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. 2019 Nov:126:109821.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2019.109821. Epub 2019 Aug 29.

Effects of a comprehensive self-management intervention on extraintestinal symptoms among patients with IBS

Kendra J Kamp  1 , Kristen R Weaver  2 , LeeAnne B Sherwin  3 , Pamela Barney  4 , Sun-Kyung Hwang  5 , Pei-Lin Yang  6 , Robert L Burr  7 , Kevin C Cain  8 , Margaret M Heitkemper  9
Affiliations

Effects of a comprehensive self-management intervention on extraintestinal symptoms among patients with IBS

Kendra J Kamp et al. J Psychosom Res. 2019 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: Adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often report extraintestinal pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances in addition to abdominal pain. Few interventions have sought to reduce these extraintestinal symptoms within the IBS population. To address this, we compared the effects of a comprehensive self-management (CSM) intervention to a control intervention (usual care) on extraintestinal pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances among patients with IBS.

Method: Data were obtained from 243 IBS patients participating in two CSM intervention trials. Daily symptom diaries were collected at baseline, 3 and 6 months post-randomization. Daily symptoms of headache, backache, muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue, sleepiness during the day, sleep quality, and refreshed by sleep were analyzed. Analysis of covariance was used to determine the effects of the intervention on each symptom at 3 and 6 months controlling for 'study' and baseline symptom levels.

Results: Patients in the CSM intervention group reported decreased symptoms of fatigue, sleep disturbances, backache and headache compared to usual care at 3 and 6 months. The CSM group also reported significantly decreased joint pain at 3 months compared to usual care, but not 6 months. No significant difference was found for muscle pain.

Conclusions: An existing CSM intervention is effective in reducing fatigue and sleep disturbances. However, mixed results for extraintestinal pain indicates a need to better differentiate between underlying mechanisms. Addressing such symptoms is important to decrease the overall burden of IBS, reduce health care expenditures, and improve patients' quality of life.

Trial registration: NCT00907790; NCT00167635.

Keywords: Fatigue; Irritable bowel syndrome; Pain; Self-management; Sleep.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations of interest: none

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