acupuncture and IBS, does it work?

Question

I have quite severe IBS and this causes agrophobia, anxiety and panic attacks. I have tried altering my diet and using medication but none of them have much effect. This condition is ruining my life and making me very depressed.
I would like to try acupuncture but am abit scared and nervous. Does anyone know if acupuncture is an effective treatment for IBS and is it worth taking the chance?

Thanks for your responses,
I've had a food allergy test and do not eat gluten or wheat anymore, I've had councilling but this didn't help as i'm a very open person and talk to anyone anyway!
I might try the reflexology if i can get out the house!! you have to laugh or you'll cry : )

Answer 1

Its pretty good for IBS, particularly if you have been suffering from the condition for less than 10 years or so. In chinese medicine IBS is belived to be caused by a disharmony between the liver and spleen. You should idealy look for an acupuncturist who is qualified in traditional chinese medicine to degree level at least, and who is registered to an appropriate regulating body (in the UK that is either the BaCC, the ATCM or the CMH, if you are in another country you will need to find out who your regulating bodies are). This way you can be sure that the practitioner will be competent and will use the correct techniques i.e sterile needles etc... , Acupuncture does not really hurt, but you will feel a numb or tingling sensation around the needle, most patients acutally find this pleasent, it will probably be about 12 needles and the practitioner may recomend that you take a herbal formual (a very good one for most ibs cases is xiao yao wan, and it is likely that this is what you will be prescribed, however if you are given the option to brew raw herbs or to take the formula as a pill, i would reccomend brewing the raw herbs as this always gives better results.) Another thing that you may wish to consider is ear acupuncture, this is a combination therapy devised by a french doctor about 50 years ago, it is based on theories derived from acupunture, reflexology and orthodox medicine. it is so effective it has been completely adopted by most chinese medicine practitioners, if you are not keen on needles this is especially good as the practitioner can put acupressure seeds or magnets onto the ear in the appropriate places, which do not pierce the skin, these are left on for up to a week at a time and you will press them throughout each day, at the end of the week they will be applied again to the other ear and the process continues, this is usually a cheaper option than acupuncture, but i think in IBS it may be equally as effective. Another thing that is good for IBS is to eat a piece of fruit imediately before having a meal , as this helps to stimulate the digestion, also you should drink a glass of warm water with honey in it every morning before you eat anything. A really good tablet to take is colpramin (you may have already tried this) which contains peppermint oil and is in a thick capsule that does not break down until it gets to the large intestine, it stops the spasms that cause the pain and bloating, it can be brought from any high street pharmacy.
I think that Chinese medicine will be a goood choice of treatment for you because you also suffer from anxiety and phobias, these are also symptoms that chinese medicine relates to the liver, so if you recieve treatment for IBS all of these problems will be treated at the same time, so you will feel much better. good luck
If you want to find out more about traditional chinese medicine you could log on to tcmcentral.com.

Answer 2

Acupuncture For Ibs

Answer 3

I'm a practicing holistic therapist and although I have never been trained in acupuncture I have had it done to me before. It is very effective but hurts a little if done properly. Other remedies that might be helpful are Reflexology and/or Aromatherapy and I'm speaking from experience, I have seen many people getting either much better or even cured! The only problem with altering your diet is that you may deprive your body of some very important nutrients. It is very easy to blame things on food, a very popular things to do these days, but my argument is that if the culprit were really your food then you would be much better by now. It doesn't take that long for the body to recover from poisoning. If you truly had a food allergy you could be very sick or even die from the foods you eat. Please don't deprive your body from important and valuable nutrients and think again before you completely eliminate them from your diet. If you have problems leaving your house then get a mobile therapist to visit you in your own home, it may even be cheaper than going to a clinic or salon.

Answer 4

I would not recommend acupuncture to some one with agoraphobia. I tried acupuncture once and it made me feel claustrophobic. Perhaps another type of holistic practitioner would be better. I tried reflexology and found that really helpful.

My doctor diagnosed me with IBS and prescribed peppermint oil capsules. I found they had no effect, so I investigated further and had an allergy/food intolerance test done. It found I was allergic to wheat and intolerant to dairy! My problems have cleared up completely. I'm not saying that is the answer to your problem, but I would suggest going back to your Doctors and making them investigate further. Counselling for the agrophobia, anxiety and panic attacks might be a good idea too.

Hope you get better soon.

Answer 5

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RE:
acupuncture and IBS, does it work?
I have quite severe IBS and this causes agrophobia, anxiety and panic attacks. I have tried altering my diet and using medication but none of them have much effect. This condition is ruining my life and making me very depressed.
I would like to try acupuncture but am abit scared and nervous. Does...

Answer 6

Acupuncture might help your nerves, and make you feel more calm about it. Irritable Bowel isn't something you just "get over" by stimulating the nervous system. Go to a doctor who can give you the direct intervention you need. I had a friend with IBS who needed a lot of intervention, if you know what I mean. It wasn't poking him with needles, either.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

I have IBS also, if you are up to trying it... then go for it. Sounds like you have nothing to lose. If it works, it could help a lot of others with this condition.

Answer 9

Great question.

While the comments and suggestions made by the posters are made with good intentions, it is best to make an appointment and to talk with an acupuncturist about your condition.

Chinese medicine is complex, and your situation is something unique only to you.

Answer 10

Good grief. Get off the internet searching symptoms and go read a book. A big, intellectually stimulating novel. You're fine. 13 yr olds don't get colon cancer. Get a life or see your doc. It's nothing.