IBS causes cramps, bloating and changes in bowel habit without damage to the gut. Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. Both are common, and both improve with the right steps once serious causes are ruled out.
Reviewed September 2026 · For information, not diagnosis
The first two need emergency care (call 112). The others need a doctor’s assessment and tests within a couple of weeks, before anyone calls it IBS.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of gut–brain interaction: the bowel looks normal on tests, but its muscle contractions and nerve sensitivity are altered, so ordinary amounts of gas and movement are felt as pain. It is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor about their stomach.
Doctors diagnose IBS from the pattern of symptoms:
IBS is grouped by the main bowel pattern — constipation-predominant (IBS-C), diarrhoea-predominant (IBS-D) or mixed (IBS-M) — because treatment differs. It often starts after a bout of food poisoning or gastroenteritis, and stress, poor sleep and anxiety make it worse. It does not damage the bowel or lead to cancer.
Gastritis means inflammation of the stomach lining. It is caused mainly by H. pylori infection, painkillers (NSAIDs), alcohol and, less often, an autoimmune reaction. It can cause burning upper-abdominal pain, nausea and fullness, or no symptoms at all.
In everyday speech “gastric” or “gas trouble” is used for almost any indigestion. Many people with upper-abdominal discomfort have functional dyspepsia — the stomach equivalent of IBS — rather than gastritis, and the two often occur together. Chronic gastritis from H. pylori matters because, untreated, it can lead to ulcers and, after many years, a higher risk of stomach cancer. See also our page on peptic ulcers.
Before diagnosing IBS or functional dyspepsia, a doctor will usually check:
| Problem | Options |
|---|---|
| Cramps and pain | Antispasmodics (mebeverine, hyoscine), peppermint-oil capsules; low-dose amitriptyline as a gut–nerve calmer. |
| Constipation | Soluble fibre (ispaghula / psyllium), water, and osmotic laxatives such as macrogol. |
| Diarrhoea | Loperamide as needed; reducing caffeine, alcohol and artificial sweeteners. |
| Bloating | Regular meals, fewer gas-producing foods, a low-FODMAP diet guided by a dietitian. |
| Stress-linked flares | Cognitive behavioural therapy and gut-directed hypnotherapy, both with good trial evidence. |
| Gastritis / dyspepsia | H. pylori test-and-treat, a 4–8 week course of an acid-reducing medicine, stopping NSAIDs, cutting alcohol. |
A homeopath asks about the timing and type of pain, bowel pattern, food cravings and dislikes, stress and temperament, and chooses a remedy. The long, attentive consultation itself may help people with IBS, in which stress and gut sensitivity are closely linked.
Using homeopathy safely with gut symptoms
A Cochrane review of homeopathy for IBS (updated in 2019) found only a few small trials of low quality. The reviewers concluded that the results are uncertain and no firm conclusions can be drawn about whether homeopathy helps IBS.
More broadly, the largest independent assessment — the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council’s 2015 review of 176 studies — found no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective for any health condition, and advised against using it for conditions that are chronic, serious or could become serious. People often do feel better after a long, unhurried homeopathic consultation; in one controlled trial in rheumatoid arthritis, the benefit came from the consultation rather than the remedy.
In practice: if you choose homeopathy, use it alongside the care described on this page, not instead of it — and tell each practitioner what the other has prescribed. More on the research →
These are the traditional descriptions (“keynotes”) from the homeopathic materia medica, listed so you recognise names a practitioner may mention. They are not evidence that a remedy works and not a guide to self-treatment. Homeopaths choose one remedy for the whole person rather than by diagnosis.
Described for constipation with ineffectual urging, after rich food, coffee and stress.
Described for bloating and rumbling, worse in the late afternoon, full after a few mouthfuls.
Described for diarrhoea from anticipation or nerves, with loud belching.
Described for cramping pain that makes the person bend double and press on the abdomen.
Described for urgent morning diarrhoea with rumbling and uncertain control.
Described for profuse, painless morning diarrhoea.
Described for upper-abdominal bloating eased by belching.
Described for bloating of the whole abdomen not eased by passing wind.
If you would like to try homeopathy, see a registered homeopathic doctor (BHMS or MD (Hom)) who will take a full history, knows your other treatment and will tell you when you need a medical specialist. Take your prescriptions and recent test reports with you.
No homeopaths have a profile on NeedsDoctor yet, so we cannot suggest one here. Choosing a homeopath explains how to check a practitioner’s qualifications and registration.
Are you a homeopathic doctor? Create your profile so readers of this page can find you.
This page is general information, reviewed September 2026. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a consultation. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine without talking to the doctor who prescribed it. In an emergency in India call 112 (ambulance 108).
