Your pain is related to your bowel movements. For example, pain may improve or get worse after bowel movements.

Usually known as IBS-M, for mixed or IBS-A for alternating. It’s called “mixed” because you go back and forth between diarrhea and constipation, sometimes pretty quickly. Some studies have found that people with this type tend to have more belly pain or discomfort than those who have IBS-C or D.

Bloating and abdominal distension, which can affect anyone, are especially common with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and they can be among the most persistent symptoms of the condition. Bloating may be the only symptom for some people with IBS.

IBS pain can be felt anywhere in the abdomen, but it’s usually in the lower abdomen. The pain is sometimes described as stabbing, cramping, sharp, or throbbing.

You may notice a change in the way your stool looks. In IBS perhaps the most common change in stool is the change in consistency. This can be the stool being harder to pass and constipated or resulting in loose stool in the form of diarrhea. Due to the stool remaining in the colon for an extended period of time when constipated, this leads to more water being reabsorbed. This may darken the stool.

You may notice a change in the frequency and urgency to go.

Usually known as IBS-C. Constipation is one of the symptoms often associated with IBS. May include fewer than three bowel movements a week, the passage of dry, hard or small stools, the need to strain to pass stools, and a feeling of incomplete emptying of the bowel.

Usually known as IBS-D. Most people define diarrhea as loose stools or watery stools. Others think of diarrhea as frequent bowel movements. Diarrhea is one of the symptoms often associated with IBS. Diarrhea is a sudden, urgent need to have a bowel movement that results in loose and watery stools. May be more serious if experienced at night.

You may have a feeling that you haven’t finished a bowel movement. Incomplete evacuation, the sensation that a bowel movement is not complete, is common in people with chronic constipation and chronic diarrhea, particularly those with IBS.

Studies have found that people with IBS have trouble getting rid of gas, possibly because of problems with how the nerves and muscles in their gut work. Intestinal gas results from the activity of gut bacteria on food. An aspect of IBS is called visceral hypersensitivity heightens pain in your digestive tract.

People with IBS and related digestive problems often have a problem absorbing nutrients. This is particularly obvious with diarrhea, which is a malabsorption issue.
However, not absorbing nutrients can also happen with constipation.This is why many people with IBS also suffer from chronic anemia. They are not absorbing the iron and/or vitamin B12 that is in their food.

Mucus (cloudy, white, yellow) in the stool with IBS is one of the signs of IBS. According to studies, approximately half of IBS patients may experience mucus in stool. Mucus in the stool is generally associated with inflammation.

Persistent pain that isn’t relieved by passing gas or a bowel movement is a more serious symptom to be on the look out for and must be treated immediately.

Rectal bleeding can be common in those with IBS-C, the type of IBS with constipation. It’s often caused by small tears in the anus due to fecal impaction. Get evaluated immediately.

Anxiety, low mood and stress are often associated with IBS and tend to make the symptoms of IBS. The result is that stress and anxiety sometimes trigger over-activity of your gut. This causes the diarrhea and stomach churning that those with IBS know well.

Also, the stress from IBS changes your hormone production, alters your immune system, and in some cases, upsets your digestive tract.

It’s quite common for women with IBS to observe their symptoms change at different points during their menstrual cycle. Experts have estimated half of women with IBS experience worse bowel symptoms during their period. For women who have IBS, their menstrual symptoms may be more frequent and worse.

Nausea is an unpleasant sensation involving the urge to vomit, and a common symptom in people with IBS. Nausea affects roughly one-third of people with IBS. Vomiting is not very common with IBS, although the pain can get so bad that some people do become sick.

Normally, with IBS, the main concern is that people lose weight due to the multiple diet restrictions. This then leads to a reduction in calorie intake and thus weight loss. Weight loss may also be a result of malabsorption.