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Pharmacy Care provides information about self-care, that is how to treat minor medical conditions with products available at the pharmacy. Find out how your pharmacist can help you to manage minor conditions yourself.
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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common problem. It involves abdominal pain with changes in bowel habits. Around 20% of people are likely to suffer from IBS at some point during their lives.
IBS is more common in women than in men and occurs more often in younger people. IBS is usually ongoing, and there are some times when symptoms are worse than other times. Having IBS does not mean you are more likely to develop colon cancer later in life.
A diagnosis of IBS may be made by your doctor after other causes of your symptoms have been ruled out.
Symptoms of IBS
Some people with IBS mainly have constipation, others have diarrhoea. Many people with IBS alternate between periods of constipation and diarrhoea. Symptoms include:
cramps and bloating in your lower abdomen, which usually get better after having a bowel motion or passing wind
pain that can be a sharp or dull feeling
constipation: feeling that you have not managed to empty your bowels completely, having bowel motions less often, straining to pass a motion or passing small, hard stools
diarrhoea: having bowel motions too often and passing loose stools
flatulence, or wind, and/or rumbling noises from your abdomen
needing to rush to the toilet
headaches
mucus in your stools
IBS triggers
The cause of IBS is not known, but certain things can trigger its symptoms, including:
stress
depressed mood
food poisoning
certain food and drinks
some medication
some people find avoiding alcohol, caffeine and nicotine can reduce their IBS symptoms
some women suffer from symptoms of IBS just before, or during, their period
lactose intolerance may be a cause and needs to be diagnosed by a doctor before permanent changes to diet are made
See Your Pharmacist or Medical Professional
if you have an ongoing change in bowel habit, especially if you are aged over 40
if you have blood in your stools
if you have unexplained weight loss
if you also have a fever or vomiting that recurs often
if you have severe constipation, diarrhoea or abdominal pain
if you are being woken at night by your symptoms
if you have recently travelled overseas, particularly to developing countries
if there has been a change in your usual symptoms
if there is family history of colon cancer
if a child is presenting with symptoms of IBS
Treatment Tips
keep a diary of events surrounding each IBS attack to help identify triggers
reduce stress; relaxation techniques or counselling can be helpful
exercise regularly; being active helps digestion
eat a well balanced diet, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and drink lots of water
high-fibre foods, such as cereals and bran, help some people, but can make bloating symptoms worse in others
anti-diarrhoeal medications work by slowing down bowel movements, which allows time for more water to be absorbed back out of the stools, making them less loose
they also help reduce cramping, abdominal pain and the frequency of bowel motions.
they are not to be used in children
[PHARMACIST ONLY]
e.g. atropine and diphenoxylate (Lomotil)
atropine and diphenoxylate may cause drowsiness
Treatments that may help either diarrhoea or constipation in IBS
e.g. iso-osmotic laxatives: macrogol 3350 with electrolytes (Movicol, Movicol-Half),
e.g. stool softeners: poloxamer (Coloxyl Drops), liquid paraffin (Agarol, Parachoc)
[PHARMACIST ONLY]
e.g. osmotic laxative: sodium picosulphate (Picolax)
osmotic laxatives, such as lactulose, work by pulling more water into your stools, making them less hard
they do not have an immediate effect and may need to be used for a few days before they begin to work
lactulose can be mixed with water, fruit juice, lemonade or milk to make it more palatable. It contains some lactose so people with lactose intolerance or diabetes should check with their pharmacist before taking
iso-osmotic laxatives, such as macrogol 3350, deliver extra water to your bowel and help soften stools; they usually take one or two days to work
stool softeners, such as docusate, help water to get into stools, making them softer
a Microlax enema can be used if your constipation is severe, and should work within 30 minutes.
glycerol suppositories act within 15 to 30 minutes
if long-term use is required, check with your pharmacist, as some osmotic laxatives can lead to an imbalance in your body salts
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