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Welcome: here we are featuring remedies with clinically proven benefits from: hypnotherapy, herbal remedies, electro-acupoint simulation, the rationale as to how and why these therapies work, and much more. Return often as we add more content -- and our soon to be coming on-line forum.

 

Herbal remedies, and probiotic supplements for the treatment of dyspepsia, delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

 

The list of plant based preparations for treating digestive up-sets is vast as are often their claims for effectively quelling tumultuous bowels. How then does one sort through the variety of products and insure their claims are factual so as to not waste your money; or worse, potentially flaring-up your symptoms?

 

 

Sorting through these issues may be daunting.

 

 

While the pharmaceutical industry is tightly regulated, herbal remedies and supplement marketing is free wheeling -- often making unsubstantiated claims which go unchallenged. Further, some so-called “natural” supplements can cause harm to organs like the kidney or liver. And, if already taking prescription medications, then combining supplements and prescriptions may have unanticipated side effects.

 

 

GPDA is highlighting a few products here which are grounded in extensive research which help insure safety and effectiveness.

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Iberogast:

New to North America, but developed in Germany approximately 40 years ago, Iberogast is the most commonly recommended therapeutic supplement in Europe for the treatment of dyspepsia.

 

 

Iberogast has a broad spectrum of action upon the gut owning to its unique mixture of 9 different herbs in an elixir (liquid) base. The herbs are all very common and many are well recognized to be soothing to the stomach—but the uniqueness of Iberogast is in the choice and proportioning of the herbs—helping to create a synergistic action of all the ingredients which is greater than the sum of their individual contributions for the improvement of overall gut function.

 

Dyspepsia is a complex motor and sensory disorder affecting the upper gut. Delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis) is commonly associated with dyspepsia, sharing the same symptom complex of: fullness, (especially after eating) bloating, abdominal pain / discomfort, a feeling or urge to burp, nausea and occasionally—vomiting. For this reason, the terms dyspepsia and gastroparesis may be used interchangeably. No two experts will agree upon where to draw the line between these two very arbitrary and subjective clinical labels.

 

Further, those with upper gut distressing symptoms like dyspepsia are often also plagued by lower gut symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Constipation, alternating with loose stools and pain in the lower abdomen, are classic problems of IBS.

 

And, this makes sense. Our gut is not physically divided between upper and lower parts. It is a continuous system sharing nerve connections and bi-directional communication. How else would normal gut motor action—or motility—get coordinated? So, when sensory and motor communications fail—symptom sharing between upper and lower gut is a common outfall.

 

Iberogast’s 9 herbs work upon multiple targets providing a broad range of relieving action upon dyspeptic and IBS symptoms. 

 

The herbal elixir primarily works upon the family of serotonin receptors—the same receptors widely, and effectively exploited by pharmaceutical prescription drugs for treating digestive motor and sensory problems (IBS, dyspepsia/gastroparesis and constipation). However, unlike the prescription medications, Iberogast has an exemplary safety record. It is estimated there are over 20 million users of Iberogast and only 18 adverse events ever reported.

 

The herbs in Iberogast have been researched and demonstrated to:

• Act as an antispasmodic
• Enhance and coordinate gut motility
• Anti-inflammatory action upon the gut mucosal lining
• Acid suppression
• Relieve gas, and
• Diminish abdominal pain and discomfort

Iberogast is available at your local pharmacy and does not require a prescription (it is available over the counter or OTC). If your community pharmacist does not stock Iberogast, just ask them to order it in for you. Since it comes in a liquid formulation—this makes it ideal for easy absorption and allowing individuals to fine tune their dosage.

 

Iberogast is probably one of the most extensively research OTC products on the market and prepared under strict, pharmaceutical level manufacturing practices to insure quality and purity. An entire journal publication has been devoted to highlight the extensive clinical trials published on Iberogast. (See reference below).

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Probiotics

Represent a class of beneficial bacteria which are found to inhabit the gut and play a role in intestinal health and host defense (meaning—protecting you from the invasion of bad bacteria, parasites and virus that are inadvertently ingested).

 

Science has just begun unraveling the > 400 species of bacteria found within our digestive tract. Our teeming community of gut neighbors is gaining in appreciation by scientists for their combined contribution towards our overall health.  When the system gets out of balance, ill health and or digestive symptoms may result.

 

Supplementation with probiotics in the form of liquids, capsules or powders has been one approach to combat common GI symptoms like IBS.

 

However, the rush to market with anything and everything so called “probiotic” has lead to a parade of product phonies.  How then to pick a probiotic off the market shelf?

 

Products manufactured to the same strict standards as pharmaceuticals and tested in time honoured clinical trials do sort out the quality supplements from the charlatans.

 

Further, manufacturing a probiotic which can survive passage through the acidic stomach, find its way to the intestine and settle into its new home takes a good bit of research to fulfill the needed criteria to be a truly effective probiotic. Finally, having a probiotic which does not have to be kept refrigerated to maintain viable living bacteria is challenging. TuZen is a probiotic which fulfills the needed requirements to be safe, easy to store and effective.

 

A probiotic created from Lacobacillus plantarum by Ferring Pharmaceuticals has begun clinical testing for the treatment of IBS. In a small randomized and placebo controlled study, TuZen showed improvement in stool frequency for constipated IBS patients and helped ease abdominal discomfort.  A second study in IBS patients found TuZen helped ease bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort.

 

IBS is a very difficult to manage lower bowel motor and sensory disorder—having a probiotic which is known to be helpful for combating IBS symptoms is wonderful news.

 

Florastor

Is categorized as a probiotic, but instead of being a bacteria, it is actually a yeast or Saccharomyces. It too has been extensively researched for a variety of intestinal conditions and found to be highly effective. Perhaps the greatest positive effect of Florastor is in its ability to reduce stool frequency or diarrhea. Therefore it has been found to be very helpful for individuals with IBS-diarrhea predominating symptoms, travelers diarrhea, and diarrhea induced enteral (tube feeding) problems. Further, it has also demonstrated an ability to protect the gut of travelers from invasion of bad bacteria.

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References:

Journal: Phytomedicine. International Journal of Phytotherapy and Phytopharmacology. Multi-Target Therapy in Functional Dyspepsia. Editors: Wagner H, Allescher HD. Phytomedicine. 2006;13(supplement):1-130.

 

 

Nobaek S, Johansson ML, Molin G. Alteration of intestinal microflora is associated with reduction in abdominal bloating and pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2000 May;95(5):1231-8.

 

 

Niedzielin K, Kordecki H, Birkenfeld B.  A controlled, double-blind, randomized study of the efficacy of Lacobacillus plantarum 299V in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. European J Gastorenterol & Hep. 2001;13:1143-47.

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