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Irritable bowel disease vs inflammatory bowel disease

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 4/30/2015 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
What is the difference between irritable bowel disease & inflammatory bowel disease. And I don't just mean that in the one case the bowel is irritable & the other it is inflamed. What is the difference between the symptoms? And the treatment?

Pam
Posted 4/30/2015 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
Inflammatory bowel disease is treated with medications that reduce inflammation. Irritable bowel syndrome won't respond to that kind of treatment.

Both conditions might make a person intolerant of some foods, which can be addressed by an elimination diet.
Posted 5/1/2015 12:38 AM (GMT 0)
Irritable bowel syndrome has medications to treat it as well.

Diet changes and reducing stress (diet and stress being 2 major triggers for IBS) are usually recommended first, and if neither of those together are sufficient then IBS meds are typically prescribed. Exercise is a great stress reducer as well so it's also highly recommended to combat IBS issues.

So basically meds are used to treat either IBS or IBD but of course they are different types of meds since one is for inflammation (IBD) and the other is for the motility issues (IBS)

Symptoms can be very similar, the most common symptoms for both are frequency (this can happen with IBS C/D as well as IBD) and urgency can also be a symptom for either IBS or IBD and mucous also.

Blood is not a symptom for IBS unless one has a hemorroide(s) and those are bleeding but blood can be fairly common with IBD due to the inflammation.
Posted 5/2/2015 3:04 AM (GMT 0)
To expand on Pb's explanation - I have both IBS and IBD. My IBS symptoms: extreme bloating, increased mucous output, lower abdominal cramping before a bm which is relieved upon going, loose movements especially after eating foods that don't agree with me and urgency.

My IBD symptoms while flaring - limited lower left side pain - at least for me - (think of someone constantly shoving a knife into your side), excruciating pain while having a bm, bleeding like a stuck pig *pardon the graphics*, extreme fatigue, horrible gut spasms.

Treatments for IBS like stated is diet modification, stress reduction and if one is having bad D, usually Imodium or increased fiber can help. If C is the issue, Linzess can help ease that.

With IBD, there is a wide array of medications that are available to reduce inflammation to suppressing the immune system.
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