Compounded Medications and Probiotics for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Studies have found that the microflora composition of individuals with irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis differ from those of healthy individuals. Some findings suggest a decrease in beneficial bacteria populations and an increase in pathogenic bacteria populations or a higher abundance of bacteria overall (known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in these populations). Pharmaceutical compounders are able to formulate medications that are not available commercially that may provide a more targeted therapy for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis, or they can provide doses that may otherwise be difficult to achieve with commercially available products. This article discusses these two maladies and the important role of pharmaceutical compounding in their treatment options.