Irritable Bowel
Syndrome is a chronic illness with no obvious explanation. It falls
under the category of Medically Unexplained Disorders (MUD). MUD seems
appropriate since the cause, treatment and outcome is so unclear. Irritable Bowel
Syndrome is characterised by intermittent abdominal pain relieved by
defaecation. Other symptoms associated with IBS are
Diarrhoea.
Constipation.
Urgency to defaecate.
Bloating.
Mucus in stools.
There
are other minor symptoms such as nausea and vomintig but as rule they
are uncommon. The Manning
Criteria and Rome 11 Criteria has helped family practitioners to reach
a diagnosis without too many invasive tests. The gut has its
own Nervous System, called the Enteric Nervous System and it is linked
to the Brain. And like the brain, there are many functional illnesses
of the gut. A few of these have similar symptoms to Irritable Bowel
Syndrome.
IBS is functional
illness of the gut. In other words all tests done are negative. The
diagnosis is often made by excluding other serious illnesses. In this
condition, no one knows the true cause, no one treatment works for
everyone and there in no cure. It is characterised by intermittent
abdominal pain relieved by defaecation and IBS sufferers can have
diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, urgency and mucus in the stools.
There a three basic types of IBS.
IBS can run
in families but it is unlikely that there is a heriditary component.
This may be because of similar personality profile, diet, and stress
due to similar emotional and physical environment. In children. it
may present as the occasional abdominal pains with altered bowel
habits. Colicky abdominal pains in children are more common in families
with similar problems, or family issues such as divorce or stress. IBS groups have a
higher incidence of abuse in childhood. The importance of this finding
is not clear but may one day be explained by the function of the
Brain-Gut
connection.
Back
to the Top
How
common is
Irritable Bowel
Syndrome?
It is
more common in women than in men. The ratio is two to one. No one knows
the true prevalence globally because up to 43% of Irritable Bowel
Syndrome sufferers wait ten years before visiting their family
physician. It is estimated that 15 to 20% of the population suffers
from IBS globally. In the USA alone there are between 40 to 45 million
IBS sufferers.
Fortunately in the
majority of IBS sufferers, the course of their Irritable Bowel Syndrome
runs a mild course.
For the
individuals with severe symptoms of Irritable
Bowel Syndrome, day to
day chores such as
shopping can be a big problem. IBS sufferers have a higher absenteeism
rate from work or school. In the USA, Irritable Bowel Syndrome is
second to the common cold as the commonest cause for absence from work.
IBS patients run a risk of losing their jobs because of the problems
due to their IBS. If urgency and risk of faecal incontinence is a major
problem, they may avoid going out and some end up isolated. Considering that
this is a condition with no known cause and no abnormality of the gut,
it is a high price to pay.
Back
To top.
What is the Diagnosis of IBS?
The
first established diagnostic criteria
for IBS was laid down by Manning et al. Six factors were considered
important.
Abdominal pains eased by defaecation.
Stools looser since the onset of pain.
More frequent bowel movement since the pain started.
Abdominal distension or bloating since the pain started.
Incomplete emptying. You feel you need to keep going to the toilet.
Mucus in stool.
The more of these symptoms,
the likelier the diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The Manning
Criteria has now been replaced by the Rome 11 Criteria laid down by 5
experts, Drs. Thompson, Creed, Drossman, Heaton and Mazzassa.
Rome
11 Criteria.
For the diagnosis
of IBS to be made, the patient
must have 12 weeks or more in the last 12 months of abdominal pain or
discomfort and at least two of the following three features, in the
absence of structural or metabolic abnormalities to explain the
symptoms.
Relief with defaecation.
Pain associated with change in frequency of stools.
Pain associated with change in form of stools.
Abnormal stool frequency:
More than 3 a day---Diarrhoea.
Less than 3 a week-Constipation.
Abnormal stool form:
Lumpy/hard----Constipation.
Watery/loose--Diarrhoea.
Abnormal stool passage: Straining.
Feeling of incomplete evacuation.
Urgency.
So if you have abdominal pain for 12 weeks in the last year and at
least two of the three features outlined by the Rome 11 Criteria, then
it is likely that
you have IBS. You should used this as a guideline but do not self
diagnose. Make sure the diagnosis is established by your Family Doctor
especially if you have other symptoms that do fall within this
criteria.
Back
to Top.
What
are the symptoms of IBS?
Abdominal
Pains: More commonly in the lower abdomen but can be in the
upper abdomen. The intensity of the pain can be from just a twinge to a
severe agonising pain. It is usually eased after defaecation. It can
disappear for weeks or months and noticeably improve on holidays or
when more relaxed. Only in a few cases it is a problem during sleep.
Diarrhoea
& Constipation: Diarrhoea occurs when food travels too
fast along the gut. Water absorption is incomplete and diarrhoea
results. A person has diarrhoea if bowels open more than three times a
day or more than 21 times a week.
Constipation
occurs when the transit time is prolonged. Stools are hard
lumps like pellets. A person is considered constipated if bowels open
less than 3 times a week.
Diarrhoea
is common in diarrhoea predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Constipation is common in constipation predominant Irritable Bowel
Syndrome, and in the other type of IBS, diarrhoea and constipation
alternate.
Rectal
Symptoms: The rectum can be irritated in IBS. This can give a
feeling of incomplete evacuation. This can be very distressing. This
can happen 3 to 4 or even more times in rapid succession. You have a
strong urgency to open your bowels but nothing happens. It is more
common in the morning.
Urgency,
however, can cause faecal incontinence. Up to 16% of IBS
sufferers have had faecal incontinence at some stage in their life with
IBS. This is an extremely embarrassing state and can have strong
psychological effects on the sufferer.
Abdominal
Distension: More common in constipation predominant Irritable
Bowel Syndrome and in women. The IBS patient feels uncomfortable and
can feel embarrassed especially if it is accompanied by rumbling noises
and wind.
Other
Symptoms: Nausea and vomiting are not common in IBS but can
make the IBS patient weak and less inclined to eat.
Tiredness
is a secondary symptom of IBS and depends on the pattern of
IBS. Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients can also develop lethargy, panic
attacks and
depression. In
addition IBS patients may develop uncommon symptoms such as
Urinary symptoms.
Urgency & frequency.
Backache.
Pain during
intercourse & painful periods.
Thigh pain.
Heartburn.
IBS
may be associated with Fibromyalgia. 60% of Irritable Bowel
Syndrome patients also
suffer from Fibromyalgia
Syndrome. Back
to Top
What
IBS symptoms should I worry about?
Blood
in stools is a serious symptom and may suggest serious underlying
illness. Haemorrhoids are more common in Irritable Bowel Syndrome
patients and can cause
bleeding from the anus but blood in the stool is a red flag symptom.
Make sure you have it checked out.
If
your symptoms appear after the age 50, or you have a family history
of bowel cancer or polyp have it checked out by your doctor.
If
you have typical IBS
symptoms, then even though they may be
distressing, they will not cause long term problems. Irritable Bowel
Syndrome is a condition
that will not lead to any harm. If,
however, you have the following, you need to have them checked by
your Family Doctor.
Blood in stools.
Weight loss.
Anorexia.
Persistent pain not
relieved by defaecation and persists through the
night.
Back to the Top.
Is IBS
related to other conditions?
IBS
is a functional condition and it is not surprising that there is a
link between IBS and
Fibromyalgia which is also a functional illness.
60%
of IBS patients also suffer from Fibromyalgia
Syndrome
and 70% of Fibromyalgia patients have or had IBS
symptoms.
Lactose
Intolerance and IBS:
Lactose is found in cow’s milk and to a lesser extent in goat’s milk.
Milk and dairy products can be triggers for IBS symptoms. Avoiding
dairy products have improved symptoms in some IBS patients. In lactose
intolerance, avoiding cow’s milk controls the condition.
Coeliac
Disease and IBS:
This is an allergy to gluten found in wheat. This is a serious
condition. Left untreated, it can cause severe diarrhoea, weight loss
and anaemia. In addition the stools is foul smelling, bulky, floats in
the toilet and difficult to flush away. Living on gluten free foods
controls Coeliac Disease.
Candida
and IBS:
There have been suggestions that Candida overgrowth in the gut was
involved in IBS. We now know this is not the case. To control Candida
(Thrush or yeast) in the gut, a diet low in yeast is necessary.
Stopping cheese, eat unleavened bread, avoid sugar and alcohol, and
consumed probiotics will help.
Mercury:
There
is no evidence that amalgam used by dentists for fillings can result in
IBS.
Hyperventilation:
Over breathing washes out carbon dioxide from the blood and alters the
pH. This can cause spasms in the body especially in the hands and feet.
In addition it can cause colonic pressure and hence abdominal pains. Back to
the Top.
Why are the
symptoms of IBS the same in everyone?
No
one knows exactly why but it seems likely that the answer resides in
the Brain-Gut Axis. In IBS symptoms
change with time and vary from one
patient to another. Some patients have a combination of severe pains,
diarrhoea, urgency and bloating. Others may have one predominant
symptom and minor problems from other symptoms.
We
know that IBS improves remarkably with hypnotherapy, and cognitive
behavioural therapy produces excellent results. Why these two therapy
options should produced such good results? I believe that this is
because they alter messages in the Subconscious Mind. If you allow
negative messages to embed in your Subconscious Mind, your IBS follows
a negative pattern and conversely if your only permit positive messages
into you Subconscious Mind, your IBS will run a positive course.
If
an IBS sufferer has a bad experience with a certain food trigger,
the Subconscious Mind remembers, and the next time, it will reproduce
the similar reaction. This is why IBS is not the same in every patient
and why it changes in individuals from time to time.
Individual
IBS patients know how their IBS reacts to different IBS
triggers and can be different from other IBS patients. It follows a
pattern laid down by memory contained in the Subconscious Mind.
Symptoms
vary in IBS and some triggers are not a problem to others. It
is the nature of IBS. Similarly there is no one single treatment that
is effective in all IBS patients. Some sufferers are refractory. In
such cases nothing works. These patients, however, respond to
hypnotherapy. Back to
the Top
What are the causes of IBS?
IBS
is a functional disease. There is no structural abnormality. There
is no specific cause
for Irritable Bowel Syndrome but there are
suggestions.
Motility
Disorder: This suggests that the gut is hypersensitive. A
hypersensitive gut is influenced by stress, foods and hormones. Food
moves along the gut by peristalsis. This is a wave of contractions
along the length of the gut propelling food onwards. If the gut is
overactive, the waves of contraction become stronger and more frequent.
This results in pain and diarrhoea. If
the waves of contractions are slowed down, the transit time is
increased leading to constipation and bloating.
Dietary:
In the past Irritable Bowel Syndrome was considered a dietary
and stress related disease. We now know that this is not the case. Diet
and stress can be triggers but do not cause IBS.
A
Brain-Gut Disorder: This is the more likely cause of Irritable Bowel
Syndrome. Psychological factors such as anxiety, stress and
depression
have effects on the gut. In addition psychological trauma such as
emotional, physical and sexual abuse can affect the gut. There is a
higher than average incidence of psychological trauma in IBS.
Hysterectomy:
One in ten patients develops Irritable Bowel Syndrome
after hysterectomy.
Gastroenteritis:
20 to 30% of patients with severe gastroenteritis go
on to develop Irritable Bowel Syndrome. During the gut infection the
level of circulating serotonin in the blood is high. High level of this
hormone causes diarrhoea. After the infection, if the serotonin level
remains high then diarrhoea will persist.
Hormones:
In women, Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be troublesome at
certain stage of their cycle. Back to the Top.
If
the Gut is normal, then
is my Irritable Bowel Syndrome all in my head?
Yes,
the gut is normal in Irritable Bowel Syndrome yet you have severe
symptoms. No, it is not all in your head. The problem lies elsewhere.
Some specialists suggest it is due to food intolerance, Candida
overgrowth and various other causes. The fact is, no one knows. More
recent research suggests the problem relates to the Brain-Gut
connection. The nerves of the gut control the level of serotonin
circulating in the gut. High level causes diarrhoea. Low level causes
constipation.
Stress
stimulates the Brain-Gut connection and triggers symptoms of
Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Stress may trigger the symptoms of IBS but it
is not a cause of
it.
Back to the Top
What
is the burden of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Most
patients have mild Irritable Bowel Syndrome. However, when
Irritable Bowel Syndrome becomes severe, the burden is great. If a
patient has severe diarrhoea predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome,
there is a real risk of faecal incontinence. Up to 16% of Irritable
Bowel Syndrome patients have at least one bout of incontinence. 42% of
Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients wait ten years before seeing a
Doctor. They attend mainly because they worry about serious underlying
conditions. It is second to the common cold as the commonest cause of
absenteeism from work. Productivity is lower in Irritable Bowel
Syndrome group. There is a risk of unemployment.
The
burden of Irritable Bowel Syndrome on the Health Service and Health
Professional is also great. In UK, 1.1 million Irritable Bowel Syndrome
patients see a Gastro-enterologist annually at a cost of £45
Million.
In
USA direct cost i.e. physician’s visits, hospital care, tests etc.
is $10 billion annually. Indirect cost (Lost Productivity) is $20
billion. Back to the Top.
Treatment
of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Goal.
1.
Maintain stability of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 2.
Reduce flare-ups of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 3.
Have a day-to-day strategy to control IBS. 4.
Long-term management goal for IBS.
Five
rules to follow for
Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
1.
Never eat a heavy meal on an empty stomach. 2.
Never eat a fatty meal on an empty stomach. 3.
Avoid eating a meal high in insoluble fibre on an
empty stomach. 4.
Eat smaller meals more regularly. 5.
Take steps to avoid gastro-enteritis.
Drugs
and reassurance from Health Professionals help Irritable
Bowel Syndrome but control depends on you. Now that all serious
diseases, allergies and food intolerance have been excluded, you have
to look at what helps and what makes your condition worse. Remember
what works for one person does not necessarily work for others.
A
patient of mine, read a book that suggested she tried Linseed oil
(Flaxseed). She did and found that it worked well for her. She told me
to suggest this to other Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients. The results
were mixed. Some improved, some had no improvement and others were
worse.
Food
triggers can change in time. Another patient went to Tenerife for
a two weeks holiday. She knew all the foods that triggered her problem
and foods she could eat. She looked forward to her holiday because her
Irritable Bowel Syndrome behaved immaculately in all her previous
holidays. Unfortunately her Irritable Bowel Syndrome was worse than
ever. It took her a whole week to find out the cause. She was eating
tomatoes every day. She did not have problems with tomatoes before.
After she excluded tomatoes from her diet, she was able to enjoy the
rest of her holiday.
It
is only recently that doctors are combining drugs, diet and
psychotherapy to help patients control their Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Health Professionals now see Irritable Bowel Syndrome as a Functional
Somatic Syndrome i.e. Physical symptom not explained by structural
disease. Other such conditions are Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome.
Diet,
drugs and various herbs work to maintain stability. I suggest you
find the combination that works for you but remember to be guided by
your doctor.
I
have used acupuncture on patients but I find the benefits are no
greater than placebo. The
only treatment that works very well is hypnotherapy. This treatment
changes messages in your Subconscious Mind from negative to positive.
After a course of treatment, a patient could be free of pain, able to
eat
most foods without problems and tiredness, anxiety and depression
disappear. I personally had very good results with hypnotherapy and in
my book, I explain how hypnotherapy works and how it helps Irritable
Bowel Syndrome patients.
Unfortunately
studies show that you need at least seven sessions of
hypnotherapy. Each session lasts on average an hour. That is in total
seven hours. This treatment is
not available on the NHS so it is not free. Not all hypnotherapists
fully understand
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and your benefits will vary. If you are keen
to try hypnotherapy, make sure the hypnotherapist uses gut
directed
hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is time consuming and results may vary.
It is also costly. But if the long term benefit is that you are
free of the terrible symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, is it not
worth it?
Dr.A.Fugh-Berman,
Chair of National Women’s Health network in
Washington, DC, said that hypnotherapy should be the treatment of
choice in Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients that have not responded to
conventional treatment. I think hypnotherapy should be used by anyone
with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Some
GPs offer hypnotherapy but I cannot see any busy GP spending seven
hours or more on one patient. The Medical Profession, therefore, sees
hypnotherapy as a last resort. This is unfortunate because it is the
only effective treatment that gives control without drugs and dietary
manipulation.
Drugs. Antispasmodics
for IBS Mebeverine
hydrochloride Hyoscine
butylbromide Colpermin-
peppermint oil. Dicycloverine
hydrochloride. Alverine
citrate. These
drugs are smooth muscle relaxants. They work very well for the
pains of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Antidiarrhoeals for IBS. Loperamide
hydrochloride. -- Imodium. Diphenoxylate
hydrochloride. -- Lomotil. Questran.
Cholestyramine. -- A sequestrant. Codeine
Phosphate.
-- This can cause addiction. Methylcellulose
-- A bulking agent.
Treatment
with herbs dates back to beyond 2500BC. I will mention,
however, the ones likely to help in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Peppermint:
It is a strong anti-spasmodic and has pain relieving properties. It is
best taken as enteric coated capsules. It is also a muscle relaxant so
be careful if you have upper GI symptoms such as reflux.
Camomile:
This herb has anti-spasmodic and sedative effects. It is questionable
whether in Tea Bags, this herb has any real therapeutic value. It is
best to take it at bedtime, as the mild sedative effect will promote
better sleep pattern.
Ginger:
Has mild anti-spasmodic properties. It helps the digestive process.
Caraway:
Also have mild anti-spasmodic properties.
Fennel:
Mild anti-spasmodic effects.
Oil
of Evening
Primrose:
Helps in women where
Irritable Bowel Syndrome varies with the menstrual cycle. Studies show
that 50% of women have improved symptoms with Efamol, a proprietary
form of oil of evening primrose.
Recommended
Dietary
Regime. If
you already have a regime that works for you, do not change it. No
drug, diet or herb work for everyone. This is why Irritable Bowel
Syndrome is so difficult to treat. If, however, you have recently been
diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and are unsure what steps to
take, apply the rules in the earlier part of this article. Here are
some other suggestions.
1.
Chew your food properly. 2.
Drink adequate amount of water daily. 3.
Have small meal regularly. Take meals low in
insoluble fibre. 4.
Reduce or stop tea, coffee, alcohol and aerated
drinks. 5.
Avoid refined sugar i.e. biscuits. 6.
Avoid processed food and junk
food
7.
Avoid medication if possible. Continue medications
prescribed by your doctor. Back to
the Top.
Is
IBS a serious illness and will it lead to
other serious disease?
Although
there is no cure for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, it is not
considered a serious condition. Most people have mild IBS.
Unfortunately Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be severe and can control
the lives of the sufferers. They live their lives accommodating their
Irritable Bowel Syndrome. When they venture out, they know where the
toilets are. Some have faecal incontinence and as a result avoid going
out and eventually become housebound.
In
addition, as a result of the pattern of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a
sufferer can develop anxiety, panic attacks, lethargy and depression.
The
good news, however, is that Irritable Bowel Syndrome does not lead
to other serious illness. The pattern your IBS follows depends on
whether you expect it to remain the same, get worse or get better.
Irritable
Bowel Syndrome is not a life threatening disease. It does not
lead to inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s Disease or
Ulcerative colitis. It does not lead to cancer. Back to
the Top
What
is the role of fibre in IBS treatment?
Fibre
is present in bran, wholegrain foods, fruits and vegetables.
There are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre is
in oats, pulses and bananas. Insoluble fibre is in bran and cereals.
Family
Doctors recommend that IBS patients take plenty of fibre but if
you have diarrhoea predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a high fibre
diet can make things worse. This is because insoluble fibre in bran can
act as a stimulant to the gut and cause abdominal pain.
A
review of 17 studies by Bijkerk et al. in 2004 found that fibre
improved overall symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, improved
constipation but had no effect on abdominal pain.
Insoluble
fibre improves constipation but not the overall symptoms of
IBS. Back to
the Top
What
drugs are used in the treatment of IBS?
Below
is list of drugs used in IBS. The most used drugs are
antispasmodics. As Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a long term illness,
drugs should be used on
a short term basis and if possible not at all.
Drugs. Antispasmodics
for IBS. Mebeverine
hydrochloride. Hyoscine
butylbromide. Colpermin-
peppermint oil. Dicycloverine
hydrochloride. Alverine
citrate. These
drugs are smooth muscle relaxants. They work very well for the
pains of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Antidiarrhoeals
for IBS. Loperamide
hydrochloride. -- Imodium. Diphenoxylate
hydrochloride.-- Lomotil. Questran.
Cholestyramine. -- A sequestrant. Codeine
Phosphate.
-- This can cause addiction. Methylcellulose
-- A bulking agent.
Anti-depressants
for IBS. Tricyclic
Antidepressants. Selective
Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors. SSRI’s. Other
Antidepressants.
Anxiolytics for IBS.
Newer
Drugs. Alosetron--
Serotonin Antagonist. Cilansetron--
Serotonin
Antagonist. Tegasterod--
Serotonin
Agonist. Back
to the Top
Is
psychological treatment effective in IBS?
Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy has beneficial effects in IBS. In a study
in North Carolina, 70% of Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients reported
less pain, bloating and diarrhoea after 12 weeks of Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy compared to 37% who just had educational
information.
Hypnotherapy
is also very effective in IBS. Trials done on refractory
IBS patients showed excellent benefits. Following hypnotherapy patients
were able to consume foods that were previously triggers. Gut directed
hypnotherapy pioneered by Prof. Whorwell has produced very good results.
Patients
have remained symptom free for years after treatment. Some
hypnotists leave messages in the subconscious mind that the bowel is
like a smooth river lazily flowing along and if for any reason pain
should recur, the IBS patient should place a hand over the abdomen and
picture the bowel flowing as a river flowing smoothly. This will stop
the pain.
Hypnotherapy
works in refractory Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients. In
these patients no treatment has any effect anymore. As a hypnotist, I
can reassure you that all the hypnotist does is change messages in your
subconscious mind. In IBS the subconscious mind is full with negative
messages about Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
You
cannot change information in your subconscious mind when you are
fully conscious because of the Critical Factor. This is a proctective
layer around your subconscious mind that prevents contrary messages
passing through. During hypnotherapy the Critical Factor is relaxed and
therapy becomes effective. The hypnotherapist is able to remove
negative information about IBS and replace them with positive ones. My
book shows you a way to do this without having hypnotherapy. It is a
lot harden but very empowering.
Through
hypnotherapy patient are able to eat foods that were triggers
for severe abdominal pains or diarrhoea. If it works for refractory
Irritable Bowel Synrome patients, then it will work for anyone with
IBS. Back to
the Top
What
is the difference between IBS and
inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Irritable
Bowel Syndrome is a benign condition. It does not lead to any
serious illness. The diagnosis is made by excluding any serious
diseases. On the other hand Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a serious
illness. It is the name for a group of conditions that result in the
gut becoming inflamed. This group includes Crohn’s Disease and
Ulcerative Colitis.
With
these conditions, you can have abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weight
loss and bleeding from the anus. There are about 600,000 patients in
USA with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. There are about 40 to 45 million
IBS patients in USA.
If
you feel you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, do not self diagnose.
See your Family Doctor for a diagnosis. If you have blood in your
stools, weight loss, anorexia or anaemia make your vist to your doctor
an urgent one. Back to
the Top
Do
I have to live with IBS for the rest of my
life?
Health
professionals will tell you that there is no cure and that
you have to live with your Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Hypnotherapy
produces excellent results. The hypnotherapist put
positive messages into your Subconscious Mind and replacing the
negative ones. In time a good hypnotherapist can give you total
control. If those negative messages were not in your Subconscious Mind
in the first place, perhaps your IBS would have been very mild or under
control.
If
you adopt a positive attitude towards your Irritable Bowel Syndrome,
then your symptoms will improve. This is no different from what occurs
in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and hypnotherapy.
You
have to live with your IBS but the quality of life with your IBS
depends on your attitude towards it. Back
to the Top
Caraway.