Once diagnosed with IBS - Spastic Colon, you may be able to reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms with drugs, natural remedies and dietary control.

Diet

Trigger foods that can cause IBS symptoms:
Cabbage, broccoli, kale, legumes and other gas producing foods
Caffeine
Alcohol
Dairy products
Fatty foods, including whole milk, cream, cheese, butter, oils, meats and avocados
Foods, gums and beverages that contain sorbitol, an artificial sweetener

Eating large meals can cause cramping or spasms, so eating smaller meals more often can help. Eating quickly can cause you to swallow air, which can cause belching (trapped wind or gas).

With IBS, adding fiber to your diet - especially if constipation is one of your main symptoms - can help to loosen stools and reduce abdominal pain. At first, fiber will increase the amount of gas in your system, so add fiber gradually.

Fruits, vegetables and whole grain breads and cereals are good food sources of fiber. Your doctor may recommend a fiber supplement. Methyl cellulose is a chemical compound derived from cellulose that causes the least amount of intestinal gas, and is often recommended for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome with constipation. Psyllium is a good source of natural fiber, but may create more gassiness at first.

Depending on your most prominent IBS symptoms, medications can include:

• Antidepressants
• Antidiarrheals — loperamide (Imodium), diphenoxylate (Lomotil and other brand names)
• Antispasmodics to reduce spasms / cramping — dicyclomine (Bentyl)
• Pain reducing agents — amitriptyline (Elavil), desipramine (Norpramin)
• Anti anxiety medication to help reduce stress that may be contributing to symptoms — lorazepam (Ativan)

Two other prescription medications are available for women with IBS symptoms that do not respond to other therapies. Both drugs target a branch of the nervous system in the gastrointestinal tract that may be active only in women.

Women with constipation related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome can take tegaserod (Zelnorm) for a limited time. (Women with a history of bowel obstruction, active gallstones, severe kidney or liver impairment, active diarrhea and bowel adhesions should not take Zelnorm. If abdominal cramps worsen with the medication, you should stop taking it immediately.)

Note: Zelnorm has been withdrawn from the market on the FDA's request due to "a higher chance of heart attack, stroke, and worsening heart chest pain that can become a heart attack..." FDA Public Health Advisory

The other medication, alosetron (Lotronex), is limited to women with IBS in which severe diarrhea is the most common symptom. It requires enrollment in a special program because of rare cases of life threatening complications.

Natural herbal remedies are fast becoming more popular with especially those concerned with the medium- and long-term effects chemical substances may have on them. Some excellent results have recently been reported with traditional medicinal herbs in the treatment of Spastic Colon / IBS.

Results of a clinical trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, show the effectiveness in treatment of IBS / Spastic Colon with natural Chinese herbal remedies. Physicians found a great improvement in 78% of patients who had undergone treatment with the standard formula of natural Chinese medicinal herbs during this 16 week trial.