Pharmacological management of irritable bowel syndrome

Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common longstanding condition with a variety of symptoms including constipation, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps or bloating. There are no specific causes of IBS; therefore, symptoms and management are individualised to each patient. Management strategies involve lifestyle advice on diet and exercise, medications and psychological therapies. IBS can be extremely debilitating to patients’ quality of life and is usually diagnosed as a process of elimination of other gastrointestinal conditions that can have similar symptoms, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Medications to manage IBS include laxatives, antispasmodics, antimotility agents and neuromodulators, as IBS is believed to be a disorder of the gut–brain axis.