Q I have ulcerative colitis (UC), and eating food containing dairy or wheat products can cause cramping pains and bleeding. My doctor prescribed a suppository-based medication but I have heard that probiotic pills and other natural gastric remedies can work wonders. Is this true?

DA from County Durham

A Probiotics are live microbial supplements that are said to improve your intestinal microbial balance, enhance the gut-barrier function and even boost your immune system. Many UC sufferers swear by them but some of their perceived benefits could be a placebo effect.

Last year a major study analysed the results of trials of probiotics taken by patients with UC. It found evidence that some, if taken in conjunction with conventional medical therapy, may provide modest short-term benefits in terms of reducing symptoms in patients with moderate colitis. However, the longer-term benefits still remain unproven.

If you do take probiotic treatments, do so only in addition to your medical treatment and not as an alternative. Most will do no harm — the biggest risk is to your wallet, as many are expensive.

Q On a trip to Peru, taking Imodium Plus failed to halt bad diarrhoea and stomach cramps, but a drug called Buscopan worked for me within half an hour. I have seen Buscopan IBS being sold in the UK, but is Buscopan alone available over the counter?

JS from Letchworth Garden City

A Buscopan tablets contain hyoscine N-butylbromide, an anti-spasmodic drug. It relieves abdominal pain caused by spasms in the muscles of the bowel, and that’s how it stopped your suffering when you were in Peru.

In the UK this drug is only available over the counter in its Buscopan IBS form, a milder dosage of the same drug, commonly used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

See a GP if the problem recurs, as you may have contracted a bowel infection or an intestinal parasite requiring an antibiotic.

Q Is there any way in which we can help prevent our baby from developing eczema? My husband already suffers from this condition.

HR from Bolton

A A Swedish study published last month suggests that if parents regularly include fish in their children’s diets before the age of nine months, they will benefit from a 25% reduction in the risk of developing eczema later in life.

It also found that where the mother or a sibling has eczema, there is twice the risk of a baby developing the problem by the age of 12 months. Interestingly, the risk of inheriting the condition seems to be reduced if it’s the father who has it. However, breastfeeding, feeding the child dairy products or keeping a pet do not seem to increase the risk.

Write, with your initials and home town, to drknow@sunday-times.co.uk. All questions are answered by a practising doctor

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