IBS and Sleep
Wednesday July 8, 2009
Have you ever noticed a relationship between how well you sleep and the severity of your IBS symptoms? A new study provides some insight into that phenomenon. According to the abstract, the researchers took a look at serum cortisol and plasma catecholamine levels in IBS patients and healthy control subjects. These substances are hormones that are released by the adrenal glands and are related to the stress response.
The study was conducted at a sleep laboratory. As the subjects slept, blood samples were drawn throughout the night. Overall, the results found no significant differences when comparing the hormone levels of IBS and non-IBS individuals. However, a significant difference was seen in the hormone levels of IBS-C vs. IBS-D patients. IBS-C patients experienced an increase in noradrenaline, adrenaline and cortisol during sleep, while IBS-D patients experienced lower levels of noradrenaline and cortisol. Who says IBS is all in your head??!!
I always advise my patients to consider their hormones when managing their symptoms. If you suffer from IBS-D, you may find that your symptoms are worse in the morning. Just be careful not to assume that a bad morning necessarily means a bad day and make sure to use strategies for calming your system. For IBS-C patients, schedule time in the morning to use your bowel retraining skills, as you will be using your body's natural biorhythms to your best advantage.
Do you see a relationship between sleep and your symptoms? How about a relationship between the time of day and your symptoms? Leave a comment below and share your experience!
Source:
Burr RL, Jarrett ME, Cain KC, Jun SE, Heitkemper MM "Catecholamine and cortisol levels during sleep in women with irritable bowel syndrome." Neurogastroenterology & Motility Published online 1 July 2009.
IBS – Environmental Illness?
Tuesday July 7, 2009
Is IBS an environmental illness? Matthew Hogg seems to think so. Matthew runs a website know as the “
Environmental Illness Resource”. This site provides information and networking opportunities for individuals who suffer from chronic, poorly understood illnesses. Into this category, Matthew places health conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, autism, and IBS. Matthew’s site is impressive, offering among other things, educational articles, book reviews, and forums. If the notion of an environmental illness interests you, I recommend you take a peek at Matthew’s site and poke around.
The question “Is IBS an environmental illness?” certainly provides fodder for debate. On the one hand, there are reports that go back centuries of historical figures experiencing chronic digestive problems. On the other hand, the prevalence of IBS, food allergies and food intolerances appears to be rising. Is it the stress of modern life that can account for this and can you count stress as an environmental component? Is it the new super-bacteria that we have inadvertently created through the overuse of antibiotics? Is it all the unhealthy ingredients that are poured into our foods and into the animals we consume?
I certainly don’t have the answers, but I remain eager to see quality research address these questions.
Your IBS Diet
Monday July 6, 2009
Ask a doctor about the relationship between IBS and food and, more often than not, they will say there is no real relationship. Ask an IBS patient and you will get a very different answer! With a gap so wide between medicine and real-life, it can be hard for someone struggling to deal with digestive symptoms to figure out what to eat. In order to help you to develop an eating plan that is right for you, my newest article pulls together all of the information you need to know regarding the relationship between food and IBS:
What foods do you find most helpful? What foods do you avoid at all costs? What foods do you eat because you love them, but pay for later? Share your experience on the
IBS discussion forum!
Happy Fourth of July!
Thursday July 2, 2009
Where I live, the Fourth of July is summer at its best. Beach, picnic, fireworks - sometimes I feel as if I am living in a movie set. Fourth of July food, however, is not quite so wonderful for a sensitive digestive system. As the holiday weekend approaches, take a look at my tips for enjoying the Fourth and protecting your GI system:
