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IBS reaction antibiotics

No one fully understands what causes IBS or irritable bowel syndrome despite the fact that IBS is the most common complaint seen by gastroenterologists today. IBS is characterised by abdominal pain and bloating along with altered bowel movements which can take the form of diarrhoea, constipation or both. Although there isn’t a single cause, what is known is that certain factors do appear to play a significant role in triggering IBS, including food intolerances, hormonal factors, and bacteria in the gut.

Bacteria in the gut

An increasing number of research studies have found that some patients suffering from IBS often have an overgrowth of bacteria in their intestines. Although IBS is not caused by an infection in the gut as such, what is interesting is that many people can relate the onset of their IBS symptoms back to a time when they had a bout of gastroenteritis, and although the infection cleared up, the symptoms of IBS persisted. Another factor pointing to the role of bacteria in triggering IBS is that many people report that their symptoms of IBS became much worse after taking a course of antibiotics.

Antibiotics and IBS

Antibiotics work by killing off bacteria but unfortunately, they also tend to kill off the friendly bacteria too. A course of antibiotics could therefore upset the delicate balance of microflora in the gut and possibly give rise to symptoms such as those experienced in IBS.

Paradoxically, certain types of antibiotics have also been found helpful in treating some cases IBS. In a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology in February 2003, researchers administered Lactulose breath tests to over 100 IBS patients and found that 84% of them had abnormal results indicating an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut.

The participants in the study were given either the antibiotic Neomycin or a placebo and although the antibiotic only showed a 20% success rate regarding normalising the breath tests, IBS symptoms did improve by 35% overall after treatment with Neomycin compared to only 11% with the placebo.

Although the results are encouraging, more research is required in order to establish the role that antibiotics could play in helping to treat IBS.

Probiotics and IBS

There are hundreds of different strains of bacteria present in a healthy gut and two of the most prolific types are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These are considered friendly bacteria or probiotics, which literally means “for life”, because they help to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and keep the gut healthy.

Many people have found that taking probiotics helps to ease the symptoms of IBS. Probiotics can now be found in many yoghurts and drinks as well as in tablet, powder or liquid form in health food stores.