See more from Baylor Scott & White when you search.
Many people underestimate the link between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and anxiety, but it’s common for them to go hand in hand. Stress and anxiety can make IBS symptoms flare up. IBS can lead to feelings of anxiety, worry or isolation.
If you’re stuck in a cycle of IBS and anxiety, it’s easy to feel like you’re alone or think the challenges you’re experiencing aren’t valid. But the connection between anxiety and IBS is real, and with the right care, it’s something you can address.
Doctors and scientists have recognized the relationship between what’s happening in the gut and what’s happening in the brain for many years. Today, research continues to expand our knowledge of how digestive health and brain health affect each other.
To understand the link between IBS and anxiety, it’s important to understand the gut-brain axis—the communication system between your digestive system and your brain. This gut-brain axis is like a two-way highway. Your gut can send signals up the highway to your brain, and your brain can send signals down the highway to your gut.
This ongoing communication through your gut-brain connection helps your body perform essential functions, but it also means stress and feelings like anxiety can trigger real physical symptoms in your digestive tract.
Anxiety is a common trigger for IBS symptoms. When IBS symptoms worsen, it increases stress, and people often worry about how severe their symptoms may become. This can make anxiety worse, which can then trigger more symptoms. The loop between anxiety, stress and irritable bowel syndrome may lead to a cycle that’s hard to stop without the right treatment.
Stress, depression and anxiety can contribute to IBS flare-ups. When you have increasing or ongoing anxiety, this can translate into physical changes and an increase in symptoms in your digestive system.
Anxiety leads to symptoms in your digestive tract in a few ways. You may have increased visceral sensitivity, where normal sensations inside your body—especially in your digestive system—feel more intense. You aren’t able to tolerate discomfort or pain as well.
You may experience changes in gut motility, which is how food and waste move through your digestive tract. Ongoing anxiety may slow or speed up this process, leading to an increase in symptoms like constipation, diarrhea or both.
Anxiety also affects your nervous system, increasing stress signals in your body and changing how well your digestive system works.
The effects of anxiety on IBS can look different in different people. Anxiety can worsen symptoms in all types of irritable bowel syndrome, including IBS with constipation (IBS-C), IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D) and IBS with mixed bowel habits (IBS-M).
You may have increases in:
Anxiety often shows up as constant worry about how your symptoms will affect life. Even before you go out of the house, you start to worry, and abdominal symptoms start to increase. You may worry about where the bathroom is or about being in a situation where you have to rush to the bathroom.
In some cases, you may start to notice a pattern between periods of anxiety or certain high-stress activities and an increase in symptoms. These may be signs that anxiety is contributing to your IBS.
Along with physical symptoms of IBS, like abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation or bloating, you may have emotional effects, too. Especially when IBS is not well controlled, the unpredictable nature of the condition can increase feelings of worry, anxiety, depression, loneliness and more.
When bowel movements are unpredictable or irregular, it often adds worry and isolation to everyday life. It’s common for people to feel like there’s something wrong with them and feel alone in dealing with their condition. This may affect many different aspects of life, including going to work or school, socializing with friends and family, or traveling.
For some people, IBS symptoms may also wake them up at night, causing sleep disruption. This ongoing lack of quality sleep can also add to intense emotions or feelings of anxiety.
Sometimes, people with IBS become hypervigilant about their symptoms. They’re constantly worried about the next flare-up to the point that they start to avoid daily activities. If you’re no longer able to do the things you love, your worries about IBS may have started to turn into ongoing anxiety.
While your brain may influence your gut through the gut-brain axis, that does not mean you’re imagining your symptoms. The nerves leading to the gut are sensitive in everyone. But yours may be a little more sensitive, and that triggers true discomfort, real pain and noticeable changes in how your intestines work.
It’s also important to know that you are not alone. We live in a busy, stressful world with all sorts of pressures, especially through technology and social media. From teenagers to adults, this link between anxiety and IBS symptoms is common. People go to the doctor every day for digestive symptoms, and your care team is here to guide you through it. You don’t have to do this by yourself.
The right answer for your IBS and anxiety may be different from someone else’s. But you have many options today to help manage your symptoms and find the treatment plan that works for you.
In deciding your next steps, it helps to look for signs of what might be triggering your IBS symptoms. Sometimes, IBS is related to anxiety or stress. For example, your symptoms are worse during the week with work or school and then seem to be better on the weekends.
Others have IBS that is entirely food-based. You may notice symptoms happen more with meals or after you eat something specific. To help identify and reduce food triggers, start by trying the low-FODMAP diet for at least two weeks, which removes foods that are harder to digest.
A few points to remember as you make changes in the way you eat for IBS:
With the low-FODMAP diet, some people can get IBS under control simply by identifying and reducing food triggers.
Along with addressing triggers like stress and specific foods, you can make other lifestyle changes to support your digestive health:
Avoiding food triggers, taking fiber and making lifestyle changes may be all you need to get relief from IBS. But if these strategies don’t get your IBS under control, you have additional treatment options.
Because of the link between your brain and your gut, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an option for IBS treatment. With CBT, you can learn strategies like relaxation techniques, behavior modification or reframing negative thoughts to reduce pain, decrease stress, and stop the cycle of anxiety and IBS.
Medications are also an option when other treatments aren’t keeping IBS under control. Some options you may discuss with your doctor include:
With many treatment options available today for IBS and anxiety, the sooner you bring up your symptoms, the sooner you can take your first step toward feeling better. While IBS symptoms aren’t always the most comfortable topic, your healthcare team is there to listen and work with you to create a treatment plan.
When you’re having ongoing digestive symptoms or feel stuck in a loop of IBS and anxiety, a visit with a gastroenterologist can help. You should seek care with a specialist if:
If you have IBS, you may brush off symptoms as just a part of your condition. But it’s important to know the red flags that you need prompt treatment. Let your gastroenterologist know if you have signs such as:
Today, there are so many treatments for IBS, including natural therapy options and prescription-based therapy options. If you’re dealing with IBS and anxiety, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Your gastroenterologist is there to partner with you to find the best option for your symptoms and lifestyle.
Check in with a gastroenterologist and create a plan that works for you.
Healthcare doesn't have to be difficult. We're constantly finding ways to make it easy so that you can get Better and stay that way.
We all have different healthcare needs. Handle them your way with the MyBSWHealth app. Download the app today and take a hands-on approach to your healthcare.
