Understanding Your IBS: Treatment Options and Clinical Support
Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be frustrating, especially when typical strategies haven’t helped. If you're struggling with persistent symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, there are several clinical and lifestyle options you can explore.
Below, we've outlined some of the most widely used and evidence-based approaches to managing IBS symptoms. Each person's experience with IBS is unique, so the best treatment approach for you may involve combining multiple strategies tailored to your individual needs.
If you’d like to learn more about clinical support options or discuss a personalised care plan, request our free IBS Support Factsheet (sent via email) or get in touch with our clinical team to explore your next steps.
1. Nutrition Interventions
Dietary adjustments are often a first-line strategy for managing IBS, with good evidence supporting their effectiveness. Working with a specialist gut dietitian can be particularly helpful to guide you through approaches such as:
Low FODMAP diet: Temporarily restricting specific fermentable carbohydrates that commonly trigger IBS symptoms like bloating, gas and abdominal pain, before reintroducing to find your tolerance level. This should only be done under the guidance of a specialist FODMAP-trained dietitian.
Identifying personal food triggers: Often utilising food diaries and taking a structured approach to find and manage specific food sensitivities.
2. Lifestyle Support
Stress and anxiety frequently worsen IBS symptoms, making gut-focused psychological therapies highly effective additions to your management plan. These approaches include:
Mindfulness and stress management techniques: Can help calm the gut-brain axis and reduce symptom severity.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Helps you manage the psychological factors influencing your symptoms.
Gut-directed hypnotherapy: Reduces gut sensitivity and improves symptom control in many IBS sufferers.
Regular gentle exercise and consistent sleep patterns can also significantly improve IBS symptoms.
3. Probiotics and Supplements
Some individuals with IBS find relief from certain probiotics (beneficial bacteria that aim to support gut health). Although research results vary between probiotic strains and individuals, certain probiotics can help manage symptoms, such as bloating and abdominal discomfort.
Additionally, evidence-based supplements such as peppermint oil capsules have been shown in clinical trials to ease gut spasms and reduce pain in IBS.
4. Prescription Medications and Medical Support
Your clinician may consider prescription medications to manage more persistent or severe symptoms. The following medications are commonly recommended:
Antispasmodics (e.g., mebeverine, hyoscine): Used to relieve abdominal cramps and spasms.
Laxatives or prokinetics: For constipation-predominant IBS (IBS-C) to help improve bowel regularity.
Anti-diarrhoeals: For diarrhoea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) to slow gut transit and improve stool consistency.
Non-absorbable antibiotics (such as rifaximin): Sometimes prescribed if bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is suspected.
Low-dose antidepressants (such as amitriptyline): May help ease chronic abdominal pain and improve gut-brain communication.
5. Advanced Testing and Specialist Assessments
For complex, persistent IBS cases where symptoms remain unresolved despite standard approaches, advanced diagnostic testing can help identify underlying causes or co-existing conditions. At The Functional Gut Clinic, we offer a range of clinical testing and evidence-based options to help investigate your symptoms and support you in managing IBS more effectively.
We understand that no two experiences of IBS are the same, which is why individualised assessment and management are key. Diagnostic testing includes:
Breath tests: For conditions like Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and carbohydrate intolerances (e.g., lactose).
Stool analyses: To assess gut inflammation, microbiome composition, and exclude certain infections.
Gut motility and transit studies: Evaluating how well food moves through your digestive tract, which can significantly influence symptoms.
6. Emerging Microbiome Therapies
Increasing research into the gut microbiome has prompted scientists and clinicians to explore new investigational therapies focused on modifying gut bacterial composition. Find out more in our Understanding FMT blog article.
If you're interested in finding out more about specialist clinical assessments and whether advanced microbiome-focused approaches could be suitable for your case, request our free IBS Support Factsheet or get in touch with our team.
More support for IBS patients
At The Functional Gut Clinic, we specialise in supporting patients with chronic, hard-to-manage IBS symptoms. We offer comprehensive clinical assessments, specialist diagnostic testing and tailored management plans to help you regain control of your gut health.
If you'd like to find out more about advanced support options, including specialist microbiome approaches, request your free IBS Support Factsheet below:
Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational and educational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or offer of treatment. Always consult a healthcare professional before beginning new treatments or interventions.
