The Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Support Center

Every person is unique, but when you face a challenge like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you are never alone.  Countless men, women, and children have faced exactly the same diagnosis and have survived and thrived. The following guide is designed to help you navigate your journey with the best information and resources that helped other survivors when they faced the same challenge. 

TSC has scoured the Web to assemble links to the very best irritable bowel syndrome resources: articles, blogs, forums, and tools that can help you make better decisions and take action to overcome the range of physical, emotional, and other challenges you're facing now.

As you’ll see, we always welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) guide even more helpful to survivors like you.   

JUST FOUND OUT  

Survivors Say: Best Resources for IBS

• National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse/National Institutes of Health (NIH): What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
• American Gastroenterological Association: Patient Center - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Mayoclinic.com: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• WebMD.com: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• The Nemours Foundation: KidsHealth - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• American College of Gastroenterology: What is IBS?

The Big Picture

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a syndrome, meaning it consists of a group of symptoms. The most common of these are abdominal pain or discomfort (cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and/or constipation). IBS affects the colon (large bowel), which is the part of the digestive tract that stores stool. With IBS the bowel doesn't work properly.

Your Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Make sure you've gotten the right diagnosis and understand your risk factors:

• National Institutes of Health: How is IBS Diagnosed?
• IBSGroup.org: Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diagnostic Criteria
• WebMD.com: Who Is at Risk for IBS? 

Your World

There will be times when IBS affects you more than others and it is likely to take some time for you to figure out exactly how IBS affects you and how you can better control your symptoms. But once you do, life will become much easier. Here are some resources to help now:

• NIH: How is IBS Treated?
• WebMD.com/Healthwise: Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Controlling symptoms with diet
• WebMD.com/Healthwise: Stress, Anxiety and IBS
• IBS Solutions: Treatment, Research & Training
• HealingWell.com: Irritable Bowel Syndrome:  Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re having difficulty explaining IBS to friends, family, and others close to you, this social network offers information and much-needed support:

My Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Social Support Network for IBS Sufferers (registration necessary)

Myths About IBS

• "IBS is all in your head."
• "IBS only affects women."
• "IBS is the same thing as lactose intolerance." 

Read about these and other IBS myths at the University of Michigan Health System's site.

Information and Recommended Links for Survivors

• Mayoclinic.com: Video - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• WomensHealth.gov: IBS Frequently Asked Questions
• HealingIBS.com: Coping with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Types of Treatment

A combination of medication and dietary and lifestyle changes (especially stress relief/relaxation) are used to treat IBS. Depending on your symptoms you may be put on anti-spasmodic or anti-diarrheal drug, or perhaps an antidepressant or a fiber supplement (to relieve constipation). Check out these sources as you work with your doctor to develop the treatment plan that's right for you:

• American Family Physician: Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Mayoclinic.com: Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Treatment and Drugs
• Medicinenet.com: Irritable Bowel Syndrome - How is IBS treated?
• American Journal of Gastroenterology: "An Evidence-Based Systematic Review on the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome," American College of GastroenterologyTask Force on IBS (January 2009; PDF)

Possible Treatment Side Effects

All drugs carry the risk of side effects, and those used to treat IBS are no exception. Ask your doctor about what to expect from the drug regimen you're on, if you are taking medication to ease IBS symptoms. Dietary changes, stress-relief techniques and other lifestyle changes are unlikely to bring side effects.

Holistic Treatments

Stress Relief

About.com: IBS - Relaxation for IBS

Acupuncture

Acupuncture.com: Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Creating a Support Circle

• Set up your TSC survivor profile.
• Join support groups of other survivors or start your own.
• Interact and provide updates on your TSC profile or in the TSC forums.

Work Matters

If your IBS is affecting your job, it may be necessary to tell your supervisor that you're coping with IBS and explain a bit what the syndrome is. Here are some more tips for controlling IBS symptoms, as well as help protecting your rights at work:

• FamilyDoctor.org: Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Tips on Controlling Your Symptoms
• RevolutionHealth.com: Patients with Chronic Illness: Advocacy and Resource Center

Health-care Providers Who Can Help

• American College of Gastroenterology: Physician Locator
• American Gastroenterological Association: Find a GI

The Emotional Rollercoaster

Dealing with IBS can take a great deal out of you, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally. Give yourself permission to feel that full range of emotion and be kind to yourself, treating yourself with as much compassion as you can. Allow yourself to lean on others when you need to, to cry on someone's shoulder, or let friends take you to lunch or a movie. Some IBS survivors find that writing down their feelings or keeping a journal (including a symptom diary) can be helpful. Find your own way of expressing yourself and your feelings, which will also help with stress management and symptom control: 

About.com - Emotions May Affect IBS

Books Survivors Recommend

• Eating for IBS: 175 Delicious, Nutritious, Low-Fat, Low-Residue Recipes to Stabilize the Touchiest Tummy by Heather Van Vorous
• The First Year: IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) -- An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Heather Van Vorous
• I Have IBS...Now What?!!! A Comprehensive Guide for Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Ashkan Farhadi

Communicating with Your Health-care Providers

IBS is one of those conditions we still have a lot to learn about, so sometimes there will be answers and sometimes there won’t. This may be a hard fact to accept, so it's important that you work closely with your health-care providers to control your symptoms as best you can. Here are some tips to help you do that:

• Discuss both traditional and non-traditional therapies, and ask your doctor if a holistic regimen may be helpful in your case.
• Talk openly with your doctors about any stressors, such as major changes or losses in your life; the more your health-care team knows, the better able they are to help you choose the right treatment options for you.
• Do let your doctor know if the treatments she's prescribed are working, as well as when they aren't, or have stopped working.

Dealing with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Information for Co-Survivors

• Let your survivor know you’re there for them; don’t whitewash the situation, but try to be positive as well as realistic.
• Don’t give medical advice you're not sure about.
• It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when someone close to you is dealing with a chronic condition that can be hard to control. Take a break when you need one.
• Let your loved one know that whatever they choose to do for their treatment, you will support them.
  

You've come a long way since you were first diagnosed with IBS, and have likely learned a lot about this condition and how it affects you, as well as what helps. To continue on the road of recovery it's vital that you continue to find ways to reduce the stress in your life, stick to the treatment regimen you're doctor has prescribed for you (or re-evaluate it if it's not working or working as well); and adhere to the other lifestyle changes that can be so important in managing IBS symptoms.

Some of the most effective stress reduction techniques are yoga, deep breathing, massage, meditation and regular exercise. As always, talk with your doctor before starting anything new – and do your homework, look around for someone to work with who you’re comfortable with and feel you can learn from:

• IrritableBowel.org: Alternative IBS Treatments
• MedlinePlus/HealthDay: Fiber, Peppermint Oil Can Fight IBS (Nov 2008)

Maybe you'd also like to look into new research about treating IBS, or support a new act to fund more IBS research in the U.S.:

• Clinicaltrials.gov: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (completed and ongoing trials)
• International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: Support the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Research and Treatment Act
  

Join or stick with an online or in-person support group, too, to help keep your spirits up and learn new information from others who are going through what you are:

• IBSGroup.org: IBS Self Help and Support Group Forums
  
• AboutIBS.org: Courageous Stories

The very good news is that IBS is not a fatal or life-threatening condition, and it does not get worse as you age or raise your risk for cancer. But those with IBS can experience a great deal of discomfort and pain, along with the frustration, anger, and depression of sometimes being unable to get the condition well-controlled. If you cannot manage your IBS symptoms:

• Consider getting a second opinion or even changing doctors, especially if your physician is not experienced with IBS.
• Consider seeing a holistic practitioner such as a naturopathic physician to explore how natural remedies might help.
• Consider increasing or changing the stress reduction techniques you're using, perhaps adding meditation and yoga, or other methods, to bring more balance and relaxation to your life.