Re: Food Not the Issue?
12/18/07 05:22 AM
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Syl
Reged: 03/13/05
Posts: 5499
Loc: SK, CANADA
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It depends on what you GI doc means by "Food is not the issue". He likely means that food is not the cause nor can diet be used to cure IBS. However, I bet if you asked him what foods to avoid to reduce your IBS symptoms he would come up with a list that would likely include things like coffee, tea, high fat foods and increase your fiber intake.
As for the mindgut or brain-gut connection this is the prevaling model for thinking about IBS. However, there is some question about validity of this model. Recently in a review article on IBS by Dr. Talley from the Mayo Clinic wrote:
Quote:
Conceptually, the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has been considered a braingut functional disorder, but this paradigm is under serious challenge. There is increasing evidence that organic disease of the gastrointestinal tract can be identified in subsets of patients who fulfil the Rome criteria for IBS. Evidence for subtle inflammatory bowel disease, serotonin dysregulation, bacterial overgrowth and central dysregulation continue to accumulate. The underlying causes of IBS remain to be adequately identified, but postinfectious IBS is a clear-cut entity. Furthermore, a genetic contribution to IBS also seems likely. Diagnosis continues to be based on the symptom profile and the absence of alarm features. A heightened awareness of coeliac disease masquerading as IBS is becoming accepted. Management remains largely based on symptomatic rather than on disease-modifying therapy, but this is likely to change in the near future.
In summary some IBS suffers meet the Rome II or Rome III diagnostic criteria for being diagnosed with IBS but they don't fit the brain-gut model description of the syndrome.
Gut directed hypnotherapy has been useful in management tool it too is not a cure for IBS. A recent review of the use of hypnotherapy for IBS concluded
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Although there are some methodologic inadequacies, all studies show that hypnotherapy is highly effective for patients with refractory IBS, but definite efficacy of hypnosis in the treatment of IBS remains unclear due to lack of controlled trials supporting this finding.
As for acupuncture the research is inconclusive too. However, some studies show that it simply has a placebo effect. I tried a series of acupunture three times with Western physician trained in China. I found it had no effect.
Good luck 
References
Talley, 2006: Irritable bowel syndrome. Internal Medicine Journal Internal Medicine Journal J1 - Internal Medicine Journal, 36, 724-728.
Gholamrezaei, A., S. Ardestani, and i. M. Emam, 2006: Where does hypnotherapy stand in the management of irritable bowel syndrome? A systematic review. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 12, 517-27
Schneider, A., K. Streitberger, and S. Joos, 2007: Acupuncture treatment in gastrointestinal disease: A systematic review. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 13, 3417-3424.
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