Condition

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

A common disorder of gut–brain interaction causing abdominal pain with altered bowel habits.

Affects Intestines & gut

See a clinician

Some causes of irritable bowel syndrome (ibs) need medical care, not self-treatment. Seek help for any of these:

Rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, or anemia
Symptoms that wake you at night, onset after age 50, or a family history of bowel cancer or IBD

What may help

Remedies studied for irritable bowel syndrome (ibs), ranked by strength of evidence.

B
Peppermint oil (enteric-coated) herb
Improves global IBS symptoms and abdominal pain vs placebo.
B
Psyllium (soluble fiber) supplement
Soluble (not insoluble) fiber modestly improves overall IBS symptoms.
C
Probiotics supplement
Some specific strains improve symptoms, but "probiotics" as a class are not reliably effective.

Diet (including low-FODMAP), stress management, and targeted medication help. Enteric-coated peppermint oil and soluble (psyllium) fiber have the best supplement evidence; probiotic benefit is strain-specific.