IBS sufferers prepared to die early for relief from symptoms

In a recent study by the respected International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) and in collaboration with the equally respected University of North Carolina (UNC) Centre for Functional GI and Motility (all rights and copyright acknowledged) it was identified that some sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) were prepared to accept a chance of death or serious and disabling side effects if offered a medication that would give them total relief of their IBS symptoms.

Respondents report on average 73 days or 20% of the year where sufferers needed to restrict their activities due to IBS. The report makes serious reading, and I welcome it, because in the report it recognises the importance of the emotional impact of IBS on the life of the sufferer as a result of years of frustration and suffering with the physical symptoms.

37% of respondents were using complementary and alternative medicine.
8% of the 1966 respondents would accept a 1 in 100 chance of death to be symptom free.
6% of the 1966 respondents would accept a 1 in 100 chance of serious and disabling side effects to be symptoms free. See the full report here

The authors have to be congratulated on the breadth and depth of the report. One of the things which pleases me most about this report is the formal recognition of the emotional importance of IBS. IBS is not simply a physical condition - it has significant emotional aspects too.

As someone who has worked with IBS patients since 1991 (and still do), I have often wondered why so many IBS patients leave their medical doctor with the feeling they have not been listened to. The IBS Audio Program 100 was designed specifically for both physical and emotional aspects of IBS, and its success for many of its users is in the structure of the program and the recognition of the emotional symptoms.

To the authors, congratulations for an excellent report which will resonate with users around the world. As a clinical hypnotherapist with more than 18 years experience of working with IBS, I hope this report will be a springboard to show at last the importance of all aspects of IBS, not just the physical impact, and for anyone willing to give up an average of 15 years of their remaining life for symptom alleviation (another statistic from the report) I would simply say it is a high price to pay, when other options may be available.