IBS Pain
Abdominal IBS pain and bloating are usually among the worst symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In a survey undertaken in 2002, thirty-nine percent said that they would describe their pain as very severe or extreme. Pain does a great deal to limit your quality of life, and ongoing pain can easily lead into depression. Many IBS patients end up missing social events, school and work because of IBS pain issues.
People with IBS experience abdominal pain that could be the result of contractions in the intestines. Whereas the colon's muscles usually contract in a rhythmic way to move stool through your system, in IBS sufferers, the muscles may contract intermittently and inconsistently, all along the colon's length. This could be the reason for the pain in the abdomen, along with gas and bloating. People usually experience pain the worst right after meal time, and it may linger for hours.
If you experience IBS pain, you should keep a diary of what foods you eat and in what amounts. In this way, you and your health care professional can determine what foods may be triggers for your abdominal pain. You may also be able to determine other triggers from your diary, by checking time of day, amounts of food consumed, and any other external issues you might have been facing.
To treat IBS pain, your health care professional will probably prescribe a medication known as an antispasmodic. It comes under several brand and generic names, but they all relieve IBS pain by relaxing the muscles in the intestines and the stomach, to achieve abdominal pain relief. Antispasmodic medications are generally taken a half-hour to an hour before a meal. They do have side effects that can be troubling, however, including urinary problems, nausea, headache, dizziness, constipation and blurred vision.
Some people who suffer from IBS pain augment the medications they take by using peppermint oil, which is a more naturally-occurring antispasmodic. You can take peppermint oil capsules, or you can make peppermint oil tea. However, peppermint tends to relax the esophageal muscles, and thus can trigger acid reflux and heartburn.
Sometimes, antidepressants are used in small quantities to assist patients with IBS pain. These doses are typically much lower than the doses used for depression. They can have a doubly-positive effect though, since ongoing pain can lead to depression, too. Your doctor may have you take the antidepressants for at least several weeks before a change is noted in your pain level.
Sometimes simple treatments can be the most effective, and some IBS pain sufferers use a heating pad to get relief from their abdominal pain. You should remember, if you try this type of pain relief, to turn the heating pad off before you go to sleep, and don't use any heating pads on bare skin.
IBS pain can be inconvenient or debilitating; it depends on the person and the pain level involved. Be sure to involve a health care professional in your IBS treatment.