Home ▸ Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Online Prescriber - Irritable Bowel Syndrome

No Prescription? No Problem.

What is IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the digestive system. It causes symptoms like stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. These tend to come and go over time, and can last for days, weeks or months at a time. It’s usually a lifelong problem. It can be very frustrating to live with and can have a big impact on your everyday life. There’s no cure, but diet changes and medicines can often help control the symptoms. The exact cause is unknown – it’s been linked to things like food passing through your gut too quickly or too slowly, oversensitive nerves in your gut, stress and a family history of IBS.

Treatments

Medication can be prescribed to treat the main symptoms of IBS

Antispasmodics can be prescribed to treat pain and muscle cramps, but it can also help with diarrhoea. These treatments can be taken as required by the patient. We offer the following antispasmodic treatments;

Loperamide
Mebeverine

We also have antimotility medication which are available for prescription to treat diarrhoea, we sell Loperamide. It is the recommended, first-line treatment for diarrhoea.

There are also laxatives available for constipation. Many medicines for constipation are available without a prescription, a selection are listed below.

Dulcolax (Active Ingredient: Bisocodyl)
Senokot (Active Ingredient: Senna)
Cleen Enemas (Active Ingredient: Sodium Dihydrogen Phosphate Dihydrate)
Fybogel (Active Ingredient: Isphangula Husk)
Movicol (Active Ingredient: Macrogol with Sodium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate & Potassium Chloride)

An alternative laxative is available as a second-line treatment. The medication – Linaclotide – is only available if the following criteria are met, they are;

optimal or maximum tolerated doses of previous laxatives from different classes have not helped and
they have had constipation for at least 12 months

There are additional treatments available to patients, such as Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). For these you will need to speak to your GP who will assess your condition and your previous treatments.

The final line of treatment is Eluxadoline. For this you will need to speak to your GP who will assess your condition and your previous treatments.

Why Choose Pharmacy First’s Online Prescriber Service?

There’s no need for a face-to-face doctor appointment and you are not required to bear a prescription before you purchase as Pharmacy First’s Online Prescriber Service provides you with prescription-only medication after a short online consultation which is reviewed by our qualified online medical prescribers