Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is a very common problem that seems to affect women more than it does men. It is a condition where your digestive system and stomach are affected resulting in stomach pains and various other symptoms.
The actual cause of it is still unknown but it isn’t a life-threatening problem. Many things have been linked to IBS, such as food passing through the digestive system too quickly, oversensitive nerves, it has been related to stress and it could also be hereditary. IBS can develop if you have had a previous infection, such as, gastroenteritis or some other bacterial infection. It can also be provoked by stress and your diet. The fact that women suffer with it more than men can also signify that hormones affect it in some way. There are many elements linked to IBS which is why it is so difficult to find the exact cause.
It can be something that will stay with you for life and have a big impact but, through medicines and a change of diet, the problem can be controlled.

SYMPTOMS OF IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

There are quite a variety of symptoms that you may experience if you suffer with IBS that include stomach pains such as cramping or bloating, constant diarrhoea or constipation or alternating between the two, noticeable changes in bowel movements, excess gas, as well as intolerance to certain foods. However, the most common symptoms people experience are the stomach pains and bloating.

Treatments

Treatments for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is mainly about treating the symptoms that come with it rather than curing the syndrome. Your doctor will recommend a change in diet, sleep and exercise before prescribing medication.

If you suffer from mild symptoms:

Mild symptoms can usually be controlled with careful dieting and taking care of your overall health. Your doctor will tell you to:

Increase your intake of high fiber foods
Have regular exercise
Try to sleep well
Consume lots of fluids
Stay away from foods that might irritate you or give you symptoms

Your doctor will recommend staying away from foods such as:

Gluten — this includes wheat, barley and rye and can improve your symptom if eliminated from your diet.
High-gas food — to avoid bloating and gas eliminate foods like carbonated or alcoholic drinks, raw fruit, and caffeine.
FODMAPS — fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols such as fructose, frucans, lactose, etc. can give sensitive people symptoms. These are usually found in grains, veg, fruits, and dairy.

Medications to help with symptoms

In order to help to control your symptoms your doctor may suggest some medications that can help.

Fiber supplements — such as psyllium (Metamucil) along with fluids can help to ease and control constipation.
Laxatives — such as magnesium hydroxide oral (Phillip’s Milk of Magnesia) or polyethylene glycol (Miralax) might be prescribed if fiber doesn’t help.
Anti-diarrheal — loperamide (Imodium) can be found over-the-counter and can help with diarrhoea. Your doctor could suggest a bile acid binder such as cholestyramine (Prevalite) or colestipol (Colestid).
Anticholinergic — dicyclomine (Bentyl) help to relieve painful bowel spasms.
Pain medications — to relieve severe pain and bloating you can get pregabalin (Lyrica) or gabapentin (Neurontin)
Tricyclic anti-depressants — this can help with depression as well as reduce the activity of neurons controlling the intestines and reduce pain. Your doctor may suggest a low dose of imipramine (Tofranil) or desipramine (Norpramine).
SSRI antidepressents — these include fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) or paroxetine (Paxil) and can help with depression as well as painful constipation.

Medication specifically for IBS

Alosetron (Lotronex) — this relaxes the colon and slows the movement of waste through the lower bowel. This drug is for severe diarrhea-prominent IBS in women.
Eluxadoline (Viberzi) — this reduces muscle contractions and fluid secretion in the intestine. It also increases muscle tome in the rectum.
Rifaximin (Xifaxan) — this decreases bacterial growth and diarrhea.
Lubiprostone (Amitiza) — this increases fluid secretion in the small intestine and helps with the passage of stool.
Linaclotide (Linzess) — this also increases the fluid secretion in your small intestine and helps the passage of stool.

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