Most people with IBS have tried just about everything under the sun to stop the cramping, changing diets, eliminating foods, adding other foods, you name it – it’s likely been tried. And, unfortunately, there isn’t much on the horizon in terms of treatment with medications.

Researchers are still working on IBS though, as it affects so many people. Most recently released information, published on bmj.com (British Medical Journal) does show that fiber, antispasmodics (medication that stops the spasms) and peppermint oil can all help IBS symptoms. So much so that the researchers are calling for these three to be first-line treatments, treatments that are tried first before anything else.

I don’t know about you, but I’m going out to find peppermint oil today!

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Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, abdominal pain, abdominal cramping, IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, peppermint oil, antispasmodics

Post from: Blisstree

New IBS guidelines should include soluble fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil

Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) is a medication that has been studied for treatment of symptoms of moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease (8 Help My Hurt posts on IBD/IBS/Crohn’s disease). Results of studies were discussed at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. 

The medication is from a class of medications called anti-TNF alpha (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha), which has already proven helpful for people living with chronic pain caused by Crohn’s. However, what researchers have found is that not only is Cimzia effective  for people who failed a more common treatment with infliximab, it can be less costly than the other similar medications on the market.

The researchers found that among patients who didn’t respond to infliximab, 39% did respond to Cimzia within 6 weeks of beginning treatment. Importantly, the researchers also found that there were no difference in effectiveness depending on if Cimzia was given alone or with other medications and the patients who responded did so regardless of why the didn’t respond to infliximab.

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Tags: cimzia, certolizumab, crohn’s disease, IBS, infliximab, anti TNF factor, tumor necrosis factor alpha

Post from: Blisstree

Cimzia (certolizumab pegol): Hope for people living with Crohn’s disease

Now for some, there may be some relief in the form of probiotics. In a presentation at the American College of Gastroenterology annual scientific meeting, researchers provided findings from 19 different studies that showed that probiotics can ease symptoms and help normalize bowel movement frequency in patients with IBS.

Probiotics, which contain bacteria or yeasts,  are found in yogurt or dietary supplements.

Newsflash!! Kristen over at Lively Women just reminded me that she’s having a give-away of probiotics. Check it out: Align Daily Probiotic Supplement With 5 Winners

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Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, irritable bowel syndrome, IBS, probiotics

Post from: Blisstree

Can probiotics help relieve IBS?

There’s an interesting story out of the United Kingdom about a woman who only began living life as it should be lived, when she was 40 years old. The 40 years before that, living with Crohn’s disease mean frequent, painful trips to the bathroom and an incomplete education. Read about how her life changed after surgery: Life Begins At 40 For NHS Occupational Therapist Who Suffered From Crohn’s Disease

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Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, chronic pain, crohn’s disease, living with crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer

Post from: Blisstree

Finally – at 40, a woman with Crohn’s disease begins to live life

An 18-year-old in the United Kingdom had been experiencing severe abdominal pain for five years before she was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Now that she has a diagnosis, doctors can work on trying to get the disease under control.

The disposable “camera pill” is swallowed and then tracked as it goes through the patient’s digestive system. The radio transmitter provides the images of areas in the body that would otherwise not be seen. You can read more about this story in this article: Teenager who swallowed revolutionary pill camera finally diagnosed after five years of crippling pain. Sometimes, you just have to love new technology.

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Post from: Blisstree

Camera in pill diagnoses teen’s Crohn’s disease

Is anyone experiencing I.C. (interstitial cystitis), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) & vaginal bleeding? You are not alone. I’m on Elmiron, have been suffering for many years. I’m already past menopause. As if these are not enough, also I’m on medication for high BP, high cholesterol, diabetes & thyroid cancer, thyroid gland taken out, followed by radiation treatment twice.

Marijke here: Do any of you have any of these issues and if so, what are your experiences? Has anyone else tried Elmiron?

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Post from: Blisstree

A readers asks us about interstitial cystitis, IBS and vaginal bleeding

Celiac disease is often thought of as a disease or allergy that is just gluten intolerance, but it is much more than that. People with celiac disease can’t have ANY gluten as the gluten damages their intestinal walls bit by bit, leading to severe and sometimes life-threatening complications.

Here is a good article, Celiac disease: an elusive ‘iceberg‘, which describes describes the disease and the effects.

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Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, celiac disease, joint pain, gluten intolerance

Post from: Blisstree

Unknown symptoms (and pain) of celiac disease

I is for injection….

It’s also for:

Inflammation: Many times, when we have pain, it’s caused by inflammation or swelling, even if we can’t see it. For example, some types of arthritic pain are caused by inflammation inside the joints, so people are treated with anti-inflammatories to help relieve the pain.

Imagery: As part of the complementary and alternative methods of healing, imagery is a major player. People are taught to put themselves in a different place from their pain, or they are taught to imagine pushing the pain away, for example. Here are a couple of sites that do a better job of explaining what imagery is:

• MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Alternative medicine – pain relief
• Alternative Approaches to Pain Relief

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): IBD is the term used to describe ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Both of these diseases can be very serious because, not only do they cause pain and discomfort, they keep your body from absorbing the necessary nutrients and you can become malnourished. Here are some good web sites that describe the IBD in better detail:

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• CCFC Crohn’s and Colitis – Facts about IBD
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease — familydoctor.org

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Often IBS and IBD get confused and that’s understandable considering how close they sound – but there’s a huge difference between the two. While IBD covers two distinct diseases, IBS is a syndrome that covers a group of symptoms. The other major difference is that IBD can be very serious, while IBS may feel serious (with its pain and discomfort), the outcome is not usually as bad as it can be with IBD. You can read more about IBS here:

• Canadian Society of Intestinal Research • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Irritable bowel syndrome – MayoClinic.com

Image: iStock

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Don’t forget the Pain Relief book give away, ending July 14th:

Pain Relief book give away

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Post from: Blisstree

ABCs of pain: I is for…

To answer these questions and more, click on the radio below to listen to a radio show that was taped in November 2007. Dr. Gary Wild, from the McGill University Health Center in Montreal, Canada, discusses Crohn’s disease.

Image: Newscom

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Post from: Blisstree

Radio show on Crohn’s disease

Research has shown that a psychological treatment called cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) can help some people with IBS learn how to manage their symptoms somewhat. The problem is, it’s not always easy to get out to the many appointments that are needed to learn the techniques and, in some areas, there aren’t enough people who are available to do this therapy.

Click here to read more.

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Post from: Blisstree

At-home cognitive behavior program may help IBS symptoms