Treatment

The treatment of irritable bowel syndrome primarily serves to alleviate symptoms, as the cause is unknown in many cases. As a result of the symptoms, the quality of life can be impaired. Since the symptoms are intensified in connection with various factors, the focus should be on self-observation.

Little sleep, stress situations and food intolerances can intensify the disease and, brought to consciousness, can be avoided. In this context, learning different relaxation techniques can help. These include, for example, progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson.

If a psychological trigger for the irritable bowel syndrome can be identified, there is the possibility of psychotherapeutic treatment. A balanced diet with many vitamins and fiber, as well as sufficient fluid intake provide a sensible basis for alleviating the symptoms. In case of constipation, a diet rich in dietary fibre is recommended first, sufficient exercise and a daily fluid intake of 1.5-2 liters.

Furthermore, probiotics from living microorganisms promote the development of an intact intestinal flora. They are contained in various foods, such as probiotic yoghurts like Actimel® or Yakult®. These are not conventional bacterial cultures, but those that survive despite the acidic stomach environment.

Only the regular consumption of probiotic products has a positive influence on the intestinal flora. Besides symptomatic treatment with medication, homeopathic remedies are also used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. The ginseng root, for example, and Schüssler salts help to alleviate gastrointestinal complaints.

For the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome there has also been a completely new approach to therapy for some time now. Stool transplantation is already used for the therapy of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and is now also supposed to help to treat irritable bowel syndrome. A stool transplantation is the transfer of stool or the bacteria contained in stool from a healthy donor into the intestine of a patient.

The aim of stool transplantation is to restore the irreparably damaged intestinal flora of the patient and thus to produce or at least promote a physiological, i.e. healthy microbiome. Since the cause of irritable bowel syndrome is still largely unexplained today and the term irritable bowel actually seems to be more of a collective term for various diseases, a great deal of research is still needed on the subject. There are virtually no studies, case collections or experiences worth mentioning regarding the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome by means of a stool transplant.

Depending on the predominant symptom, different drugs are used. Laxatives include linseed and pectin, as well as macrogol. They belong to the group of swelling agents that soften the stool.

Lactulose is an unusable sugar that binds water and thus results in softer stools. If diarrhoea is the predominant symptom, loperamide can be taken for a short period of time. It has an inhibitory effect on the activity of the intestinal muscles.

Since toxins can accumulate in the intestine, it should be taken for a maximum of two days. Furthermore, soluble dietary fibers in the form of plant preparations such as psyllium, as well as probiotics can alleviate the symptom of diarrhea.Herbal active substances contained in caraway, fennel, aniseed and chamomile tea, among others, help in the treatment of painful cramps. A hot-water bottle can also calm the cramped intestinal muscles.

Only when such measures have no effect whatsoever are various pain-relieving drugs used. However, their intake should be limited to a short period of time. The muscle-relaxing spasmolytic mebeverine and the parasympatholytic butylscopolamine help against flatulence and cramps.

So-called serotonin reuptake inhibitors are used in the treatment if, in addition to the painful symptoms, there is a mental illness in the form of depression. Also in the therapy of flatulence, herbal agents in caraway, fennel, aniseed and chamomile tea help. As not prescription-only medicine the flatulence-reducing agents Simethikon and Dimethikon are available in pharmacies.