For many with Irritable Bowel Syndrome there are days when the prospect of socialising, eating out, going to work, or even just leaving the house is tinged with dread.Symptoms such as bloating, stomach pain, constipation and diarrhoea can be embarrassing and make life miserable – but a new breakthrough remedy offers relief for millions of sufferers
IBS is a common gastrointestinal disorder that affects one in five adults – around 13 million people in the UK, according to the NHS. Most sufferers live in fear of eating something that can trigger symptoms which may include stomach cramps, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.
Symptoms can come and go and may last for days, weeks or even months. And many patients are too embarrassed to speak up about it. “IBS is often dismissed as a condition all in the head,” says Peter Whorwell, Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. “Yet living with the physical and emotional effects can be extremely challenging. Many sufferers may also experience fatigue, backache, joint pains and psychological issues such as anxiety as a result of its intrusiveness.”
The main symptoms affect the bowel. “IBS-D (with diarrhoea) causes frequent, loose bowel movements and an urgent need for the toilet,” says Prof Whorwell. “For many, this occurs every time they eat. Such urgency is common in people with IBS-D and IBS-M (mixed bowel habits).” Incontinence can also be a major problem. A study in Digestive Diseases and Sciences showed it affects around a fifth of IBS patients.
“About two thirds of IBS patients I see in tertiary care (specialist medical care) suffer with this,” says Prof Whorwell. “Some develop abnormal strategies such as not eating, or making excuses not to socialise. With IBS-C (with constipation), someone can go longer than a week without a bowel movement.”
While it’s not known exactly what causes IBS, a recent review in medical journal BMC Medicine suggests factors including dietary, environmental, genetic, psychological and microbiome imbalances may raise the risk of developing it.
“There is no cure,” says Prof Whorwell. “But, it can go from being a major problem to a minor nuisance – and that’s the goal.”
Recent IBS treatment guidelines recommend dietary advice, regular exercise, psychological interventions, probiotics and medications to target common symptoms. A new study of 120 people in the Neurogastro-enterology & Motility journal reveals more than 90% of patients with IBS-D and IBS-M gained effective relief and improved quality of life when treated with enterosorbent silicolgel. This is an over-the-counter liquid oral gel containing silicic acid. After four weeks of treatment, patients reported a significant improvement in symptoms.
“We know certain types of abnormal gut bacteria release toxic chemicals that may trigger IBS,” says Prof Whorwell. “Silicolgel is an enterosorbent. It’s not a drug, but classified as a medical device you can buy over the counter.
“Enterosorbents bind to and ‘hoover up’ toxins which are then passed out of the body and got rid of that way. Unlike medications, enterosorbents, are not absorbed. So, there are no side-effects. The result of this study suggest that enterosorbents may play an important part in the future management of IBS-D and IBS-M and should be added to treatment options.”