Meta-analysis of smooth muscle relaxants in irritable bowel syndrome
This article describes a benefit to drugs affecting the smooth muscles of the GI tract in irritable bowel. My concern with therapies such as this are many. Primary among them is that IBS is one of those GI conditions that responds very well to functional medicine; primarily because alterations in flora and diet are major contributors to the syndrome. So, if we have a patient with unhealthy flora in the GI tract and we slow down the transit time in the gut, those bad bacteria now have even longer to act on things that they should not be acting on. Pathogenic bacteria can unconjugate estrogen that the liver is trying to get rid of and send it back into the system. They can act on undigested carbs and proteins and lead to putrefaction. Remember, fixing the problem is ALWAYS the best answer…covering up symptoms only leads to further problems.
Synergy Abstract