Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: Using dietary carbohydrate restriction and hypnotherapy as complementary therapies

INTERVENTION: Participants are randomised to receive one of three treatment conditions: 1. Hypnotherapy Hypnotherapy sessions are one hour in duration and will occur weekly for a total of six weeks. Hypnotherapy sessions will be delivered by a registered clinical hypnotherapist, Ms Simone Peters who has specific training and knowledge in using hypnotherapy for the treatment of IBS. Each participant will receive the same information in each of the hypnotherapy sessions. Participants will also be required to listen to a daily hypnosis audiotape. This audiotape will be a recording of the first hypnosis session. 2. Low FODMAP (fermentable, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) dietary intervention The low FODMAP dietary intervention will consist of a one hour initial dietary consultation in week one and a review consultation in week six. The low FODMAP diet will be taught by a practicing dietitian, Dr Sue Shepherd who has specific training and knowledge in using the low FODMAP diet for the treatment of IBS. Each participant will receive the same information in the initial and follow up dietary consultations. 3. Combination of both hypnotherapy and low FODMAP diet The combination treatment condition will include one hour, weekly hypnotherapy sessions for six weeks; one hour initial dietary consultation in week one and review consultation in week six. The hypnotherapy and low FODMAP interventions will be given simultaneously. Each participant receives the same information in each of the hypnotherapy sessions becuase the sessions are scripted. Therefore, once the participant has entered a state of hypnosis they are essentially read the same 'script' as every other participant in the hypnotherapy condition. Participants in the low FODMAP treatment condition will be provided with information about the low FODMAP diet i.e. what the low FODMAP diet is, what foods are 'safe' on the low FODMAP diet etc Participants are then required to utilise the diet themselves. The dietitan, Dr Sue Shepherd will have weekly telephone contact with participants to ensure compliance. CONDITION: Irritable bowel syndrome PRIMARY OUTCOME: The change in overall gastrointestinal symptom scores (as measured using a 10cm visual analogue scale) on completion of each of the treatment conditions SECONDARY OUTCOME: Assessment of psychological status in pateints on completion of each of the treatment conditions. Psychological status is measued using validaded psychological questionnaires including; HADS, STPI, IBS‐QOL (see previous page for questionnaire full names) INCLUSION CRITERIA: 18 years old, met Rome III criteria for IBS, coealic disease excluded by normal duodenal biopsy or HLA DQ2 (human leukocyte antigen) and HLA DQ8 (human leukocyte antigen) negative