The campaign is designed to empower women to seek proper diagnosis and treatment for recurring constipation accompanied by abdominal pain or discomfort and bloating - the hallmark symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with constipation, a dysmotility disorder.
IBS with constipation often goes undiagnosed for years. A new Roper Starch survey, "IBS with Constipation: The barriers to doctor- diagnosis and treatment," found that as many as 96% of undiagnosed sufferers do not realize they have a treatable medical condition, even though most of them (88%) had heard about the condition. Embarrassment about discussing symptoms and self-blame often are the reasons for failing to communicate openly with family, friends and even their doctors.
Shepherd is one of six million Americans who suffers with dysmotility symptoms associated with IBS with constipation. Until recently, she was like most of the respondents in the Roper Starch survey, in that she didn't realize she had a treatable medical condition.
"I struggled with recurring constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating for more than 20 years because I didn't talk openly to my doctor about all of my symptoms," says Shepherd. "I tried nearly everything, including fiber supplements and over-the-counter laxatives, but none of these helped relieve all of my symptoms. Sometimes I was not able to enjoy my free time, including the activities I did with my kids."
Shepherd will work with NWHRC and Novartis to engage women who have been diagnosed with IBS with constipation to encourage them to offer support to others who are suffering with recurring constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating, but who remain undiagnosed. These patient-advocates will share personal stories and talk about their treatment with Novartis' product Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate), the first and only medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of women with the multiple symptoms of IBS with constipation.
Shepherd says, "My goal is to urge all woman to get over their embarrassment, to stop suffering in silence the way I did, and to talk to their doctors. Getting the right diagnosis and treatment can help us to be the amazing women we were meant to be."
Seventy percent of the nearly 40 million Americans - one in five adults - who suffer with IBS are women, and it is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders. "Yet people are not comfortable talking about it," says Amy Niles, president and CEO of NWHRC. "In our Roper Starch survey, we found 9 out of 10 diagnosed patients initiated the conversation with their doctor about their combination of symptoms. This demonstrates clearly that talking candidly with your doctor about all the symptoms - recurring constipation, abdominal pain or discomfort, and bloating - is the first step to getting the right diagnosis."
Susan Lucak, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Disease, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, says, "Now, it is more important than ever that patients talk to their doctors about their recurring constipation, abdominal pain. and bloating. There is new research that for the first time has found a difference in the way serotonin works in the gastrointestinal tract of patients with dysmotility disorders like IBS compared to those without. Zelnorm is the only treatment available that mimics serotonin, increasing motility and decreasing pain perception to improve the dysmotility symptoms of patients with IBS with constipation."
The findings of the Roper Starch survey are based on telephone interviews conducted by Roper ASW during January and February of 2004 with women who have been diagnosed by a doctor as having IBS with constipation (213 patients) and women having the symptoms of IBS but not doctor-diagnosed as having IBS (201 patients). The aim of the survey was to identify and quantify barriers to doctor- diagnosis and treatment of IBS with constipation. Some highlights of the survey:
* Ninety-two percent of all those surveyed considered their abdominal pain/discomfort to be very bothersome or somewhat bothersome
* More than half (56%) of the diagnosed patients had lived with the condition for more than 10 years compared to 35% of the undiagnosed patients
* Nearly half of undiagnosed worry their symptoms will lead to something more serious, whereas fewer diagnosed (42%) patients had this worry
* The undiagnosed are more likely than the diagnosed to be kept awake at night by their symptoms
* Eight in 10 of both diagnosed and undiagnosed say their symptoms have affected the frequency of sexual activity during the past 6 months
* Although most respondents whose symptoms have affected their sex lives have discussed it with their partner (diagnosed 78%; undiagnosed 67%), 22% of the undiagnosed say they have not, because it would be embarrassing or their partner wouldn't take it seriously, think it's an excuse, or might break up with them. Only 4% of diagnosed patients didn't talk about it for these other reasons
Of diagnosed respondents:
* Ninety percent expect they will have to endure symptoms the rest of their lives, with 40% believing there will be no improvement of their symptoms or their symptoms will get worse
* Forty-seven percent of diagnosed sufferers felt they were very knowledgeable about many aspects of IBS before seeing their doctor
Of undiagnosed respondents:
* Of the 88% of sufferers who had heard of IBS, 21% would not go the doctor because they didn't believe IBS was a real medical condition and 14% didn't think anything could be done about it
* A third of sufferers believed their symptoms were caused by poor diet
* Of the patients who self-treat their symptoms, the majority used OTC remedies. None reported being very satisfied and 39% are dissatisfied with treatments that included laxatives, dietary changes, fiber supplements, acid reducers, stool softeners, antidiarrheals, gas relief medications, and other medications.
IBS with constipation often goes undiagnosed for years. A new Roper Starch survey, "IBS with Constipation: The barriers to doctor- diagnosis and treatment," found that as many as 96% of undiagnosed sufferers do not realize they have a treatable medical condition, even though most of them (88%) had heard about the condition. Embarrassment about discussing symptoms and self-blame often are the reasons for failing to communicate openly with family, friends and even their doctors.
Shepherd is one of six million Americans who suffers with dysmotility symptoms associated with IBS with constipation. Until recently, she was like most of the respondents in the Roper Starch survey, in that she didn't realize she had a treatable medical condition.
"I struggled with recurring constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating for more than 20 years because I didn't talk openly to my doctor about all of my symptoms," says Shepherd. "I tried nearly everything, including fiber supplements and over-the-counter laxatives, but none of these helped relieve all of my symptoms. Sometimes I was not able to enjoy my free time, including the activities I did with my kids."
Shepherd will work with NWHRC and Novartis to engage women who have been diagnosed with IBS with constipation to encourage them to offer support to others who are suffering with recurring constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating, but who remain undiagnosed. These patient-advocates will share personal stories and talk about their treatment with Novartis' product Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate), the first and only medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of women with the multiple symptoms of IBS with constipation.
Shepherd says, "My goal is to urge all woman to get over their embarrassment, to stop suffering in silence the way I did, and to talk to their doctors. Getting the right diagnosis and treatment can help us to be the amazing women we were meant to be."
Seventy percent of the nearly 40 million Americans - one in five adults - who suffer with IBS are women, and it is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders. "Yet people are not comfortable talking about it," says Amy Niles, president and CEO of NWHRC. "In our Roper Starch survey, we found 9 out of 10 diagnosed patients initiated the conversation with their doctor about their combination of symptoms. This demonstrates clearly that talking candidly with your doctor about all the symptoms - recurring constipation, abdominal pain or discomfort, and bloating - is the first step to getting the right diagnosis."
Susan Lucak, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Disease, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, says, "Now, it is more important than ever that patients talk to their doctors about their recurring constipation, abdominal pain. and bloating. There is new research that for the first time has found a difference in the way serotonin works in the gastrointestinal tract of patients with dysmotility disorders like IBS compared to those without. Zelnorm is the only treatment available that mimics serotonin, increasing motility and decreasing pain perception to improve the dysmotility symptoms of patients with IBS with constipation."
The findings of the Roper Starch survey are based on telephone interviews conducted by Roper ASW during January and February of 2004 with women who have been diagnosed by a doctor as having IBS with constipation (213 patients) and women having the symptoms of IBS but not doctor-diagnosed as having IBS (201 patients). The aim of the survey was to identify and quantify barriers to doctor- diagnosis and treatment of IBS with constipation. Some highlights of the survey:
* Ninety-two percent of all those surveyed considered their abdominal pain/discomfort to be very bothersome or somewhat bothersome
* More than half (56%) of the diagnosed patients had lived with the condition for more than 10 years compared to 35% of the undiagnosed patients
* Nearly half of undiagnosed worry their symptoms will lead to something more serious, whereas fewer diagnosed (42%) patients had this worry
* The undiagnosed are more likely than the diagnosed to be kept awake at night by their symptoms
* Eight in 10 of both diagnosed and undiagnosed say their symptoms have affected the frequency of sexual activity during the past 6 months
* Although most respondents whose symptoms have affected their sex lives have discussed it with their partner (diagnosed 78%; undiagnosed 67%), 22% of the undiagnosed say they have not, because it would be embarrassing or their partner wouldn't take it seriously, think it's an excuse, or might break up with them. Only 4% of diagnosed patients didn't talk about it for these other reasons
Of diagnosed respondents:
* Ninety percent expect they will have to endure symptoms the rest of their lives, with 40% believing there will be no improvement of their symptoms or their symptoms will get worse
* Forty-seven percent of diagnosed sufferers felt they were very knowledgeable about many aspects of IBS before seeing their doctor
Of undiagnosed respondents:
* Of the 88% of sufferers who had heard of IBS, 21% would not go the doctor because they didn't believe IBS was a real medical condition and 14% didn't think anything could be done about it
* A third of sufferers believed their symptoms were caused by poor diet
* Of the patients who self-treat their symptoms, the majority used OTC remedies. None reported being very satisfied and 39% are dissatisfied with treatments that included laxatives, dietary changes, fiber supplements, acid reducers, stool softeners, antidiarrheals, gas relief medications, and other medications.
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar