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Imagine having little or no ability to predict when you’ll have to run to the bathroom, or avoiding sex with your partner because of abdominal pain and constipation.
Situations like these are not unusual for people suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a GI condition usually characterized by recurring abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. IBS is estimated to affect nearly 35 million[1] adult Americans and can carry a heavy physical and emotional toll.
In an effort to better understand the physical and emotional similarities and differences between IBS with constipation (IBS-C) and IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D), the AGA conducted a new analysis of the results of the landmark “IBS in America” survey. The analysis revealed new insights into the challenges faced by IBS patients, including:
Day-to-Day Impact: On average, survey respondents reported experiencing IBS symptoms that interfered with their productivity at work or school nine days a month,[2] and missed an average of two days of work or school a month due to their symptoms.[3]
The IBS-D Experience: According to this survey, the emotional experience of IBS-D is characterized by respondents as an inability to predict symptoms that causes embarrassment and ties patients to the bathroom.
· 47% of IBS-D sufferers responding reported that they had ‘little’ or ‘no’ ability to accurately predict their symptoms on a daily basis (vs 39% of IBS-C respondents).[4]
· Beyond frustration, the emotions most commonly reported by responding IBS-D sufferers include self-consciousness and embarrassment.[5]
The IBS-C Experience: According to this survey, the emotional experience of IBS-C sufferers is characterized by attempts to self-treat with numerous over-the-counter products, leading to dissatisfaction, frustration and, in some cases, depression.
· 43% of the responding IBS-C sufferers who are “somewhat” or “very” dissatisfied with laxatives are unhappy because they don’t know when these treatments are going to work.[6]
· Roughly one in three (32%) of these responding IBS-C sufferers reported feeling down, depressed or hopeless because of their condition more than half of the days or nearly every day in the past month (vs roughly one in four (26%) of IBS-D sufferers).[7] 64% of responding IBS-C patients report that they have even ‘avoided having sex’ because of their symptoms (vs 55% of IBS-D patients).[8]
WHO: Andrea Shin, MD, is a practicing gastroenterologist and assistant research professor of medicine at Indiana University, Indianapolis
Dr. Shin can discuss the following:
· Results and key insights from the “IBS in America” survey
· How to recognize symptoms of IBS
· How IBS-C differs from IBS-D, physically and emotionally, as well as commonalities
· Three steps patients can take that can help their physician help THEM manage their own IBS symptoms
The “IBS in America” survey was conducted by AGA with funding for the survey and this satellite media tour being provided by Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Allergan plc.
Online surveys were fielded by GfK, a leading market research company, Sept. 14 through Oct. 29, 2015. In total 3,254 IBS sufferers, diagnosed and undiagnosed, as well as 302 physicians were interviewed.