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Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA
En Español (Spanish Version)
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Symptoms come and go. They are also not the same from one person to the next.

Symptoms may be worse after eating. Some are:

  • Belly cramps
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Bloating
  • Pain that gets better by moving your bowels
  • Feeling that you have not fully emptied your bowels
  • Straining to move your bowels
  • An urgent need to move your bowels
  • Mucus in the stool
  • Nausea
  • Back pain
REFERENCES:

Ford AC, Lacy BE, Talley NJ. Irritable bowel syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(26):2566-2578.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T113627/Irritable-bowel-syndrome-IBS. Updated September 10, 2018. Accessed August 26, 2019.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs. Updated April 2019. Accessed August 26, 2019.

Last reviewed August 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board James P. Cornell, MD  Last Updated: 8/27/2019