This article is from the WebMD Medical News Archive

Oct. 31, 2005 - It's not a Halloween prank. Live bugs are the hottest new treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The "bugs" aren't insects. They're live bacteria. When bad bacteria grow in our bodies, we call them germs. Good bacteria ingested for health effects are called probiotics.

Probiotics already are in your grocery and health food store in capsules, tablets, gel caps, liquids, and in cultured yogurt products. Not every probiotic product has proven health effects. But as a medical treatment, they're more than just the latest health fad, says University of New Mexico researcher Mohamed O. Othman, MD.

Othman is one of several researchers reporting on probiotics research at this week's 70th annual scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Honolulu.

"Probiotics now have been used in many diseases, not only IBS but also ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and in both children and adults with lactose intolerance," Othman tells WebMD. "It is a new field, and there is a lot of investigation going on."

Help for Some, Harm for None?

Early studies show that some specific probiotics help some IBS patients -- but not others, says gastroenterologist Jay W. Marks, MD. Marks is medical and pharmacy editor for MedicineNet.com, a WebMD company.

"Some patients with IBS respond to treatment with probiotics. But probiotics are clearly not a panacea," Marks tells WebMD. "They are not all the same. Different probiotic bacteria have different effects on the intestine. So we expect it will be important to use the right probiotic for the right patient -- which is not clear yet. We still don't know which ones are appropriate for which patients."

Even so, doctors are recommending probiotics to some IBS patients. That's because the probiotics tested in clinical trials have done no harm, says probiotics researcher Eamon Quigley, MD, of the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Center at University Cork College, Ireland.

"If probiotics are as effective as we think, the great advantage is their safety," Quigley tells WebMD. "There is no evidence of any safety issue. They have the potential to be an effective first-line therapy for IBS and other bowel symptoms in a very safe manner."

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