How long ibs

These conditions are relatively rare. It is still possible that diarrhea after eating is a symptom of your IBS. Still, it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor about other possibilities. In people with IBS, the criteria for diagnosis says abdominal pain should be related to bowel movements. Many IBS patients say this is not always true. But for the most part, people with IBS feel like their pain has something to do with their diarrhea or constipation.

If you have pain you don't think is related to your bowel movements, talk to your doctor. It may still be IBS, but it is worth looking at other possibilities. Persistent pain should always be evaluated by a doctor.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and some other grains. For many people, foods that contain gluten can cause IBS-like symptoms. That is why doctors recommend that people with IBS should also be tested for celiac disease.

This test is only conclusive if you are eating foods that contain gluten. Celiac disease can cause other serious health problems, so it is important to know if you have it.

Even if you do not have celiac disease, eating wheat may trigger IBS symptoms. You may have a condition known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

You may also be reacting to fructan, a kind of carbohydrate found in grains and some fruits and vegetables. Your doctor can guide you through an elimination diet to determine if any foods are triggering your symptoms. Blood on or in the stool is not a symptom of IBS. Sometimes blood in the stool comes from hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that can develop in your anus and lower rectum. Blood in the stool can also be a symptom of other more serious problems. This includes IBD or colon cancer.

If you see blood in the toilet after a bowel movement and it is not menstrual blood, see a doctor as soon as possible. Vomiting is not a symptom of IBS.

There are many health conditions that can cause vomiting. If you experience frequent vomiting, tell your doctor. If you are having uncontrollable vomiting or are vomiting up blood, see a doctor at once.

Vomiting that does not happen with other signs of disease could be a condition called cyclic vomiting disorder CVS. If you have vomiting without other symptoms, talk to your doctor. IBS may cause some weight loss, especially if you avoid food for fear of triggering symptoms.

Significant, unexplained weight loss , though, is not a symptom of IBS. If you have this kind of weight loss, it may be a symptom of a more serious health problem. These extra-sensitive receptors send messages to your brain, telling it there is pain. Over time, something called central sensitization develops. The brain begins to overreact to pain messages. It perceives mild, non-harmful sensations like digestion as painful.

That's where the chronic or long-lasting pain of IBS comes from. IBS is called a central sensitivity syndrome.

Some antidepressants , such as Elavil amitriptyline or Pamelor nortriptyline , may be included in the treatment plan. These antidepressants can help keep the nerve receptors in the gut from becoming too active. These medications also reduce anxiety, which is common in IBS.

It's important to treat anxiety because it can start a cycle that ends up making gut sensitivity worse. Understanding what to expect can help you put your pain in perspective. Even so, it's important to talk to your doctor about any abdominal pain that doesn't go away. If your doctor doesn't know what's going on with your pain, your diagnosis might not be accurate. Your treatment plan might not be as effective. Most of the time, people with IBS say the pain feels like cramping.

People also report that the pain feels like:. IBS pain ranges from mild and nagging to severe and crippling. For some people, pain intensity can change throughout the day, making it hard to plan daily activities.

People with IBS have pain at least one day per week, on average. Exactly how often can vary. For some, the pain never stops. For others, it comes and goes. Some people experience pain in spurts. They may have pain-free days, mild-pain days, or days when the pain seems almost constant. IBS pain can occur anywhere from your chest down to your pelvis, where your main digestive organs are located. Here is a breakdown of IBS pain based on where it's located:.

Identifying where your abdominal pain is located can help tell the difference between IBS and other common digestive disorders. For instance, if you have pain behind your chest after you eat, and it gets worse when you bend or lie down, it may be heartburn acid reflux rather than IBS. If you have pain after meals below your chest but at the top of your abdomen, is likely to be indigestion. Stress, irregular eating habits for example, skipping meals , eating certain foods for example, spicy or fatty foods , or exercising intensely can trigger IBS pain.

You may be surprised to learn that IBS pain can get worse with bowel movements. Certain food and beverages can trigger IBS , so it's important to watch what you put in your mouth:. It's important to note that not every IBS sufferer will react the same way to each of the items above. For example, some people are able to consume moderate alcohol with IBS , while others cannot do so safely.

It has been known to make people miss work, school for a long period of absence because of its recurrent nature. Though the cause of irritable bowel syndrome cannot be exactly defined, it is believed that it may be due to some conditions in the large intestine colon.

These conditions may include:. Irritable bowel syndrome can cause great discomfort in the body that will completely alter the lifestyle of the person. Although it is a chronic disease but not life threatening, you cannot determine how long the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome continue to persist. The condition cannot lead to other life-threatening conditions like ulcerative colitis, colon cancer and so on, but it needs to be managed properly.