All you need to know about IBS

What is IBS?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition hitting the bowel and affecting between 10% and 20% of people in the UK. It is defined by the presence of a group of symptoms which are present for at least 6 months such as abdominal pain, change in the bowel habit (constipation or diarrhoea) or bloating. Where these symptoms persist for at least 6 months, you could be affected by IBS and should see a GP for a diagnosis. ¹

What are the causes of IBS?

Experts don’t know what causes the condition, or why it develops when it does, although they do agree that there are some things that can trigger your symptoms and make them worse.

Main IBS triggers are:

Stress or feeling anxious is a common trigger of IBS symptoms. 62% of IBS sufferers say that stress caused their flare up.²

There are common food and drinks triggers of IBS, but they differ from person to person, so it is more about finding out what individual triggers might be.

What are the main symptoms of IBS?

• Abdominal pain or discomfort: IBS pain is often described as ‘stabbing’, ‘sharp’ and ‘intense’ (not a ‘burning’ sensation like indigestion or heartburn) and it’s caused by spasms in your digestive tract.
• Bloating or swelling of your abdomen: some IBS sufferers say the abdominal bloating caused by IBS can even make them ‘look pregnant’ or affect what clothes they wear.
• Changes in bowel habit: a change in what’s normal for you to either constipation or diarrhoea and sometimes alternating between the two.¹

How to treat IBS?

• Buscopan IBS Relief for medically confirmed IBS effectively relieves cramping, abdominal pain and discomfort associated with IBS. ³
• Different from analgesics, it is specifically designed to target the source of pain and cramps.
• The active ingredient, hyoscine butylbromide works by relaxing the smooth muscle in the bowel and thus relieving the cramp that causes the pain.
• It has a fast onset of action for abdominal pain relief and starts to work within 15 minutes.⁴ Also, it is gentle on the stomach.
• Buscopan IBS Relief is the UK’s number 1 choice for IBS Relief *

Adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle¹:

• Identify your food triggers and avoid them. Reduce intake of alcohol and fizzy drinks. Drink at least 8 cups of fluid per day like water or herbal tea.
• Reduce your level of stress by taking more time for yourself, trying meditation or other relaxation methods in your daily routine.

Buscopan IBS Relief is for medically confirmed IBS. Contains hyoscine butyl bromide. Always read the label.

References:

_{1: NICE. CG61. Irritable Bowel Syndrome in adults: diagnosis and management. February 2008}

_{2: Boehringer Ingelheim, Interviews, N-1006, 2012}

^{3: Buscopan IBS Relief SmPC: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/3884/smpc – June 2021}

_{4: Lacy et al, Scandinavian journal of Gastroenterology. 2013; 48: 926-935}

_{*Based on sales data, for verification please email: UK-medicalinformation@sanofi.com}