Natural
IBS Treatment in Brighton
Natural
IBS Treatment ,
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment, Brighton, Laurel
Alexander
What is IBS?
IBS - Irritable
Bowel Syndrome - is the name doctors
have given to a collection of otherwise unexplained symptoms
relating
to a disturbance of
the large bowel. These may include:
-
crampy abdominal pain, often relieved by defecation
- an alteration in bowel habit (diarrhea, constipation or alternating
diarrhea and constipation)
- bloating and swelling of the abdomen
- rumbling noises and excessive passage of wind
-
urgency – a need to rush to the toilet and incontinence
(if a toilet is not nearby)
- a sharp pain felt low down inside the rectum
- sensation of incomplete bowel movement.
When X-rays, blood tests, examination of the stool, endoscopy
and other diagnostic tests are carried out, the
results do not reveal
any obvious abnormality. For that reason, IBS is
often called ‘a
functional disorder’ of the bowel; in other
words, an illness associated with a disturbance
of bowel function without
any change
in structure or obvious cause.
| Symptoms frequently occur in other parts of the body. These
may include; headaches, dizziness, backache, passing urine
frequently, tiredness, muscle and joint pains, ringing in the
ears, indigestion, belching, nausea, shortness of breath, anxiety
and depression. Patients with other medically unexplained illnesses,
such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, food intolerance
and functional dyspepsia, report a similar range of symptoms. |
A qualified medical practitioner should always
diagnose IBS, since the symptoms of IBS can resemble those of other
bowel diseases. Nevertheless, doctors can usually be quite confident
at diagnosing IBS on the basis of the pattern of symptoms alone
without recourse to tests to rule out every other possible condition.
According to the most recent criteria, set out by an international
panel of specialists, a diagnosis of IBS can only be made if you
have frequent abdominal discomfort that is either relieved by going
to the loo or associated with changes in the frequency or form
of stool (a tendency to diarrhea or constipation). The diagnosis
is supported if you experience difficulty passing motions, you
pass mucus, or you have bloating and feelings of abdominal distension.
IBS is a condition that can start at any time, but frequently begins
in early adulthood and comes and goes over the course of many years.
That fact alone is an important diagnostic pointer, but you should
always seek further advice if your symptoms change.
Members
Articles relating to IBS:
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You may well need to undergo specific tests such as an endoscopy,
a scan or an X-ray to exclude other conditions if any of the following
red warning flags are present:
-
recent weight loss
- passage of blood in the stools
- fever
- an abrupt and persistent unexplained change in bowel habit in somebody
above the age of 40
What causes IBS? We do not know for sure. Many specific
causes have been suggested. They include Candida or
yeast infection,
fluoride toxicity, mercury poisoning and many, many
others, but there is
no convincing evidence to support any of these possibilities.
In recent years, research in IBS has concentrated on
factors that
might make the gut more sensitive. These include food
allergy, inflammation and stress.

Food
allergy and intolerance
|
Since eating a meal often triggers the symptoms of IBS, it
is not surprising that many people believe that it is caused
by an allergy to specific foods. Blood and skin tests for food
allergy, however are usually negative, and allergies confined
to the gut can only be established by testing the reactions
to foods concealed inside a capsule. This is rarely carried
out. People with IBS are more likely to be intolerant to a
whole range of common foods. This suggests that it is not so
much the food that it causing the problem but the sensitive
gut that is overreacting to its contents. And since emotional
tension can make the bowel more sensitive, intolerances can
come and go according to how a person feels. A sensitive gut
is often a more permeable gut and the detection of serum antibodies
to common food substances may be a useful guide to dietary
management of IBS. Allergies and intolerances can be unmasked
by emotional upset and so dietary management of IBS often needs
to be combined with appropriate counseling. |
Inflammation
|
A small proportion of people develop IBS for the first
time after a bout of gastroenteritis, raising speculation
that, although the infection clears up, the experience might
make the gut more sensitive. In support of this, recent research
has shown that the small proportion of people with post-infectious
IBS also tends to have a mild ongoing inflammation of the
gut. This begs the question, why do some people have persistent
bowel symptoms after an attack of gastroenteritis while most
others get better? Research has shown that post-infectious
IBS is much more likely if the person was anxious, depressed
and was experiencing difficult life situations at the time
of the original illness. Perhaps on ongoing emotional upset
created the nervous tension that maintained a low-grade bowel
inflammation. Alternatively, the memory of the bowel upset
was recruited by brain gut connections to express an unresolved
life situation. Similar observations have been made for IBS
occurring for the first time after hysterectomy.
An attack of gastroenteritis or the antibiotics given to
treat it can alter the balance of the bacteria in the
colon, reducing
populations of beneficial anaerobic bacteria and encouraging
the overgrowth of more malign species. Although it is not
established whether this mechanisms can result in chronic
symptoms of IBS,
restoring beneficial populations of colonic bacteria with
probiotics or live yoghurts has become a popular treatment
of IBS. |
Stress
|
There is strong association between emotional upset and IBS.
Not only do patients with moderate to severe IBS have more
emotional upset than healthy people or patients with other
gastrointestinal diseases, but they also have experienced more
traumatic life events and difficult life situations both in
adulthood and childhood. Emotional tension sensitises the gut,
making it more reactive to whatever is inside it. This means
that the gut is an important route by which emotion is expressed
in the body. We only have to think of how anxiety can give
all of us diarrhea, depression may make us constipated, and
fear can make us sick to. It is, therefore, always important
to enquire what was going on in the patient’s lives before
the attack started, what is associated with relapses and remissions
of symptoms or whether the symptoms remind them of any particular
event. |
There is no cure for IBS. It is one of those
illnesses that may come and go according to what is going on your
life, but that doesn’t mean it cannot be treated. Your doctor
will often prescribe drugs, but it is important to realize that
although these may help to reduce certain symptoms, they may do
nothing at all to others and may even make some worse. So you will
need to work with your doctor to find out what suits you.
Some drugs are designed to relieve the spasm and pain of IBS. These
are called antispamodics. Mebeverine (Colofac) and Alverine (Spasmonal)
can be obtained over the counter and are relatively free of side
effects. Peppermint oil (Colpermin, Mintec) can also be useful.
Hyoscine (Buscopan) and Dicyclomine (Merbentyl) are occasionally
used for abdominal pain but can cause dizziness, blurred vision
and problems with passing urine.
For diarrhea and incontinence, there are several very effective
drugs. They all restores a sense of control and will permit you
to be more socially active. Loperamide (Imodium) is the most powerful
and has the least side effects because it acts directly on the
gut. Codeine phosphate is also effective but causes drowsiness
and nausea. Some people prefer it because of its calming effect.
Diphenoxylate (Lomotil) also has effects on the brain. IBS diarrhea
is often related to food and digestive juices passing through the
gut too quickly. Cholestyramine (Questran) is particularly useful
especially if you have urgency and incontinence because it stops
unabsorbed bile acids irritating the colon. Unfortunately this
seems to make the pain worse in some people.
For constipation bulk laxatives tend to be tried first. These include
plant fiber extracts such as bran, ispaghula husk (Fybogel, Regulan)
and cellulose derivatives (Celevac). They work by retaining fluid
in the gut. This makes the bowel contents more bulky and stimulates
peristalsis. It helps to take them with extra fluid. Lactulose
(Duphalac) is syrup that draws water into the gut and helps to
soften and lubricate the stool. All these agents can have the disadvantage
of causing more wind, bloating and abdominal pain. More powerful
laxatives, such as senna, bisocodyl (Dulcolax) stimulate gastrointestinal
peristalsis. They are not generally used for IBS because the powerful
contractions can cause severe cramping.
Antidepressants can be effective in some IBS patients, especially
when pain is the main feature. The can of course work on the brain
to relieve underlying emotional tension and induce a sense of wellbeing,
but they also work directly on the gut to reduce spasm. Some, such
as Amitryptyline, Notriptyline, Doxepin and Dothiepin, are more
useful in people who have diarrhea because they tend to be constipating.
The newer drugs such as Prozac and Seroxat are better for people
who are constipated because they cause some looseness of the bowel.
Diet may help. A diet rich in fiber is good for constipation. Food
intolerance may be treated by judicious avoidance of troublesome
foods, but do not cut out too many foods because you may run the
risk of nutritional deficiencies. Do request to see a dietitian
if you are unsure. Remember that it may be your tense and sensitive
gut that is making you intolerant of food.
Unfortunately, many people with IBS find diet and drugs rather
disappointing. They may help, but they do not cure. It is vital
to think about what might have brought on your symptoms. Then you
may be able to treat the problem with simple adjustments to your
life style or life situation. Some sessions with a counsellor or
therapist may be invaluable to help to give you insight into what
may be ‘churning your gut’, but a sympathetic partner
or friend may also be able to help you see what is going on.
Complementary therapies can be of great help in IBS. Relaxation
techniques, meditation, hypnotherapy and touch therapies (massage,
reflexology and healing) can be of great help for some people.
Other holistic therapies such as acupuncture and homeopathy may
also help some people. All of these therapies treat the person
with the illness, and work to restore a sense of confidence and
harmony. This reduces the nervous tension on the gut.
Professor Nick Read, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P., Medical Adviser to
the IBS Network.  How can Natural IBS care help me?
In addition to reflexology and nutritional therapy,
I also use:
-
Food allergy testing
- Relaxation training
- Meditation
- Reflexology
- Reiki
- Guided imagery to teach you to use your imagination to help ease
symptoms
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Laurel's
Treatment Room
|
Brighton IBS care appointments
and fees
I live in Brighton, Sussex where my clinic is based. My fees
are £35 per hour (supplements, herbs and tests are extra).
If you wish,
you can pay in advance using a debit / credit card (here). Evening
and Saturday appointments are usually available as well as daytime
appointments. If you cancel an appointment without giving
twenty-four hours notice, the full fee will be payable.
Booking an IBS care treatment in Brighton
If you would like to find out more about natural IBS care or
you would like to book a treatment, please telephone me on 01273
564030 or email me at info@laurelalexander.co.uk

WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR
You should see your GP if you are experiencing the following
symptoms, particularly if they are unexpected or persistent:
- Abdominal pain before or after meals
- Persistent feelings of fullness, bloating or flatulence
- Nausea or vomiting
- Heartburn or regurgitation
- Pain or difficulty in swallowing
- Loss of appetite
- Continuing unexplained weight loss
- Indigestion developing for the first time in mid or later life
- Persisting diarrhoea, constipation or any alteration in bowel
habit
- Change in stools especially if they become black, dark red,
pale or contain mucus
- Bleeding when you pass a stool
- Pain when you pass a stool
- Feeling that your bowels are not emptying completely
- Generally feeling tired, lethargic or unwell in association
with an abdominal symptoms
Guidelines for early diagnosis
of gut problems from the
Digestive Disorders
Foundation
and British Society
of Gastroenterology.
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| Natural IBS treatment |
1 session |
£ 35 |
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