CBT, Hypnotherapy and Digital Therapeutics

I am Alex, the developer of GutCheck IBS Diary, and forum founder Jeffrey Roberts approved this disclosed feedback request. GutCheck is a free, no-account iPhone diary for quickly recording Bristol stool type, food timing, urgency, pain, bloating, gas, urine, and other symptoms. Health logs stay on the device. The app can summarize observational patterns and create reports for clinician conversations, but it does not diagnose IBS, recommend treatment, or replace medical care. I am looking for candid usability feedback from adults who already keep a bowel or symptom diary. Is logging fast enough during a toilet visit? Are history and pattern explanations understandable? …

Hello everyone, I'm part of the team at DigeHealth where we're developing a wearable that tracks bowel sounds to explore whether there are measurable patterns in gastrointestinal activity that relate to digestive symptoms over time. As part of this work, we’re hoping to learn directly from people living with IBS about their day-to-day experiences. We'd love to speak with people for a short 15-minute interview to understand: How you currently manage symptoms What you find most challenging about living with IBS How continuous, objective gut activity data could be useful to you We're also opening access to our first beta testing group on a first-come, first-served basis. If …

Hey everyone, I'm JP. I have IBS and I've been training seriously for the last 15 years while managing it. If you're in the same boat, I'd love to hear from you and see if what I'm building could help. The web/iOS app is called Xaki (xaki.com). It tracks your gut symptoms, bathroom runs, meals, and exercise as one picture. AI handles the pattern recognition. It's already helped my wife, a few friends and me. For example, I was able to connect dots between a diet too high in fats, either too much/little soluable/insoluble fiber, training intensity and insufficient rest in a precise way. I'm looking for beta testers (18+) to try it and share honest feedback. In return: li…

Am J Clin Hypn. 2025 Dec 16:1-15. doi: 10.1080/00029157.2025.2585911. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that is characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits and has a significant impact on quality of life. The current study aimed to assess the efficacy of hypnotherapy as a management strategy of IBS. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis that depended on randomized controlled trials to achieve the aims of the study. The main outcomes of the current review included abdominal pain reduction, dropout rates, and improved level of quality of life with pooled estimate cacluation for these…

Hypnotherapy reduces Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms — and now there’s an app for that Monash University Monash researchers have demonstrated that hypnotherapy can significantly reduce Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) flareups, through a new app, Nerva, that’s been validated in clinical trials. Developed by Dr Simone Peters, Monash University, in collaboration with health tech company Mindset Health, the app, Nerva, targets the miscommunication between the gut and the brain, which is at the heart of many IBS symptoms. It uses a technique called Gut-directed hypnotherapy (GHD) to calm visceral hypersensitivity, hypervigilance and gut motility (or digestion). The…

Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 Dec;9(12):1162-1176. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(24)00245-0. ABSTRACT Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder of gut-brain interaction characterised by symptoms of abdominal pain, occurring at least 1 day per week, and a change in stool frequency or form. Individuals with IBS are usually subtyped according to their predominant bowel habit, which is used to direct symptom-based treatment. However, this approach is probably an oversimplification of a complex and multidimensional condition, and other factors, such as psychological health, are known to influence symptom severity and prognosis. We have previously used latent class ana…

Dig Dis Sci. 2024 Oct 14. doi: 10.1007/s10620-024-08672-7. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Digital health interventions (DHIs) could be a valuable self-management tool for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but little research exists on IBS-focused DHIs and their effectiveness. This review aimed to identify DHIs for IBS and evaluate their characteristics, effectiveness, and feasibility. METHODS: Our study team, including patient partners, conducted a systematic review using Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL from database inception to May 2024. Experimental and observational studies evaluating DHIs designed for use by IBS patients…

Internet delivered exposure based cognitive behavior therapy for IBS – A clinical effectiveness study Wallen, Hugo PhD1,a; Ljótsson, Brjánn PhD1; Lindfors, Perjohan MD, PhD1,2; Forsell, Erik PhD3; Hesser, Hugo PhD4,5; Svanborg, Cecilia MD, PhD3 The American Journal of Gastroenterology ():10.14309/ajg.0000000000003059, August 28, 2024. | DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000003059 Objectives: IBS is a common and debilitating disorder. When dietary and pharmacological interventions are not satisfactory, psychological treatment may produce good results. But the access to such treatment is scarce and therefore it is of importance to make use of technical solutions…

Digital Behavioral Therapy Apps Provide More Choices to Patients With IBS Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News Digital applications offer accessible, cost-effective delivery of brain–gut behavioral therapy, an effective, guideline-recommended treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, according to a new literature review published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2024;22[2]:222-234). Many pharmacologic treatments fail to provide complete symptom relief and “may be poorly tolerated” by patients, according to the researchers. Randomized controlled trials indicate that brain–gut behavioral therapy (BGBT), along with other IBS therapies, improve sym…

Hypnosis Could Work Wonders on IBS The Atlantic As far-fetched as it may seem, research suggests that hypnotherapy can help patients find relief from all sorts of gut disorders. By Kate Wheeling he change in Zack Rogers was sudden. In the middle of his 12th birthday party, his stomach started hurting. He went to bed early that night, missing much of his own slumber party, and then stayed home from school the whole next week. The stomach pain was excruciating, and he couldn’t keep any food down. He lost 40 pounds in just a few weeks. Zack spent the next three years in and out of hospitals and trying medicines that didn’t seem to work. His doctors…

Brain-Gut Connection and IBS If you’re one of the millions of people who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you may be aware that stress and anxiety can deeply affect your gut and sense of wellbeing. IBS is categorized as a disorder of the gut-brain interaction (DGBI),1 which means that there’s a disconnection between how your brain and gut are communicating with each other. You might have felt those familiar butterflies in your stomach before a presentation or experienced that sinking feeling in your gut when fear or anxiety kicks in. These sensations highlight the strong connection between our emotions, thoughts, and digestion. Interestingly, the gut is often…

Positive Real World Evidence of Mahana IBS Presented at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual 2023 Scientific Meeting Business Wire Positive Real World Evidence of Mahana IBS Presented at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual 2023 Scientific Meeting Large, two-year data set analyzed by Mass General Hospital demonstrates that nearly 60% of users who completed the Mahana IBS program in the real world setting reported clinically meaningful reduction in severity of IBS symptoms. SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mahana Therapeutics, a leading provider of prescription digital therapeutics, announced compelling results f…

I'm a Food Writer With IBS. This Breathalyzer Provided Helpful GI Insight CNET The FoodMarble Aire portable breath-tester helps determine the causes of gastrointestinal distress so you can get your gut back on track. LIKE Easy-to-use device and app Personalized, specific results helpful for proactive changes The most technologically advanced fermentation tracker on the market Great for those who are new to their GI health journey DON'T LIKE Logging food and symptoms is time-consuming The device is expensive The food database could be more extensive to save steps If you…

New Data Shows Vibrating Capsule (Vibrant®) Provides Predictable ... PR Newswire New Data Shows Vibrating Capsule (Vibrant®) Provides Predictable Time to Relief of Constipation Symptoms Among Adults with Severe Chronic Idiopathic Constipation NEWS PROVIDED BY Vibrant Gastro May 08, 2023, 07:00 ET NEWTON, Mass., May 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vibrant Gastro, a medical technology company that developed an FDA-cleared drug-free treatment for chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) in adults, p…

The note below is written by Danny Bernstein the Founder of metaMe Health. I felt Danny had an important message to share with the community about a new FDA-cleared treatment option for IBS called Regulora (US-audience) and I wanted to share it with you. I have suffered from IBS since I was a child. I tried so many approaches for my IBS over the years, from diet changes to prescription drugs, but there was one proven approach that I had read about that I could never easily access. …

Digital Therapeutics Could Help Patients With IBS Medscape Several digital therapeutics (DTx) — evidence-based interventions delivered via mobile app or web-based platforms — could help patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a new review of available products. These tools aren't widely used by gastroenterologists yet, but the market is expected to grow broadly during the next decade. "Digital therapeutics make so much sense and solve so many access issues," co-author William Chey, MD, chief of gastroenterology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, told Medscape Medical News. "Because of this, their promise could easily outstrip th…

Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy App Improves IBS Symptoms Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News CHARLOTTE, N.C.—A gut-directed hypnotherapy program conducted via a downloadable app was shown to improve gastrointestinal symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome—and to a degree that is similar to that seen in face-to-face therapy, researchers reported at the 2022 annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. “We all know that integrative care is best, and by that we mean a combination of management strategies that includes medical, nutritional and behavioral management,” said Simone Peters, PhD, the director of the Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy …

Vibrating-Capsule-for-Chronic-Constipation-Additional-Findings ... Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News Vibrating Capsule for Chronic Constipation: Additional Findings Show Benefit CHARLOTTE, N.C.— New analyses of a study of a vibrating capsule for chronic constipation show that adherence to the device is associated with high efficacy and that it has a positive effect even in the most severe cases. “What you see is that compliance does matter,” said Eamonn M. Quigley, MD, the David M. Underwood Chair of Medicine in Digestive Disorders in the Department of Medicine at the Houston Methodist Academic Institute and director of the Lynda K. and David M. Underw…

Can Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy Help Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Women's Health Imagine this: You’re sitting on the deck of a wooden cottage. The sun is yet to rise, the cold air feels fresh and birdsong peppers the quiet around you. You step off the deck and walk down a path to a river. The water is flowing gently and smoothly, with no obstructions from rubble or rocks. It’s moving along at just the right pace… Suddenly, your eyes snap open as your train neighbour spills coffee down his shirt. Headphones out; you’ll come back to this scene later. Ah, yes, sorry, this isn’t the start of a nature retreat story. The peaceful river is part of a specific guided h…

To treat IBS symptoms, apps can help reset the brain-gut connection ... NPR If you have unexplained episodes of diarrhea, constipation or gastrointestinal distress you could be one of the more than 25 million people in the U.S. with irritable bowel syndrome. For relief, your doctor may steer you toward a new kind of treatment that integrates diet change with tools to work through the stress that often triggers symptoms. Rather than relying only on medications that mask symptoms, doctors are prescribing a combination of diet counseling with therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness and even hypnotherapy. (They will first run tests…

How to manage IBS symptoms : Life Kit NPR MARIELLE SEGARRA, HOST: This is NPR's LIFE KIT. I'm Marielle Segarra. Today, we're going to talk about our stomachs and digestion. And, yeah, it's not the most glamorous topic, but it is a super important one. When you constantly have an upset stomach, it can be hard to focus. You may not want to stray far from home to, say, go on a hike or to a party or on a date. And you may also be afraid to eat a lot of things. But the way our guts feel - well, that's about more than just what we eat. A big part of it is mental. There's a tie to stress. We see this in people with irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. More than 25 millio…

A surprising treatment is helping people with gastrointestinal or ... NPR If you have struggled with gastrointestinal or stomach issues and you can't find relief, Ron Burley (ph) feels your pain. He's 75 years old, a retired advertising executive who lives in Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. He says for many years, every time he got stressed out or nervous, he felt it in one place - his gut. View the full article

metaMe Health partners with Launchit Ventures to market Regulora ... GlobeNewswire metaMe Health partners with Launchit Ventures to market Regulora, an FDA-cleared Prescription Digital Therapeutic for adults with IBS, in Canada metaMe Health licenses rights to commercialization of Regulora in Canada to Launchit Ventures, Inc. to expedite the availability of Regulora to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients View the full article

Gut Feelings: Gastropsychology offers fresh take on 'dysregulated ... Healio As research evolves on the pivotal role the brain-gut connection plays in digestive diseases, so too has knowledge of how best to treat patients. While the exact pathogenesis of many digestive diseases remains largely unknown, scientific evidence points to disturbances in gut, brain and nervous system interaction that may cause changes to normal gastrointestinal tract function, producing symptoms that range from mildly inconvenient to severely debilitating. The traditional focus of abnormalities in motility and visceral sensation has shifted to include psychosocial distress as one of t…

How Vibrant Gastro treats chronic constipation with a vibrating pill Medical Design & Outsourcing The swallowable, vibrating Vibrant capsule has won FDA marketing authorization as a new treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation. Israeli-based device developer Vibrant Gastro initially submitted for FDA 510(k) clearance and won FDA De Novo classification on Aug. 26, Chief Marketing Officer Ben Feldman said today. The drug-free capsule is indicated for adults with chronic idiopathic constipation who have not experienced relief despite using laxative therapies for at least one month. The new device will be available in select U.S. states early next year…