11. Case studies
Case study 5
Ellen is 35 years old and works in publishing. She has recently been diagnosed with IBS by her
doctor and was prescribed an antispasmodic to relieve the painful abdominal cramps. She hasn’t
had time to go back to her GP to get another prescription and comes into your pharmacy
looking for a painkiller that will relieve the abdominal symptoms.
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Consider the questions you would need to ask Ellen and what treatment you would recommend.
Case study 5 - Answer
Ellen has already been diagnosed with IBS and her symptoms of abdominal pain and cramps are typical of the condition. You establish that there are no ‘red flag’ symptoms and that she was satisfied with the relief she got from the antispasmodic prescribed by her doctor. As she has a busy working life and no time to visit her GP, you should let her know that there are antispasmodic treatments that can be purchased in the pharmacy without prescription.
Recommend a treatment such as Buscopan® IBS Relief (which contains hyoscine butylbromide) with the initial dosage of one tablet three times a day.13 Ellen also reveals that she is finding her job particularly stressful at the moment. This is a good opportunity to talk to her about how stress can lead to an IBS attack, or exacerbate existing symptoms. Recommend some relaxation techniques and suggest exercise such as yoga or pilates, which may provide some relief.
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