Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) means that your gut (bowel) is not working properly, so you feel pain and get a lot of gas. You can have trouble going to the toilet (constipation), or have very loose bowel motions or stools (diarrhoea). It is very common: about one person in 100 has it.

Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Bloating
• Gas and flatulence
• Diarrhea or constipation, sometimes alternating bouts of each
• Mucus in the stools

Can medicine help IBS? Yes and no. There is no one drug cure for IBS, but a variety of medications are available that address specific symptoms. The problem is that IBS can be a chronic condition, and patients are often cautioned against taking a medication over a long period of time. Thus, for an ongoing condition like IBS, it is a good idea to explore non-drug treatment alternatives instead of, or in addition to, medication.