Treatment for IBS

[nash4287]

Hi,

For the past six years, my father is suffering from chronic constipation/IBS. Now it has reached a stage wherein the best of laxatives, purgatives, suppositories are also not clearing the bowels fully. Even the intestinal lavages, enemas have not given relief. Various medications including anti-depressants have been tried with very minimal effect. Due to partial or no evacuation of bowels, there is constant pressure to relieve, which requires making several futile visits to the the toilet. Even passing of gases is restricted. Owing to this there is always a feeling of fullness and bloating of stomach due to which the intake of food & appetite has been seriously affected. There has been a continuous loss of weight and he now weighs a meagre 42kgs.
This constant abdominal discomfort is distressing and making him lose interest in all activities of life.

I want to know :-
1. If any effective relief can be given to my father & how ?
2. If it is possible to eliminate the trauma & discomfort resulting from constant pressure, squeezing and rumbling in the abdomen ?
3. If there has been any recent development/research been done in "Stem Cell Therapy" in this field ?
4. If a colon transplantation has been carried out successfully and would that prove useful ?

Thanks & Regards

[Rdemonde]

I have IBS, I had to deal with flare ups for 20 some years, and it's very difficult to manage and very inconvenient at times.
Most of the time, it's constipation, lately it's been grumbling belly and diarrhea.
IBS can deplete your body of lots of elements, enemas are also well known for that; I had a blood sample taken by a gastrointestinal MD and it turned out that I was low in potassium, an element absolutely necessary for muscle contraction, in the belly and  the heart in particular.
I was so low the MD told me I could have had a heart attack within the month if he had not treated me with potassium perfusions in time.
I was also low in magnesium, both minerals are essential for bowel contraction.
I have my level of these minerals checked every 3 months and I take supplements. This has considerably improved my peristaltis (bowel contraction). At one time, I stayed 14 days without having a bowel movement, it was long.
I also tried different probiotics, there was a slight improvement but barely noticeable.

In case I am still .constipated, this MD who litteraly saved my life  gave me a powder to mix with water called MOVIECOL, the main ingredients are potassium chlorate and magnesium, it's works fine.

[nash4287]

Hi Caw2013,
Thanks for your reply. My father thanks you as well as he now feels there is some help available out there. And you are definitely right about 1 thing. Normal gastro docs cant seem to deal with this. We need an expert who specializes in IBS. Unfortunately I cannot seem to find any doc here in Bangalore, India who is able to help us out.
I did try and contact drhyman. But I dont think he will be able to make that "House call" to India

[nash4287]

Hi Dr LarryHobie. Thanks for your reply.
I did find your article highly informational.
However what I need right now is a gastroenterologist who can examine my father and prescribe him the right medication in the right dosage.
I am aware that you are a practicing gastroenterologist, but I live in Bangalore, India. Hoping to find a good institute/doctor who can help us out here.

[nash4287]

Hi Caryopteris. Thanks for ur reply. My father did try Amitiza after a gastroenterologist prescribed it. Unfortunately it did not yield him any great results.

[caw2013]

Wow! Your fathers symptoms are exactly like mine only I'm only 7 months into these "flare up" and have as of late had tremendous anxiety because of it. I too am losing weight, am also trying to shove high calorie food in me & after a couple days I feel so full & bloated I want to burst. I am considering a naturopath doctor.  Also have done a lot of reading & have ordered a probiotic with 30 billion cfu,s which is what Dr. Oz recommends. I am no expert but normal gastro docs just can't seem to deal with it. All they want to do is give me a laxative & pills for the cramping. Look at this website if you haven't already found your way to him - drhyman.com  He is Katie Couric's medical advisor. He is a functional medicine doctor meaning he treats the causes not the symptoms. Go to his home page & hit "watch" - then videos & scroll till you find his on curing IBS  Its pretty interesting. Good luck & let us all know if anything helps

[LarryHobie]

I'm sorry to hear about your father's ongoing symptoms. I agree with Caryopteris about his needing to take a probiotic and recently wrote an article about this very subject for the IBS Group.

The University of Michigan did a study on how brain-gut interactions can be affected and how levels of a component of the immune system called inflammasome can be impacted.

Another study found that probiotics containing multiple strains of beneficial bacteria reduced IBS symptoms in 68 percent of participants compared to just 37.5 percent of those given a placebo.

To read my entire article, visit the IBS Group/Articles page: http://www.ibsgroup.org/other/END_IBS_Blog_Post.pdf.

I hope this gives you more insights into how you may be able to help treat your father's IBS.

[Caryopteris]

He should be tested for Celiac disease.

He should be checked for mineral deficiencies like iron and magnesium and replace what is missing.  also vitamin D.  

He needs to take a probiotic.  L-arginine may stimulate the muscles of evacuation.  

If he has not tried Amitiza, this drug is wonderful but expensive.