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Good to see an excellent straightforward article by Dr Martin Scurr in a recent issue of the Daily Mail's Good Health section. Dr Scurr highlighted a couple of conditions which can give symptoms similar to Irritable Bowel Syndrome and worth discussing with your GP if they have not been considered before.

The first Microscopic colitis which is an inflammation of the lining of the colon and which can be diagnosed under the microscope after a biopsy. If positive anti-inflammmatory medicines can be prescribed.

Secondly Bile acid Malabsorption (BAM) is a condition where the small intestine is not able to reabsorb bile acids which are produced to aid digestion of fats. The result of BAM is diarrhoea. BAM can be treated using specific absorbent medicines which soak up the excess bile acids and symptoms usually return to normal, however the absorbent has to be taken for long periods of time as it does not treat the underlying inability to absorb the bile acids naturally.

Well at least worth discussing with your GP!

Gordon

Having read the results of the recent Intestaid sponsored IBS and Diet survey I was amused to see the comment that although most IBS sufferes had a very high level of knowledge on how to control the symptoms of IBS only 30% ever acted on thisknowledge. Well do you think this is surprising? After all how many people eat 5 portion of fruit and vegatable a day or stick to their recommended weekly untis for alcohol.

What do you think?

Gordon

Although the following research is related to the evidence that probiotics will help reduce the effect of traveller's diarrhoea, it is great to see that new information continues to shows that prebiotics have a real impact on our symptoms.

 "Prebiotics may protect against travellers’ diarrhoea: Study" NutaIngredients

This study did remind me that I often find my IBS Symptoms increase when I travel, and if I have a bout of diarrhoea, I am more likely to put it down to my IBS than assoaciated with a genuine infection, food poisioning etc. I wonder how many of our customers have noticed this? In fact, how many of us assume this even if we are at home? I guess if the treatment is the same then it doesn't really matter?!        

The University of Reading that did this study are the scientist behind Bi2muno....which contains the prebiotic that is referred to in the research....which suggests that we can get specific protection from travellers tummy upset, as well as helping with our general digestive health by taking this product!   

My husband has just got over another serious bout of IBS. We are absolutely sure that it is triggered by eating wholegrains.....over a period of days after eating wholegrains he gets a build up of gas (keeps burping!) then gets a tightness in his chest and acid reflux, and then lots of noise in his stomach and finally severe cramping. If he doesn't eat the wholegrain it doesn't happen. He eventually realises what is causing the upset but then has to take Buscapan or and anti spasmodic and deflatine to get back to normal. Sometimes it can take a week or two to get over it. Mostly it's a build up....one mouthful doesn't lead to disaster but a whole biscuit or two slices of bread can be enough to trigger it.   

We get lots of enquiries from customers about food intolerance and the link to irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and our information pages on food intolerance mentions this as a trigger, but what I really note in my husbands case is that the link is absolute. If he eats whole grain it happens, period.  When I orginally got IBS myself I though it might have been triggered by food (smoked salmon always seemed to feature just before an episode!) but in the end I realised in my case it was too wide a mix and just co-incidence. It was happening too often and too indiscriminently to be food.

I know our dietician friends get very upset when they meet IBS sufferers that have an extreme diet with a long list of exclusions, and yet are still suffering from IBS. They work with clients to help them have confidence to put essential foods back into their diet so that they can get back to balance. It would seem in these cases food is unlikely to be the trigger and that something else is really causing the IBS.

Just food for thought if you are trying to work out what is causing your IBS...... 

The TV Dietitian Nigel Denby has prepared a factsheet with lots of great information on IBS and your diet. The factsheet contains suggested diets for constipation, diarrhoea, urgency, bloating and incomplete evacuation. Why not have a read and let us know what you think. Also if you try any of the diets drop us an email so we can hear how you got on.

The factsheet can be found by clciking on the factsheet link or under Managing Your Diet on the left hand menu.

Regards

IBS Team