Table 1.

Efficacy parameters assessed by weekly diary

#	Efficacy Variable	Question	Response Scale	SMS code (choose one)
1	Abdominal discomfort/pain	"How intense was your abdominal discomfort/pain in the past week?"	0 = none 1 = mild 2 = moderate 3 = severe	1-0 1-1 1-2 1-3
2	Bloating	"How intense was your abdominal bloating in the past week?"	0 = none 1 = mild 2 = moderate 3 = severe	2-0 2-1 2-2 2-3
3	Stool frequency	"On the average, how many bowel movements did you have per day in the past week?"	Number of bowel movements per day or per week: _______________/day or week (please delete as appropriate)	3-X/d or 3-X/w
4	Stool consistency	"Please rate your average stool consistency in the past week"	According to Bristol stool chart 1 = separate hard lumps, like nuts 2 = sausage-shaped but lumpy 3 = like sausage or snake but with cracks on its surface 4 = like sausage or snake, smooth & soft 5 = soft blobs with clear cut edges 6 = fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool 7 = watery, no solid pieces	4-1 4-2 4-3 4-4 4-5 4-6 4-7
5	Urgency	"Did you at any time in the past week experience urgency?" (having to rush to the toilet for a bowel movement?)	1 = yes, all the times 2 = yes, sometimes 3 = no	5-1 5-2 5-3
6	Straining	"Did you strain during or while trying to have a bowel movement in the past week?"	1 = yes, all the times 2 = yes, sometimes 3 = no	6-1 6-2 6-3
7	Sensation of complete evacuation	"Did you have a sensation of complete evacuation following your bowel movements in the past week?"	1 = yes, all the times 2 = yes, sometimes 3 = no	7-1 7-2 7-3
8	Overall satisfactory relief of IBS symptoms	"Over the past week, do you consider that you have had satisfactory relief from your symptoms of IBS?"	1 = Excellent relief 2 = Good relief 3 = Slight relief 4 = No relief 5 = Worse	8-1 8-2 8-3 8-4 8-5