Is there an IBS Personality?
What happens in a persons life can make them ill, but while some seem to get ill at the slightest provocation; others cope with the most catastrophic events without any … Continue reading
Stress and inflammation: the missing link for IBS?
Is IBS all in the mind or all in the gut? Is it mainly the effect of stress or might infection, inflammation or disturbances in the colonic micro-biome be major … Continue reading
IBS: more than just a pain in the neck.
So why haven’t we thought of it before? Intrigued as to why joint hyper-mobility or Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) might be associated with migraine, IBS and a whole variety of … Continue reading
The heart (and the gut) know their reasons, that reason cannot tell
Last night, it was so warm and humid, I left the window open, but by morning the temperature had dropped and shards of rain rattled against the skylight. Half an … Continue reading
Love-sick
Sigmund Freud has been criticised for implying that most mental illness and much physical illness is due to sex. He might have said love or attachment, but nevertheless, he was … Continue reading
Diarrhoea and constipation: chaos, control and a possible explanation.
One of the most intriguing questions about IBS is why some people have diarrhoea most of the time, others have constipation and others seem to alternate between those two opposing … Continue reading
How other people can make us ill
We are sociable creatures. The way we relate to each other does not only determine our behaviour, it also affects our physiology and the way we perceive ourselves and the … Continue reading
IBS: How can diarrhoea and constipation coexist in the same illness
This is one of the biggest mysteries of IBS. Alternating diarrhoea and constipation is a well known subset of IBS, but it is not always balanced. Many people with diarrhoea … Continue reading
All Change for IBS
Shirley had written to me for advice about the dreadful abdominal cramps that were associated with her constipation. The following day she wrote again. ‘Thank you for your response regarding … Continue reading
The Sensitive Gut 