https://www.ibspatient.org/community/rss/1-ibs-news.xml/IBS Patient Group Community - IBSpatient.org - IBS NewsenNeurogastroenterol Motil. 2026 Sep;38(9):e70432. doi: 10.1111/nmo.70432. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) is a common disorder of gut-brain interaction that significantly impairs quality of life. Although multiple US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications have demonstrated efficacy in randomized controlled trials, less is known about patients' real-world experiences and factors influencing treatment decisions. Here, we conducted social media netnography-a qualitative approach for examining patient perspectives posted online on social media platforms and e-health forums, exploring the perspectives and experiences of IBS-C patients who report using FDA-approved therapies. METHODS: We examined publicly available posts from X and online health e-forums (Reddit, WebMD, ibspatient.org) made between 9/19/2007 and 9/12/2024. Overall, 7328 relevant posts referencing FDA-approved IBS-C medications (linaclotide, lubiprostone, plecanatide, tegaserod, tenapanor) were included. We employed qualitative (open coding) and quantitative approaches (natural language processing and artificial intelligence) to analyze the posts. RESULTS: Four major themes emerged: (i) perceived medication efficacy; (ii) treatment-related burden; (iii) intentional non-adherence; and (iv) barriers to adherence. Patients described heterogeneous efficacy, ranging from meaningful symptom relief to limited or no benefit. Patients discussed the biopsychosocial burden of IBS-C medications (e.g., nausea, frustration, social anxiety from potential diarrheal side effects), highlighting various barriers to adherence. Barriers such as cost, insurance coverage, and personal beliefs also influenced decisions, often prompting discontinuation, dose adjustments, or pursuit of alternative therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Social media provides unique insights into IBS-C patients' real-world experiences with FDA-approved therapies. Findings highlight variability in efficacy, biopsychosocial impacts, and adherence challenges, underscoring the need for shared decision making and proactive management of barriers to optimize outcomes. Key Points Qualitative analysis of 7328 social media and e-forum posts captured candid, real-world perspectives from patients with IBS-C, revealing variability in perceived medication efficacy, treatment-related burden, intentional non-adherence, and barriers to adherence. NLP and AI methods demonstrated that the large language model reliably classified patient posts, achieving performance comparable to human annotators and supporting its use for larger-scale analyses of patient experiences. Given the complexity of patients' treatment experiences, these findings underscore the importance of shared decision-making and proactive management of treatment barriers to support personalized care and improved patient outcomes. PMID:42694017 | DOI:10.1111/nmo.70432 View the full articleFri, 04 Sep 2026 09:45:03 +0000Front Med (Lausanne). 2026 Aug 18;13:1900112. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2026.1900112. eCollection 2026. ABSTRACT INRODUCTION: Evidence for probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome remains heterogeneous, although real-world use is common in Chinese gastroenterology practice. This study evaluated whether initiation of multi-strain probiotics, compared with contemporary standard care without probiotics, was associated with clinically meaningful symptom and quality-of-life improvement in adults with diarrhoea-predominant or mixed irritable bowel syndrome. METHODS: This single-centre retrospective real-world cohort study identified adults with Rome IV IBS-D or IBS-M managed between January 2022 and December 2024 from electronic health records. A new-user design with a symmetrical 14-day landmark was used. After prespecified exclusions, 287 patients comprised the full analytic set, including 122 probiotic initiators and 165 non-users. One-to-one nearest-neighbour propensity score matching yielded 75 matched pairs. Outcomes were assessed at 4-6 and 8-12 weeks, with change in IBS Symptom Severity Score from baseline to 8-12 weeks as the primary endpoint. RESULTS: In the matched cohort, probiotic initiation was associated with a greater reduction in IBS-SSS than standard care at 8-12 weeks, with mean changes of -95 versus -60 points and a mean difference of -35 points (95% CI: -50 to -20; p = 0.001). IBS-SSS response occurred more frequently with probiotics than with non-use (62.7% versus 44.0%), as did pain response (58.7% versus 40.0%) and adequate relief (54.7% versus 38.7%). IBS-QOL improved by 16.0 versus 8.0 points, and IBS-QOL minimal clinically important difference response was more frequent with probiotics (53.3% versus 34.7%). Adverse events were infrequent and similar between groups (16.0% versus 13.3%). Treatment escalation occurred less often with probiotics (24.0% versus 40.0%). DISCUSSION: In routine Chinese hospital care, initiation of multi-strain probiotics was associated with earlier and clinically meaningful symptom improvement, better disease-specific quality of life, and fewer treatment escalations among adults with IBS-D or IBS-M, without an apparent excess of adverse events. PMID:42682476 | PMC:PMC13529527 | DOI:10.3389/fmed.2026.1900112 View the full articleWed, 02 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000Scientists uncover microbiome signaling system that could open new paths for IBS-related constipation Mayo Clinic News Network Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that chemical signals produced by gut bacteria work together to control intestinal movement. One bacterial signal helps set the intestines in motion, while another primes gut cells to respond more strongly, amplifying the effect. The research expands scientists' understanding of how the gut microbiome communicates with the body, moving beyond the traditional focus on individual bacteria or bacterial molecules. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, point to a potential new direction for microbiome-based treatments: restoring combinations of microbial signals rather than targeting a single microbe or molecule. The strategy could have implications for constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, a chronic condition marked by abdominal pain and constipation. "The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of microbes producing a vast array of chemical messages that interact with cells throughout the digestive tract," says Purna Kashyap, M.B.B.S., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, director of the Mayo Clinic Microbiomics Program and a senior author of the study. "Deciphering how those signals work in combination gives us a much more precise picture of what is disrupted in disease and what would need to be restored to recover normal function." How bacterial signals work in combinationResearchers focused on two bacterial molecules: hypoxanthine and butyrate. Earlier Mayo Clinic research found lower levels of both in patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. That finding led researchers to a deeper question: How do these molecules affect intestinal movement? In the new study, the researchers found that hypoxanthine prompts specialized cells lining the intestine to release serotonin, a chemical messenger that helps move food through the digestive tract. Butyrate works differently. It primes the cells to respond more strongly to hypoxanthine, amplifying the effect. These specialized cells, called enterochromaffin cells, serve as hubs where different microbial signals come together. They help the gut receive and respond to multiple chemical messages at once. Researchers followed that chain of events from what happens inside a single gut cell to how contents move through the intestines. They used laboratory-grown intestinal cells, miniature gut models called organoids, intestinal tissue and genetically altered bacteria to piece together each part of the process. Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic and a co-author of the study, is a gastroenterologist whose research has focused on the mechanisms that control gastrointestinal function. "We have an opportunity to move beyond managing the consequences of disease and toward restoring function for patients," Dr. Farrugia says. "That starts with answering the unanswered questions we see in our patients and following the biology until we understand the mechanism. With that depth of understanding, we can uncover new possibilities for treatment and ultimately advance new cures." What's next Researchers next want to determine whether identifying combinations of microbial signals that are altered in individual patients could eventually help guide treatment. Future research will explore whether restoring complementary signals can improve intestinal movement, with the longer-term goal of developing more precisely targeted microbiome-based therapies. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic Microbiome Program and other organizations. One or more of the investigators is an inventor of technology related to this research. For a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding, review the study. View the full articleMon, 31 Aug 2026 13:38:51 +0000Gastroenterologists Reveal Why So Many People Over 50 Are Constipated Prevention Almost everyone experiences the occasional bout of constipation. But some people feel backed up more frequently than others, whether that’s because of an existing gastrointestinal disorder, taking certain medications, or age. That’s right—you’re more likely to feel constipated as you get older. So here, we’re taking a look at why constipation becomes more common after 50. “Constipation becomes more common with age, although getting older does not automatically mean getting constipated,” says Douglas Weine, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Red Bank Gastroenterology in Red Bank, N.J. Instead, there are certain situations that are more common in people over 50 than in younger folks that make constipation more likely to occur. View the full articleMon, 31 Aug 2026 12:03:37 +0000Dig Dis Sci. 2026 Aug 28. doi: 10.1007/s10620-026-10190-7. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests an increased prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among individuals with allergic diseases, and several biological mechanisms have been proposed. This study aims to investigate the association between IBS and allergic diseases in a large nationwide cohort of adolescents. METHODS: This cross-sectional nationwide study included Israeli adolescents aged 16-20 years who underwent medical assessment before military service. The military database was used to identify individuals with allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, or ocular atopic disease) and IBS between 1998 and 2018. Logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic factors were applied. RESULTS: Of the 1,538,864 adolescents (42% women; mean age, 17.2 ± 0.5 years) included in the study, 189,806 (12.3%) were diagnosed with allergic diseases and 8,134 (0.5%) with IBS. Overall, 25.4% of adolescents with IBS had at least one concurrent allergic disease. The prevalence of IBS among adolescents with allergic diseases was 1.1%, corresponding to an adjusted OR of 2.2 (95% CI 2.1-2.4). This association remained consistent across socioeconomic groups and across all allergic diseases examined. CONCLUSION: Allergic diseases in adolescents are associated with higher rates of concurrent IBS. These findings strengthen existing epidemiological evidence linking IBS and allergic diseases in adolescents and warrant further mechanistic and longitudinal studies. PMID:42661130 | DOI:10.1007/s10620-026-10190-7 View the full articleThu, 27 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000Antibiotics (Basel). 2026 Aug 11;15(8):772. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics15080772. ABSTRACT The intricate interplay between the gut microbiome and the enteric nervous system remains a paramount focus in understanding the multifactorial pathogenesis of disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), most notably irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). While the clinical entity of post-infectious IBS is well-established, the independent, long-term pathophysiological impact of iatrogenic antibiotic exposure is garnering critical attention within neurogastroenterology. This narrative review provides a comprehensive synthesis of current epidemiological and mechanistic evidence positioning antibiotic-induced microbial depletion as a potential predisposing factor for incident IBS. By evaluating recent literature, we highlight epidemiological trends demonstrating a consistent, dose-dependent relationship between cumulative antibiotic courses, particularly broad-spectrum agents, and an elevated risk of developing IBS, independent of prior acute enteric infections. Furthermore, we explore the mechanistic underpinnings of this association, focusing on how systemic antibiotics induce persistent, detrimental alterations in commensal diversity. This resulting dysbiosis initiates a proposed cascade of downstream consequences, including compromised epithelial barrier integrity, persistent low-grade mucosal inflammation, and altered bile acid metabolism. These localized disruptions serve as established triggers for visceral hypersensitivity and dysregulated gastrointestinal motility communicated via the gut-brain axis. Ultimately, this review underscores that antibiotic exposure may act as a significant, modifiable risk factor for IBS pathogenesis. Recognizing this substantial iatrogenic risk reinforces an urgent clinical imperative for stringent antimicrobial stewardship and emphasizes the necessity for future research directed toward prophylactic, microbiome-sparing strategies to mitigate the escalating global burden of DGBIs. PMID:42650697 | DOI:10.3390/antibiotics15080772 View the full articleThu, 27 Aug 2026 09:45:04 +0000World J Methodol. 2026 Sep 20;16(3):118399. doi: 10.5662/wjm.118399. eCollection 2026 Sep 20. ABSTRACT Constipation is a common multifactorial gastrointestinal disorder with a significant impact on quality of life, healthcare utilization, and economic burden. It encompasses a spectrum of symptoms, including infrequent bowel movements (fewer than three per week), lumpy or hard stools (Bristol Stool Form Scale 1 or 2), straining, difficult stool passage, a sense of incomplete evacuation, etc. When no organic cause is identifiable, the condition is labeled as functional constipation. Pharmacological management of constipation has been extensively explored, with several new therapies added to the armamentarium in the last decade. However, its management remains challenging due to heterogeneous etiologies, varied diagnostic approaches, and the broad spectrum of therapeutic options. This narrative review summarizes contemporary strategies for the management of constipation, encompassing lifestyle and dietary modifications, pharmacological therapies, behavioral interventions, and surgical options for refractory cases. Traditional laxatives continue to form the mainstay of treatment, but newer agents such as prosecretory drugs, serotonergic agonists, and bile acid modulators have expanded therapeutic possibilities, offering targeted mechanisms and improved tolerability. Non-pharmacological approaches, including biofeedback for pelvic floor dysfunction and neuromodulation techniques, provide effective alternatives in selected patients. Despite these advances, substantial methodological variability exists in clinical trials, including differences in diagnostic criteria, endpoints, and follow-up durations, limiting the generalizability of findings. A more standardized framework for defining outcomes and assessing long-term efficacy is needed to strengthen evidence-based practice. Ultimately, the management of constipation requires an individualized approach that integrates symptom severity, underlying pathophysiology, patient preference, and availability of resources. Newer research is focused on tailoring treatment to special groups of patients with refractory constipation, surgical modalities for patients with neurogenic bowel, and microbiome modulation using artificial intelligence. PMID:42626238 | PMC:PMC13491131 | DOI:10.5662/wjm.118399 View the full articleFri, 21 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2026 Aug 20:S1542-3565(26)00629-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2026.07.041. Online ahead of print. Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) causes recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, with substantial impacts on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and healthcare utilization. Although multiple pharmacologic therapies are available, treatment benefit seen in routine practice may differ from outcomes observed in randomized controlled trials, and patient dissatisfaction can remain unrecognized during clinical encounters. Existing patient-reported outcome measures provide detailed assessments on symptom severity and treatment satisfaction but are often too lengthy and burdensome for routine use.4 A single-item assessment may offer a pragmatic alternative, but the best single question for capturing IBS treatment satisfaction has not been established.5 We conducted the Joint Universal Single-item Tool for Assessing Satisfaction and Key Metrics (Just Ask) Study to identify a single-item question that best reflects medication satisfaction in IBS-C PMID:42624391 | DOI:10.1016/j.cgh.2026.07.041 View the full articleThu, 20 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:23:58 +0000When should you suspect inflammatory bowel disease? Recognizing red flags in primary care Nebraska Medicine Differentiating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), can be challenging, particularly when symptoms are intermittent or mild. Careful assessment of alarm features, inflammatory markers, stool testing, and recent infectious or travel history can help identify patients who require gastroenterology (GI) evaluation. Since IBS lacks certain inflammatory markers that may indicate a diagnosis of IBD, understanding the patient’s medical history, their symptoms, and using the correct testing early on is crucial. Although IBD is most commonly diagnosed between 15 and 30 years of age and in older adults as well, it can present at any age and significantly impact quality of life. Studies show that early recognition and timely diagnosis are important because persistent intestinal inflammation can lead to progressive bowel damage and complications, including strictures, fistulas, abscesses, hospitalization, and surgery. Prompt referral allows earlier initiation of appropriate therapy and may improve long-term outcomes. IBD red flags for primary care providersSymptoms to watch for include: Persistent diarrhea over four weeks Blood or mucus in stool Waking up during the night to have a bowel movement (Nocturnal bowel movements) Unintentional weight loss Tenesmus (incomplete evacuation) or urgency Persistent abdominal pain Iron-deficiency anemia Fever or elevated inflammatory markers Perianal fistula, abscess, drainage Extraintestinal manifestations (arthritis, uveitis, erythema nodosum, pyoderma gangrenosum, and recurrent oral ulcers) “Unlike ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD) sometimes may lack visible rectal bleeding, but consider it if there is weight loss, anemia, abdominal pain, and chronic diarrhea,” says gastroenterologist and IBD specialist Jalpa Devi, MBBS. “Extraintestinal features like arthritis, rash, recurrent oral ulcers, uveitis or scleritis, and a family history of IBD should further increase suspicion.” View the full articleTue, 18 Aug 2026 15:33:08 +0000