Department of Gastroenterology
University Hospital Crosshouse
Irritable Bowel
Syndrome (IBS)
Information for you
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This booklet is intended only for the use of patients
who have been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel
Syndrome (IBS) and have discussed this with the
nurse of doctor at clinic.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome? (IBS)
IBS is a chronic gastrointestinal problem. It is
common and affects around 10% of the population.
More females are affected than men. IBS is not
associated with an increased risk of more serious
gastrointestinal problems.
There are 3 types of IBS:
• IBS (C) – the main symptom is constipation
• IBS (D) – the main symptom is diarrhoea
• IBS (M) – mixed diarrhoea alternating with
constipation
IBS is a functional bowel disorder, this means the
bowel is not working correctly. The cause of IBS
is poorly understood. It can be associated with
stress and anxiety and other conditions such as
fibromyalgia and interstitial cystitis.
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Symptoms of IBS
The most common symptoms are:
• Constipation, diarrhoea or both
• Bloating which usually increased through the day
• Flatulence (wind)
• Mucus in the stool
• Urgent need to open your bowels
• Feeling your bowel is not empty after a bowel
movement
• Abdominal discomfort which is relieved when
bowels move
• Increase in symptoms after eating
Managing your symptoms
Most patients diagnosed with IBS will have the
condition for life and no treatments are a cure.
However, you can manage your symptoms
by making changes to your lifestyle and diet.
Medications may also help. It is often necessary to
try more than one combination of treatments to find
what is most helpful for you.
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What to do first
• Eat regular meals.
• Do not eat late at night.
• Take time to sit down and eat, chew well and do
not rush.
• Try regular exercises , for example - walking or
swimming for at least 20 minutes three times a
week.
• Try and find some time to relax and de-stress.
• Try to cook with fresh ingredients when possible
and avoid manufactured foods and “take-away”
foods.
Changing your diet
Changing your diet can help or even rectify
symptoms. If you have:
Constipation
• Try to drink at least two litres of fluid a day, avoid
fizzy juice, tea or coffee.
• Increase your fibre intake gradually, as your bowel
needs time to adapt. Choose wholegrains and
increase your fruit and vegetable intake.
• Try to eat oats and golden linseeds as they are
excellent examples of soluble fibre. You can add
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linseeds (flaxseeds) to smoothies, yoghurts, or
sprinkle on salads. You can grind them down or
eat them whole. A tablespoon of linseeds a day is
the target, so work up gradually. Drink a glass of
water with every tablespoon of linseeds.
Diarrhoea
• Drink plenty of fluids, for example - water,
diluting juice.
• Try to avoid caffeine or limit caffeine drinks (tea,
coffee, coke, irn bru) to three a day, or swap to
decaffeinated.
• Avoid sorbitol which is found in sugar free sweets
and chewing gum.
• Choose white bread and non wholewheat cereals
• Reduce or ideally avoid alcohol
Bloating and Wind
• Try reducing the amount of resistant starches in
your diet such as bread and pasta.
• Try to eat oats and golden linseeds (see
constipation advice)
• Reduce gas producing foods, for example - beans,
broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, sugar free
confectionary.
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Lactose intolerance
This can result in symptoms such as diarrhoea, pain
and bloating. Some patients benefit from removing
lactose from their diet. Lactose in found in many
foods. It is a sugar found in cows’ milk therefore
you should avoid milk, ice-cream, butter, yoghurts,
cheese, and cream. As dairy products are a source
of calcium you must make sure that you still get
enough calcium. There are many “dairy products”
on the market which have the lactose removed.
Food Diaries
Keeping a food diary is an excellent way of
identifying food which triggers your IBS. If you
remove something from your diet, make sure you do
it for at least four weeks. Then slowly reintroduce
the food and if your symptoms return, you can
identify it as a trigger.
Probiotics
There are many probiotics on the market. These are
food supplements therefore they are not available
on prescription. These come in various forms, for
example - drinks, tablets, granules. If you choose to
take a probiotic, guidelines suggest you take it for at
least 4 weeks and if there is no benefit, you should
try another type or brand.
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Low FODMAP (fermentable
oligosaccharides, disaccharides,
monosaccharides, and polyols) Diet
This involves restricting your intake of foods which
contain fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides,
monosaccharides, and polyols. You could consider
this if the above lifestyle and dietary changes have
failed to improve your symptoms. However, you
should only attempt this with the help and guidance
of a dietician.
Medications
Your doctor may prescribe medications to relieve
your symptoms such as anti-spasmodics (for cramp),
anti-depressants, anti-diarrhoea drugs, or laxatives.
Further Information
• www.ibsnetwork.org.uk
• wwwcorecharity.org.uk
• www.ibsgroup.org
• www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts
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Last reviewed: June 2016
Leaflet reference: MIS16-087-GD
PIL code: PIL16-0066