Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) & SIBO

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common condition of the digestive system and can cause cramps, bloating, and sometimes bouts of diarrhoea and constipation. IBS symptoms tend to come and go. There could be some days when your symptoms are better or worse, depending on numerous factors such as what you have eaten or drank, stress levels, if you have exercised, etc.

There's currently no test for IBS, but your doctor may decide to run some tests to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is a disorder of excessive bacterial growth in the small intestine. Unlike the colon (or large bowel), which is rich with bacteria, the small bowel usually has fewer than 104 organisms per millilitre. Patients with bacterial overgrowth typically develop symptoms including nausea, bloating, vomiting, diarrhoea, malnutrition, weight loss and malabsorption.

A diagnosis of SIBO is often given following one or more tests of your breath, blood, and in extreme causes, biopsies or tissue samples from the small intestine may be required to make a diagnosis of SIBO.

Although IBS cannot be cured, and there is no ‘one glove fits all’ approach to IBS, you can certainly find something that works for you from Medical Specialists®. Through our range of treatments you should be able to find an IBS treatment to buy online that can ease your symptoms and help you go about your day to day life. We have both prescription IBS treatments such as Xifaxanta (Rifaxamin), and non-prescription medicines for IBS.

An important part of living with IBS is recognising what your triggers are. It may be that certain foods cause your IBS symptoms to flare up, or periods of stress could cause them. Avoiding your triggers as best as you can, will certainly make life easier. If certain foods are the cause of your symptoms, try making a food diary and this could help you spot the main culprits.

For those suffering with SIBO (without constipation), Medical Specialists® can provide treatment in the form of the non-absorbed antibiotic Rifaxamin. Although the medication is not licensed for the treatment of SIBO in the UK, it may be prescribed ‘off-label’ for treating SIBO.

The medication can eliminate a variety of strains of bacteria in the small intestine mainly because it is not absorbed into the bloodstream. Because of this, side effects are limited and its ability to act directly on the bacteria present within the small intestine is maximised.