A  recently published study has some interesting insight on how the placebo effect may help Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients. A placebo in medical terms is essentially a “fake treatment” usually used to test the validity of drugs during testing. When a drug is being tested, patients are split into different control groups. One group is given a placebo(often a sugar pill) while the other is given the actual drug. The two groups are compared to see how effective the drug was versus the placebo. The interesting thing about the placebo is that in many cases people will see improvement in their symptoms during these studies even when they’re taking the placebo. This is called the “placebo effect”, where by the body responds to the notion that whatever they are being given is of benefit & somehow improves the persons condition despite the fact that there was nothing special in the pill. The actual reasons behind the placebo effect are still unknown, but it is quite interesting that the body has this response and it might prove beneficial for some people as this study shows. Continue reading “Some Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients Respond to Placebo” »

This was originally posted on my Diet IBS Guide

I had someone ask if they would be able to get unemployment insurance if they quit their job due to the symptoms of their Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This is somewhat tricky & suffering from a chronic illness far from guarantees that you will receive unemployment benefits if you quit or are fired. Continue reading “Unemployment Insurance and Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Other Medical Conditions” »

There has been some recent news on the drug Rifaximin(brand name XIFAXAN) showing some promising results for treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Rifaximin is an anti-biotic that is poorly absorbed by the body. What this means is that most of it stays in the gut where it attacks bacteria. The idea here is that harmful bacteria create toxins in the body causing neurocognitive and neuromuscular dysfunction. By using Rifaximin you can kill off these bacteria and hopefully restore the gut to it’s regular functions. Continue reading “News: Rifaximin For Irritable Bowel Syndrome” »

Special thanks to Hypnotherapy Directory (UK) for writing this detailed post on Hypnotherapy.

Many suffers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome only get occasional pain and discomfort, but for some the condition can effect their lives on a daily basis. You may suffer from constipation, or diarrhea, some may even have both. Pain can vary from mild to severe and can occur at any time of the day. You may also be suffering from indigestion, nausea, cramping, heart burn and muscle pain.

There has been lots of information and research into the condition. Some research suggests that parts of the gut may be over-active, some of the contractions in the muscles can become abnormal. Other research has found that sensitivity to the amount of gas in your bowel and your genes can all contribute to the development of IBS. Continue reading “Hypnotherapy – How Can It Help You And Your IBS” »

Trigger Foods and Valentine’s Day.

February 16th, 2010 - Written by - Leave a Comment

Trigger Foods and Valentine’s Day.

So it was Valentine’s day last Sunday, for which I decided to make a cake for my girlfriend. Unfortunately cakes usually do not agree with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. On top of this I was making an Asian style pork roast(ginger, soy sauce, honey, garlic, etc..), rice & steamed carrots + broccoli. Overall the meal was quite good, the only problem was that pesky cake.

Trigger foods for me are usually fatty foods that are low in fiber, plus dairy is rarely good unless something has broken it down. Cheeses are okay, so is sour cream. Plain milk is a no-no. Sometimes it’s a matter of mixing a trigger food in with something so it doesn’t bother me as much. Continue reading “Trigger Foods and Valentine’s Day.” »

a_wellness_mineral_1207I was recently reading an article from Time magazine about Zinc being used in 3rd world countries to fight childhood diarrhea which is a very serious cause of death in these countries. This got me to thinking that perhaps Zinc could be useful for people dealing with Irritable Bowel Syndrome diarrhea.

Zinc is an essential metal the body needs to function. Not only could Zinc help with irritable bowel syndrome diarrhea, but it could also help other bodily functions & your immune system. I used to take Zinc quite a bit as a child because my mom wanted me to & we were able to get through a winter season without getting sick. Zinc can be hard on your stomach, so it’s important to take a supplement with food or get a multivitamin that includes it in the mix. Probably a good idea to take all your vitamins with food.

P929I’d suggest trying out Nature’s Way Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc complex or Nature’s Way Alive Multivitamin. Note that Calcium can also help with chronic diarrhea as well.

Hopefully these guys will help you out in reducing whatever chronic diarrhea you’re experiencing.

Review: Iberogast for Irritable Bowel(IBS)Buy Iberogast from Amazon.com

Today I’ll be reviewing Iberogast, a natural herbal pro-kinetic motility agent distributited by Medical Futures & Flordis.

warning: According to the the Flordis website, Iberogast contains Ethanol which  may be derived from corn. If you have a  severe corn allergy, you should not use Iberogast.

So first off, what is a motility?

Motility is basically another word for movement. Movement in your digestive tract is obviously important. It’s especially important that these movements are coordinated. A lot of digestive problems can be linked to poor motility, such as chronic indigestion, gastroparesis, constipation or diarrhea. Continue reading “Review: Iberogast for Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Gastroparesis” »

New Direction For My IBS Treatment

November 19th, 2009 - Written by - 1 comment

New Direction For My IBS Treatment

I am taking another stab at trying to tame my IBS. So I’ve emptied my wallet a bit to invest in some supplements and herbal remedies to see how they’re going to fair. I’ll be sure to relay how they work out in the coming weeks. Continue reading “New Direction For My IBS Treatment” »

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