5 Ways To Fight IBS Diarrhea

August 5, 2009 by mbelcher · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS 
Constipation can be a difficult IBS symptom to deal with, but so can diarrhea. People who suffer from diarrhea-predominant IBS experience frequent bowel movements of watery and/or loose stool. Other diarrhea-related symptoms include abdominal pain or discomfort, cramping, bloating, gas, nausea and dehydration.

The following are 5 treatment options for relieving IBS related diarrhea:

1 – Diet Control

Before resorting to medications or alternative remedies, you should always consider your diet first. Although diet changes may not entirely cure you from diarrhea, it may help reduce the frequency of attacks. Therefore, you should monitor your diet by keeping a food diary and recording the symptoms you feel after eating different foods to determine which ones cause diarrhea and which ones don’t.

For instance, avoiding/limiting foods high in refined, artificial or natural sugar can help alleviate diarrhea symptoms. This doesn’t only include chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and sweets. It also means foods containing fructose such as honey and a variety of fruits. Foods high in sugar can act like a laxative to your body, especially for an IBS sufferer who already has a sensitive stomach.

You should also ask your doctor to test you for lactose intolerance, as an inability to properly digest milk sugar can cause diarrhea.

2 – OTC Antidiarrheal Drugs

Over-the-counter (OTC) antidiarrheal medications can be effective at providing diarrhea relief when used as short-term treatment. There are two types of antidiarrheal drugs.

- Stool thickeners -these contain fruit pectin and clay which absorb toxins and bacteria in the intestine to help thicken stool (I.E. Kaopectate)

- Antispasmodic – these slow spasms that occur in the intestine (I.E. Imodium).

Although, antidiarrheals are usually effective, they may not help other symptoms such as bloating or abdominal discomfort. Furthermore, prolonged use of antidiarrheals can result in dry mouth, constipation, and other symptoms.

Consult your doctor about OTC antidiarrheal meds for IBS treatment before taking anything. In addition, you shouldn’t resort to antidiarrheals until at least 24 hours after experiencing diarrhea, as you don’t want to stop your body from expelling toxins in the event your diarrhea is a result of bacteria such as food poisoning.

3 – Prescription Medications

Low doses of tricyclic antidepressants are commonly prescribed to IBS patients for abdominal pain. These meds effectively block pain signals to the brain and don’t cause diarrhea. However, they can cause other symptoms including constipation.

Another medication that may be prescribed is Lotronex. This particular drug is designed to block the effect serotonin (chemical produced by the body) has on digestive system, and in so doing, soothes the colon and slows bowl movement frequency. Lotronex has been found to be successful at alleviating IBS symptoms including diarrhea, stomach discomfort and urgency.

Note: Lotronex has only been approved for women who suffer from severe cases of diarrhea-predominant IBS ad have not responded to previous treatment methods.

4 – Alternative Therapy

Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, probiotics and herbal remedies can effectively reduce and alleviate diarrhea and its related symptoms in some IBS sufferers. Each of these methods is designed to assist the body in healing itself by providing it with stimulation (acupuncture), healthy gut bacteria (probiotics), or herbs. All work to aid in normal digestion.

If you are interested in learning about alternative treatments, talk to you health care provider first, and be sure to seek treatment from qualified practitioners.

5 – Behavioural therapy

Stress can actually trigger your IBS symptoms and make diarrhea worse, by causing your stomach to tense, leading to cramping and overall stomach upset. You can help reduce the regular stress in your life, and the stress you feel towards your IBS condition by engaging in:

- Meditation exercises (I.E. Yoga)

- Relaxation therapy

- Hypnotherapy

- Cognitive behavioural therapy

It’s also a good idea to distract yourself by taking part in regular activities you enjoy.



By: Susan Reynolds

About the Author:
Susan Reynolds. Sign up for a free newsletter with proven methods for managing IBS. Discover more suggestions for tackling IBS Diarrhea.



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Ibs Treatment – Take Control of your Life From Irritable Bowel Syndrome

August 4, 2009 by mbelcher · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS 
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is not a disease per se but a functional disorder. Until now, the medical community does not have a definite answer why and how it happens but I have my own theory, not from a qualified medical perspective but from a sufferer’s perspective. I think that the most important thing to know is that IBS is not terminal. The effects from IBS symptoms are what cause us (IBS sufferers) all the pain, discomfort and suffering.

On a bigger perspective, it is estimated that IBS affects about 30% of the world’s population. It can range from mild and infrequent attacks, to more severe hospital care. This percentage is expected to increase with all the processed foods and increasingly unhealthy lifestyle among humans.

At present, IBS is diagnosed via test elimination and symptom guideline called “Rome III Diagnostic Criteria” (some of these guidelines defer) but generally, if you have suffered

“Stomach discomfort or abdominal pain 3 days in a month for the last 3 to 4 months and this is relieved by having bowel movements. There is also noticeable change in stool form and frequency”

Before one can conclude one has IBS, it is best to get an endoscopy and colonscopy, and other tests done especially the H-Pylorii test. Once these are eliminated, and the symptoms persist, then it is likely to be IBS.

In the IBS world, there are generally two classifications – IBS diarrhea (IBS-D) and IBS constipation (IBS-C). Sometimes one can suffer both, and it changes but predominantly a person will suffer on type.

Some other common symptoms are excessive burping, flatulence (usually with bad smell) and extensive bloating. This is common for both IBS-D or IBS-C.

I find that the most pressing issue with IBS sufferers is pain management. I use to control this without giving much thought to long term strategy. This can be defeating because we are just fixing a problem and attempting to learn to manage our IBS. We have to realize that IBS is not going to leave us anytime soon, so a long term perspective is needed.

Over the years, I started to look long term to manage IBS and here is what I have discovered. In order to do that one must look into these 6 strategies and develop plans, routines and knowledge:

• Relieve Pain. This has to be the first and most important. In the beginning, this must be the first thing to address. Knowing what to do and what to take which can provide immediate or near immediate pain relief is priority one.

• Promote Healing. Once pain is managed, we have to try to take care and promote the healing process. This can be in the form of foods we take and exercises we do.

• Remove Symptoms. Even with the best of us, IBS symptoms do flare up. It could be caused by the trigger food we have taken, which is usually the case or some routine that we did not follow. We must then know what to take or do to quickly to nip the symptoms before it becomes too much to handle.

• Stress Management. I think this is one of the main culprits for an IBS sufferer. In fact, stress is the major cause for most critical diseases. Anyway, we need to how to de-stress because having to deal with IBS is a very tiring and stressful period in itself. Thus, knowing how to calm down mentally and physically is very important to create a ‘clear head’ in dealing with IBS symptoms.

• Remove Toxins (detoxification) Toxins indirectly will aggravate IBS symptoms flare-ups. The more toxins we have in the body, the more severe the symptoms become. If we understand and know how to remove toxins through sweat, breath, urine and bowel movements, then we are in better position to reduce the effects of the symptoms.

• Habits. Finally, putting all the ‘best routine’ that works for you and then doing it everyday diligently requires the routine to become a daily habit. There will be several types of routines one have to develop for different circumstances.

To recap, the main idea I wanted to present here is the holistic strategy needed to finally manage IBS. Even though we recognize that IBS is incurable, we also know that with the right knowledge, one can manage the symptoms and its effects. By managing IBS, an IBS sufferer’s life can be as fulfilling as a non-IBS sufferer.



By: terence oth

About the Author:

Terence Oth has suffered from IBS for more than 6 years and took control of his life from IBS in the last 2 years through a holistic IBS treatment. He runs the IBS relief tips website at http://ibsrelieftips.blogspot.com where he shares his IBS natural and traditional remedies and experiences



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Latest Research on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

August 3, 2009 by mbelcher · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS 
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is very prevalent and common disorder characterized by abdominal pain, stomach discomfort and changes in bowel movements. Bowel changes may be either in form of constipation, diarrhoea or both. Additional symptoms include general malaise, loss of appetite and bloating of stomach. Research suggests that IBS is more prevalent in women compared to men. In United States around 15-20% population suffer from this disease.

One of the major causes of IBS has been attributed to stress and anxiety and is psychosomatic disorder, but latest research reveals that it is caused due to changes in sensation of muscles and nerves which affect the motility of the bowel. Research also reveals people who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) have high level of sensitivity of the intestine compared to people who do not suffer. Neurochemical imbalance of Serotonin, a neurotransmitter which is responsible for GI motility is also one factor responsible for IBS.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not life threatening disease but it can severely impact the daily quality life. In children abdominal pain can cause absentee from school. Patients suffering from severe symptoms have greater impairments in their lives.

IBS is more prevalent in Caucasian race (whites) compared to Hispanic or Asian population; hence IBS is not well characterized beyond western countries. IBS is more prevalent in whites than black.

To dismay, till date there is no complete cure for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and it is a chronic illness. Treatment is based on symptoms. It can be frustrating for the patient as well as the doctor to treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It is very important for the doctor to establish good relationship with the patient, reassurance is the key for treatment along with proper counseling, change in dietary habits and lifestyle changes can help a lot for IBS patients. People suffering from moderate symptoms can go ahead with their daily lives without much impact.

Dietary change in habits can go long way in helping IBS patients. Elimination of foods like sorbitol, fructose, and gas forming legumes can help in alleviating IBS and bring relief to the patients. Foods favoring flatulence like onions, carrots, bananas and wheat germ if avoided may help to cure IBS to a certain extent.

High fiber diets also help IBS patients who suffer from constipation as fiber helps in retention of water, and helps in colonal exit. Calculation of fiber in diet/day in children is done by adding 5 to the age of the child.



By: Kiran Tamada

About the Author:

It is very important to understand IBS, its symptome and treatment.Lot more information is available atwww.imodium.co.uk – Irritable bowel syndrome



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IBS Treatment – What Are The Options?

August 1, 2009 by mbelcher · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS 
IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome to give it it’s full name, is a condition affecting the bowel and intestines that is said to affect around 1 in 5 people at some point in their life. It can be an extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing condition but although it cannot be cured completely, there are ways you can treat the disease.

Before I discuss the treatment options, let me first of all discuss the symptoms of IBS. They are generally wide-ranging and differ from patient to patient, but some of the common complaints are of abdominal pains, diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting, bloating, and uncomfortable bowel movements. Basically it’s quite an uncomfortable condition to have because it can often lead to you having to make several trips to the toilet which can be quite painful due to your bowel becoming over-sensitive.

No-one really knows what causes irritable bowel syndrome but many medical professionals believe it is brought on by stress. Others think it is a result of an abnormal immune system. Whatever the cause may be, the severity of the condition can be eased considerably with the right treatment.

If you do have any of the symptoms previously mentioned, your doctor should be your first port of call. They will then examine you and give you a diagnosis, and if you do have IBS, they will advise you on what type of treatment you should consider. They will often start off by discussing your diet because by making certain changes to your dietary habits, you can go some way to reducing the severity of IBS, so things like drinking more water and increasing your daily intake of fibre will help in a lot of cases.

Your doctor may then give you specific treatments for your own particular condition. So for example, if you are suffering from diarrhoea then you may be prescribed anti-diarrheals and if you are suffering from constipation you may be prescribed laxatives. In addition you may be given medication to reduce the spasms in your bowel.

You may also be advised to take some kind of aloe vera product because aloe vera is excellent for boosting your immune system, which is argued by some to be a major contributing factor to IBS. If stress is a possible cause in your own case, then you may also be given anti-depressants and possibly advised to consider psychotherapy and hypnotherapy.

So overall although there is no outright cure for irritable bowel syndrome, there are many treatment options you can consider which will help to reduce the symptoms considerably. As a result you can start to live a normal and healthy life again.



By: James Woolley

About the Author:

Click here for more information about aloe vera and IBS and to read a full Aloeride review.



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IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms and Causes

August 1, 2009 by mbelcher · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS 
A health condition that is often considered to be most disruptive to daily living is IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome. As one can tell from the term itself, IBS is a disorder of the bowels that is most commonly characterized by frequent bowel movements, irregular bowel activity patterns and a great deal of discomfort. One of the primary symptoms of IBS is severe abdominal pain, which should be reported to a medical professional.

Other symptoms that are common to IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome include things such as having excessive gas and bloating in the abdominal area, and often a sensation that the elimination of the stools was incomplete. Doctors have reported that IBS is the most common complaint that they receive in terms of people dealing with intestinal issues.

IBS is a condition that is more likely to affect women than it does men. Furthermore, it is most prevalent in the thirty to fifty years age bracket, but seems to impact all races equally. Irritable bowel syndrome has been classified as a functional disease of the intestines, since it interferes with and limits the ability of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract to perform correctly. IBS is a condition that cannot be diagnosed with x-rays or blood tests and anybody who has dealt with it can testify to the reasons why a healthy colon is so important.

IBS is typically referred to as functional bowel syndrome, irritable colon (since the large intestine is also known as the colon), spastic colon and spastic bowel. However, IBS is not the same condition as Crohn’s disease, which is an inflammatory bowel disease. One of the frustrations with this condition is that it is often difficult to pinpoint the reason for the discomfort, making it difficult to treat. Oftentimes a person with IBS will have a colonoscope done only to discover that there is no indication of a physical problem.

Many doctors and health care professionals consider that IBS is caused by abnormal functioning, or a dysfunction, of the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract or in the nerves controlling the area, or both. However the root cause of this dysfunction remains a mystery in the majority of cases, which leads many folks to look for alternative remedies, such as doing a colon detox program or trying out colon cleansing pills.

However, there have been several reports of these steps actually making the condition worse, so they should be used with caution. This is particularly true of folks who have serious health concerns, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and migraines, to name but a few.

There are also many people who insist that IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a result of the poor eating habits to which Americans have become accustomed. They advocate a change in diet to more natural and healthier foods, combined with a gentle, herbal colon cleansing formula that can help to restore the proper functioning of a clean colon.



By: Eddie Hudd

About the Author:

To learn much more about the Health Benefits of a Body Detox visit http://www.healthylivinganswers.com/body-detox where you will find this and much more, including Natural Body Detoxification methods that you can do at home



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