Hey folks, I was just wondering, what are the symptoms of IBS? I think my partner has it. Complaints of stomach aches after eating, usually something spicy. Sometime constipated, sometime diarrhea. She also deals w/fibroids, so I know some of her pain comes from that, too, but I don't know which is which.

Any help would be appreciated.

thanks

Tvgirl,
I found this, thought it might help.
The symptoms of IBS
Most people's symptoms are so mild that they don't bother to see a doctor about them. However, some people can have symptoms that are more troublesome, especially abdominal cramps, bloating and diarrhoea. People with more severe IBS are usually affected by one symptom more than the others - either pain, constipation or chronic diarrhoea.

The most common symptom is abdominal pain, which some people describe as aching or colicky. The pain may be mild or severe, and may be made either better or worse by opening the bowels, passing wind or eating. Pain may recur at a particular time of day, often in the evening. Women may find the fluctuation of pain relates to their menstrual cycle.

People with IBS often feel an urgent need to open their bowels, especially after breakfast. The stools may vary in consistency from hard and pellet-like to loose and watery, or just small amounts of mucus. Afterwards, there may be a sense that the bowels have not been completely emptied.

Women are more likely to suffer from constipation than diarrhoea.

Other symptoms include a bloated abdomen, excess wind, nausea, vomiting and indigestion. Some people also experience a sense of fullness. If the main symptom is diarrhoea, food passes through the digestive system faster than usual.

There may also be associated problems, such as back and groin pain, lethargy, depression, disturbed sleep and a tendency to urinate more frequently. The need to pass water is sometimes very urgent, and doing so can be painful (these symptoms are more common for women). Women may also experience painful periods and pain during sexual intercourse.
I thought i had IBS for a while, but found out i had microscopic colitis, you might suggest to your friend to have and colonscopy done, they can tell her for sure that way.. Take care nelly

Thanks, Nelly. Hopefully, we'll find out something this week at the dr.'s appt. thanks for replying.

TVgirl,
Hope you've had luck in finding out what's troubling your partner. I thought I might offer a suggestion if you haven't already been to the dr. You may want them to check for a peptic or gastric ulcer and a bacteria called H. pylori which can lead to these conditions, if the pain is more located in the stomach (rather than lower abdominal area) and happens shortly after eating. Good luck!