What should I do if my doctor diagnoses me with IBS?

What should I do if my doctor diagnoses me with IBS?

Lin Chang (UCLA Division of Digestive Diseases) gives expert video advice on: How is IBS diagnosed?; Can my family doctor diagnose IBS or do I need to see a specialist?; What symptoms lead to a possible diagnosis of IBS? and more...

When a person is diagnosed with IBS it's important to gain information about the condition, because that helps understand what's going on in the body and also what the patient can do to help better manage their symptoms. Obtaining educational materials is really important, as is discussing with the doctor any questions or concerns the patient may have, because a lot of times IBS is associated with patients not really understanding what they have and being told many times it's all in their head. They need to understand that it's a real condition and there's true physiologic changes that are in the bowel that are responsible for their symptoms. Also, they should discuss with their physician what they can do to better manage their symptoms, whether it's with medications or other types of treatment interventions.