Trial By Error: CBT and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Discussion in 'Other psychosomatic news and research' started by Cheshire, Jan 24, 2020.

  1. Arnie Pye

    Arnie Pye Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Last edited: Aug 6, 2020
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  2. NelliePledge

    NelliePledge Moderator Staff Member

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    I would imagine that’s because @dave30th had posted responses on that twitter thread that they’d rather delete the post so that his comments wouldn’t be seen.
     
  3. dave30th

    dave30th Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    that could be the reason. I'm not really sure what they expected.
     
  4. Sly Saint

    Sly Saint Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    the link was to an article by Rob Paull in @Medium but I can't find it

     
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  5. MSEsperanza

    MSEsperanza Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Maybe the Tweeter confused something?(*)

    Recent article on Medium by Windgassen:

    How to Use Psychology for Better Bowel Function
    Evidence-based techniques to reduce discomfort and anxiety from IBS and other intestinal distress

    Code:
    https://medium.com/better-humans/how-to-use-psychology-for-better-bowel-function-175d8c42acc6
    Paull has told his personal story already on his company's webiste: https://www.mahanatx.com/from-the-patients-for-the-patients

    Edited to fix Medium link.

    (*) Edit 2: They didn't. See following post by Andy.
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2020
  6. Andy

    Andy Committee Member

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    Was it this?

    Code:
    https://medium.com/mahana-therapeutics/from-the-patients-for-the-patients-2ae1236a2c6c
    which judging by the title at least is probably the same story as MSEsperanza found.
     
  7. Trish

    Trish Moderator Staff Member

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    Yes that's the same article I read from the previous link. It seems he has a family member who has a very difficult to manage gut problem involving severe intractable constipation, and where no treatment has helped. They found psychotherapy helped, though it sounded like it helped the individual cope better and that may have led to some reduction in symptoms, it wasn't curative. From that and some other personal stories and some poor quality psych research he's extrapolated and thinks this is the best thing for all gut problems.
     
  8. unicorn7

    unicorn7 Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    This seems like a genuine story, but I agree with Trish, it doesn't seem like it made a difference to the problem, just with the coping.
    It does provide a good story about the severity of IBS and the necessity of finding a solution.

    I don't believe the statistics (the link with depreson/anxiety), because they are also not correct in the ME research and I don't believe they are for IBS.
    The reason these stories tend to annoy me a lot is because it seems that IBS is not that much of a mysterie. I had IBS (as part of ME) and I have found multiple solutions that solved the problem. I think the solution for most people is already out there, all with generic medications that are available everywhere, but there seems to be a lack of overview and the constant focus on psychosomatics doesn't help.
    Maybe I'm biased, because I have found the solution ánd I never had depression or anxiety, so these stories wouldn't have helped my at all. Why cope with horrible painful constipation, if you can just solve it?
    When I see how slow the whole system goes with a pretty simple problem like IBS, I am not looking forward to the same process with ME. I will take decades to find solutions.
     
  9. Trish

    Trish Moderator Staff Member

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    I don't think we can assume based on our own experience that all forms of IBS have readily available solutions.
     
  10. Solstice

    Solstice Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Gotta agree with Trish here, I know you are doing pretty well unicorn and I can say my symptoms have definitely improved as well(from near death to at least feeling well for most of the day, though very inactive). But my IBS has far from gone away yet.
     
  11. unicorn7

    unicorn7 Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    No, I don't think it is readily available now. I just feel that if all the current knowledge would be used in a strong clinical streamlined protocol (and people would agree on this!), we would be able to help 95% of people with IBS and we could set up a strong research program to solve the other 5% and get better results.
    In this moment all the knowledge is loose sand and doctors are just trying some random stuff and then give up. It probably doesn't help that the psychosomatic crowd is breathing down their neck and doubting every medical solution.

    My partner has IBS and I went with him to his appointments in a normal hospital. Althought they definitely didn't think it was psychosomatic, they didn't do any tests (other than the tests to make sure it wasn't something else) and just gave him two courses of very broad spectrum antibiotics. The doctor didn't even know what SIBO was. I am pretty confident his problem could be solved with the same doctor as I have, but unfortunately we don't have the money to go there with two people and his problem is of course less serious than my problem.

    I just worry because IBS is a problem that is more clear cut ánd falls under one specialist and then still it all takes ages for knowledge to come through. ME is a much more complicated problem with all kinds of different specialties involved, to get all those parties together for a clinical protocol will be very hard.
     
  12. dave30th

    dave30th Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Yes, I see no reason to doubt the sincerity of Mr Paull's story. I had mentioned it previous on Virology Blog, becasue he tells the same account on the Mahana website. But good intentions are not the same as good science. And his lack of response to the concerns demonstrates that he isn't all that concerned about the accuracy of the claims he's making.
     
  13. Invisible Woman

    Invisible Woman Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    This is the same problem that has dogged ME patients for decades. If it worked for me then it should work for everyone else, if only they would accept my word for it. If you wanted to get better you would try it. Of course, when they make a business out if it it also suits if not everyone improves because then you can sell them the new and improved version if your therapy du jour. Twice the earnings.

    If there is no clear understanding of the underlying cause then you don't know if everyone's symptoms will be improved by the same therapy.

    Even in relatively well understood diseases, treated with well known drugs, some drugs do not work for, or suit, some patients. Even if the underlying cause is the same, people are different.

    Sometimes chronic conditions improve & it's often not very clear why. It may not be down to whatever the person happened to be trying at the time.
     
  14. rvallee

    rvallee Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    How dare you question the tiger-repelling properties of my tiger-repelling rock?! Do you see any tigers around? Do you? I rest my case.
     
  15. ukxmrv

    ukxmrv Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I proceed with skeptical caution when I read accounts by family members on treatments having met one in the past who made claims that were not backed up by subsequently talking to the actual person with the health issue.

    It says "From the Patients, For the Patient" but Mr Paul isn't a patient.
     
  16. MSEsperanza

    MSEsperanza Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Last edited: Dec 5, 2020
  17. Arnie Pye

    Arnie Pye Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    What does DTx mean?
     
  18. Jonathan Edwards

    Jonathan Edwards Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I cannot quite make out what Holt is wanting to say.
     
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  19. Jonathan Edwards

    Jonathan Edwards Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Apparently it is Digital Therapeutic, i.e. an internet-based treatment.
     
  20. Jonathan Edwards

    Jonathan Edwards Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    As far as I can gather th King's electric CBT for IBS is considered a hot topic by healthcare market vultures.

    This raises the interesting question as towhead happens it is released as a commercial 'product', as seems be the idea.
    Will it make money hand over fist or are Dr Holt's tweets an indication that it will be complete lame duck.
     
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