Avoid culprit foods. Fatty foods aggravate symptoms in many people with IBS, says Schuster. Fats slow down the digestive tract, gumming up the works in an already irregular system. But with the exception of fats, it is unclear whether particular foods exacerbate symptoms. Milk can trigger symptoms in people with IBS who are lactose intolerant.
Some patients appear to have their own idiosyncratic problem foods.
Nancy Norton says carbonated beverages and caffeine are her culprits. In severe cases, patients can benefit from antidiarrheal drugs or laxatives, but in small doses and for the shortest time possible, says Schuster. Certain antidepressants relieve pain and improve the motility of the digestive system. At Hopkins, Crowell is studying a new drug that blocks receptors for one form of serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in the pain pathway. The drug may dull the perception of intestinal pain, and thus could benefit those IBS patients who appear to perceive sensations in the gut more acutely.