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New Tips For People With IBS
The American College of Gastroenterology updated their recommendations for IBS, thanks to an international group of experts who reviewed current available treatment for IBS patients. Here are some of the key points from their Position Statement on the Management of IBS (Am J Gastroenterol 104: S1-S35; doi:10.1038/ajg.2008.122):
I asked for comments on this new position statement from Dr. Christine Frissora, MD, national IBS expert and medical contributor to the new edition of my book, Tell Me What To Eat If I Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She wanted to let people know the following:
* New medication - Rifaximin
One recent advance is the use of Rifaximin to break the viscous IBS cycling of bloating, gas and diarrhea. Rifaxmin is FDA approved for traveler's diarrhea in the dose of 200 mg for 3 days (1 tablet, 3 x a day for 3 days). The advantage of Rifaximin over other treatments is that it rebalances the GI tract flora (harmless bacteria inhabiting a part of the body) in a beneficial way; it does not cause C diff; nor has it been reported to cause Achilles tendon rupture. Rifaximin has been studied and proven to be a great help for common IBS symptoms of bloating and gas. More trials are underway.
After a 10 day course of Rifaximin some experts use Bifida bacteria [a probiotic with the trade name Align] one a day before lunch to help maintain a healthy balance of the flora. In some patients the rifaximin needs to be repeated every 3 to 12 months. Overall rifaximin has been a huge help to patients - breaking the cycle of IBS symptoms in a safe, well tolerated way.
* A warning given by Dr. Frissora on anti-depressants.
"In general, anti-depressants make people F-A-T - Fat, Asexual (no sexual appetite) and Tired," notes Dr. Frissora. They can also be very hard to taper and may lead to suicidal thoughts when they are tapered. According to Dr. Frissora, the tricyclics can cause cardiac arrhythmias and death. If a patient is truly depressed then by all means they need to be treated, adds Frissora, but for IBS patients in general she tries to avoid antidepressants.
Related Topics:
- Patients with diarrhea should be screened with blood tests for celiac disease.
- When IBS patients have alarm features or are over 50 they should have further tests like a colonoscopy.
- Some anti-spasm treatments may offer short-term help with abdominal pain from IBS (hyoscine, peppermint oil, cimetropium)
- The probiotic, Bifidobacteria, may help some people with IBS.
I asked for comments on this new position statement from Dr. Christine Frissora, MD, national IBS expert and medical contributor to the new edition of my book, Tell Me What To Eat If I Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She wanted to let people know the following:
* New medication - Rifaximin
One recent advance is the use of Rifaximin to break the viscous IBS cycling of bloating, gas and diarrhea. Rifaxmin is FDA approved for traveler's diarrhea in the dose of 200 mg for 3 days (1 tablet, 3 x a day for 3 days). The advantage of Rifaximin over other treatments is that it rebalances the GI tract flora (harmless bacteria inhabiting a part of the body) in a beneficial way; it does not cause C diff; nor has it been reported to cause Achilles tendon rupture. Rifaximin has been studied and proven to be a great help for common IBS symptoms of bloating and gas. More trials are underway.
After a 10 day course of Rifaximin some experts use Bifida bacteria [a probiotic with the trade name Align] one a day before lunch to help maintain a healthy balance of the flora. In some patients the rifaximin needs to be repeated every 3 to 12 months. Overall rifaximin has been a huge help to patients - breaking the cycle of IBS symptoms in a safe, well tolerated way.
* A warning given by Dr. Frissora on anti-depressants.
"In general, anti-depressants make people F-A-T - Fat, Asexual (no sexual appetite) and Tired," notes Dr. Frissora. They can also be very hard to taper and may lead to suicidal thoughts when they are tapered. According to Dr. Frissora, the tricyclics can cause cardiac arrhythmias and death. If a patient is truly depressed then by all means they need to be treated, adds Frissora, but for IBS patients in general she tries to avoid antidepressants.
Related Topics:
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Health Center
- IBS Support Group
- The GI Disorders newsletter - get the latest news on treatments & management of IBS from WebMD!
Labels: healthy diet, IBS
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