James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects 20 percent of U.S. adults.  Although it doesn’t actually harm the intestines, it can wreak havoc on the sufferer with any combination of abdominal bloating, cramping, diarrhea and constipation.  In a recent post I reported a study showing that the old standby treatments of fiber, peppermint oil and antispasmotics still work for most people.

The American College of Gastroenterologists has released updated treatment recommendations, as reported by the University of Michigan. New recommendations of note are:

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

I have been treating irritable bowel syndrome, sometimes called spastic colon, since I began practice in the 1980s.  I saw a lot of it when I had a full-time family practice.

Several new treatment drugs have been developed and removed from the market within the past few years, due to bad side effects.  An article in the British Medical Journal shows that really, much has not changed since the 1980s.

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