What is the Diagnosis and Treatment for IBS?

August 8, 2024

Two of the most important processes that relate to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the diagnosis and the treatment that typically follows once all the needed medical information is available. These two procedures are extremely important for the effective treatment of IBS (and other conditions) and the ultimate relieving of pain found in those suffering from IBS. This article will attempt to explain both processes and add domperidone to the list of treatments available.

Diagnostic processes for IBS

Essentially, diagnosing IBS involves the exclusion of other GI disorders that can activate similar symptoms.

The first requirement is for the gathering of historic medical information so that the duration and frequency of the symptoms can be determined.

For the diagnosis to be successfully carried out, the symptom under scrutiny should remain diagnosable for at least six months and should take place at least three times every month.

Tests may be ordered by a doctor that can include tests of your stool, CT scans, orX-rays.

The main ideafor performing the tests is not for confirming a diagnosis of IBS, but to rule out other problems that can influence or change status quo for IBS.

Tests used  for IBS

These tests are relatively new blood tests that have the propensity to help diagnose IBS.

One of the tests involves testing for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), and the other is for the testing of irritable bowel syndrome with both diarrhea and constipation (IBS-M ).

The point to note here is that these two tests aren’t able to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C)

Both these blood tests are to confirm the presence or otherwise of anti-CdtB and anti-vinculin antibodies.

Medical scientists believe that these antibodies are known to develop in some patients following a very bad attack of gastroenteritis caused by different common types of bacteria.

These bacteria can stage an overgrowth in the GI tract that can activate an immune attack on the intestinal tissues of the patient suffering from IBS.

This attack usually results in an inflammation and damage to the GI tract tissue giving rise to the appearance of IBS symptoms.

The tests may also help differentiate between irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, a different intestinal inflammatory disease that also includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

It appears that the antibody tests are useful in diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea IBS-D, but not the diagnosis of IBS with constipation (IBS-C).

It also seems that the tests are also IBS specific which means that when the antibodies are present, it’s  most likely that IBS is also present.

This means in effect that these two irritable bowel syndrome tests may in fact be trying to identify a subset of patients with IBS only, especially those who have post-infectious IBS.

It’s important to note that both these blood tests have not be subjected to extensive testing, have also not been given FDA approval partly because the test involved is expensive to patients who may have to spend a minimum of $500 to over $1,000.

Medications used for treating IBS

As already mentioned earlier, the three main types of IBS are irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and irritable bowel syndrome with alternating diarrhea and constipation or irritable bowel syndrome mixed (IBS-M)

We will focus attention on only two of the three IBS conditions, namely irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea IBS-D and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation IBS-C.

Medications for IBS-D https://www.medicinenet.com/attapulgite/article.htm

These medications for treating diarrhea can include:

A known prescription medication for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) is eluxadoline (Viberzi)

Medication for IBS-C

Medications used for treating constipation can include:

Senna (Senokot, Ex-Lax Gentle Nature) laxatives is used for short-term treatment. Prescription laxatives such as lactulose (Constulose) may also be prescribed.

  • Two other commonly used drugs for treating IBS are lubiprostone (Amitiza), a laxative, along with linaclotide (Linzess), a constipation medication.
  • SSRI these includeantidepressants fluoxetine, citalopram, setiraline, paroxetine, and escitalopram, which may help those who have constipation (IBS-C), but they are known to also trigger IBS attacks in patients who have diarrhea (IBS-D).
  • Domperidone is a prescribed medication that can also effectively treat IBS. Especially irritable bowel syndrome with constipation.
  • This generic medication, that contains active ingredient domperidone, is also known by its brand name Motilium is also used for the treatment of people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
  • If you are one of those suffering from IBS, domperidone may be the fight medication treatment for you.
  • This active ingredient has the propensity to block the dopamine receptors in the upper part of your gastrointestinal tract.
  • This interference can lead to an increased flurry of contractions of the stomach and bowel and by increasing these contractions Domperidone (Motilium) assists food to move more smoothly through the stomach.
  • At the same time, domperidone can act to relieve nausea and vomiting usually associated with impaired digestion.
  • Another benefit of Motilium (domperidone) is its anti-emetic drug that acts as a prokinetic agent that accelerates the digestive process thereby preventing a nauseous feeling.

Bottom line

Having access to appropriate treatments for chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome in its several forms is an achievement that can greatly help in the efficacious treatment of IBS. In this article you are not only provided with information about the nature of this condition and how it’s diagnosed, but you are also provided with the different types of medications used for the treatment of IBS.