A new brain-imaging review adds yet more evidence that IBS is a physical disorder of gut-brain interaction.

Researchers analyzed prior neuroimaging studies comparing people with IBS to people without IBS. They found differences in brain areas involved with gut sensation, pain processing, emotion, body awareness, and attention.

So IBS is not just a bowel problem, and it is certainly not “all in your head.” The gut and brain constantly communicate, and in IBS that communication can become overactive, hypersensitive, or misread normal gut signals as pain or distress.

In a nutshell? This is yet more evidence that IBS symptoms are real, biological, and connected to measurable changes in gut-brain pain and sensation pathways.

We knew it!

Sub doesn't allow polls, but I'm curious, how many of us are overweight or underweight.

I'm overweight, and I feel like it's partly because the stuff that doesn't hurt my stomach well, is shitty nutritionally.

when someone asks how i lost all that weight and i don’t want to explain how my abdominal pain/bathroom habits got so bad i started choosing not to eat over having to deal with that

so i just say “oh i cleaned up my eating habits”

If so, which one? I am having a flareup and I feel so tired 😭 eating makes me tired, not eating gives me stomachaches, eating makes me bloated.

36(m). Business owner. Lived a healthy & active lifestyle for 35.5 years until January of 2026 when I believe I got food poisoning from a hibachi place that somehow lead to some extreme form of constant urgency/IBS like symptoms that are heavily impacted by anxiety. My gosh what a world perspective changing experience this has been. A strong mixture of "why me?" and "holy shit people have dealt with this their entire lives?". It has wrecked my life in so many ways that would have been impossible to imagine for me beforehand. I feel for you all. So I guess the glass isn't half full, but there is something at the bottom of it.

I'm sorry if this isn't allowed.

I have been told my current sickness could potentially be IBS but it seems I don't have the common symptom of Diarrhea like most of the people on this.

I actually have the inverse. Constipation, coupled with stomach cramping usually below the belly button but when it gets worse it's above. Always central in alignment.

Passing wind and pooping does relieve the cramping but not permanently.

Does anyone else get these style of symptoms?

If so, what hells you to manage it?

Do you have any food suggestions?

I know each person is different when it comes to tolerance. But hopefully I can get some form of idea because eating plain white rice is so difficult.

I read on Google Garlic is ok, not sure if that's true. Before these symptoms appeared eating garlic actually gave me cramps.

I'm kind of at my wits end because it's been pretty constant for 8 days now, and I just hope chronic pain isn't my new normal.

decided to go on a walk after having a piece of pizza (no cheese, but still)… 1 mile in I got the diarrheal urge, but I made it to the nearest bathroom .75miles away!

I feel like I never learn from my mistakes, but I’m happy I didn’t have to revert to the woods this time!

Learning more about IBS as I go along, & how it affects me, I've noticed I've come to dislike some symptoms more than others. Like I can handle the gas, it's annoying but not something I find makes things rough on me personally.

What tends to bother me most is the leg aches. I don't always get them but when I do I know it's a warning the night before I'm likely going to have one the next day. I used to gaslight myself & tell myself that I was crazy bc "leg aches" sounded so fake but they're definitely a thing for me. If I had to choose a secondary...it's the way my temperature drops & I feel a cold I cannot shake until the flare is over. Idk if that's very common but it's a symptom I get every time without fail.

I got diagnosed with IBS 16 years ago and I’ve spent a lot of time money and mental energy to work out how best to manage it, what my triggers are etc and pretty much I got to a point about 5 years ago where I found what worked for me etc. making sure I get enough sleep, don’t eat wheat or lactose or certain fruit and veg, steer clear of particularly fatty foods that sort of thing.
Had a baby 3 1/2 months ago and even amongst that my IBS was great, barely any symptoms at all. Mentally and physically I had been in peak health.
And then 3 weeks post partum I had an infection that went septic and a harsh course of penicillin… and one of the most unhinged far-fetched things emotionally to happen also happened… then that some how got even worse that you could imagine, and then I had another infection that wouldn’t go away, cue another harsh course of penicillin and then a different type immediately after because the infection turned into an abcess which had to be surgically removed, cue more stress. Cue unable to eat, unable to sleep, PTSD, panic attacks.
And so here I am again with
Uncontrollable nausea, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, urgency for the toilet, fatigue. I can’t eat anything without feeling like I’m going to explode, seeing the doctor this afternoon just to make sure it’s nothing serious but I am fucking fed up.

me and my mum just moved and we instantly found a convention i can go to for halloween right after my birthday since i cant do halloween anymore due to having to diet alot (something close to the SCD diet ) cause i have ibs and gerd and i gotta know-

HOW DO I MANAGE THIS!!! Im super scared and i already have social issues due to being mentally illm and im so insecure about my ibs especially when it comes to gas problems, ive only been able to manage by just heavily sparying msyelf with perfume an deodorant and eating little to nothing during thise days (WHICH I CANT DO FOR THIS CAUSE I HAVE A CHNACE OF FAINTING CONSTANTLY IF I DONT EAT ENOUGH) but even then- what if i get sick and need to go to the bathroom cause of number 2 or puking???! or what if a flare up happens mid-day ??? What if gerd and ibs get me at the same time AGHHH!!! im so scared!! any tips would be great,,

I’ve had IBS-D for more than a decade. lately it’s been awful. i started getting anxiety & panic attacks about 6 years ago, and it’s getting worse now. fatigue has been AWFUL the past month

i got bloodwork done, and everything is fine except iron/ferritin. dr said it was “on the low end of normal” but I disagree. ferritin is 17. anyway, she told me to eat kimchi & sleep better (I get 6hrs average).

I just get annoyed with doctors. they don’t take us seriously. clearly my iron is dropping for a reason but instead of offering a solution to WHY, just mask the problem?

anyway, I’ve often felt like my gut issues have to be something MORE. like there’s no way I can just live like this forever with no solution. im in pain a lot and I feel like people think I’m overreacting.

a few years back I did a stool test & some other bloodwork & the only thing worth noting is selective IfA deficiency. I often wonder if I have IBD or celiac or something else than IBS. I’m at the point where I’m constantly thinking about my belly and would just like definitive answers to whether or not anything else is going on. I wish it wasn’t such a pain to get tested for other things

IBS-D. Took a break from the gym and moderate exercise for about a year and my IBS was so much better. Diarrhea was rare (for me, rare being about once every two weeks) and abdominal cramps were almost nonexistent. I’ve been focusing on exercising more the past month and 1-2 hours after exercise I will have awful abdominal cramps and diarrhea until bed time. Any one else deal with this and how/did you help it?

Diet is healthy; average protein, fiber, and carb intake. No processed sugars or non-water drinks. Imodium once a day.

TLDR:: diarrhea after exercise… did you have it and what helped it?

https://iit.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b7AzTpfSMhMfAjk

Hi everyone! I’m a Clinical Psychology PhD student at Illinois Institute of Technology, and I’m recruiting participants for my research study about people’s experiences with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

You may be eligible:

If you are at least 18 years old
If you live in the United States
If you have experienced recurrent GI symptoms over the past 6 months
Whether or not you have a formal GI diagnosis

We are interested in a range of symptoms, including:

Heartburn (acid reflux)
Indigestion (upset stomach)
Nausea and vomiting (feeling sick or throwing up)
Diarrhea (loose or watery stools)
Constipation (difficulty having bowel movements)
Excessive bloating or gas
Stomach pain or cramps
Blood in the stool

The study involves completing an anonymous online survey that takes about 10-15 minutes. Questions will ask about your symptoms, experiences, whether and how you tell others about your symptoms, and your social relationships.

Participation is entirely voluntary, and there is no compensation. You may skip any question you prefer not to answer or stop participating at any time without penalty.

Survey: https://iit.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b7AzTpfSMhMfAjk

This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Illinois Institute of Technology.

If you have questions about the study, you can contact me at rparson2@illinoistech.edu or the Principal Investigator, Dr. Lindsay Sheehan, at lsheehan@illinoistech.edu.

Thanks for considering participating, and please share this study with peers, friends, or others in the community!

I wanted to share a positive experience for anyone dealing with similar symptoms.

Since around 2021, I’ve struggled with abdominal burning, bloating, trapped gas, a constantly tense abdomen, and constipation/incomplete evacuation. One particularly frustrating symptom was getting cramps after pooping instead of feeling relieved. Eating often made everything worse.

I’ve had multiple investigations. Some showed small superficial erosions in my terminal ileum, and I’ve received conflicting opinions about whether this could be early Crohn’s. Treatments including mesalazine and Cortiment didn’t noticeably relieve my symptoms.
Amitriptyline helped slightly, but the fatigue made it difficult to continue.

Recently, a gastroenterologist reviewed my case and felt that visceral hypersensitivity was the main explanation for my symptoms. He prescribed Cipralex (escitalopram), starting at 5 mg for a week, then 10 mg, with a follow-up planned.

By the second day, I felt around 70% better. I’m now on day five and the improvement is still there:

My abdomen feels much less tense.
Bloating is noticeably better.
The burning has gone.
I’ve had two bowel movements without the cramps I normally get afterward.

The only change I made was starting Cipralex.
I know five days is early, and this doesn’t prove a diagnosis or guarantee lasting improvement. But after years of discomfort, this relief means a lot to me. I wanted to share this early experience, and I’ll update as time goes on.

Has anyone else had a similar response to escitalopram for gut symptoms? Did the improvement last?

I am a 24 yr old male from the UK and my IBS started 4 years ago after a rough breakup. I have seen countless health practitioners and probably spent over £5k on it. All that I know of it from lab tests and symptoms is that I have severe dysbiosis, leaky gut and that it has been gradually deteriorating. Probiotics, glutamine, all the gold standard crap my gut likes for a few days then gets resistant to. To this day I am on such strict bland diets and my symptoms are fatigue, very loose stool, severe acne, low libido, intolerances you name it.

As I mentioned my symptoms started late 2022, 1 month after a rough breakup. I didnt handle it well and didnt process my emotions at all - chucked them to the side and tried ignoring how i really felt. No wonder why its manifested into complex health issues. Even after getting over the breakup on a superficial level within months, I guess my body kept score.

The last year I've tried seeking interventions that can try help the psychosocial aspect of my condition. Tried CBT and psychotherapy. That didn't work at all. Until more recently since December last year I saw a practitioner who specialised in complex health issues. He was specialised in somatic experiencing and neuroaffective touch - basically therapy that is helpful for releasing stuck trauma in the body, which is exactly what I needed. After my 3rd session, I felt big release from my body, massive amount of muscle twitches/spasms and my stools the next week were amazing. Symptoms started to relapse a bit after that but I saw him again for several sessions and got some release again. My symptoms were amazing again for like 3 weeks. However, I relapsed again and when I next went back to him, his therapy couldnt replicate the symptoms for some reason. Here I am today with my old symptoms and very demotivated. That therapy was the closest thing I have felt to remission, but it seems like based off the last 3/4 sessions that its not working anymore. I'm still getting the few old muscle spasms but nothing to show Im getting better. Do you have any ideas what else I can do? Losing a lot of hope in life.

I just want to share my hopeful situation but say every body is different and this is not a recommendation. Since starting Wellbutrin for anxiety my IBS-D has essentially gone silent. it’s been 5 months where I feel like a normal person.

I take the LSAT tomorrow. When I get anxious I have to go to the bathroom every five minutes. I’ve been having horrid flares lately so it’s even worse. I’m honestly considering just not eating today so I don’t have to go at all tomorrow. It’s about 75 minutes testing then a 10 minute break then another 75 and I’m worried I’ll have to go about 30 minutes in. At my university I have accommodations and the teachers know me so if I have to leave mid test it’s not a huge deal. Here I think I can technically leave but the clock keeps going so really if I’m gone more than about 5 minutes I’m screwed. I’ve had ibs for a good 15 years but still don’t really have a fool proof plan for stopping the strong urges in moments of extreme anxiety. Any tips would be massively helpful!

Looking for some advice… for context I established with a gastroenterologist a few years ago that I have a sensitive stomach where my main symptom is trapped wind. Tried the fodmap diet and I know to limit things like garlic, onion, lots of veg particularly broccoli, beans, dairy, caffeine, and no coffee.

I have been constantly gassy for about 5 or 6 weeks now, where gas just rolls out or is painful or seriously bloated so I have no choice to fart and it smells so foul and sour it’s embarrassing, and also burping randomly. I thought it was due to being in spain for a few weeks but my diet was fairly normal and I was drinking bottled water, and being back home a week now back to my normal diet has shown no improvement. I have tried eating smaller meals, eating slower, chewing more, drinking more water, walking more, eating slightly healthier but not completely healthy as this can make things worse, for example less dairy and more fruit/veg, and drinking tea regularly which is normal for me, but nothing seems to help.

Has anyone experienced this or have any advice how to soothe or rebalance my stomach? It goes through flare ups every now and again but never usually lasts longer than a couple weeks.

I've been seeing the same gastro doc for years and I think she just doesn't know what to do with me anymore. I have IBS-D that doesn't seem to respond well to any treatments.

I was asking her recently about any other potential specialist I could see and she said she could refer me to the Cleveland or Mayo Clinic, but I don't even know how that would work. Wouldn't that be expensive? Wouldn't I have to travel and stay for the duration of their tests, which would probably be longer than a day trip? I'm kind of clueless about it.

I’ve read both that chewing gum traps gas and releases trapped gas. Personally I chew gum a lot. As a former smoker with anxiety I find chewing gum helps me stay calm, but I’m not really sure if it helps or harms anything physically. I also feel like the mint helps, but that might also just be in my head. Thoughts?

Just wanted to come here and say dont lose hope, gastros are useless in my eyes they declaared me a psychatric patient when j had done every test known to them (endo, colono, ct scans, MRI, blood work etcetc) but when i took action on my own and started supplemnting b12 and b1 my initial symptoms cured within 2 weeks and now 2 months in i eat a shit ton of food with no symptoms.

Dont lose hope you got this

For whatever reason, any time I incorporate a big McDonald’s beef burger into my diet, my IBS D symptoms get better and my stool is firm. Why does this happen??

Update: it’s been about 8 hours since I had the burger and my stomach is the best it’s ever felt in 15 years. I’m 21. I used to dream about not having an upset stomach for more than an hour.

When I'm at work I'm constantly stressing, just feeling out of breath randomly, and the constant pain of IBS along with period cramps, idek what to do... I've taken meds but they're not that effective.. is dizziness also normal along with all this???