Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Brain Function And Physiology

"Limbic System (controls mood and attitude)

Functions

sets the emotional tone of the mind
filters external events through internal states (emotional coloring)
tags events as internally important
stores highly charged emotional memories
modulates motivation
controls appetite and sleep cycles
promotes bonding
directly processes the sense of smell
modulates libido

Problems
moodiness, irritability, clinical depression
increased negative thinking
perceive events in a negative way
decreased motivation
flood of negative emotions
appetite and sleep problems
decreased or increased sexual responsiveness
social isolation

http://www.brainplace.com/bp/brainsystem/limbic.asp

You might see a lot of similarities to complaints from IBS patients and the functioning of the limbic system

Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition (FDHN) to educate healthcare professionals about the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Irritable Bowel Syndrome at a Glance - Nosology, Epidemiology, and Pathophysiology (Monograph I)

Brain Physiology

"The limbic system is involved in emotion, mood, and visceral autonomic control. Limbic abnormalities are seen in depression and IBS. Thus, this system is a possible site of convergence where emotional disturbance provokes intestinal dysfunction. "

http://www.fdhn.org/html/education/gi/ibs_nosology.htm

One reason also why smells may trigger attacks.

"directly processes the sense of smell"

or a loss of "libido"

or "appetite and sleep problems "

for examples.

I will also come back to issues very important and physical problems in the gut of IBSers and these back and forth communications, between the gut brain and the Brain.

This is also just fyi, harvard health newletters you can get.

The Sensitive Gut

Take a trip through your digestive tract and find out what can go wrong and why. Our doctors describe how to help prevent and treat common and not-so-common digestive problems from heartburn to irritable bowel syndrome.

Prepared by the editors of the Harvard Health Letter in consultation with Lawrence S. Friedman, M.D., Associate Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital's Gastrointestinal Unit and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. 40 pages.

Here's an Excerpt from this Digestive Health Special Health Report

Stomach cramps, a gnawing pain in the abdomen, embarrassing gas, diarrhea, constipation � a rebelling digestive tract has affected everyone from prince to peasant at one time or another. It is the price we pay for our romance with food and the occasional stress induced by family reunions, big decisions at work, deadlines � even doctors' appointments.

For most of us, stomach upsets are sporadic and fairly tolerable, the consequence of an intestinal bug, foreign travel, or an indulgent holiday meal. But one in four people has frequent gastrointestinal (GI) problems that can cause discomfort and disrupt life. Sufferers often undergo uncomfortable and unnecessary tests, spend a fortune on supposed remedies, and miss untold days from work.

Though the misery they inflict is real, these problems are considered functional gastrointestinal disorders � and unlike ulcers or stomach cancer they cannot be attributed to an infection or structural abnormality. More than 20% of people who consult a gastroenterologist about such problems do not receive a medical explanation for their complaints.

Nevertheless, people plagued by GI distress can benefit from a better understanding of their symptoms. This report focuses on five disorders considered functional: gastroesophageal reflux disease, nonulcer dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and excessive gas. Although they sound different, sometimes the problems they cause are similar and the symptoms overlap. Despite their severe names, these maladies usually do not imply serious illness.

Unfortunately, there is no tried-and-true cure for a sensitive gut. Yet, with proper knowledge and the support of a thoughtful, caring doctor, people can worry less and focus on dietary and lifestyle changes that can reduce symptoms � or at least make coping with them easier.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/hhp/publication/view.do?name=SG

Stress Control: Techniques for Preventing and Easing Stress

Stress has been linked to heart disease and stroke, and it may also influence cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. It has implications for many other ailments, as well. Depression and anxiety, which afflict millions of Americans, can be caused or exacerbated by stress. It also triggers flare-ups of asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and gastrointestinal problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome. And illness is just the tip of the iceberg. Stress affects you emotionally, as well, marring the joy you gain from life and loved ones.

While no one can completely avoid stressful situations, it's possible to influence how these situations affect you. This special report can help you identify triggers for stress in your own life and understand the obvious and hidden ways in which stress affects your body. Applying the practical techniques in these pages � such as meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga and tai chi, cognitive restructuring, and breath focus � can help you neutralize its damaging effects. The report also includes tools to help you get started, including a checklist of the warning signs of stress, a portable guide to stress relief, a meditation wallet card, and a stress-relief planning chart.

Prepared by the editors of the Harvard Health Letter in consultation Herbert Benson, M.D., Mind/Body Medical Institute Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., Director of the Mind/Body Center for Women's Health at Boston IVF; and Ichiro Kawachi, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. 40 pages.

Here's an Excerpt from this Stress Management Special Health Report

Stress and its toll on your body
Intuitively, the stress response makes sense. It allows us to rise to occasions and events that reward heightened awareness and abilities. You see a bus rushing toward you and the surge of adrenaline helps you sprint out of its path far faster than you normally move. The stress hormones that spilled into your bloodstream at the sight of the bus found the perfect physical outlet.

But experience tells us obvious dangers are not the only scenarios that elicit that response. Any situation you perceive as threatening may do the same. That's where the trouble starts. Your body does a poor job of distinguishing between life-threatening events and day-to-day stressful situations. Anger or anxiety triggered by less momentous sources of stress, such as financial fears or traffic jams, doesn't find a quick physical release and tends to build up as the day rolls on. Anticipation of potential problems, which might include anxiety brought on by government warnings of terrorist activity or more personal worry stemming from awaiting medical results, adds to the turmoil.

When your body repeatedly launches the stress response or when a heightened state of arousal following a terrible trauma is never fully switched off, worrisome health problems can occur. A prime example of this is consistently high blood pressure, which plays a major role in heart disease. Another is suppression of the immune system, which increases susceptibility to common illnesses like colds.

It's impossible to sidestep all sources of stress, nor would you want to. Our lives are full of physical and psychological challenges, which add zest to life and sometimes deliver satisfying rewards. But while you can't easily erase certain sources of stress, you can learn to perceive and respond to them differently. The section entitled " How to prevent and manage stress" on page 11 describes many tools to help you accomplish this.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/hhp/publication/view.do?name=SC

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My website on IBS is www.ibshealth.com

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