut syndrome is another common cause of digestive issues. The cells of the small intestine become damaged and the spaces between them become larger, letting undigested food particles and waste pass through. Below is a list of drugs that can cause leaky gut.

Antibiotics

NSAIDs- non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Birth control pills

Steroids

Chemotherapy drugs

Antacids

Aside from the chemotherapy drugs, I have taken all of these digestion-destroying drugs.

Of course other factors can cause leaky gut, like a high sugar/flour/toxin diet, stress, pathogenic micro organisms, and nutritional deficiencies. But taking these drugs will increase your chances of digestive imbalance.

I also took a lot of antacids like Tums, which is typical for people who have stomach upset and heart burn. Years later I discovered that they contain trace amounts of aluminum, which adds up if you take a lot. Tums also throws off the body’s Ph levels and balance of digestive bacteria.

To learn more about the side effects of pharmaceuticals, check out this website for specific side effects.

Or check out the Rx Reformer, a former pharmaceutical rep who’s exposing the serious risks of taking “legal drugs”.

Welcome to the TWILIGHT ZONE

Recently I watched a TV commercial for an antidepressant called Pristiq. During the commercial they listed the side effects of this drug, which includes tendency towards suicidal thoughts, bleeding, stroke or seizures.

While pharmaceutical companies are required to report their side effect in their commercials, no one seems to be listening to the list of side effects. Why would someone who is depressed take something that will make them feel suicidal?

Many doctors keep prescribing pills as the only option for healing.

It’s a flawed system that can cause harm. My intention is simply to make you aware as I wish someone had done for me.

Popping a pill may seem like the easy solution but it represses symptoms instead of solving the problem.

This blog post is like my personal public service announcement about the dangers of popping pills.

Friends don’t let friends take pharmaceuticals.

Note:I am NOT advocating getting off your prescription drugs without consulting your doctor. Some drugs can be life saving. I’m simply pointing out that you should know what you are taking, question and notice the side effects and explore alternatives.

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Angela Privin is proof that IBS is NOT an incurable disease or a disease at all. IBS is a body out of balance. It’s an invitation for change. After solving her own IBS mystery more than a decade ago Angela trained as a health coach to help others.

Angela uses both science and intuition to help people figure out what’s out of balance in their body. She works with lab tests, dietary changes, supplementation and nervous system rebalancing. Get help rebalancing your digestive system and solving your IBS mystery here.