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IBS Symptoms and Causes: Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Diarrhea

woman in pain with cramps from IBS

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a prevalent condition that affects the large intestine. Many adults experience symptoms of IBS at some point in their lives. Potential causes of irritable bowel syndrome include stress, low in fibre and high in fat diets, severe gastrointestinal infections and hormonal changes.¹

Many factors can aggravate your natural digestive rhythm, causing a variance in the frequency or consistency of stool. Hence, diarrhea is a recurrent and common symptom of IBS.² 

 What are the Symptoms and Signs of IBS? 

There are some prevalent symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, which can vary from person to person:³

  •  Cramps and abdominal pain  

is one of the most common symptoms of IBS. This condition leads to uncoordinated tension in the bowel muscles, usually causing lower abdomen pain.

  •  Bloating and increased gas production 

occur as a result of altered digestion. Many IBS patients experience bloating persistently.

  •  Diarrhea and changes in bowel movements 

like slow or prompt movement of stool through the intestine are typically associated with IBS. These changes can intensify symptoms of diarrhea or constipation.

  •  Fatigue and lack of sleep and energy 

are also relevant signs of irritable bowel syndrome. IBS is related to low stamina and also sleep difficulty, which predicts more severe gastrointestinal symptoms.

  •  Anxiety 

and digestive IBS symptoms reinforce one another since this condition generally affects the quality of life. 

 What are Irritable Bowel Syndrome Triggers? 

People who struggle with IBS have a more sensitive colon than normal. Which means IBS can react to certain triggers like bacteria, stress or certain foods.⁴ Some of these common triggers are:

  1.  Stress . IBS symptoms can worsen and become more frequent during stressful times.³

  2.  Food  allergies or intolerances can aggravate irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. These foods include wheat, dairy products, beans, cabbage, carbonated drinks or citrus fruits.⁵

  3. Some  drugs  can trigger constipation or diarrhea, which are common symptoms of IBS. These drugs include antibiotics, medicines that contain sorbitol and some antidepressants.⁶

  4.  Hormonal changes  in women are believed to play a role in complicating IBS symptoms, especially around the menstrual periods.⁶

 IBS Diarrhea or Diarrhea-Predominant IBS 

Accelerated bowel movements in IBS can accompany unwanted and sudden urges to pass stool. Diarrhea-predominant IBS is when abdominal pain or bloating symptoms happen along with stools that are often loose or more frequent than usual. This type of IBS results from rapid intestine contractions that cause fast bowel movement, leading to watery or loose stools. Also known as IBS-D, this condition can be linked to food allergy or sensitivity from certain ingredients like lactose or gluten.⁷

 What are IBS Treatment and Diarrhea Management? 

Irritable bowel syndrome treatment could vary from implementing changes in what you eat and other lifestyle changes, to medicines, probiotics and mental health assistance.⁸ If the main IBS symptom you suffer from is diarrhea, you may find it helpful to use anti-diarrheal products that contain loperamide, like IMODIUM®.⁹

It helps slow down gut contractions to give the intestine more time to absorb water from the digested food and improves bowel function. IMODIUM® works in harmony with your body to help restore its natural rhythm, and gently return the digestive system back to its normal pace. Find out more about IMODIUM® and how it can help you manage IBS diarrhea.

Visit our FAQ section to learn more about diarrhea and how IMODIUM® can help you manage it.

References:
https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/sites/default/files/legacy/asset... - 2014
https://www.aboutibs.org/ibs-with-diarrhea.html - July 2016
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/symptoms/ - October 2020
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/stomach-liver-and-ga... - February 2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4944381/ - May 2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2095723/ - Dec 2007
https://www.asge.org/home/for-patients/patient-information/understanding... - May 2020
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/diet-lifestyl... - October 2020
https://patient.info/medicine/loperamide-for-diarrhoea - Oct 2017