There are many options available to treat symptoms of IBS, though no cure has been found for the IBS itself. The treatment is generally based on a three-pronged strategy-change in dietary habits, managing stress and medicines.

If a patient has constipation, the doctor may suggest a diet with high fiber content; if he has diarrhea, the doctor is likely to suggest a low-fiber diet. This could be supplemented by medicines that control diarrhea and provide relief from constipation.

There are certain drugs available in the market that control colon spasms to a certain extent. This provides great relief from abdominal pain, also.

The mental and emotional symptoms are often treated with the help of psychotropic drugs, which are commonly known as antidepressants, and psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Drugs like alosetron hydrochloride are used for women who have severe IBS and do not respond to the conventional treatment. However, this medicine could have side effects on patients, so it should be prescribed and used cautiously. Tegaserod maleate is another drug that can be used for the short-term treatment of women with IBS and constipation. With a possible change in symptoms of the patients over a period of time, the treatment of IBS often becomes a complex exercise.

Though a number of over-the-counter medicines and food supplements useful in treatment of IBS are available, it is always better to consult a doctor or dietician before taking any medicine or food supplement to get rid of IBS. This is because different medicines affect people differently in case of IBS. There is no single universally acceptable combination of medicines that can work for all the patients having IBS. So what a patient needs in IBS is counseling, expert advice, medication, balanced diet and stress management.