Study: 'Older therapies' best for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Ontario, Canada, November 14: The saying 'Old is gold' has been proved true yet again. A new study has found that "older remedies" like peppermint oil and soluble fiber are effective treatments for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), one of the most common chronic gastrointestinal disorder.

The scientists came to the conclusion after an analysis of 25 years of research on the IBS. They said that these simple older treatments have fallen out of favor because of the availability of newer drugs, some of which have been taken off the market either because serious side effects emerged or they were not very effective.

Lead author of the study, Dr. Alex Ford, from McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre in Ontario, Canada, said, “IBS can be difficult for physicians to treat.”

He added further, "New drugs are always being developed, but recent ones such as alosetron and tegaserod have been withdrawn, and are now only available on a restricted basis, and renzapride has not been shown to be effective."

However, the older methods such as anti-spasmodic drugs (drugs that relax the muscles in the gut and relieve cramping), peppermint oil and fiber that are relatively cheap, safe, and readily available over the counter, appear to be effective in IBS, study authors concluded.

The researchers looked at 38 trials involving 2,500 adult patients suffering from IBS. They compared therapies, such as IBS treatment with fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil to a dummy pills or no treatment.

The study, which appears in the Nov. 14 online edition of the British Medical Journal, found that peppermint oil, fiber and antispasmodics drugs were effective treatments for IBS and insoluble bran-based fibers were not beneficial; only soluble fiber such as isphaghula husk, significantly reduced symptoms. Of all three treatments, peppermint oil took the top slot.

Peppermint oil and antispasmodic drug, hyoscine, which is not widely prescribed in the Britain, are easily available from the pharmacies. In U.S., hyoscine is sold without a prescription. The study authors have asked for guidelines on easing IBS to be updated to include the three treatments.

Dr Jones said the older treatments were cheap, safe and had been in use for nearly 15 to 20 years. "They fell out of favor with the development of new drugs, “he added. "This is good news for patients."

One in five American adults has irritable bowel syndrome while in UK approximately eight million people are thought to have IBS. More women are affected from IBS as compared to men.

IBS is a disorder of the intestine that shows no sign of a disease that can be seen or measured. No one knows exactly what causes irritable bowel syndrome. As the exact cause is not known recommendations for treatment include dietary advice, antidepressants, probiotics, behavioral-based therapies, psychotherapy, acupuncture, and laxatives.

Common symptoms include abdominal cramping or pain, a bloated feeling, gas (flatulence), diarrhea or constipation (sometimes alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea) and mucus in the stool. Only a small percentage of people with IBS have severe signs and symptoms.