Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, significantly impairs the quality of life of sufferers, according to Dr. Chung Owyang, chief of gastroenterology for the University of Michigan Health System. When patients with IBS also suffer from excessive gas---a condition called flatulence---life can become even more complicated. There are treatments available that target both irritable bowel syndrome and flatulence; however, many patients find they are too embarrassed to tell their doctors about problems with flatulence.
Diet Therapy
According to the National Institutes of Health, treatment for IBS always begins with diet therapy. Foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables contain dietary fiber that quells both constipation-predominant IBS and diarrhea-predominant IBS. Fatty foods, milk products, chocolate, alcohol, caffeinated drinks and carbonated drinks often make IBS symptoms worse. Patients who suffer from IBS with flatulence should also avoid chewing gum, practice eating slowly and, like all patients, refrain from smoking. Keeping a daily diary that describes food intake, symptoms that occur and times for both helps patients with IBS and flatulence identify additional triggers.
Probiotics
According to the National Institutes of Health, the term "probiotic" describes beneficial bacteria that are used medicinally. Probiotics occur naturally in some kinds of foods such as yogurt, milk, miso, fermented fruit juices and soy drinks. Dietary supplement manufacturers also market probiotics in pill form, touting their efficacy in a variety of complaints. The pill forms may have more durable effects because they select species of bacteria who can establish long-term residence within the gastrointestinal tract. Owyang notes that probiotics work well for some people with IBS and flatulence, likely by restoring the balance between harmful and non-harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.
Digestive Enzymes
Over-the-counter medications can provide supplemental lactase to combat gas caused by dairy products or beta-glycosidase to combat gas caused by legumes and many vegetables. For patients with IBS who suffer from gas triggered by fatty foods, prescription pancreatic enzymes may help. A 2010 study in the journal "Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology" found low levels of the enzyme fecal elastase-1 in the bowel movements of some patients with IBS, suggesting that these patients suffer from mild pancreatic insufficiency. For these patients, supplementation with pancreatic enzymes improves stool consistency, stool frequency, abdominal pain, bloating and gas in these patients, particularly after high-fat and high-calorie meals.
References
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th edition"; A.S. Fauci, E. Braunwald, D.L. Kasper, S.L. Hauser, D.L. Longer, J.L. Jameson and J. Loscalzo; 2008
- National Institutes of Health: Gas in the Digestive Tract
- MedlinePlus: Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- "Clinics in Gastroenterology and Hepatology;" J.S. Leeds, A.D. Hopper, R. Sidhu et al.; May 2010
