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April has been designated Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month. As many as one out of five people suffer from IBS but choose not to talk about it because of symptoms that most find embarrassing. As April is IBS Awareness Month, it is important to learn and educate others about this condition.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder of unknown cause. Typically, in people with IBS, the intestines both squeeze too hard or not hard enough and cause food to move too quickly or too slowly through the intestines. IBS usually begins around age 20 and is more common in women. Symptoms of IBS include abdominal cramping and pain that is relieved after bowel movements, alternating periods of diarrhea or constipation, flatulence, and passing mucus from the rectum. Irritable bowel syndrome can interfere with work and other activities involved in daily life.
What causes IBS?
Currently, there is no known cause for this syndrome. Some researchers believe that IBS is caused by changes in the nerves that control muscle contraction in the bowel. Those that have IBS usually react to stimuli that do not affect others. These include: food (chocolate, milk, alcohol, vegetables, and fruits), stress, and other illnesses.
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What treatment options are available for IBS?
Talk to your doctor about the right treatment for you. Possible treatment options include fiber (to help control constipation), anti-diarrheal medication such as Imodium™ (Loperamide), anticholinergics (to help control the nervous system). Medication specifically used in patients with irritable bowel syndrome is Alosteron is used for short term treatment of women with severe, chronic, diarrhea dominant IBS. This drug has not been approved in men because of the lack of study and is currently restricted in use due
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to gastrointestinal side effect which may become serious. Other medications that are used include antidepressants in small doses and antispasmodics, such as, dicyclomine (Bemote™) and hyoscyamine (Levsin™).
How can fiber help?
There are two types of fiber that can help all patients with IBS:
Soluble fiber: helps both diarrhea and constipation. Many foods contain soluble fiber such as apples, beans and citrus fruits. Psyllium, a natural vegetable fiber, is a also a soluble fiber. You can buy psyllium supplements (some brand names: Fiberall™, Metamucil™, Perdiem™) to drink and you can add it to other foods.
Insoluble fiber: helps constipation by moving material through your digestive system and adding bulk to your stool. Insoluble fiber is in whole grain breads, wheat bran and many vegetables.
For further information please visit the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse at http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ibs_ez/. Also contact your pharmacist or physician if you have any questions.
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