IBS Symptoms Checklist launched to help sufferers get diagnosed and start managing their condition.

Nearly a quarter (23%) of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) sufferers have not been medically diagnosed with the condition because they do not have the time to keep going back and forth to the GP surgery, according to new research from Buscopan IBS Relief®.1.

In addition, almost one in five (19%) IBS sufferers find talking about their condition embarrassing and are therefore reluctant to visit their GP.1 However, over 80% of undiagnosed IBS sufferers surveyed said they would be more inclined to visit their GP for a diagnosis if they had a tool to help them describe their symptoms.1

To make it easier for people with IBS to recognise their symptoms, an ‘IBS Symptoms Checklist’ has been launched by the makers of Buscopan IBS Relief®, now available to download from popular patient website www.ibs-relief.co.uk. This discreet handbag-sized resource is designed to help sufferers initiate a conversation about IBS diagnosis with their doctor without embarrassment and get diagnosed with minimal fuss. Once diagnosed, IBS sufferers may be able to manage their symptoms themselves or with the advice of their pharmacist.

Faye Tozer, singer, actress and former Steps star, says: “Having suffered from IBS when I was in Steps I understand how debilitating the condition can be. I was always conscious and uncomfortable when my stomach was visibly bloated in front of the cameras or on stage and it was a necessity to know where the nearest toilets were- just in case! Luckily I managed to get help and was diagnosed with IBS by my GP when I was 22. I know it can be embarrassing to talk about which is why I am supporting the launch of the IBS Symptoms Checklist, which can help make getting diagnosed that much easier. There is definitely no need to suffer in silence. Now that I have my IBS under control I can get on with my life and so can you.”

IBS affects around 10-20% of the UK population.2 Regularly dismissed as an ‘emotional’ and ‘trivial’ condition, the condition can be highly debilitating, with over a quarter (28%) of IBS sufferers believing the pain from cramps and spasms associated with IBS could be worse than childbirth.3

Professor Peter Whorwell, Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, and contributor to the first ever National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline on IBS, comments: “Now that a set of diagnostic criteria for IBS has been issued by NICE for the

first time – the diagnosis of this condition by general practitioners should be a more straightforward process. The IBS Symptoms Checklist based on the IBS Guidelines allows individuals to clearly relate their symptoms to their GP so that the possibility of IBS can be seriously addressed. Once diagnosed, sufferers may find they can safely self-manage their condition or visit their pharmacist for ongoing treatment advice.”

Buscopan® IBS Relief is an antispasmodic available from pharmacies and supermarkets, and targets the cause of abdominal pain associated with IBS, relaxing the cramping muscle of the bowel to ease pain and discomfort. Buscopan® IBS Relief is clinically proven4,5 to effectively relieve painful bowel cramps and spasms in medically confirmed IBS. Buscopan® IBS Relief contains hyoscine butylbromide. Always read the label.