There are many medications used for the treatment of IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and they can be prescribed depending upon the patient’s individual symptoms. Drug treatment for IBS is intended to relieve the symptoms enough so that the condition does not interfere with the patient’s daily life and activities. While there is no single drug that has been proven effective in relieving IBS over a long-term period, several have been shown to be helpful for managing the condition.
The drug tegaserod, commonly known as Zelnorm, has been used in the treatment of IBS in women whose main symptom or sign of the condition is constipation. Zelnorm works by stimulating or increasing the movement in the intestines. Although the drug is now approved for use in women it has not been shown to be consistently effective in treating the symptoms of IBS in men.
For those women with IBS that do not have constipation, the medication alosetron is used to decrease abdominal sensitivity in order to relieve other symptoms. This drug was previously removed from the market because it was thought to have contributed to cases of Ischemic Bowel Disease, which is the result of not enough blood flowing to the intestines for nourishment. However, the US Food and Drug Administration have reintroduced the medication along with specific guidelines for its use as well as a consent form for patients to sign.
Antispasmodics such as the drug dicyclomine, known as Bentyl, have been found to prevent or at least relieve painful spasms and cramping within the intestines that is associated with IBS. New medications are continually being studied and used for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, although they aren’t yet available in all countries. For example, the drug trimebutine that is prescribed to relax and soothe abdominal muscles is available in Canada but not in the United States. Another new medication used for relaxing abdominal muscles along with reducing pain and bloating is pinaverium, which is currently available in Europe.
Certain antianxiety agents or benzodiazepines and antidepressants such as TCA’s or Tricyclic Antidepressants, have been found to be effective for relieving chronic pain associated with IBS. The most thoroughly studied of these TCA’s are amitriptyline, also known as Elavil, and desipramine, or Norpramin, which are thought to interrupt or block transmissions from the brain to the body’s internal pain management system.
Although medications have helped many people control or even eliminate their symptoms of IBS, all drugs have side effects and some may not even be consistently effective in certain patients. For this reason, many have chosen to control their IBS simply through regulating their diet and learning how to effectively deal with the triggers or causes of their condition. However, in patients with other illnesses such as depression, doctors generally recommend using medication in conjunction with monitoring the diet for the best results.
Laxatives are another type of medication used for the treatment of IBS. A laxative works by increasing bowel function and the main classes of the drug are fiber, osmotic, stimulant, and emollient laxatives. Obviously, this type of medication is only helpful for one symptom of IBS, constipation.
For a more natural approach, some patients are turning to the use of probiotics, or “good bacteria”, for the treatment of their IBS. Probiotics are normally found in the large intestine and is the same type of bacteria that’s used to make yogurt. This type of bacteria has been found to decrease the gas, bloating, and pain that are often associated with IBS. Doctors also believe that certain probiotics also decrease the amount of time it takes for food to pass through the intestines which helps relieve constipation. While probiotics have been generally considered safe for use, more research is still needed to determine the role they may play in the effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome
