If you frequently experience abdominal discomfort along with bouts of constipation and diarrhea, you may have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Fortunately, irritable bowel syndrome treatment, involving an array of behavioral and conservative therapeutic approaches that you and your health-care team can take, can help to calm this common and bothersome condition.
IBS affects about one in 20 people, according to the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). In a recent Harris Poll carried out on behalf of the ACG, 77% of the 2,013 participants—all of whom had been diagnosed with IBS—reported that their symptoms caused them to avoid situations where bathroom access would be limited. Most of the participants also said they found it difficult to plan things because their symptoms were so unpredictable and that their symptoms caused them to stay home more often.
“Unfortunately, IBS can be uncomfortable and distressing, and, as these poll data show, the symptoms can significantly impact people’s daily lives,” notes Mount Sinai gastroenterologist Brijen J. Shah, MD. “But IBS doesn’t cause permanent harm or lead to more serious diseases, such as cancer.”
What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
IBS is categorized as a functional disorder rather than a disease, because no organic cause for the symptoms can be found. Dr. Shah says the symptoms seem to stem from an overly sensitive colon that can’t cope with the passage of food through the digestive tract.
“A healthy colon absorbs fluid from food after it passes through the small intestine and contracts to push leftover solid waste toward the rectum so that it can be expelled in a bowel movement,” he explains. “For this process to happen normally, the colon has to contract in a regular and coordinated fashion. In IBS, this doesn’t happen. Instead, the colon may contract too fast, which reduces fluid absorption and results in diarrhea, or contract too slowly, increasing fluid absorption and resulting in hard stools and constipation.”
Some people will have diarrhea-predominant IBS, while others tend to experience constipation, and some alternate between the two (known as mixed IBS). The nerves in the colon also seem to sense distention and swelling at a lower volume of content.
One of the key symptoms of IBS is abdominal pain that goes away after a bowel movement. Other symptoms include abdominal pain and cramping, bloating, and bouts of diarrhea and constipation. “While everyone suffers these symptoms from time to time, IBS symptoms are chronic, although some people with IBS have periods of time when the symptoms ease or go away completely,” Dr. Shah says.
Lifestyle: A Key IBS Treatment Step
Looking to your lifestyle should be the first step in your irritable bowel syndrome treatment plan. We all slip up from time to time when it comes to eating unhealthy foods, not getting enough exercise, and engaging in unhealthy habits, but being a little bit more careful in these areas might help in IBS prevention.
In a 2024 study of more than 64,000 people, a healthy lifestyle conferred protection against developing IBS in the first place. The lifestyle behaviors the study examined were never smoking, sleeping for at least seven hours per night, getting plenty of vigorous exercise, consuming a healthy diet, and limiting alcohol intake to moderate levels. People who followed one of these behaviors had a 21% lower risk of IBS, while following two lowered the risk by 36% and following three to five lowered the risk by 42%.
Diet Helps with IBS Treatment
Studies also suggest that lifestyle approaches can be effective strategies for people who already have IBS. For example, researchers writing in the October 2025 issue of Neurogastroenterology & Motility found that consuming a Mediterranean-style diet helped people with diarrhea-predominant or mixed IBS. The diet, which prioritizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and healthy fats, and limits saturated fat, is associated with a range of health benefits.
For the small study, a team from the University of Michigan compared people who followed the Mediterranean diet with people who followed a low-FODMAP diet. “FODMAPs are fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols,” says Dr. Shah. “All are sugars that may not be digested or absorbed well by the body. Instead, they are fermented by bacteria in the intestinal tract.” A low-FODMAP diet limits sources of these sugars, which include dairy products, certain fruits and vegetables, plant-based proteins, nuts, high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners. Following a low-FODMAP diet has been found to improve symptoms in up to 60% of people with IBS.
The study found that 73% of participants who followed the Mediterranean diet met the primary endpoint of the study (a 30% or greater decrease in abdominal pain intensity for at least two of four weeks), compared with about 82% of the low-FODMAP group. “The diet wasn’t quite as effective as the low-FODMAP diet; however, the latter is a tough eating pattern to adhere to because it is so restrictive,” Dr. Shah observes. “These data indicate that many people with IBS may achieve sufficient symptom relief by following the much less restrictive Mediterranean diet.” The diet may be helpful because it is high in fiber and low in unhealthy fats.
Target Food Triggers
Many people report that their IBS symptoms are triggered by gluten (a protein found in wheat), and lactose (a FODMAP present in milk and other dairy products). Other foods that may aggravate IBS include those that are high in fat, spicy foods, chocolate, alcohol, drinks that are carbonated and/or contain caffeine and large amounts of artificial sweeteners, and foods that cause gas (for example, beans, cabbage, and cauliflower). If you regularly consume these foods and your IBS symptoms are especially persistent and challenging, try cutting the foods out one at a time to see if it makes a difference.
Also, refrain from eating large meals and eat smaller ones instead, “as there is evidence that large meals are more likely to cause cramping and diarrhea in people with IBS,” Dr. Shah adds.
Stress Management as IBS Treatment
Stress also may be a factor in IBS, since the colon is connected to the brain by nerves. Along with digestive problems, stress symptoms include trouble sleeping, frequent headaches, muscle aches and pains, and a sense that you are being overwhelmed by circumstances.
You may be able to lower your stress levels through meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is a form of talk therapy. Also consider gut-directed hypnotherapy, in which a therapist uses hypnosis to help you relax the muscles in your colon. A recent review (The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Oct. 20, 2025) examined 67 studies involving a total of 7,441 people with IBS and concluded that CBT and gut-directed hypnotherapy were more effective than standard treatments at managing IBS symptoms.
Probiotics May Help
Studies have found that IBS often is accompanied by an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut, particularly if uncomfortable bloating and diarrhea are major IBS symptoms. In one small study, taking the probiotic Bifidobacterium for 30 days improved these symptoms in two-thirds of the 233 participants. Other research has suggested that another probiotic—Lactobacillus—may be helpful.
You can find probiotics in some foods, including yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and tempeh. If you’re considering purchasing probiotic supplements, opt for those that contain 5 billion to 10 billion colony-forming units, or CFUs, per serving.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Medication Options
Drug therapy also may be used to treat IBS. These medications include antispasmodics, such as dicyclomine (Bentyl) and hyoscyamine (Levsin), among others—if your doctor recommends these drugs, be sure to ask about the possible cognitive effects. Your physician also may prescribe antidepressants if stress and depression are contributing to your symptoms. Fiber supplements and laxatives may help relieve constipation-predominant IBS, while diarrhea-predominant IBS may respond to eluxadoline (Viberzi) and rifaximin (Xifaxan).
Though medications can be helpful, Dr. Shah recommends first trying non-drug strategies for irritable bowel syndrome treatment.
“I generally advise my patients with IBS to reflect on their health more holistically, considering diet, sleep, exercise and stress,” he explains. “After examining these areas, select one to two changes to try to make, and couple them with IBS medication if needed.”
