Thread: For Ravenlost and anyone else that suffers from IBS

Keeping active helps irritable bowel patients cope
By Roxanne Nelson

Last Updated: 2002-10-21 13:19:17 -0400 (Reuters Health)

SEATTLE (Reuters Health) - Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) significantly impairs quality of life, burdens patients with high out-of-pocket costs and causes losses in productivity, according to findings presented Sunday at the American College of Gastroenterology's annual meeting. However, a related study, also presented on Sunday, found that exercise may help patients to cope with their disorder.

IBS is estimated to affect up to 20% of the US population, primarily women, yet there is no cure or even an effective treatment, explained lead author Dr. Mugdha Gore, who is with Avalon Health Solutions. The condition is characterized by a cluster of symptoms including bouts of constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. The cause of the condition is unknown.

"This leads to patients trying out numerous drugs and other treatments, much of which is paid out-of-pocket since they are not recognized by their insurance company or HMO," she told Reuters Health.

Gore and colleagues conducted a survey of members of the Intestinal Disease Foundation, a national patient advocacy group. The questions covered topics such as disease history, symptom frequency, healthcare utilization, medication use, out-of-pocket expenses and impact of symptoms on productivity and functioning.

Of 657 respondents, 97% reported having two or more consults with a healthcare professional in the last 3 months, and 75% reported four or more. Most patients said they had used over-the-counter and prescription medications and alternative modalities, with 89% taking at least three therapies. The average out of pocket expenditure was $258 during the past 3 months.

Of those who were employed, 39% had missed work, 34% reported leaving early, and 33% said their productivity was decreased during the 3 months preceding the study.

"This is still a disease that is not taken seriously," Gore explained, "even though it impairs all aspects of a person's life."

According to the survey, only one third of respondents reported satisfaction with currently available treatments.

A related study found that an increase in physical activity was associated with a better quality of life among IBS patients, and results suggest that a higher level of physical activity may help them manage their illness.

"Ours is the first study to look at the role of physical activity in this population, even though exercise has been advocated as a treatment modality," lead author Dr. Ashok K. Tuteja told Reuters Health. "Decreased physical activity will not increase the prevalence of IBS, but people who are more active will have a better perception and it helps them in coping with it."

Tuteja, who is from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and colleagues performed a study that evaluated the association between quality of life and exercise. In response to a questionnaire sent to 1,069 employees of the Veterans Affairs Health Care System, inquiring about bowel habits, quality of life and physical activity, 64 (9.1%) individuals reported symptoms of IBS.

IBS patients reported lower quality of life than patients without IBS. However, physical activity was found to be associated with greater physical functioning and health perception among those with IBS. The association was with leisure activity and sports, Tuteja noted. Overall, the patients who exercised felt better.

Peppermint essential oil in enteric-coated capsules are
also an effective way to treat IBS.
They are specially coated and do not open until they reach
the bowels.
In a study conducted in Europe in 1984, these were found
to cure people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.
(Herbs For Health and Healing by Kathi Keville, Director
of the American Herb Association)
ISBN 0-87596-293-9

ladytiger.......that's acidophilus for anyone who needs it.

It is also good to take if you get chronic recurring yeast infections and ALWAYS take it after running a course of antibiotics, about 2-4 hours after you take the last antibiotic dose. Antibiotics kill ALL bacteria in your system, even the good ones in your intestines, and that's why antibiotics tend to cause pretty hefty diarrhea.

IBS & Exercise haven't gone together well for me. Physical activity stimulates the bowel (if you're constipated, try going for a walk). and overstimulates in my case.

Shopping kills me. All the walking PLUS the anxiety of being out shopping.....man I gotta go ust thinking about it!!!!!

ravenlost, I thought I was the only one who basically stopped eating just so i wouldnt go to the bathroom. It's been worse since the gallbladder surgery, but is improving since stepdad's out of the hosp and mom's neighbors (do you know who they are?) have backed out of our lives.

mom's neighbor is my sis and her bunch. i thought i had filled you in on that whole (#&%()%(@&$^%! mess.

i almost always have low back pain, but it tends to get worse when I have IBS flareup.

Does your FM flare up when your IBS acts up too?

Ultimately exercise is good for everything. The reason is because it gets all of those chemicals that float around your body working and doing their job. This doesn't mean that you need to go lift weights, but if you were to walk a mile a day (which can take about 20 minutes) you can greatly improve your overall health.

Get all those good hormones going! And start to feel better!