It’s really no great mystery why the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome could cause things like a high stress level, depression and anxiety. Think about it, you’re leaving the house to go somewhere that you committed yourself to go to. Then it strikes. Abdominal cramping, feeling bloated, and the dreaded diarrhea. Do you call and cancel AGAIN?

I looked around the web to try and find some sites or articles that went into IBS causing anxiety but there really aren’t any. Sure there are articles and sites that deal with the fact that anxiety can cause IBS but that’s not really what I’m talking about here. What I wanted to get into was how to deal with the stress and anxiety directly caused by IBS.

I found countless posts on message boards from people who were asking the same type of question as me. How are you supposed to deal with life and commitments when you have this debilitating syndrome Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Well if nothing else, you could go with the old saying “misery loves company”.

I found a site called IBS Tales where people write about their horrible experiences with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. How this makes you feel better about your own IBS, I don’t know, it just does.

One of the things that seemed to be a constant theme is that health care professionals seem to downplay the seriousness of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I guess because it is not a life threatening illness they don’t see the devastation it can cause. Not only is it completely painful but it makes normal life seem sometimes unbearable.

The fact that doctors are downplaying the mental affect this illness has on it’s sufferers goes hand in hand with my inability to find some answers to the question I had about how patients are supposed to deal with the depression and anxiety directly caused by IBS.

I guess the answer is that depression and anxiety need to be treated as just that. You would need to seek treatment for those symptoms even though you know what the cause is…Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Finding the right support to help you through the more difficult times is going to be your best defense against the depression and anxiety.

By talking more to others who also suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome you are going to find more than not only will you be able to be around people who identify with your problem but they may be able to offer helpful hints to get you through.

How did this discovery come about? There was a study done of 620 patients suffering from Gastroenteritis triggered by a bacterial infection. When these patients participated in the study they were asked to complete a very detailed questionnaire. This consisted of questions regarding their mood, perfectionism, illness beliefs, behaviors and their perceived stress levels.

These patients were rechecked for signs of IBS at 3 and 6 month follow ups. Those who showed the signs at both of those follow ups had showed significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety and psychosomatic symptoms on their questionnaire.

These patients also would fit the criteria of “driven” people, carrying on regardless until they were actually forced to rest. These behaviors actually prolongs the duration of the condition.

The conclusion? Irritable Bowel Syndrome may be triggered by something such as a bacterial infection but patient’s behaviors and stress levels worsen or prolong the side effects of IBS.

If you suffer from IBS you really need to take a self evaluation to see if your own behaviors are contributing to your illness. Make any changes possible to cut down on your stress level. You really need to consider your personal health your number one priority.

About 40 percent of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients that used Rifimax in this test saw a major improvement in symptoms. The Rifimax is taken for about 10 days, but the effects of the antibiotic can last up to a year. After that time the patient would take another 10 day dose.

A simple breath test on IBS sufferers usually shows an overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach. Doctors are now trying to work on the theory that it is this overgrowth of bacteria which causes IBS. Helping to prove this theory is the improvement in symptoms seen in patients after taking the 10 day dose of Rifimax. What also helps is that Italy has been using Rifimax for over 15 years to successfully treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

A longer study is still needed in the United States to verify the results and look into long term effects of this treatment. This certainly is hopeful news to anyone out there suffering the effects of IBS. There are 20% of Americans that can attest to the agony of living with chronic stomach cramps, gas and diarrhea. IBS is the second leading cause for missed work days in our country. Hopefully Rifimax will prove to be a successful treatment.

But there must be some sort of diet that can be followed! There is. What any IBS patient needs to be aware of is what effect certain foods have on the gut in general. There are foods that are known to cause diarrhea and cramping such as foods high in fat, alcohol, coffee (even decaf), fried foods, caffeine. These should be avoided as much as possible.

Foods that cause gas can also reek havoc with IBS. Some of these foods are beans, cabbage, legumes, broccoli, cauliflower, raisins, onions, brussell sprouts, even bagels. Over-eating can also cause gaseousness which is a problem for IBS sufferers as Irritable Bowel Syndrome is thought to cause retention of gas and bloating.

The best advice for obtaining a diet that agrees with IBS is to seek the counseling of a professional. A doctor could come up with a good diet by taking a diet history and thoroughly questioning you on your symptoms after eating certain foods. A registered dietician would be another choice. They would be able to assess your individual circumstances and then create a diet that is specific to your symptoms and your needs.

Basically there is a lot of work going into finding a diet that works with your IBS. As stated above this may come easier with the help of a professional. Good luck with that.