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Overview Overview

Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome include stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. These may come and go over time.

You can usually help ease irritable bowel syndrome by making changes to your diet and lifestyle, such as avoiding things that trigger your symptoms.

Common irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms

The main symptoms of IBS are:

stomach pain or cramps – usually worse after eating and better after doing a poo
bloating – your tummy may feel uncomfortably full and swollen
diarrhoea – you may have watery poo and sometimes need to poo suddenly
constipation – you may strain when pooing and feel like you cannot empty your bowels fully

There may be days when your symptoms are better and days when they're worse (flare-ups). They may be triggered by food or drink.

cook homemade meals using fresh ingredients when you can
keep a diary of what you eat and any symptoms you get – try to avoid things that trigger your IBS
try to find ways to relax
get plenty of exercise
try probiotics for a month to see if they help

Medical treatments

A GP may refer you to an NHS dietitian if general diet tips for IBS, such as avoiding foods that trigger your symptoms, are not helping.

They can suggest other changes you can make to your diet to ease your symptoms.

A dietitian may recommend a diet called a low FODMAP diet.

This involves avoiding foods that are not easily broken down by the gut, such as some types of: