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Diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: State of the art

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Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder with a wide variety of presentations that may include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or alternating bowel habits. Symptom-based criteria and a limited medical evaluation are used for diagnosis. The heterogeneity of IBS presenting symptoms, together with the pathophysiology of the disorder, is unclear, making treatment challenging. Treatment strategies are focused on specific symptoms, potential underlying disorders in stress responsiveness, and predisposing psychological features. Although only two medications, tegaserod for constipation-predominant IBS and alosetron for diarrhea-predominant IBS, are specifically indicated, a wide variety of treatment options are available and are discussed in this review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, CURE Building 115, Room 223, 11301 Wilshire Boulevard, 90073, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Lin Chang MD

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  1. Kirsten Tillisch MD
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  2. Lin Chang MD
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Tillisch, K., Chang, L. Diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: State of the art. Curr Gastroenterol Rep 7, 249–256 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-005-0016-y

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