Treatment for IBS With Severe Constipation
January 12, 2007 by Ken
Filed under IBS Treatments
One of the 3 main types of IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is IBS with constipation. This is also referred to as IBS-C. Although this is not the most common side effects with irritable bowel syndrome there are many sufferers out there.
The biggest problem with constipation linked to IBS is that the sufferers intestines are so sensitive due to their illness that even the slightest constipation causes sever discomfort and a great deal of pain. This pain is also associated with the treatment because people with IBS often react with diarrhea instead of normal bowel movements so really you are just swapping one symptom for another.
Types of IBS Constipation Treatment
Treatment for constipation in IBS patients is really a trial and error type of thing. What works well for one person may really irritate another.
Take fiber for instance. While this is a very popular treatment of constipation and does work to bulk up the stool and get the water moving in the intestines, the most popular doctor recommended forms of fiber such as bran can really be upsetting and irritating to an IBS stomach.
Diet and Exercise are very important in treatment of constipation associated with irritable bowel syndrome. While you may consider yourself as having a health diet, there can be contributing factors in your diet that you haven’t considered. Gluten has been linked to causing constipation with IBS patients. You could try eating a Gluten free diet and see if this gives any relief to your constipation.
A very popular and effective treatment being used is the prescription drug Zelnorm. This drug works to increase the movement of stool through the bowels. It is also designed to relieve abdominal pain, bloating and constipation. The good thing about this drug is that is designed to be taken for a short period of time such as a few weeks or a month rather than for an infinite period of time.
So as you can see, there is not just one cure for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation. You are probably going to go through a period of trial and error before finding the treatment that works for you. Good luck with that.
Zelnorm By Novartis: Risks Outweigh Benefits on Mon, 18th Jun 2007 9:21 PM
[...] had reported that Zelnorm by Novartis was a very popular treatment of IBS with constipation. This no longer holds true. Novartis, the maker of Zelnorm, had agreed in March of 2007 to stop [...]
Kelly on Mon, 8th Dec 2008 8:20 PM
I have severe IBS and watch what I eat, work out and I tried Zelnorm . Nothing helps.
Ken on Mon, 8th Dec 2008 9:24 PM
Kelly, so what do Doctors say you should do? When were you diagnosed with IBS and what was the symptoms you had in the beginning?
Kelly on Sat, 18th Jul 2009 5:13 AM
The docs tell me to just deal with it .
melatonintablets on Sun, 26th Jul 2009 10:58 PM
just make sure you have lots of dietary fiber in your food and you will be able to reduce the chances of having Constipation.
How To Treat Acne Scars on Mon, 7th Sep 2009 2:22 AM
it is easy to avoid and treat Constipation. Just eat lots of Fruits and Vegetables with fiber in it. Drink lots of water and fruit juices too.
Constipation Treatments on Tue, 13th Oct 2009 11:49 PM
I don’t think it’s so easy to treat constipation with just eating lots of fruits and vegetables with fiber. Something like less than half of people with chronic constipation, and in particular ibs-c (ibs with constipation) will respond to high fiber treatment. And fruits and vegetables do not have particular high amts of fiber. The usual line of thinking is to go for the stuff like psyllium (metamucil etc). If that doesn’t work, there are some more options now, including traditional laxatives, but also completely novel and targeted medications like Amitiza.
anna on Sun, 18th Oct 2009 4:48 AM
whenever i get Constipation, all i need to do is drink lots of orange juice and eat foods that have very high fiber.
causes of constipation on Fri, 30th Oct 2009 5:35 PM
This is useful for people with IBS. Unfortunately for these folks, Zelnorm got withdrawn by the FDA in 2007 due to cardiac issues. However, there is another medication known as Amitiza (generic name lubiprostone) that is approved for IBS-associated (IBS-C) constipation.
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Elten Johns on Fri, 26th Aug 2011 8:34 AM
There has been a medication available specifically to treat IBS is alosetron hydrochloride (Lotronex). Lotronex has been reapproved with significant restrictions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for women with severe IBS who have not responded to conventional therapy and whose primary symptom is diarrhea. However, even in these patients, Lotronex should be used with great caution because it can have serious side effects such as severe constipation or decreased blood flow to the colon. With any medication, even over–the–counter medications such as laxatives and fiber supplements, it is important to follow the doctor’s instructions. Some people report a worsening in abdominal bloating and gas from increased fiber intake, and laxatives can be habit forming if they are used too frequently.
lisa on Sun, 25th Sep 2011 10:14 PM
I have a very severe case of ibs and this is what works for me .I have a few glasses of metamucill a day ,colace ,I have fiber cereal a few days a week.I also do coffee enemas a few days a week to clean and dexotify my body and it makes you go to the toilet right away .It is safe and it works instantly to have a bowel movement .Believe me , I have tried everything .I also take a pain medication for ibs called dicyclomine hcl cap 10mg .It is like taking a gas x pill of pain but a million times more effective .It relieves the stomach cramping right away .All this really works for me and I have the worst stomach in the world and my doctor said my ibs is severe .I do all this I mentioned and it works for me .Hope this info will help someone else.