IBS Treatment - Therapies That Work

Also known as spastic colon, Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is a disorder of the bowel that affects about 30% people sometime during their lives. And about 10% are so much troubled by it that they seek medical help.

Some common IBS symptoms include abdominal pain, stomach cramps, constipation, diarrhea, bloated stomach, dizziness, nausea, and backaches, which cause many people to miss work, and restrict their social lives. While IBS treatments generally include a prescription of gastrointestinal drugs and changes in diet, some therapies other than conventional treatments have shown promise.

4 Treatments that work

1. Fiber, antispasmodics, and peppermint oil

A study published on bmj.com in November 2008, suggests that doctors' recommendations as first-line treatments for ibs should include fiber, antispasmodics, and peppermint oil. Because research found that patients treated with a combination of these there fared better than those who were treated with placebos or weren't treated at all. Also, no serious side effects were found. And treatment with peppermint oil appeared to be the most effective.
2. Probiotics

A set of studies presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 73rd Scientific Meeting indicated that probiotics were safe and effective for the treatment of constipation/diarrhea linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). While probiotics were found to be effective, it couldn't be concluded whether just one probiotic was enough or a combination would work better. Nonetheless, it works.

3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Hypnotherapy

A study is appearing in the July 2008 issue of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology observes symptom relief in IBS sufferers following a self-administered, at-home cognitive behavioral program. The efficacy of the at-home program was similar to 10-week in-office program under a trained therapist's guidance. An earlier research published in the Digestive Disease Week 2006, showed cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnotherapy as effective IBS treatments that also helped in other chronic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

4. Traditional Chinese, Tibetan And Indian Herbal Medicines

Research appearing in the “The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006,” suggests that traditional herbal medicines can improve abdominal pain, disturbed bowel movements, and/or bloating and distension associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In the researchers' assessment spanning 75 different randomized trials, they concluded that there was evidence that some of the alternative medicines did help improve the global symptoms of IBS.

The University of Michigan advises on some dietary changes that many patients have found helpful, they include:

• Avoid or limit the amount of gas-producing foods such as beans, onions, broccoli, cabbage or any other foods that will commonly aggravate IBS symptoms.
• Try to slow down when you eat and avoid overeating.
• Avoid carbonated drinks. These can introduce gas into the intestines and cause bloating or abdominal discomfort.
• Intolerance to milk sugar, or lactose, is seen in up to 40 percent of patients with IBS. Avoiding dairy products may be helpful in reducing symptoms of IBS such as gas, bloating, cramping and diarrhea.
• Avoid large quantities of other sugars such as fructose or sorbitol which can also worsen IBS symptoms
• The addition of fiber in the form of psyllium can help with constipation related symptoms in IBS patients.