Irritable Bowel Disease

Irritable bowel disease, or functional bowel syndrome, is a disease that needs to be diagnosed by exclusion. This means that you can be told you have irritable bowel disease when your health care provider is pretty certain that you don’t have a serious disease. It can’t be diagnosed with and X-ray or scope or blood tests.

What causes it? Your bowel is dependent on information from nervous and hormones in the blood and gut. These nerves and hormones are influenced by many things, including stress. Chronic pain causes stress. Medications taken for pain can influence the bowel. Treating your body for stress can help your gut.

Psyillium fibre works for constipation and diarrhoea. It binds the stool if you have diarrhoea and the increase in fibre helps if you have constipation. If you are older, it is advisable to take a stool softener as well, as too much fibre can block the bowel. Psyllium fibre absorbs medication so it should be taken with meals or in between medications. It takes a while to work and you have to use it every single day. It is safe to use for ever if you have irritable bowel syndrome. I suggest the powder, not capsules. I think you need to take way too many capsules for it to be effective.

If none of this works, or if you are interested in more information, then try this website: https://www.theibsnetwork.org/diet/fodmaps/

Of course you need to speak to your health care provider to make sure there isn’t another sort of problem.