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Gastroenterology and Health

Irritable bowel syndrome, IBS

Mother's advice was wrong

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Has your doctor ever told you your symptoms were due to an irritable bowel? If so you're not alone. Every year thousands of patients consult doctors for this problem. William Shakespeare and Napoleon Bonaparte were not physicians, but each was acutely aware of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The symptoms of IBS vary from patient to patient. Some people complain of persistent abdominal bloating and gas. Others suffer from stomach cramps, irregular bowel movements or explosive attacks of diarrhea. Many patients wander from doctor to doctor. In the process they take too many drugs and are subjected to too many X-rays.

What confuses and worries patients is the multiplicity of terms used to describe IBS. Few patients lose sleep if they're told they have a "nervous" bowel, or a "spastic colon". But when doctors use the term "mucous colitis" it sets the adrenalin flowing. But IBS bears no relationship to ulcerative colitis, a serious bowel disorder.

Patients should be relieved when given the diagnosis of IBS because it's a "good news" diagnosis. It means that cancer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's Disease and diverticulitis have been ruled out by the doctor.

What causes the symptoms of an unruly bowel is still debatable. But few would deny that emotions play a major role in bowel function. Napoleon Bonaparte, at one time needed a soldier for a particularly hazardous mission. The story goes that he ordered several soldiers to face a firing squad. He picked the stoic man who showed no tendency to move his bowels.

Early Egyptian sculpture depicts the same scenario. It shows a bull defecating while being attacked by a lion. And William Shakespeare in the play Othello, wrote, "The thought whereof doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw my innards". Anyone about to give a speech knows the immortal bard was right.

But what causes IBS when you're not placed before a firing squad? H.D. Thoreau in 1854 wrote that, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation." Evidence suggests that chronic anxiety causes an unusual pattern of intestinal movement which may either slow down or speed up contractions.

These abnormal peristaltic contractions can sometimes be seen during X-ray or sigmoidoscopic examination of the large bowel. But the methods for accurately measuring the intensity and erratic nature of bowel contractions can only be carried out in university centres.

Some people are destined to suffer from IBS by their genetic background. And sometimes lazy bowels and lazy people go together. But I'm convinced after many years of clinical practice that the majority of IBS is self-inflicted.

Some children are victims of their parent's thinking. Those parents who wrongly believe it's healthy to have a weekly cleanout with castor oil. The chronic use of any laxative slowly but surely destroys normal bowel function. They prepare their children for a lifetime of laxative use. Studies in mice show that when they're given laxatives for four months degeneration of the intestinal nerves takes place.

Laxative misuse is an immense problem around the world. An English study revealed that 38 per cent of the male population in Edinburgh used laxatives. And 50 per cent of women in the same group. In another study, 20 per cent of those having two or more bowel movements a day still used laxatives! It hard to forget "Mother's advice".

Add to this scenario a faulty diet lacking in fiber and the stage is set for IBS. Insufficient fiber results in small, hard, stools that irritate the sensitive lining of the bowel. The natural peristaltic movement of the intestines then has difficulty moving these contents along.

The addition of fiber to the diet is all most people need to rid themselves of IBS. Fiber in the form of oat bran, raw fruits and vegetables, and whole grain bread adds bulk to the intestinal contents, helps to hold onto water and lubricates the intestines. Common sense dictates it's easier on the bowel to move contents like soft toothpaste than hard rocks.

Some authorities advise the use of tranquillizers, antidepressants and antispasmodics to ease IBS symptoms. In some cases these may be needed to provide temporary help. But if used for the long pull it's like placing a blanket over a fire.

Remember that rectal bleeding is not associated with the irritable bowel syndrome. If this occurs, be certain to see your doctor. And the next time a high-priced television ad expounds the virtue of regular laxative use, just laugh and ignore it. That will save you from IBS.


W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones
Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod