|
Are doctors focusing on fixing the wrong thing when a patient shows signs of having irritable bowel syndrome? Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common reasons for doctor visits-- it affects 15 per cent of the U.S. population. Yet, new research shows it’s not necessarily gut symptoms, like belly pain or bloating that are causing the most problems in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
While doctors most often focus on treating the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, such as diarrhea and constipation, it’s actually the non-gut symptoms, such as fatigue and lack of sexual interest, which are affecting patients the most.
“Pretty much every day is miserable. I mean I do have better days when I don’t have stomach pains, but they are very few and far in between.”
Dawn Hayes is just one of the 40 million or so Americans suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. “The best days are when I can have bowel movement. When I don’t have them for a period of time I start to get anxious about it,” says Dawn.
And new research shows in patients with irritable bowel syndrome most of the problem comes from outside the intestines, from things like anxiety.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition of either diarrhea, constipation or an alternation of the two associated with other symptoms, such as bloating and cramping. The problem is believed to be due to an oversensitive colon. It overreacts to food or liquid, and contract too much when one eats. Constant spasms can cause constipation, whereas partial spasms cause the diarrheal form of irritable bowel syndrome.
But this latest study on irritable syndrome shows the feeling of a worsened quality of life was shown to be due to these key concerns- feeling tired and low in energy, feeling tense, nervous or hopeless, difficulty sleeping, and low interest in sex.
Previous research has shown that patients of irritable bowel syndrome actually have a health related quality of life that is worse than that of diabetics and those with kidney failure.
But it’s been shown doctors don’t do a great job at assessing these patients’ concerns and fears, which are a crucial aspect of the difficulties experienced by patients of irritable bowel syndrome.
Ken Rubin, Chief of Gastroenterology at Englewood Medical Center, says, “You have to look at the patient globally. We often tell patients, it’s sometimes not what you’re eating, but what’s eating you.”
Antidepressants, such as Paxil or Prozac, can make a significant difference with many of the factors reported to most concern the patients of irritable bowel syndrome.
“Patients shouldn’t just be labeled as irritable bowel syndrome patients, with doctors prescribing some medicine and telling them to come back in three months. Really it has to be a process of looking at the entire patient and examining the issues in the patient’s life,” says Dr. Rubin.
Dawn is on medicines to control the spasms, but also is on anxiety and depression medicine. And the good news is that they’re helping.
“I’ll still always have problems and that will never take away for the pain and suffering that I‘ve gone through, but I’m learning to deal with that,” says Dawn.
There are 3.6 million office visits for irritable bowel syndrome annually, which cost $8 billion a year. Focusing on the big problems for these patients could help reduce the number of the visits and the overall cost.
Related Stories