Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions.

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

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Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

• Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
• Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
• Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
• Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
• iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
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• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

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Yes. In most cases, a doctor on Maple can help you manage a previously diagnosed case of irritable bowel syndrome. Once you describe your symptoms to the doctor, they’ll be able to provide advice, write necessary prescriptions, and recommend an appropriate course of treatment.

If the doctor suspects you have a more serious problem, they may suggest for you to go to a clinic for a thorough physical examination.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects the intestines. It’s a chronic condition that needs to be managed, as it causes symptoms that can negatively affect your quality of life.

Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can include:

• Abdominal pain, cramping or bloating that is typically relieved by passing a bowel movement
• Excess gas
• Diarrhea or constipation (sometimes alternating)
• Mucus in the stool

IBS can come in episodes, so someone suffering from IBS may experience periods that are relatively symptom-free.

The exact cause of IBS isn’t known. Contributing factors include muscle contractions in the intestine that may be too strong or too weak, abnormalities in the nervous system, poor coordination between the brain and the gut, inflammation of the intestines, severe infection, and changes in the bacteria in the gut (microflora).

While there are a number of things that can trigger IBS, such as stress and hormones, some foods do make symptoms worse (although they are not necessarily tied to an allergy). Foods such as wheat and dairy products, citrus, beans, cabbage, caffeine, processed foods, and carbonated drinks.

IBS treatment is mainly focused on relieving symptoms to improve your quality of life. Most symptoms can be controlled by managing stress and making changes in your diet and lifestyle, avoiding trigger foods, eating high-fibre foods, drinking plenty of fluids, getting plenty of sleep, and exercising regularly. You may want to discuss dietary changes with a dietician.

Your doctor may also suggest certain medications, such as:

• Fibre supplements or laxatives
• Anti-diarrheal medications
• Anticholinergic medications, which relieve painful bowel spasms
• Tricyclic antidepressants, which can inhibit the neurons that control the intestines
• SSRI antidepressants, to treat depression related to symptoms
• Pain medications
• There are a few medications specifically for IBS, when all of the above don’t work, such as alosetron, eluxadoline, rifaximin, lubiprostone, and linaclotide