Irritable Bowel

Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition that has several medicinal choices for relief.  In most cases, these medications are not given to everyone, but to those with a moderate to extreme level of IBS symptom severity.  In other words, they may not be the right choice for you. 

These medications come in several forms and you may have heard a lot about them when you visited your doctor to become diagnosed with IBS in the first place. 

If your doctor did not mention them, or you are not sure if they are right for you, talk with your doctor.  Your individual situation may warrant a different medication or just lifestyle changes to meet your symptoms.

It can't be said enough that the most benefit to managing IBS symptoms comes not from medication treatments, but rather from the use of lifestyle and dietary changes in your every day life.  Making changes to your stress levels helps as well.

If these changes are not enough, then you may be eligible for medication.  For those individuals, let's break down the options that are available to them.

The First Line

The first line of medications is over the counter.  In many cases, your IBS symptoms may be mild and for them there is no need for prescription treatment.  Some of the medications and treatments that may be helpful to you include these:

• Fiber supplements.  As we mentioned earlier, fiber is a critical part of maintaining health.  In the case of IBS, the right amount of fiber is required to provide the individuals with necessary help in relieving constipation.  Fiber supplements may be the best route to this.  There are two types.  Psyllium which is like the brand name Metamucil and methylcellulose which is like the brand name of Citrucel. 
• Anti Diarrhea Medications.  These are medications for the opposite effect.  They will work to control diarrhea.  You can purchase loperamide such as the brand name Imodium to help with the diarrhea that your IBS symptoms may produce.

Prescription Medications

As we mentioned, there are a few options when it comes to providing relief for IBS symptoms in the way of prescription medications. 

There are a few that are used in the same as anti diarrhea medications and fiber is used. 

• Anticholinergic Medications.  These medications can help with problems with your nervous system.  For some individuals with IBS, there is a need for medication that can help regulate the activities of the nervous system.  These are called anticholinergics.  They provide relief from uncomfortable and even painfully spasms of the bowel.
• Antidepressant Medications.  For some individuals, there is a need for this medication because of the depression and pain that they are experiencing.  If this is found to be the case, your doctor may give you a tricyclic antidepressant or a serotonin reuptake inhibitor which is also called an SSRI.  These help with the depression symptoms but they also help with controlling the intestines through the neurons within your brain.  This includes tricycle antidepressants for diarrhea and abdominal pain.  Others, such as Prozac and Sarafem and Paxil are used to help with depression as well as pain and constipation.

In addition to working with your doctor about your IBS condition, you may also be benefited by working with a counselor as well.  This is a common situation for those that can't find help from the antidepressant medications that they are taking.  In some cases, relief can be found for these needs through counseling and the relief of stress because of it.

Medications Designed For IBS

There are a number of medications that can be helpful to those that are facing IBS as well.  These medications may or may not be right for you.  Your doctor will work with you to determine which ones are the best possible tools to help relieving your severe IBS symptoms.

There are two drugs that are currently being used to treat IBS.  They are Alosetron, with brand name Lotronex and Tegaserod which is branded as Zelnorm.

Alosetron

This medication is one that is quite controversial in its use.  In November of 200, the Food and Drug Administration removed it from the market.  Before then, there were at least 197 individuals that had severe side effects due to taking this medication and there were four deaths that were attributed to it as well.  It was only on the market for a mere nine months time.

But, the FDA decided to once again allow Alosetron on the market with some restrictions in place in June of 2002.  This medication is to be used as a nerve receptor antagonist.  Its goal is to relax the colon enough and slow the movement of waste through the lower bowel, thereby helping to relieve many of the symptoms of IBS.

Today, it is only strictly prescribed to patients.  Only women are able to get this medication as men are not approved for it.  In addition, only doctors that have received specialized training with the drug's use can prescribe it.  It is only to be used in severed cases in which the individual has diarrhea predominant IBS.  Patients should have been insured that any other method of treatment of their IBS symptoms was not helpful.

If your doctor prescribes this medication to you, it is essential to talk to him about the possible side effects and to monitor your condition closely to insure that you are not suffering from anything that could be life threatening or drastic.

Tegaserod

The second type of medication that is used to treat IBS is that of tegaserod.  It is well known for its commercial marketing as the brand name Zelnorm.  This medication has been shown to be effective in helping with IBS in several ways.  Those that have constipation IBS will find this to be beneficial. 

The medication works by imitating the action of the neurotransmitter serotonin.  This helps to get the nerves and the muscles in the intestines on the same track and therefore relieves constipation. 

There are some studies that have shown that tegaserod is capable of providing severe side effects in some individuals.  If your doctor prescribes this medication for you, you should monitor your condition for any side effects.  Should be find anything to be severe, it is essential that you talk with your doctor as soon as possible to insure that the medication was the right choice for you.

If you do begin to take any of these medications for your IBS treatment, it should be done only after you have successfully implemented lifestyle changes, dietary changes as wells as stress management. 

In addition to this, you should have seen a specialist in the field and he or she should do the prescribing of this medication.  Because they are so potentially worrisome to some individuals, it is import for you to be properly placed on them.

Other Options

There are some additional medications in the works for IBS suffers.  A drug that is similar to that of Alosetron is in clinical trials currently. 

In addition, the medication Kappa-opioid Agonish (Fedotozine) is in studies and may be available in a few years.  This medication is one that is a synthetic narcotic which will help to reduce the pain in the intestines.  It is similar to an opiate.

Another medication called Alpha-2 Adrenergic Agents is in the works as well.  This medication should be available in a few years if it is approved by the FDA.  It works by making bowel function normal as well as relieving the pain associated with IBS.

Is medication for you?  There are still other options available to you to help you to fight IBS.  Read on.