LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

IBS

Link between irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia – (03-29-04)

by

Link between irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia may be related to findings on lactulose breath testing

This is an interesting one. Although the diagnosis of fibromyalgia no longer seems to be the “flavor of the month,” patients with symptoms that would match those in FM are still walking around. Here is my concern: I firmly believe that a relatively small amount of true FM patients really exist. I feel that FM is more of a systemic manifestation of IBS. Dysfunction of the GI tract can explain all the symptoms of FM if you follow the physiology. In this study, the authors found evidence of small bowel bacterial overgrowth in both IBS and FM patients, and the patients with more overgrowth the more likely they had somatic (muscle) pain.

Research has shown that small bowel bacterial overgrowth can occur with anti-secretory therapy for GI complaints and from destruction of normal, protective bacterial flora. Some research has also shown the small bowel bacterial overgrowth will increase small bowel permeability–basically stuff is getting into the body that shouldn’t be and the body has no choice but to react and attach the invaders. Then, following that further, small bowel bacterial overgrowth has been linked to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. So, not only could we have an upregulated immune system from the leaky gut, but the liver is now likewise burdened. Put these together and you’ve got a recipe for FM.

Ann Rheum Dis — Abstracts: Pimentel et al. 63 (4): 450 –

Read entire article here

Colon Irritable? Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diarrhea in the Head

by

There are days when you’re a little grumpy. But, for some, every day finds their colon irritable. But is irritable bowel syndrome diarrhea all in your head?

Despite what some may think, irritable bowel syndrome (otherwise known as IBS) has been around virtually forever.  However, in 2002, a drug called Lotronex was approved for treatment of diarrhea predominate IBS.  And, as is wont to occur when big money gets involved, the direct to consumer advertising that ensued seemed to educate the world on IBS.

For a little background, IBS is a term that encompasses a variety of gut related symptoms that can include abdominal pain, bloating, gas or cramping with these characteristics:

  • Diarrhea or constipation, with the possibility of altering between the two
  • Mucus in the stool
  • The pain is relieved by having a bowel movement
  • The pain is linked to a change in how often you have a bowel movement
  • The pain is linked to a change in the appearance or consistency of your stool

The symptoms of IBS, of course, can be highly variable.  One thing that is consistent, however, is just how much this can impact the sufferers’ life.

It is also not uncommon to see IBS go hand in hand with fibromyalgia.

Spastic colon is referred to as a functional bowel disorder, meaning that there is something wrong with the way the gut is working.  Contrast this with a pathological bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis or colorectal cancer.  Traditionally trained gastroenterologists are in general, quite frankly clueless about how to treat functional bowel disorders.  It is almost as if they have completely forgotten how the gut works and have no real tools to help restore healthy function of the gut.

Maybe this stems from the tools in the toolbox–there are few, if any, pharmaceutical drugs on the market that support normal function in the body.  In almost every case drugs interfere with the normal processes that occur.  They block, they speed up, they slow down.  But none are designed to normalize.  So if you have a problem that stems from poor function of the gut and you have no tools to fix the function, that condition will be almost impossible to treat.

If you’d like my take (and even if you don’t…) on IBS, here it is in a nutshell:

  1. Stress is a massive, massive player in IBS
  2. Supporting digestion with digestive enzymes and / or hydrochloric acid can be a powerful tool
  3. Probiotic supplementation is a must (so much so that, if a physician you are seeing for your IBS has not recommended them, you need to run the other way)
  4. A healthy diet is necessary for long term benefit
  5. Magnesium is an almost guaranteed fix for constipation-dominant IBS

For this particular study, we need to focus on #1 above.  Stress.

Stress destroys the gut.  But the gut has been considered the “second brain” because it contains massive levels of hormones that effect the nervous system.  So, with irritable bowel, does stress cause the IBS or does IBS lead to stress?

It’s the proverbial chicken-or-the-egg dilemma.

Researchers tried to answer the question by looking at how much anxiety increased the risk for irritable bowel as well as whether those with IBS were more likely to develop anxiety.

They found that it works both ways.  Anxiety increases the risk of developing irritable bowel.  But IRS also increases the risk of developing anxiety.

The bottom line is that every aspect of your body and health interact with every other system.  No single part of your body lives in a vacuum unaffected by its neighbors.

Since stress is such a strong player in the development of IBS as well as the management of irritable bowel syndrome, have you had success in using tools like biofeedback or meditation to help with your symptoms?

 

MELATONIN IS A STRONG ANTIOXIDANT IN THE BRAIN – (10-31-05)

by

Melatonin improves abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome patients who have sleep disturbances

I know that when I hear melatonin, I used to only think of a natural hormone that can help with sleep. Now, years later, we’ve found so many other physiologic roles for melatonin. It’s a very strong antioxidant in the brain; it’s found in certain vegetables; and now, helps to regulate GI motility.

As such, in this study, 3 mg at bedtime lowered abdominal pain in patients with IBS. Interestingly, there were no beneficial effects on sleep quality. While this may not have had a bearing, I have recently moved to starting patients on a lower (.5 mg) dose to start with and this seems to result in less side effects.

Read entire article here

A BETTER AND CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE : MELATONIN – (02-27-06)

by

Melatonin improves bowel symptoms in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome

While at first glance this may seem a little surprising, melatonin is created from serotonin, and serotonin plays a large role in regulation of GI motility. Some of the new “wonder” drugs for IBS affect this pathway. So, might the important factor not be serotonin, but rather the melatonin? And a serotonin deficiency in the gut would lead to less melatonin production? Seems like a logical thought process.

By the way, melatonin is a very inexpensive supplement and much cheaper than the new drugs for IBS affecting the same pathway.

Read entire article here

WHAT TYPE OF PROBIOTICS ARE GOOD FOR HEALTH? – (05-01-05)

by

Dietary Fructooligosaccharides increase Intestinal Permeability in Rats

Okay, so this is a rat study and the amount of FOS given to the rats was excedingly high (4500 GRAMS for an average sized male human–I thought this might be an error, but no corrections have been noted), but this study still illustrates that probiotics and prebiotics given willy-nilly is not always a good thing.

We still have much to learn on this important topic, and much research is focused on identifying what types of probiotics are good for what application (IBS, lower inflammation, immune stimulatory…).  It may be years yet before we fully understand all the nuances of pre/probiotic use.

Read entire article here