IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
We’re all in this for good.
By sharing your stories and data, you will:- help each other live better and uncover the best ways to manage your health today
- help researchers shorten the path to new treatments tomorrow
How much good can your data do? A whole lot, as co-founder Jamie Heywood explains in this video.
What is IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)?
Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic noninflammatory disease characterized by abdominal pain, altered bowel habits consisting of diarrhea or constipation or both, and no detectable pathologic change in the intestinal tissue.
What is it like to have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)?
| Common symptoms | How bad it is | What people are taking for it |
|---|---|---|
| Fatigue | Rest, Vitamin B Complex, Modafinil | |
| Diarrhea | Diphenoxylate and Atropine, Lactase, Loperamide | |
| Constipation | Polyethylene Glycol 3350, Docusate, Lactulose | |
| Abdominal bloating | Simethicone, Psyllium Husk, Gluten Free Diet | |
| Insomnia | Zolpidem, Trazodone, Amitriptyline | |
| Depressed mood | Citalopram, Bupropion, Duloxetine | |
| Abdominal cramps | Dicyclomine, Heating Pad-Hot Packs, Endometrial ablation | |
| Anxious mood | Clonazepam, Alprazolam, Lorazepam | |
| Pain | Ibuprofen, Tramadol, Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen |
What do patients take to treat IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and its symptoms?
| Treatments reported by members | Perceived effectiveness | Overall rating of side effects | # of Evaluations |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dicyclomine
(Bentyl) |
22 | ||
|
Psyllium Husk
(Wal-mucil, Standard Process Gastro Fiber, Visiblin, Plantago Ovata) |
14 | ||
|
Loperamide
(Maalox Anti-Diarrheal, Norimode, Imodium A-D, Imodium) |
14 | ||
|
Hyoscyamine
(Buscapine, Buscocalm, Bipasmin N, HyoMax FT) |
11 | ||
|
Scopolamine
(Buscopan, Spasmosan, Hyoscine butylbromide) |
9 | ||
|
Polyethylene glycol 3350 with electrolytes
(GoLYTELY, TriLyte, Colyte) |
8 | ||
| 6 | |||
|
Polyethylene Glycol 3350
(Laxido, Restoralax, Pegorion, Glycolax) |
5 | ||
|
Mebeverine
(Colofac, Mylan mebeverine, Bevispas) |
5 | ||
|
Probiotics
(Digestive Advantage Daily Constipation Formula, Scdophilus 3, Florajen, Trunature Digestive Probiotics) |
5 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
- Severe
- Moderate
- Mild
- None
Who has IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) on PatientsLikeMe?
- 3,578 patients have this condition
- 14 new patients joined this month
- 516 say IBS is their primary condition
| Age | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| <20 | 37 | |
| 20s | 367 | |
| 30s | 772 | |
| 40s | 1,049 | |
| 50s | 861 | |
| 60s | 278 | |
| 70+ | 34 |
Gender
Distribution of females vs. males
| 90% | Females |
|---|---|
| 10% | Males |
| Age at first symptom | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| 0-19 years | 734 | |
| 20-29 years | 641 | |
| 30-39 years | 504 | |
| 40-49 years | 264 | |
| 50-59 years | 109 | |
| 60-69 years | 6 | |
| 70+ years | 4 |
| Diagnosis status | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosed | 2,505 | |
| Not Diagnosed | 308 |