IBS? Here’s a clinical trial you can do at home
THE RELIEVE IBS-D study is the first UK virtual trial for IBS patients — and one of the first to test a treatment without participants needing to leave their own home. This new type of trial, where a hospital visit isn’t required, has been set up in response to the pandemic and will lead the way for delivery of clinical trials in the future. IBS affects about one in five people in the UK, a third of whom experience diarrhoeatype IBS (IBS-D). People with IBS-D suffer from diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and bloating, which can have a huge impact on quality of life. The trial is testing an adsorbent gel in the treatment of IBS-D. This is an overthe-counter, drug-free diarrhoea treatment, that is mixed with water.
It works by binding to harmful substances in the gut and both are expelled in the stools. Researchers are looking for people with IBS-D to take part in a virtual study by the Patient Recruitment Centre, Newcastle Hospital. You won’t need to visit the site but would simply complete a two-minute daily diary, attend four video appointments — and receive free IBS treatment delivered to your door. Just go online and complete the quick eligibility questionnaire to take one of the remaining places ( redcap.link/nhs-relieve). One trial participant says: ‘The virtual trial meant I was able to participate with ease. I didn’t need to travel anywhere, and it could to be done at home and in my own time.’ The gel is used as a treatment for acute and chronic diarrhoea. It is available at Boots, pharmacies and Holland & Barrett.