New Blood Test for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Statistics. As many as 20 percent of the adult population, or one in five Americans, have symptoms of IBS, making it one of the most common disorders diagnosed by doctors. It occurs more often in women than in men, and it begins before the age of 35 in about 50 percent of people.

What is IBS? A common gastrointestinal disorder involving an abnormal condition of intestinal contractions (motility) characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits . If most often alternates between diarrhea and constipation, symptoms tend to be chronic and may wax and wane over the years. Although IBS can cause chronic recurrent discomfort, it is not thought to lead to any serious organ problems.

What does IBS feel like? Irritable Bowel Syndrome presents with the following hallmark symptoms: abdominal pain and/or discomfort for at least 12 weeks (not necessarily consecutive) out of the last 12 months. The abdominal pain has at least two of the following three symptoms: it is relieved with a bowel movement, when it starts there is a change in how often you have a bowel movement, when it starts there is a change in the form of the stool, or the way it looks. Other symptoms include: a change in the frequency or appearance of bowel movements, feelings of uncontrollable urgency to have a bowel movement, difficulty passing stool, mucus in the stool and bloating. The following items can increase the symptoms of IBS: stress, large meals, certain medications, caffeine and the following foods: wheat, rye, barley, chocolate (caffeine), milk products, or alcohol. Bleeding, fever, weight loss, and persistent severe pain are not symptoms of IBS. If you feel you are having any of these symptoms, you should contact your physician with a full report.

New Diagnostics. Until recently, IBS was a "rule-out" diagnosis, meaning many expensive and sometimes invasive diagnostic tests would have to been performed in order to rule out similar conditions as negative- giving the doctor the last option of an IBS diagnosis. However, just recently Prometheus IBS Diagnostics introduced the first blood test for IBS. A ten biomarker algorithm can detect unique patterns in IBS patients..

Negative Results. Negative results means the ten biomarker algorithm is not indicative of a patient with IBS. The test can minimize false positive diagnoses of IBS by means of  the "rule out" diagnoses. It also allows the MD to continue to search for another cause of the patient's reported symptoms, when negative.

Positive Results. Positive results indicate that the biomarkers are present which are indicative of IBS. If the suspicion of IBS is 50% or greater and the IBS blood test comes back positive, the chances that the patient has IBS is 94-95%. The IBS test should cut down on the act of ordering so many diagnostic tests, when the suspicion of the patient or physician is an IBS diagnosis. A positive IBS test can help add confidence to the IBS diagnosis and verify other clinical findings. It also reduces the likelihood of misdiagnosing IBS as certain organic diseases.

Now That I Know I Have IBS- How Can I Manage My Symptoms? Drinking six to eight glasses of plain water a day is important, especially if you have diarrhea. Drinking carbonated beverages, may cause gas expansion and discomfort. Chewing gum and eating too quickly can lead to swallowing air, which also leads to gas discomfort. Large meals can cause cramping and diarrhea. Eating smaller meals more often, or eating smaller portions, may help IBS symptoms.

Food & Symptom Journals. Before you begin a change in diet it may be helpful to keep a food journal, writing down your specific intake and your symptoms. When you review this with your doctor, it may become more evident which foods trigger your symptoms the most.

There are many medications that can be administered to help manage the symptoms of IBS and these should be discussed with your physician, as each case varies with the varying symptoms.

* Many insurance companies will not cover this service. Be sure to check with yours before having this test.