Symptoms

Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome may be accompanied by a variety of symptoms, but the one symptom all sufferers have in common is discomfort or pain in the abdomen. Without this cardinal symptom, you cannot be diagnosed with IBS. The level of discomfort varies greatly from one person to another, and from one time to another in a single patient.

Other symptoms may include:

• Bloating (a sensation of excess gas in the intestines)

• Abdominal distention (belly swelling which many individuals describe as looking “pregnant”)

• Abdominal cramping

• Increased gas production

• Increased intestinal gurgling rumbling, or sounds  

• Fecal urgency (especially after meals)

• A feeling that the bowels haven’t emptied completely

• Mucus-covered stool

• Diarrhea or constipation, or alternating diarrhea and constipation

Some IBS sufferers complain of non-gastrointestinal symptoms, including:

• Migraine headaches

• Poor sleep

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Fibromyalgia

• Chronic pelvic pain

• Chronic Fatigue

• Interstitial Cystitis

• POTS Syndrome

• Brain Fog