Stopping IBS
IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is long term functional disorder of the digestive tract. There is no cure, there are no diagnostic tests and no way of telling how any one person will respond to a particular treatment. IBS affects people in different ways so for some the symptoms may be a little inconvenient and for others they may be severe enough to cause a significant reduction in quality of life.
In the first instance, it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis from your doctor as IBS can also mimic other more serious conditions. IBS itself is not life threatening and will not progress to other diseases but that doesn’t lessen the distress that many people experience when trying to cope with IBS. Your doctor will also be able to advise you on how to deal with IBS.
Medication
The type of medication that could be prescribed by your doctor will depend very much on what symptoms are causing the most trouble and how severe they are. For example, if diarrhoea is the most dominant symptom, then Immodium or Loperamide may be helpful. If constipation is the main problem then mild laxatives may be useful such as Lactulose, milk of magnesia or liquid paraffin. It would be wise to stay away from the harsher stimulant type laxatives as these could increase abdominal pain and spasms.
Your doctor could also prescribe some antispasmodic drugs if abdominal pain and discomfort is severe. Sometime an antidepressant will be prescribed but at a very low dose. Although it is not known exactly why they help alleviate IBS, it is believed they have an impact on the serotonin receptors in the body, which in turn promotes good digestion.
Medication will not of course treat the underlying cause of the symptoms, only the symptoms themselves. In order to control IBS on a long term basis, possibly forever, it will almost certainly be necessary to make some dietary and lifestyle changes.
Diet and Lifestyle
- Identify what foods affect your IBS symptoms and eliminate them from the diet
- Increase the amount of fibre in your diet
- Drink plenty of water
- Take more exercise and get into a regular sleep pattern
- Learn how to relax, maybe take up yoga or swimming
- Take time over meals, eat regularly but have smaller portions and don’t ever be tempted to skip meals or overeat
inally, although IBS is likely to continue on a long term basis, that doesn’t mean that you are going to experience all the symptoms every day. It is more likely that IBS will come and go at different times. Although there is no single drug or treatment that is guaranteed to stop the symptoms altogether, for some people, all it takes is a few dietary and lifestyle changes to keep their IBS under control.
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