A 29-year-old man with IBS is prescribed a medication to relieve long-term symptoms. Which medicine is most likely prescribed?

• A. Loperamide 2 mg four times daily
• B. Simethicone
• C. Psyllium husk
• D. Mebeverine 135 mg tablets, one to be taken three times a day

Answer: (D)

Treating IBS focuses on easing abdominal cramps and pain with medicines that directly calm the gut’s smooth muscle over the long term. Mebeverine is an antispasmodic that acts locally in the gut to relax smooth muscle, which reduces contractions and cramping. Because cramping is a common and persistent symptom in IBS, this mechanism makes mebeverine well suited for ongoing symptom control, taken in multiple daily doses as prescribed.

The other options target different issues rather than the core symptom of pain. Loperamide slows gut movement to help with diarrhea but doesn’t relieve cramps. Simethicone mainly reduces gas and bloating, not pain. Psyllium husk is a fibre supplement that can help regulate stool form in some IBS patients but doesn’t directly address cramps as effectively as an antispasmodic.