Moxibustion — which involves heating different areas of the body with burning mugwort leaves — was found in one meta-analysis to be superior to medication for improving bloating and bowel movement frequency in IBS-D, but with a high risk of bias due to the lack of blinding in nearly all studies.[1] Tong Xie Yao Fang, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, was also reported to be superior to conventional treatment in another meta-analysis that also cited a high risk of bias due to the lack of blinding and randomization.[2] Shugan Jianpi Zhixie (an ingredient of Tong Xie Yao Fang) was more effective than placebo according to one meta-analysis that only included randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, but it wasn’t compared to conventional treatment.[3]
Are there any other treatments for IBS-D?
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•Last Updated: May 16, 2025
Moxibustion has been found to be more effective than medication for improving symptoms of IBS-D (diarrhea-predominant IBS), although studies show a high risk of bias. Additionally, the Traditional Chinese Medicine formula Tong Xie Yao Fang and its ingredient Shugan Jianpi Zhixie have also shown superior effects compared to conventional treatments, but have similar concerns related to study quality.