Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or spastic colon, is the name given to a group of symptoms characterised by abdominal cramps and pain, bloating, flatulance and irregularity of bowel habits. The irregularity may involve bouts of diarrhoea, or alternating constipation and normal stools, and there may be some anal bleeding. IBS may develop slowly, or have an acute onset associated with an infectious illness which affects the bowel. IBS may also appear following a stressful experience such as job loss or breavement. The condition may be temporary, lasting for a few weeks, or may become chronic.

IBS affects roughly twice as many women as as it does men. It can occur at any age but commonly begins in the twenties or thirties. It has been estimated that 10 to 20% of the adult population of most Western countries may suffer from this disorder. Particular foods can trigger symptoms, but individuals vary in which foods they are sensitive to. There seems to be a neurological component to IBS, which is probably the reason the condition seems to be aggravated by stress, though whether it plays a directly causative role is controversial.

IBS is not presently associated with any underlying disease, and seems to be a purely functional disorder, although some recent evidence associates a large proportion of IBS cases (about 80%) with an overgrowth of certain intestinal bacteria. An overgrowth in the gut of the yeast-like organism Candida albicans can also give rise to bloating and flatulance (particularly following consumption of carbohydrates) but this is normally without significant intestinal discomfort. Such overgrowths are commonly associated with ‘leaky gut syndrome’ - another intestinal disorder that may be a component of the syndrome. Chronic functional abdominal pain (CFAP) is quite similar to, but less common than IBS. CFAP could be suspected if there is no change in bowel habits associated with the intestinal discomfort.

Dealing with IBS

Conventional medicine can offer only limited intervention, including anti-spasmodics (generally ineffective) and anti-diarrhoea (seratonin 5HT antagonist) drugs for ‘emergency’ use!

Food intolerance should be considered as a possible cause if irritable bowel syndrome, and cutting out wheat (gluten), eggs, dairy products and nuts can be tried for a period to see if the symptoms alleviate. Certain insoluble fibres such as bran have also been associated with irritable bowel syndrome when consumed in excess. The simplest method is to cut out all of the above for a few days rather than testing each in turn, then re-introducing them one by one if the result is positive, at a rate of one food class every two days. Recurrence of IBS symptoms would obviously mean cutting out the causative food type permanently.

Probiotics including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have sometimes been found to be helpful in reducing IBS where this is associated with changes in gut flora, for example following antibiotic treatment. Interestingly, one of the most effective techniques for controlling IBS includes hypnotherapy, and this may be available from some health services. Oddly, hypnotherapy appears to be more effective for women (c.70% success) than for men (c.50% success). Tests carried out in controlled conditions show that actual physiological changes can result from hypnotherapy, and there is evidence to indicate that the gut actually comes under partial conscious control.

Unfortunately, hypnotherapy is not available from the majority of health services, and it may be necessary to seek private treatment. As an alternative, a recorded IBS hypnotherapy session from a reputable practitioner may be used, and a reasonable rate of success can be expected.

Important note about intestinal complaints

If any of the following apply, you should consult your doctor: (1) there is blood in your bowel motions, (2) you are over the age of 40 and your first symptoms have come on recently, (3) you’ve recently lost weight for no obvious reason, (4) your symptoms are accompanied by paleness of skin or loss of energy or muscular strength, or (5) you have a family history of bowel cancer.