If you’re an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) caregiver for a loved with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), you may be pulling your hair out, trying to decide which foods are best and what to eliminate from your loved one’s diet.
You may be wondering what, exactly, is IBS? IBS is a syndrome of symptoms that affects approximately 25 to 45 million people in the United States. Its incidence is higher in women, and most people get the condition in their late teens to mid-40’s. The symptoms include a combination of abdominal discomfort and irregular bowel habits. Some folks with IBS suffer from having thin, hard stools and constipation, others experience soft and liquid stools, and many people with IBS suffer from alternating constipation and diarrhea symptoms.
IBS is not a life-threatening condition. It does not make a person more likely to get colon cancer, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, but it can be a life long condition wreaking havoc with the diet and normal bowel habits - particularly for people with AD. Diet can be a challenge for those with AD even when they have normal digestion and elimination patterns.
When you’re a caregiver for someone with IBS, learning about the condition and being prepared for any type of situation from day to day is important. It may be helpful to stock up on some basic remedies and keep them on hand to quickly provide the right type of care and treatment. Of course, as with any condition your loved one has, it’s always important to review all supplements and medications (even over the counter drugs) with your health care provider (HCP) first. Even natural supplements could interact with Alzheimer’s medications, so your doctor needs to be informed and give the okay before any type of treatment or diet restriction is implemented.
What Are the Symptoms of IBS?
- Diarrhea (often described as violent episodes) - IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D)
- Constipation- IBS with constipation (IBS-C)
- Constipation alternating with diarrhea- mixed IBS (IBS-M)
- Unusual pattern of elimination that doesn’t fit with typical symptoms- un-subtyped IBS, (IBS-U)
- Belly pains or cramps (usually in the lower half of the belly) more severe after meals & less severe after a bowel movement
- Excess gas or bloating
- Mucus in the stools
- Abnormal stools (harder or looser stools than normal, described as, pellets or flat ribbon stools)
- Abdominal distention (a belly that sticks out)
- Symptoms worsen with stress
- Urinary symptoms in some cases (feeling an urgent need to urinate or trouble starting the stream or emptying the bladder)
- Anxiety or depression
- Fatigue
- Headache
- An unpleasant taste in the mouth
- Backache
- Sleep problems (insomnia) not caused by symptoms of IBS
- Heart palpitations (feeling as though the heart skips a beat or is fluttering.)
- Symptoms are worsened with stress
IBS is likely to be diagnosed when symptoms last at least 6 months and the abdominal discomfort occurs at least three days per month (for several months), and at least 2 of the following factors are true:
- The pain is relieved by having a bowel movement
- The pain is associated with a change in bowel habits
- The pain is associated with a change in the appearance of the stool
Bowel movement patterns can vary frequently for people with IBS. If you have 2 or more of the following, IBS is likely, here are some common scenarios:
- Alternating constipation and diarrhea
- Change in the frequency of bowel movements, for example, you may have 3 per day, then the following week may result in 3 or less stools during the entire week.
- Change in the size or consistency and size of the stool itself, including small hard pebbles one day, alternating with small pencil thin stools and then watery stools
- Change in the way the stool passes, including, straining, feeling an urgent need to have a bowel movement or feeling you haven’t completely passed the stool
For more information about IBS, see Part II and Part II of The ABCs of IBS on Alzu.org’s Caregiver Blog.
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