It's Worth The Risk To Get Relief, IBS Patients Say In New Study

Main Category: Irritable-Bowel Syndrome
Also Included In: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Article Date: 06 May 2009 - 2:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

About 8 percent of patients with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) say they are willing to accept a 1 in 100 chance of death if offered a medication that would give them total relief of symptoms, according to a study conducted by the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) in collaboration with the University of North Carolina Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders. The respondents report an average of 73 days in a calendar year when they need to restrict their usual activities due to health problems.

"These results show how desperately people are seeking freedom from their IBS symptoms," said Dr. Douglas A. Drossman, co-director of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders and a member of the IFFGD's medical advisory board. Nearly 2,000 people, who previously had been diagnosed with IBS by a physician, participated in the study, which was conducted online beginning in the second half of 2007.

When asked what makes their IBS severe, the factors cited most often were pain, bowel difficulties, bloating, and limits on diet and eating. Eight in ten of the respondents reported continuous or frequent abdominal pain. Almost one in five participants was being prescribed narcotic medication for their pain, demonstrating that IBS produces a far greater burden on those afflicted than has generally been recognized.

"This study also shows the need for more effective treatments," said Nancy J. Norton, President and Founder of IFFGD. Only 8 percent of the total respondents were very or extremely satisfied with available IBS treatments; one-third were not at all satisfied.

A complete overview of study findings is available at http://www.aboutIBS.org/needs-survey.

IBS is a chronic illness characterized by abdominal pain associated with a change in bowel pattern, such as loose or more frequent bowel movements or diarrhea, and/or hard or less frequent bowel movements or constipation. It affects approximately 10 to 20 percent of the general global population.

Source
The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders