You are visiting the largest on-line community for sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Signup for our free community and join the conversation with 33,201 active members.
Authors and Publishers: We would be pleased to consider your publication for our book list. Please send an evaluation copy to us using our Canadian address.
Written for sufferers by the
founder and members of the
IBS Self Help and Support Group

- What a lifesaver!"Jeffrey Roberts and Dr. Barbara Bolen have done a remarkable job of compiling key comments, from all over the world, about IBS and the functional GI disorders. The information is well-organized, readable, and informative. I believe this book also helps to provide emotional support: the reader learns that he or she is "not alone" during those times when the symptoms are distressing or difficult to manage," Dr. Douglas Drossman, Medical Director, UNC Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders.
Read more reviews....
- A clear language book which explains how you can naturally rebalance your digestive system with probiotics to help control IBS.
- Good pointers for identifying diet and intolerances which may be bothering you.
- The best self managed approach to coping with IBS symptoms that I have ever read.
- A gripping emotional roller-coaster ride
- The new gold standard for guiding an IBS sufferer
- The first memoir to date about IBS that allows a user to see the painful, and at times, embarrassing truth about living with IBS.
- This book merits your attention. It could likely explain the cause for your symptoms
- It's a solution for some, but not likely for a real IBS sufferer
- A well researched encyclopedia about Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Refreshing and empowering
- Informative; not bogged down with technical language
- Gastrointestinal Health by Miskovitz

- A must buy!
- Excellent, highly readable orientation for new patients

- Solid, very easy read with current information.
- A great book on IBS!
- CBT doesn't change organic disease Although the "psychosocial" idea that the mind and the body cannot be separated is trendy, and accurate in some areas, organic medical diseases for which biomedical research shows why patients have the symptoms they do is completely unrelated. Symptoms aren't medically unexplained just because some psychiatrists and doctors don't like "reductionist" or traditional medicine explanations.
Read More
- An excellent home resource for digestive disorders

- The Best AvailableSalt and Neimark provide a complete analysis of the mind/body/spirit connection, taking you from the causes of your problem to the resolution of it that ... Read More
- Nicely done but not very useful.As W.C. Fields opined, "There's only one cure for insomnia; get plenty of sleep!"
- Easy to read and so interesting!
- BUY THIS BOOK - HELP YOURSELF HANDLE IBSRating:
- All Dr's should read this and give one to their IBS patients
For the people downing this book, they obviously don't have IBS.
This works! I hate giving up my dairy and cheese burgers, but since I have started Heather's diet. I have not had to take a rx and been symptom free for 4 days!!!! (I tried her diet when I was on the rx but since i can eat almost anything when I am on it and have very little symptoms, I decided to get off of it to see if her diet really works..) This has been the longest I have ever gone with out an attack! Learning how to eat ... Read More
Rating:
- critics should read this and her other work (including website) more carefully
This book (and Van Vorous' other work) has helped me tremendously. My symptoms were debilitating. When I was diagnosed, I asked my gastrenterologist if there were any diets in particular that might have an impact. He said "It's different for everyone." And while that is true to some extent, he didn't even mention that caffeine and alcohol were triggers, let alone fats and insoluble fibers. When I discovered this book and started following the guidelines, my condition improved dramatically.
... Read More
Rating:
- A guide for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
People with IBS will benefit heavily from this book. This could be their bible for IBS. Especially the section where the author tells you what you can eat when you cannot eat anything. If you have severe pain and diarrhea then a diet consisting refined starch and pureed vegetables may work wonders for you. Eating fibre rich food will help you if you have constipation. This book will give a lot of information for the normal person also.
By giving up my coffee habit I realized having ... Read More
Rating:
- Highly Informative Work
I truly benefited from this book. I have been having problems digesting since high school probably due in part to the stress of a hard childhood and now young adulthood. Anyway, I bookmarked the pages listing safe foods (soluble fibers) versus the unsafe foods (INsoluble fibers, red/dark meats, fats, dairy, etc). This book has changed my life. I have the knowledge to be able to choose my meals wisely. Amazingly, my acne breakouts have come to a screeching halt with the start of the IBS diet. It turns ... Read More

- Not enough Facts too many quick qonclusionsRating:
- A good starting book on learning about IBS and treatment.
To answer your main questions about Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Gerard Guillory's _IBS: A doctor's plan_ is an excellent place to start. It is filled with useful tips and has a reassuring tone. I highly recommend this book, along with Dawn Burstall et al.'s _IBS relief: A Doctor, a Dietitian and a Psychologist Provide a Team Approach to Managing IBS_. Both books complement each other well and provide useful information. (see my review of Burstall et al. at amazon.com)
Rating:
- What I thought.
I thougth the book was very interesting and helpful.
Rating:
- Good one Volume Guide to IBS
Dr. Guillory offers a revised and newly updated edition of his definitive guide for the one in five people suffering from spastic colon, cramping pains or nausea after eating, constipation, gas, and diarrhea--the variety of uncomfortable digestive symptoms known as IBS--Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Revealing questionnaires and special temporary diets are featured, as well as detailed information about testing and medications. Included are special stress reduction techniques along with corrective exercises ... Read More
Rating:
- Good one Volume Guide to IBS
Dr. Guillory offers a revised and newly updated edition of his definitive guide for the one in five people suffering from spastic colon, cramping pains or nausea after eating, constipation, gas, and diarrhea--the variety of uncomfortable digestive symptoms known as IBS--Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Revealing questionnaires and special temporary diets are featured, as well as detailed information about testing and medications. Included are special stress reduction techniques along with corrective exercises ... Read More

- VERY USEFLUL
- I've never been so excited about iritable bowel syndrome!The only caveat is that it is not nearly as visual as you may want if you are a fetishist, hence the 4/5 score. Otherwise, spellbinding!
- 25 Natural Ways to Relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- information to help you solve your digestive problemsRating:
- A decent self-help book
It is great to find a book by a practicing gastroenterologist who promotes a medicine-free healing plan! Gitnick's book reminds us all of the importance of a complete healing program, including exercise, stress reduction, positive attitude, eating those foods which don't bother us, and seeking support from others. The author discusses scenarios when it may be necessary to combine medicine with these success factors and how they can work together to promote healing. This book contains many case studies ... Read More
Rating:
- It's Just a Lot of Hot Air!
Well intentioned but regrettably lacking in any real practical advise for those of us who suffer from this very dibilatating syndrome, "Freedom from Digestive Distress : Medicine-Free Relief from Heartburn, Gas, Bloating, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome" was a disappointing read. There is virtually no information on dealing with the embarrassing and often painful situations that are a part of our daily lives. I was looking for answers and got very few: What is the best approach for avoiding problems ... Read More
- Easy to Understand. Worth Having!Rating:
- The Last IBS Book You Need!
After buying, reading and giving away many, many books on Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I was blessed to have found this one. No recipes in this one, this book makes clear the powerful correlation between IBS and anxiety, IBS and stress, IBS and depression, IBS and fear. After spending a week of increasingly severe pain accompanied by increased anxiety about the pain (or was it increasing pain about the anxiety?)and winding up in the local ER, I realized that I needed to help myself by calming myself. This ... Read More
Rating:
- A book that helps you regain control
IBS can be a horrible thing to suffer with and unfortunately a lot of books written on the subject can even be worse. In my search for books on IBS I found a lot of them written by doctors to be unsympathetic and confusing. That was until I found Barbara Bradley Bolen's book on IBS. Her book was written in a clear and friendly manner and it was a pleasure to read. Also, Bolen writing was very sympathetic to the disease of IBS.
One of the things I liked so much about this book was the case ... Read More
Rating:
- A must for IBS sufferers&those who treat IBS patients.
As a clinical psychologist with over 20 years experience, I highly recommend Dr. Bolen's book. Dr. Bolen collates a great deal of research and general information about IBS, and then goes on to provide a number of effective, excellent techniques for managing the disorder, explained in a clear and straightforward manner. I am already using this book with several of my IBS patients and have found it to be of immense help.
- Outstanding; the ideal treatment of a sensitive subjectI'm not sure what her background is, ... Read More
Rating:
- So thankful for this book
This book has given me hope that there is relief from my IBS. It explains this condition in a way anyone can understand. I discovered things that might be contributing to my symptoms that I had no idea were even remotely related to IBS. It gives a comprehensive overview of the many treatments available, focusing on the natural and homeopathic. I have begun implementing many of the dietary and lifestyle changes covered in this book and look forward to feeling better. I am already feeling better, ... Read More

- Irritable Bowel Syndrome&DverticulosisVery dissapointed, save your money.
Rating:
- Misleading Title
Except for the title, you cannot find any reference to Diverticulosis in this book. Otherwise, it is a useful book.
Rating:
- This information has really helped me.
I have found that the information in this book has helped me more than anything I have tried in the past 12 years... My experience with MD's has been futile. Anyone suffering with IBS or diverticulosis would be well served reading the exceptionally well written book.
- peristaltic reflex or peristaltic cognition?The title is somewhat misleading. ... Read More
Rating:
- A thought-provoking book
I thought it was an interesting premise that the gut was a 'second brain gone south'. I would add too that the author responded to a question I emailed him and thanked me for reading his book. A courtesy that you don't always receive these days.
Rating:
- Bowel megalomaniac doesn't help the little people
I bought this book with the hope that it would convey real information about the physiology of the digestive system, so that I could understand my own digestive problems - I didn't want to read just another wacky diet plan. This book is indeed advertised as being somehow helpful to those who suffer bowel problems, but all he ends up saying about those problems is that, if his great discoveries are taken seriously by pharmaceutical companies, us little people will someday be able to buy new drugs for our problems. ... Read More
Rating:
- Not just my gut feeling!
A compelling informative guide to the concept of "Big brain and little brain". This book is super And its not just my gut feeling. Readers may also look up "Natural Stomach Care", and "Your Gut Feelings".
Rating:
- Readable Science, not New Age twaddle!
This is a serious enteric neurology text (the first!) and an entertaining memoir rolled into one. Dr. Gershon is passionate about the brain in the bowel and he (and his editor) have done a superlative job of explaining some very complicated neurochemistry. I haven't even read through to the practical advice section and I think it's superb already! Highly recommended not only for those with unhappy guts, but for anyone who's ever been curious about the digestive system, how it works and how it evolved to have such a ... Read More

- First Doctor who made senseRating:
- Someone finally understood!!
I had been to 3 separate doctors, had numerous tests, and tried a lengthy list of medications. I found out about this book in a chat room and the reviews were so glowing that I thought it must be a marketing scheme. I bought it anyway because I had nothing to lose at that point in my life. As I read the book, I felt vindicated and thought he was describing my life. This book changed my life. For anyone that has ever suffered from fructose intolerance this will make sense to you....my husband ... Read More
Rating:
- Change your life overnight!!
For over half of my life (20+ years) I suffered from IBS. I had become almost completely homebound because of this. My life changed overnight when I bought this book. I started following the diet and I noticed a huge difference the first day. With in a few weeks I was a different person. I know this sounds corny but it's true. Dr. Gibbons saved my life. I have been pretty much symptom free now for several years. IBS no longer controls my life and IBS never even crosses my mind unless I'm bragging ... Read More
Rating:
- The best help I have ever found
Dr. Gibbons lays out the causes and effects of I.B.S. He gives his own medical history that has effected him and how it lead him to find answer on how to best help himself. I have read the book and now follow his diet that he has explained what one needs to do to get immediate relief. I feel so much better now I can not believe the difference. Anyone who suffers with crohn's disease, celiac sprue, colitis, diverticulosis, galactosemia, infant colic, post-colostomy colitis, ulcerative colitis will benefit ... Read More
Rating:
- If you have bowel problems please read this book
When I first browsed this book I said "Yes I know that", "Yes I know that","Yes I know that". I put the book back on the self. After a couple of weeks I decided maybe their was something in the book I didn't know. I went back and bought it. It was nice to find comformation of what I had found over the years to be helpful. My Doctor always looked at me like I was crazy when I told him these things. This book is a must read for anyone with bowel problems.
- SORRY THAT I PURCHASED THIS BOOK Rating:
- Excellent Guide
This is an excellent guide, giving many details of symptoms, causes, diet change needs,trigger foods, and stress reduction. I refer to it frequently. It has no gender bias that women are the major sufferers of IBS.
Rating:
- INTERESTING TOPIC
I certainly do agree on some of the topics mentioned in this book. My understanding as reading this book and also attending at the time a Psycologist, is I think it narrows down yes with some foods you eat, I feel everyone is sensitive to certain foods than others, but what I found very interesting and had a hard time dealing with is to accept the fact that I had IBS. That's the first thing you have to accept. The second is STRESS, what major role that plays on the digestive system. You may not agree, ...