# Dr. Pimemtel Interview on new IBS book.



## surfboar (Oct 3, 2002)

The doctor is in Physician offers step-by-step irritable-bowel cure U-Entertainment Welcome to BookTalk, a Daily News feature that includes interviews with authors and offers the option to listen to them simply by calling (818) 788-9722 or (310) 273-1134, and entering a four-digit code. There is no charge to call.This week, we spoke with Dr. Mark Pimentel (2494), director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, about his new book, "A New IBS Solution: Bacteria - The Missing Link in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome'' (Health Point Press; $19.95).IBS is the most common chronic medical condition in the United States, affecting over 60 million people of all ages and is characterized by abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel habits. This condition is the second leading cause of missed work days in this country and is more widespread than asthma, depression and diabetes combined.Dr. Pimentel's book offers a revolutionary new treatment protocol for IBS based on years of research findings and clinical trials with thousands of patients. More than 80 percent of his patients who have completed this protocol have been successfully treated and no longer exhibit all of the symptoms associated with IBS.Q: What inspired you to write "A New IBS Solution''?A: The inspiration was provided by my IBS patients. There is an unfortunate stigma attached to the diagnosis of IBS suggesting that symptoms are psychosomatic, or "all in your head.'' For almost two decades, patients have been told that they need to see a psychiatrist instead of a gastroenterologist. Some IBS patients have been given antidepressant medications, which, in fact, do not address the root causes of this condition.Recent studies now prove that, in most cases, IBS is not related to any psychological problem, not even stress. Even with this scientific data, however, it has proven to be very difficult to remove the long-standing stigma that has been associated with IBS. We now have a much better idea of what causes IBS. In this book, I take the reader through the history of IBS and how the new theories of IBS have changed the way we look at this condition.Q: How do doctors diagnose and treat IBS, and how many people in the U.S. are currently affected by this condition?A: IBS is the most common chronic medical condition in the United States. It affects approximately 15 percent to 20 percent of the population; however, the percentage of patients who actually seek medical care is much smaller. It was very common 10 years ago for an IBS patient to be told that there was no known cure for the condition, and they were simply just going to have to "learn to live with it.'' These days, the diagnosis of IBS is more advanced and is being made based on a set of common symptoms, including bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation and abdominal pain. The difficulty with using these symptoms as a diagnostic tool is that there are many other digestive disorders that commonly have the same symptoms. Some degree of testing is required to rule out other conditions. Once this basic testing has been completed and no other causes can be found for the symptoms, the default diagnosis is IBS.Q: You propose that an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine might be responsible for the majority of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. How do you diagnose this overgrowth and how do you treat it?A: The easiest way to diagnose the overgrowth of bacteria in the gut is by using a breath test. The specific test I use is called a "lactulose breath test,'' which measures the levels of gases produced by the bacteria in the intestines. Up to 84 percent of patients with IBS will have abnormal test results. Once a patient is diagnosed with bacterial overgrowth, they can effectively be treated using a nonabsorbed antibiotic called rifaximin, in addition to following the detailed eating program described in my book.Q: You mentioned some of your patients have had a "heralding event'' that triggered the start of their IBS. What do you mean by "heralding event''?A: This is a complicated issue that is discussed in greater detail in the book. However, in essence, often IBS patients describe that they had perfectly normal bowel habits until, for example, "the case of food poisoning they had 10 years ago.'' This would be known as the "heralding event'' for their IBS. The book describes how the association between IBS and the patient's "heralding event'' was discovered and how it could lead to bacterial overgrowth, which causes chronic IBS symptoms.Q: Do you believe that stress plays a major role in contributing to IBS symptoms?A: I do not believe that IBS symptoms are caused by stress. However, I do believe that stress can exacerbate the situation, making symptoms worse. There is data to suggest that stress may even increase bacterial levels in the gut. IBS patients often tell me that they feel worse when stressed but are still symptomatic when not stressed.Q: Is there any message you would like readers get from your book?A: Initially, it was not my intention to write a book about IBS. In truth, I am more interested in the scientific aspects - the research and treatment of this condition. However, I believe that patients would be better served by reading about the history of IBS, learning about my new protocol and renewing their hope of recovery from this disabling condition.The ways in which IBS affects the quality of life for those who suffer from its symptoms is best summarized by the following examples: The 20-year-old college student who is skipping classes due to frequent visits to the bathroom; the business traveler who won't eat before or during any of his flights since he experiences discomfort and profound bloating; the musician who is worried she may not make it through her concert performance due to bouts of diarrhea.Lastly, this book is written for the 15 percent of people driving the Los Angeles freeways every day who just may not make it all the way home and are forced to take a rapid detour or suffer the consequences. There really is hope - and you, too, can regain your life.---BookTalk is produced by David Knight. Questions may be sent to him at BookTalk, P.O. Box 57785, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413, or via e-mail at booktalk###sbcglobal.net. Amy Mathews also contributed to this story.


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## 23770 (Nov 26, 2005)

I didn't even know he wrote a book. I just ordered it from amazon. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/097...ritablbowelsyn/Thanks for informing me![Revised link]


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## SteveE (Jan 7, 1999)

I just ordered it as well. Oddly enough, when I called my local Barnes and Noble, they said it had been "pulled from the shelves and is no longer published." Weird, huh?


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## Jeffrey Roberts (Apr 15, 1987)

I have now added Dr. Pimentel's book to our Books page and also to the GI and Health Related Book Reviews forum.Please continue this discussion there so that we can gather postings in only one location.Jeff


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