# Ceders-Sinai News - Dec. 13, 2000 - IBS may be caused by Bacteria Overgrowth



## Jeffrey Roberts (Apr 15, 1987)

http://www.csmc.edu/newsmedia/pdf/ibs_release.pdf Ceders-Sinai Medical Center News8700 Beverly Blvd., Room 2430 ï¿½ Los Angeles, CA 90048-1865Media Contact: Kelli Stauning, 310-423-4767E-mail: Kelli.Stauning###cshs.orgEMBARGOED UNTIL DEC. 13, 2000 AT 8:00 A.M. ESTHIGHLIGHTS:Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center may have identified the cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS), a gastrointestinal condition that afflicts about 20 percent of the adult population and is diagnosed intwice as many women as men. The findings, published in the December issue of The American Journal ofGastroenterology, may shed new light on how to treat the symptoms of bloating, abdominal pain, diarrheaand/or constipation associated with IBS.IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME MAY BE LINKED TO THE PRESENCEOF EXCESSIVE BACTERIA IN THE SMALL INTESTINELOS ANGELES, Ca. (EMBARGOED UNTIL DEC. 13, 2000 at 8 a.m. EST) - Researchers at Cedars-SinaiMedical Center may have identified the cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a gastrointestinalcondition that afflicts about 20 percent of the adult population and is diagnosed in twice as many women asmen. The findings, published in the December issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, mayshed new light on how to treat the symptoms of bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea and/or constipationassociated with IBS.ï¿½Our research shows that the majority of patients we evaluated with IBS had excessive bacteria in thesmall intestine and that treatment with antibiotics greatly reduced the gastrointestinal symptoms of thiscondition,ï¿½ said Dr. Mark Pimentel, the principal investigator of the study and Assistant Director of theCedars-Sinai GI Motility Program.In the study, the investigators evaluated 202 patients who underwent a specialized breath test to determinethe presence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition in which excessive quantities ofbacteria are present in the small intestine. The researchers found that SIBO was present in 78 percent ofthe patients tested.ï¿½The fact that SIBO was found in the majority of patients we tested with IBS suggests a strong associationbetween the two conditions,ï¿½ said Dr. Pimentel.To determine whether eliminating SIBO from the small intestine would improve the symptoms of IBS,patients who tested positive for excessive bacteria were subsequently treated with antibiotics for 10 days.Among these patients, 47 returned for a follow-up breath test approximately 10 days after they completedtreatment with the prescribed antibiotic. The breath tests were subsequently analyzed for the presence ofSIBO. The investigators found no SIBO present in 25 of these patients, while some SIBO was stilldetected in 22 of the patients as indicated by the breath test.ï¿½On the whole, we found a significant reduction in the symptoms of IBS even in those patients in whichSIBO was only partially eradicated,ï¿½ said Dr. Pimentel, noting that an alternative antibiotic may have beennecessary to completely eliminate SIBO in these patients.Among the 25 patients in which no SIBO was detected after treatment with antibiotics, 12 reported nosymptoms of IBS whatsoever, while the symptoms of IBS were found to be significantly reduced in theremaining 13 patients.The symptoms were also reduced in the patients in which some SIBO was still detected after completing the10-day course of antibiotics, suggesting that treatment to the point in which SIBO was completelyeliminated could have achieved better results.ï¿½This is the first study to demonstrate that complete eradication of SIBO with commonly prescribedantibiotics substantially improves the symptoms of IBS, especially those associated with bloating, diarrheaand abdominal pain,ï¿½ said Dr. Henry C. Lin, senior author of the study and Director of the Cedars-Sinai GIMotility Program.Currently, the investigators are conducting follow-up studies to determine how long some patients need tobe treated to completely eliminate SIBO. To prevent patients from developing a resistance to antibiotics,the investigators plan to test novel non-antibiotic therapies in future clinical trials.Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is one of the largest and finest non-profit hospitals in the Western UnitedStates. For the fifth straight two-year period, Cedars-Sinai has been named Southern Californiaï¿½s goldstandard in healthcare in an independent survey. Cedars-Sinai is internationally renowned for its diagnosticand treatment capabilities and its broad spectrum of programs and services, as well as breakthroughbiomedical research and superlative medical education. The Medical Center ranks among the top 12 non-universityhospitals in the nation for its research activities.# # #To arrange a media interview, or for more information, please contact Kelli Stauning at 310-423-4767.Thank you.


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2001)

I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE THE ANSWER! I RECALL SEEING A DOCTOR A COUPLE YEARS BACK WHO TOLD ME THAT "PERHAPS WE SHOULD TRY A ROUND OF ANTIBIOTICS ONCE THIS OTHER PROBLEM IS CLEARED UP". I DID NOT THINK MUCH OF THIS CONVERSATION AT THE TIME BUT EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN I HAD JUST FINISHED TAKING ANTIBIOTICS, I REALIZED THAT MY EXCESSIVE GAS WAS ALL BUT ELIMINATED. I WENT BACK TO THE DRUG STORE AND ASKED THE PHARMACIST IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR A PERSON TO BE GIVEN A PRESCRIPTION OF ANTIBIOTICS IN LOW DOSES FOR THE TREATMENT OF MY CONDITION ON A LONG-TERM BASIS. THE PHARMACIST INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE BUT THAT IT WAS SOMETHING I SHOULD TELL MY DOCTER SO HAS TO TREAT MY CONDITION. IF THERE IS ANYONE ELSE WHO HAD THIS SAME EXPERIENCE OR HAS INFORMATION ALONG THE SAME LINES AS THIS, PLEASE RESPOND. THANK!


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