Get The Word Of Drug Information
Although you can choose from a variety of medications for irritable bowel syndrome, there may not be enough medications to completely reverse the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. In some cases, the drugs cause unpleasant side effects that force you to stop taking them.
Fortunately, medications are not the only treatment available for IBS. Other options include over-the-counter medications , diet modifications , and psychological therapies. Maintain open communication with your healthcare provider to develop the best treatment plan for you.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Doctor Discussion Guide
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How Should This Medicine Be Used
Lubiprostone comes as a capsule to take by mouth. It is usually taken with food and water twice a day in the morning and evening. Take lubiprostone at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take lubiprostone exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Swallow the capsule whole do not open, chew, or crush it. Tell your doctor if you are unable to swallow the capsule.
Lubiprostone may help to relieve your symptoms but will not cure your condition. Continue to take lubiprostone even if you feel well. Do not stop taking lubiprostone without talking to your doctor. Your doctor will monitor your condition and will tell you when you should stop taking lubiprostone.
What Ibs Symptoms Can Be Treated With Medication
There are multiple ways to treat IBS, but the goal of treatment is to focus on relieving what symptoms you are experiencing. Typically, the symptoms that can be treated with medication include abdominal pain and abnormal stool consistency .
Initial treatment may include dietary changes or other non-medicinal options . However, healthcare providers may also choose to start with medications to help relieve symptoms.
The current guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology list no specific order in which treatments should be tried. Healthcare providers are encouraged to personalize their recommendations based on how the person is feeling and their medical history.
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Ibs Treatment Center Finds The Root Cause Of Ibs Symptoms: To Cure Your Ibs By Finding The Root Cause Not Just Relieving Symptoms
At the IBS Treatment Center, we rarely use any of these medications. Other than antibiotics for bacterial overgrowth, and enzymes for pancreatic insufficiency, the medications listed above have clearly demonstrated their inability to cure IBS. Even worse, almost all these drugs have the potential to make IBS worse.
Our goal is to end IBS symptoms for the long term. To do this, we work to find the true cause of a patients problem, not just treat the symptoms. Once we find the underlying cause of the IBS, we can treat it and the symptoms will end, not just be masked by the quick fix of a prescription.
After treatment at our facility, most of our patients are ultimately able to discontinue the use of any previously prescribed medications for their digestion. It is usually a natural transition for a patient to cut back on the meds as they heal and begin to feel better. Without the symptoms, the need to suppress them with medications disappears.
IBS is a complex disorder with a variety of symptoms and causes. There is no one-size-fits-all cause or cure for IBS. Finding your cure requires an experienced medical expert like those at IBS Treatment Center who will spend the time to understand your unique situation and work with you to find the right treatment plan.
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Specific Medications For Ibs: Ibs
There are several prescription medications available that are recommended by the ACG for the treatment of IBS-C. They include:
- Amitiza : causes the cells that line the intestines to secrete more fluid, which softens the stool. Nausea is a common side effect.
- Linzess : increases the amount of fluid in the large intestine, which softens the stool.
- Trulance : also increases fluid in the large intestine.
- ZelNorm improves muscle movement and fluid production in the intestines, helping to soften and clean stool. It is only considered suitable for women under 65 who have not received help with other medications.
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Ibs Medications For Cramping
Stomach cramps or abdominal spasms are common symptoms of IBS. They are often in the lower half of the belly, but can be in the the middle or upper abdomen. Some people get worse after meals and feel better after a bowel movement.
- Hyoscyamine is an antispasmodic drug that has been around since the 1950s. It is used to treat abdominal cramping. Side effects include constipation, bloating, heartburn, nausea, insomnia, dizziness, and headaches, as well as many others.
Other Ways To Treat Ibs
In addition to antispasmodic medications, dietary changes can also significantly improve IBS symptoms. Depending on the symptoms you’re experiencing, you may want to:
- Increase dietary fiber or use a fiber supplement to relieve IBS constipation or diarrhea.
- Increase water intake if constipated.
- Avoid caffeine .
- Avoid legumes to decrease bloating.
- Limit foods containing lactose, fructose, or FODMAPs .
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Why Antispasmodics Are Used For Ibs
Studies suggest about 5% of Americans have IBS symptoms. Researchers have yet to identify the cause of IBS, so treatment is primarily aimed at relieving the symptoms, which can include:
Particularly among people with the diarrhea-predominant subtype , some antispasmodics have proven moderately effective in alleviating symptoms by targeting and relaxing the smooth muscles of the digestive tract, preventing spasms.
Because symptoms of IBS tend to be worst after eating, taking these medications 30 to 60 minutes before a meal may help prevent symptoms.
A few types of antispasmodics for IBS include:
- Anticholinergics
What Ibs Symptoms Does Bentyl Relieve
Bentyl is used to relieve muscle spasms caused by IBS and other symptoms related to these spasms.
The muscles around your colon normally contract to pass feces through your digestive tract. These muscle contractions are usually barely noticeable.
However, people with IBS often experience painful and frequent muscle spasms that cause pain and cramping.
Bentyl can be used as either a short- or long-term treatment option for IBS. It usually helps improve symptoms within hours of taking it. Your doctor may recommend taking Bentyl along with other treatment methods.
Theres limited clinical evidence examining the effectiveness of Bentyl for IBS.
As of , the use of Bentyl was based primarily on one placebo-control study from 1981.
In the 1981 study , researchers gave people with IBS 40 mg of dicyclomine hydrochloride four times per day for 2 weeks.
The researchers found that the participants had less abdominal pain and better bowel movements after taking dicyclomine. However, the majority of the participants also had side effects due to the drug blocking activity of acetylcholine.
In rare cases, some people may develop a severe allergic reaction after taking Bentyl. Those symptoms may include:
- trouble breathing
- facial swelling
If you have any known medication allergies, its a good idea to alert your doctor before taking Bentyl.
The anticholinergic effects of Bentyl may cause several other unwanted side effects, such as a reduced ability to sweat and drowsiness.
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How Should I Take Linzess
Take Linzess exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.
Take Linzess in the morning on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before your first meal.
Swallow the capsule whole and do not crush, chew, break, or open it.
If you cannot swallow a capsule whole, open it and sprinkle the medicine into a spoonful of applesauce or bottled water. Swallow the mixture right away without chewing. Do not save it for later use.
Even if you have taken this medicine with applesauce, wait at least 30 minutes before eating a full meal.
If needed, medicine from the Linzess capsule may be given through a nasogastric or gastronomy tube.
Carefully follow instructions for mixing medicine from the capsule with applesauce or water, or giving the medicine through a feeding tube. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
It may take up to 2 weeks before your symptoms improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the tablets in their original container, along with the packet or canister of moisture-absorbing preservative.
Keep this medicine out of the reach of children. Linaclotide can be fatal to a child who accidentally swallows this medicine. Seek emergency medical attention if this happens.
Proton Pump Inhibitors Could Make Your Ibs Worse
Proton Pump Inhibitors, or PPIs, shut down the production of stomach acid. They are not designed for IBS, but we have seen so many patients who have been put on PPIs by other doctors that we must address them here.
PPIs might make your IBS worse, as described in a study by Dr. Compare. PPIs are also not designed to be used longer than 8 weeks, and they come with a variety of side effects, such as gas, abdominal pain, constipation, heartburn, diarrhea, reduced bone density, increased Clostridium difficile infections, pneumonia, and yeast overgrowth in the digestive tract. Long-term use of the drugs can make it difficult to absorb some nutrients.
Some types of PPIs Include:
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Diarrhea Compared To37% Placebo
Target 1 & 2 Study Design: Two identical, randomized, phase 3 trials conducted over a 3-month period. A total of 1258 patients meeting Rome II criteria for IBS received XIFAXAN 550 mg 3 times a day or placebo for 14 days. Primary endpoint was adequate relief of IBS signs and symptoms for at least 2 of 4 weeks during the month following 14 days of treatment. Adequate relief was defined as a response of yes to the weekly Subject Global Assessment question: In regards to your IBS symptoms, compared to the way you felt before you started study medication, have you, in the past 7 days, had adequate relief of your IBS symptoms? .Primary endpoint: 41% of patients in the XIFAXAN 550 mg group, 31% of TARGET 1 placebo group and 32% of TARGET 2 placebo group experienced adequate relief of IBS signs and symptoms. Composite endpoint was defined as 30% decrease from baseline in abdominal pain with a weekly average stool consistency score of < 4 for 2 weeks during the month following 2 weeks of treatment.
Physical And Behavioural Therapies
Pelvic floor dysfunction is underdiagnosed among patients with irritable bowel syndrome, especially those with the constipation subtype.32 These patients either fail to relax the pelvic floor or paradoxically contract the pelvic floor muscles causing obstructed defaecation.33 Through a technique referred to as biofeedback, physiotherapists with expertise can retrain patients to use their pelvic floor muscles appropriately. Patients are given visual or tactile awareness of involuntary bowel function in order to learn voluntary control.34 Behavioural aspects that contribute to symptoms such as incorrect toileting posture, prolonged time spent in the toilet and the use of inappropriate cues to trigger the need to defecate are also addressed with exercises and biofeedback.35 Selecting patients for this therapy is best determined by specialists with expertise in the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.
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Ibs Supplements Have Their Place
Supplements , when of high quality and used in the right person treating the right problem, can have wonderfully positive effects. When not of high quality or used improperly, they can do nothing or even make you feel worse.
At the IBS Treatment Center we often feel the same way about supplements that we do about prescription medications. Supplements are often overused or misused, and patients may use nutritional supplements to mask or suppress their IBS symptoms in the same way that medications can mask or suppress symptoms without addressing the cause of the problem.
Fortunately, supplements generally have less of a downside than medications, though some patients may be spending hundreds of dollars a month on supplements and not realizing any significant benefits. Supplements do have their place, and can have great benefits when used properly.
Our goal is to help patients prioritize what supplements are most needed and eliminate those that are not needed. That includes finding the highest quality products available, using them in the proper dosage, and targeting the right products for the right problems in the right patients.
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Ibs Drugs Only Treat Symptoms
The typical medical approach for treating IBS involves ruling out other problems and then either doing nothing or trying to suppress symptoms with medications. Many of the patients that come to the IBS Treatment Center have been on numerous medications, none of which has solved their problem. But its understandable that people take them because they want relief.
Drugs change how you experience IBS by forcing changes in the biochemistry of your body, sometimes providing temporary relief. Drugs rarely cure IBS. Most medications are designed for temporary use to mitigate the symptoms while the source of the problem is found and addressed. Treatment with these drugs usually does not address the cause of your IBS. Once you stop using the drugs, the symptoms generally return, if you were lucky enough for them to have gone away in the first place.
Research continues on IBS medications, but there will never be a magic pill for curing. IBS is a very broad label. There is no single cause for IBS, and there will never be just one treatment that works for everyone.
IBS is caused by a large numbers of issues that can occur withing the digestive tract. Spending the time to identify and treat the cause of the problem can enable the IBS sufferer to cure their IBS rather than just temporarily treat IBS symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, cramping, etc.
However, more concerning is that the use of these drugs often results in serious side effects and/or negative long-term consequences.
Laxatives Should Only Be Used Sporadically For Ibs
Fiber supplements and laxatives are often the first things doctors recommend to treat constipation. Laxatives do not cure constipation, and the longer you use them, the more difficult it is to get by without them. Laxatives should only be used very temporarily and sporadically at the most.
If you need laxatives in order to have a bowel movement, then you have IBS and would be better served to find the cause of the problem and eliminate your need for laxatives as soon as possible.
Some drugs used to treat constipation include:
- Linzess is a popular, well-advertised medication used in the treatment of constipation. It can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, heartburn, vomiting, gas, bloating, headaches, and cold symptoms.
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Screenings & Diagnostic Tests
Since there are no detectable structural abnormalities in the bowel, most IBS diagnosis can be done through a careful review of medical history and physical examination and may not require additional tests other than what was ordered for primary care check-ups. Depending on the situation, your gastroenterologist may order tests to help confirm that no other disorders or serious medical conditions are present. These tests may include blood and/or stool sample tests to check for hidden bleeding and infections. Imaging tests, such as ultrasound or CAT scans, may be ordered if your doctor strongly believes there may be alternative causes of abdominal pain. A colonoscopy may be ordered to evaluate for other possible diseases, particularly when chronic diarrhea is the main problem.
The important thing to realize is that NEW symptoms related to IBS shouldn’t be ignored or assumed to be IBS without discussing it with a doctor. If bleeding, fever or new types of abdominal pain occurs, please consult your doctor about it. Unexplained steady or worsening changes in bowel habits may be cause for concern and require urgent attention.
Changes To What You Eat And Other Lifestyle Changes
Changes in what you eat may help treat your symptoms. Your doctor may recommend trying one of the following changes:
Research suggests that other lifestyle changes may help IBS symptoms, including
- increasing your physical activity
- reducing stressful life situations as much as possible
- getting enough sleep
Your doctor may recommend medicine to relieve your IBS symptoms.
To treat IBS with diarrhea, your doctor may recommend
- alosetron , which is prescribed only to women and is prescribed with special warnings and precautions
To treat IBS with constipation, your doctor may recommend
- fiber supplements, when increasing fiber in your diet doesnt help
Follow your doctors instructions when you use medicine to treat IBS. Talk with your doctor about possible side effects and what to do if you have them.
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