Health

Mortal Nikki · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 1552 Location: bedford

hi i hope its ok to post this i was wondering if anyone suffers from ibs

Mortal Nikki · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 1552 Location: bedford

god i feel ill

~~debbydo~~ · Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 19726 Location: Hertfordshire

What s IBS Nikki..

And I hope you feel better.

reddevilleanne · Joined: 20 Oct 2004 Posts: 13207 Location: Nottingham

Irritable bowel syndrome?

~~debbydo~~ · Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 19726 Location: Hertfordshire

thanks pingu ...
Now i know why your ill Nikki,

Mortal Nikki · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 1552 Location: bedford

Pingu wrote: Irritable bowel syndrome?
its usually caused when someone is under so much stgress them have like spasms in the intestines which can result in severe pains

rob_667minus1 · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 2024 Location: North Wales

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Written by Dr Dan Rutherford, GP

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterised by a mixture of symptoms that are believed to be due to a disorder of intestinal motor function.

It is the commonest condition seen by gastroenterologists and some estimates suggest that as many as one in five of the adult population in the UK suffer from it at any one time.

The normal gut moves food along the gut through muscular contractions, known as propulsion. There are also areas of hold-up, known as segmentation).

Other names for IBS
Some old-fashioned names for IBS are still in use:
• irritable colon
• spastic colon
• mucous colitis.
These are misleading because IBS also affects the remainder of the gut.

The combination of propulsion and segmentation is called peristalsis. You are completely unaware of it when it is working normally.

The control of peristalsis is complex. The best way to regard IBS is as a loss of coordination of these muscular contractions.

In addition, there is evidence that patients with irritable bowel syndrome have increased sensitivity to stimuli arising within the gut.

As well as the intestinal symptoms, psychological factors are often involved. This is not to say these symptoms are not real (they are), but IBS is often the outcome of a complex interaction between psychological and physical factors.

A gut function disorder can affect the gut anywhere from the mouth to the anus, which accounts for the diversity of symptoms seen in IBS.

What causes irritable bowel syndrome?

How common is IBS?
In the UK about 13 per cent of women and 5 per cent of men suffer from IBS.

Although we don't know what causes IBS, about half of all people will date the start of their symptoms to a major life event such as change of house or job, or bereavement.

This suggests that there may be a psychological trigger in susceptible patients.

About 10 to 20 per cent of people will date the start of their symptoms to an acute gastroenteritis. In the remainder of cases, the trigger factor remains unidentified.

Abnormalities in peristalsis can often be seen in close relatives of people with IBS, although without symptoms. This suggests a trigger sets off the condition in susceptible people.

Nerve-signalling chemicals, particularly serotonin, appear to have an important role.

What are the symptoms of IBS?

IBS and cancer
Although IBS can be a distressing condition, it never causes bowel cancer or bowel damage.

The symptoms of IBS vary and may occur at any age. They most commonly start in late teenage years or early adulthood.

The symptoms will depend on which parts of the gut are involved. There is often overlap between areas of the gut. Some people may experience problems in only one part of the gut, others in several. Symptoms can also vary over time.
Oesophagus
•A sensation like a golf ball in the throat between meals which does not interfere with swallowing (globus).
•Heartburn - burning pain often felt behind the breastbone.
•Painful swallowing (odynophagia), but without hold-up of food.
•Sticking of food (dysphagia) - this requires investigation.

Stomach
•Non-ulcer dyspepsia (symptoms suggestive of a stomach or duodenal ulcer, but which has not been confirmed on investigation).
•Feeling full after small meals. This may reach the stage of not being able to finish a meal.
•Abdominal bloating after meals.

Small bowel
•Increased gurgling noises which may be loud enough to cause social embarrassment (borborygmi).
•Abdominal bloating which may be so severe that women describe themselves as looking pregnant.
•Generalised abdominal tenderness associated with bloating.
•Abdominal bloating of both types usually subsides overnight and returns the following day.

Large bowel

•Abdominal bloating of both types usually subsides overnight and returns the following day.
•Right-sided abdominal pain, either low, or tucked up under the right ribs. Does not always get better on opening the bowels.
•Pain tucked up under the left ribs (splenic flexure syndrome). When the pain is bad, it may enter the left armpit.
•Variable and erratic bowel habits alternating from constipation to diarrhoea.
•Increased gastro-colic reflex. This is an awakening of the childhood reflex where food in the stomach stimulates colonic activity, resulting in the need to open the bowels.
•Severe, short stabbing pains in the rectum, called proctalgia fugax.

Other symptoms
• Headaches.
• In women, left-sided abdominal pain during sex.
• Passing urine more often.
• Fatigue and tiredness.
• Sleep disturbance.
• Loss of appetite.
• Nausea.
• Depressive symptoms in about a third of patients.
• Anxiety and stress-related symptoms, which may interact with gut symptoms.

What symptoms should not be ascribed to IBS?

Because irritable bowel syndrome can mimic so many other intestinal disorders, it's important to identify those symptoms that require you to see your doctor:
•difficulty in swallowing when food gets stuck
•indigestion-type pain that wakes you up at night
•abdominal bloating that does not get better overnight
•significant and unexplained weight loss
•bleeding from the back passage
•chronic, painless diarrhoea.

This list is not comprehensive. If there are other symptoms, you should seek further advice.

In general, first-time symptoms of IBS in a person over the age of 40 should be assessed by a doctor.

What can be done to prevent IBS?

Since the cause of IBS is unknown, it's not possible to reliably prevent the condition.

How is irritable bowel syndrome diagnosed?

There is no single blood test, X-ray or scan that will diagnose IBS.

The diagnosis is often made on the basis of the presence of typical symptoms - this is particularly the case in younger patients.

Blood tests may be taken to exclude other conditions, and occasionally further investigations are performed.

As patients with IBS get older, the diagnosis becomes more one of exclusion (ie excluding other conditions). This means more investigations are performed to ensure the diagnosis is correct. These may include:
•gastroscopy: endoscopic examination of the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum
•ultrasound
•barium studies
•colonoscopy: endoscopic examination of the large bowel.

Should I change my diet?

•Drink lots of water, preferably three litres a day.
•A high-fibre diet improves digestion. The amount of fibre must be increased gradually to allow the stomach to get used to it.
•Avoid food or beverages that make the symptoms worse. Coffee and milk are frequent offenders.
•It may be helpful to keep a diary in which you note down the foods that seem to upset your stomach.
•Avoid strong spices and foods that give you wind.
•Avoid large meals, but eat regularly.
•Limit your alcohol intake.

What else can improve IBS?

•Physical activity and exercise can improve digestion and reduce stress.
•Heat treatment with hot packs, hot-water bottles or electric blankets may relieve the symptoms.
•Try to reduce the number of stressful situations in your life. You might like to experiment with some of the different relaxation techniques, such as meditation.
•It may be useful to keep a diary, noting what seems to cause distress in the bowel.
•Try to keep things in perspective: excessive worrying about digestive problems could lead to social and psychological problems.

Which medicines are used?

•Medicine for stomach cramps (antispasmodics, eg mebeverine, hyoscine). When cramps are a major problem these remedies may be helpful to the patient.
•Stool-softening laxatives, if constipation is a major problem.
•Medicine for treatment of gas and stomach rumbling, in cases where these are a major problem.
•Tricyclic antidepressants are sometimes used to relieve pain in people who have not responded to other treatments.
•Cholestyramine can help the small proportion of IBS sufferers who have diarrhoea secondary to impaired handling of bile salts within the gut.
•Antidiarrhoeals such as loperamide, if diarrhoea is a major problem.
•Several types of serotonin antagonists are under trial in IBS, some with encouraging results.

Long-term outlook

IBS usually occurs periodically throughout life. The symptoms can improve or get worse and may disappear for a while.

Irritable bowel syndrome is not a life-threatening condition and cannot result in cancer or serious intestinal disease. Treatment with medicines such as those mentioned above will normally ease symptoms.

Hope this helps :D

Mortal Nikki · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 1552 Location: bedford

cheers 4 that

~~debbydo~~ · Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 19726 Location: Hertfordshire

thats great Rob!
see you do have qualities..

Leandra50 · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 1718 Location: Essex

XBOX

Leandra50 here, I am in receipt of your private message and I must say a warm Thank you to Rob for his research on the subject - very comprehensive. Only thing I would like to add is that the individual although have those symptoms they react in different ways. IBS is one of the sypmtoms I take an interest in due to the complexity and the reactions of different people. Diet helps so does complementary therapies. I wrote a paper some years back to help a colleague sister to get the help she needs because she thought there was nothing that could be done about it.

leadra50

Leandra50 · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 1718 Location: Essex

Hello Debs

How are you today, miss everyone xx :)

Leandra50 · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 1718 Location: Essex

XBOX QUEEN

Good Topic, this should give everyone food for thoughts and get knowledge on health enhanced

leadra50 :)

Mortal Nikki · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 1552 Location: bedford

not feeling to good

~~debbydo~~ · Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 19726 Location: Hertfordshire

Thank you Leandra..
And Nikki I hope you feel better soonxxxxxxxxx

Mortal Nikki · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 1552 Location: bedford

thanks