Spasmonal

Spasmonal is a medication that helps relax muscle tension in your gut and womb. It's intended to assist you in managing and controlling symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

IBS is a digestive condition that may lead to symptoms such as tummy pain and discomfort, bloating, and problems with bowel movements like diarrhoea or constipation. IBS is identified using the Rome III criteria, which means you should experience:

Doctors haven't fully figured out what triggers IBS, but it seems to be linked to how quickly you digest food, increased gut sensitivity, and your family history. Stress can often make symptoms worse, and you might find that certain things, like spicy foods, can sometimes make your symptoms more noticeable.

IBS triggers can differ for each individual. Some people find relief by pinpointing and avoiding specific triggers. Others may need a combination of dietary changes, stress management, and medication to help alleviate their symptoms.

Spasmonal contains alverine citrate as its active ingredient, which is part of a group of medicines called antispasmodics. These are often the first treatment option for IBS. Alverine acts as a calcium channel blocker, reducing the sensitivity of certain proteins in the smooth muscles of your gut and womb to calcium.

Spasmonal works by relaxing the smooth muscles in your gut and stomach, which helps to reduce muscle spasms. This can relieve the pain associated with muscle tension during IBS flare-ups.

Spasmonal is available in two strengths: the regular version contains 60mg of alverine citrate, while Spasmonal Forte contains 120mg. It's important to follow your clinician's instructions on how to take Spasmonal. Generally, you would take one or two capsules of the 60mg Spasmonal, up to three times a day. For Spasmonal Forte, the usual dose is one capsule, up to three times daily.

Spasmonal is a Pharmacy (P) medicine, so you can only purchase it from a licensed pharmacy and not directly from the shelf. It's not suitable for everyone, so it's important to consult a clinician before using it. They'll ask you a few questions to ensure it's the right medication for you and safe to take.

Spasmonal can ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea (IBS-D), but it will only work if your diarrhoea is due to fast contractions of your gut muscles. This is because Spasmonal contains alverine citrate, which helps to relax the muscles in your gut.

If diarrhoea is your primary IBS symptom, your clinician will probably suggest trying fibre supplements first. Medicines like loperamide can also help lessen diarrhoea linked to IBS.

Spasmonal and Spasmonal Forte are brand names for medicines that contain alverine citrate in doses of 60mg and 120mg, respectively. The generic versions, Alverine Citrate 60mg and 120mg, have the same active ingredient and work just like the branded ones, but they often cost less.

Another branded version, known as Audmonal, is made by a different pharmaceutical company. It comes in the same two strengths, 60mg and 120mg. Since they're made by different companies, the two products might vary in appearance, price, and the inactive ingredients they contain.