IBS for Dummies (UK Edition) [Paperback]

IBS for dummies UK version has been a fantastically useful book. Not only a well written useful guide but gives great tips and advice on how to talk to your GP about the issues around IBS.

I found the book well laid out, and divided into easily manageable sections.

Would highly recommend to anyone suffering any bowel issues even if you've been told it's not IBS!

I PURCHASED THIS FOR MY ELDERLY MOTHER (90'S). IT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE WITH A LOT OF INFORMATION AND IDEAS. I WOULD SAY IT WAS A RATHER TOO MUCH TO READ FOR MY MOTHER.

I was very excited to read this book: I am a great fan of another book by Carolyn Dean "The Magnesium Miracle" and so eagerly awaited the arrival of my copy. I am particularly interested in the topic as I practise Colon Hydrotherapy - better known as colonic irrigation and treat many people with I.B.S., so when my copy arrived I went straight to the index to see if it listed colonic irrigation - it did. But when I read what was written I was horrified!

It says: "They (colonic practitioners) suggest constipation causes hardened faeces to accumulate for months or years on the walls of the large intestine and stop it absorbing and eliminating properly. Their theory is that this causes food to remain undigested and the body to reabsorb wastes." Colonic therapists would not claim that food remains undigested through constipation in the large intestine - digestion occurs in the stomach and small intestine: the function of the large intestine is purely storage and absorption of water, ions and vitamins.

The paragraph continues: "But in fact the contents of the bowel have nowhere to hide" - what does this mean? Except that the theory of elimination and absorption being impaired by accumulation of faeces makes perfect sense. There are scans showing individuals whose colons are hideously distended by accumulated faeces. When you work with constipation sufferers you meet people who have passed one small stool, perhaps once a month, for years, whilst eating normal volumes of food - and as they say "it has nowhere to hide.

But the inaccuracies don't stop there. The book advocates the use of enemas but is completely anti colonic irrigation. It says with enemas "there are no tubes poking around in the bowel" - I have seen many enema kits which have extension tubes which do indeed poke around in the bowel whereas all the rectal speculums I have seen, that are used in colonic irrigation, just penetrate approximately one and a half inches. Enemas are usually self administered - so the person rarely has any professional training - whereas the insertion of a speculum in a colonic treatment is preceded by a digital examination to ascertain the angle of insertion and whether there is any damage to the rectum or a haemorrhoid that might be a contraindication to insertion.

Enemas, according to the book, involve "a small amount of fluid" whereas colonic involve "large volumes of fluid poured in". Again just not true: many enemas invite you to introduce 1 to 2 pints of water and then to try and "hold onto" the water for as long as possible. With a colonic water is trickled in - the water pressure carefully regulated - and the speculum allows it to flow straight out again. According to the book with enemas "the bowel is stimulated to empty itself rather than being flushed out" - the opposite is true - with an enema a large volume of water is held in the rectum and then the individual is asked to override the body's natural urge to expel it. With a colonic - that's how it works - the water is gently introduced and the peristaltic action of the colon expels it.

It continues "colonic irrigation has considerable potential to do harm. The intestines are thin delicate walls tubes and poking around in them too much risks puncturing the walls" - you cannot "poke around" with something that only enters one and a half inches into the rectum.

It also claims "colonic irrigation also washes out the friendly bacteria that lie in the thin layer of mucus on the wall of the gut" - again not true - colonic irrigation washes away the "bad" bacteria that live and multiply in faecal matter - and some "friendly" bacteria also in the faecal matter - but it does not deplete those in the mucus lining. Many years of treating people has shown that within 48 hours the friendly bacteria are back up to their normal levels.

The book quite rightly points out that colonic therapists are not legally required to have any training. But if only they had researched this topic properly they would have discovered that in Britain we have A.R.C.H. which is The Association and Register or Colon Hydrotherapists which has a list of therapists - all fully qualified, premises inspected, all needing to undergo continuing professional development to stay on the register. By talking to A.R.C.H. members they would have discover that the main focus of successful treatment of I.B.S. with colonics is not on "flushing out with large volumes of water" but on re-toning and re-educating the colon through careful regulation of temperature during the treatment accompanied by advice on diet and eating habits.

The rest of the book is probably excellent - but colonic irrigation - if done well and accompanied by advice on diet and eating habits - can be the best thing that has ever happened to an I.B.S. sufferer - but if they read this book they'll probably never choose to see what they might gain - which in my opinion is a grave disservice.