Animations

Module 1: Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation (IBS-C)

Understanding IBS with Constipation
This animation provides an overview of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), including symptoms, causes, and the importance of working with your physician to determine which dietary and lifestyle changes might help your IBS-C.  
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Diagnosing IBS with Constipation
This animation explains the tests that physicians use to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), including general examination, blood tests, breath tests, bowel movement sample tests, imaging tests, and others. These tests can help your physician learn if you have a bowel condition other than IBS, because IBS mimics many other diseases. The animation also describes the causes and alarm signs of IBS-C.
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Managing and Treating IBS with Constipation
This animation provides an overview of what you can do to manage and treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), including possible changes in your diet, fiber intake, and changes to lifestyle. It also gives you information on fiber supplements, laxatives, antispasmodics, peppermint oil, prosecretory agents, 5-HT4 medicines, probiotics, and how to enroll in clinical trials.
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Module 2: Chronic Constipation (CC)

Understanding Chronic Constipation
This animation provides an overview of chronic constipation (CC), including the causes, symptoms, and how chronic constipation is different from occasional constipation. It also explains the warning signs you should recognize if you have chronic constipation, risk of other health conditions, and the important questions to ask your physician about chronic constipation.
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Diagnosing Chronic Constipation
This animation describes the symptoms of chronic constipation, and how your physician makes a diagnosis. Depending on the results of the medical history and physical examination, your physician may recommend blood and other tests, such as checking for bowel problems, and examining the colon by colonoscopy.
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Managing and Treating Chronic Constipation
This animation provides an overview of what you can do to manage and treat chronic constipation (CC), including exercise, dietary changes, and medications. It describes fiber supplements, laxatives, and medications such as prosecretory agents, 5-HT4 receptor agonists, bile acid transporter inhibitors, probiotics, biofeedback training, and how to enroll in clinical trials.
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Module 3: Opioid-Induced Constipation (OIC)

Understanding Opioid-Induced Constipation
This animation provides an overview of opioid-induced constipation (OIC), including the symptoms, causes, warning signs and consequences. Opioids are effective for treating and managing pain, but using them frequently can lead to constipation. This animation also describes the importance of working with your physician to relieve symptoms and lower your risk of OIC.
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Diagnosing Opioid-Induced Constipation
This animation describes the symptoms of opioid-induced constipation (OIC), and how your physician makes a diagnosis. Depending on the results of the medical history and physical examination, your physician may recommend additional tests such blood tests, x-ray or colonoscopy to rule out other conditions that may be causing constipation.
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Managing and Treating Opioid-Induced Constipation
This animation provides an overview of possible ways to manage and treat opioid-induced constipation (OIC). Your physician will probably ask about your diet and lifestyle and recommend non-prescription laxative medicines. If these do not work, they might prescribe a different pain medicine or a medicine to treat OIC. The animation describes lubiprostone, methylnaltrexone bromide, as well as medicines that block opioids in the digestive system, and alternative medicines to opioids. Tell your physician if you have constipation when taking opioid medicines. Your physician can help you find the best way to control pain and avoid constipation.
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Module 4: Dyssynergic Defecation (DD)

Understanding Dyssynergic Defecation
This animation provides an overview of dyssynergic defecation, including symptoms, causes, and how it is diagnosed and treated. You can learn about different tests for dyssynergic defecation, including manometry, balloon expulsion tests, defecography, and colon transit tests. You can also learn about the role of biofeedback in training people to develop healthy bowel movement patterns. If you think dyssynergic defecation might be causing your constipation, ask your healthcare provider about it.
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Understanding Dyssynergic Defecation
This animation provides an overview of dyssynergic defecation, including symptoms, causes, and how it is diagnosed and treated. You can learn about different tests for dyssynergic defecation, including manometry, balloon expulsion tests, defecography, and colon transit tests. You can also learn about the role of biofeedback in training people to develop healthy bowel movement patterns. If you think dyssynergic defecation might be causing your constipation, ask your healthcare provider about it.
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This educational activity has been developed by the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders and Mechanisms in Medicine Inc.

This activity is supported by independent educational grants from AbbVie, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals and Takeda.

This website is part of the Animated Patient® series developed by Mechanisms in Medicine Inc., to provide highly visual formats of learning for patients to improve their understanding, make informed decisions, and partner with their healthcare professionals for optimal outcomes.