Lifestyle Changes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Fibre : Fibre is the non-digestible part of plant food and adds bulk to the stools by absorbing water. Fibre increases the transit time of the colon. All patients do not benefit by fibres. Patients with constipations-predominant IBS may derive some benefit. Fibre-rich foods or fibre supplements are two ways to increase fibre consumption. 

Dietary modifications : Symptoms of IBS sometimes appear after ingestion of a certain food. The type of food which causes symptoms varies from individual to individual. TO determine which foods trigger IBS symptoms one has to maintain and record of the symptoms that occur after eating different food items. If a symptom is produced by one food, it should be withdrawn. It should again be consumed after a few days to observe for the reappearance of symptoms. If the symptom reappears then it is the offending food. Foods that aggravate IBS symptoms should be avoided. Milk, vegetables such as beans and cabbage, fatty foods and alcohol are notorious for increasing the symptoms of IBS.

Medications

Anti-spasmodic drugs and anti-cholinergic drugs : They act by decreasing the abnormally high smooth muscle activity. 

Antacids/anti-gas medications : They aid by reducing the gas and the accompanying lower abdominal pain. 

Anti-diarrhoea medications ( e.g. loperamide or 'immodium'): These drugs have shown improvement in diarrhoea and abdominal pain in some IBS patients. 

Prokinetic Agents (e.g. mosapride, domperidone): These drugs are used in constipation-predominant IBS. They improve the motility of the intestines. The drug is to be taken orally 30 minutes before lunch and dinner. 

Antidepressants : Antidepressants like amitriptyline, imipramine, despramine, fluxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine are commonly used to treat IBS. It can take as long as 4-6 weeks for these to have effect. 

Psychological treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Psychological treatment should be considered if symptoms are severe and are associated with psychological distress.

Cognitive-behavioural therapy, bio-feedback therapy, relaxation therapy and hypnotherapy can be tried. 

In cognitive-behavioural therapy patients learn strategies to control their symptoms. It tries to change the patient's beliefs about his illness.

Bio-feedback and relaxation training is particularly useful in helping patients control the physiological consequences of stress. Techniques used include breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, hypnosis or imagery techniques or a combination of these. 

Patients have to try different treatment before finding the one that works the best for them. Different things work for different people, and to know what works best for a patient is only by trial and error.

Introduction of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Symptoms , Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Lifestyle Changes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome