People with IBD, or Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s Disease, can also have irritable bowel syndrome. This is rarely talked about, so let’s shed some light on this issue.
IBS and IBD are two different conditions, but they overlap far more than most people realize.
IBS stands for “irritable bowel syndrome.” IBD stands for “inflammatory bowel disease.” And they are NOT two different phrases for the same thing.
IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion. When you’ve had tests and probably a colonoscopy, and your doctor isn’t really finding anything, then you likely have IBS. If you want to learn more about IBS, visit my website page on IBS Symptoms, or see my video, How Do I Know If I Have IBS.
One of the things that your doctor may find during a colonoscopy is IBD. IBD is a term that encompasses Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease.
If ulcerations are seen during the colonoscopy, then you may be diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. However, this does not rule out the possibility of ALSO having IBS.
In fact, many people have both IBD and IBS. Studies have shown that around 40% of all IBD sufferers also have IBS.1 That’s a lot!
What that means is that if you have IBD, then it’s very possible that you also have IBS, and that you could feel a lot better if you had the proper treatment for your IBS.
For that you need to see an IBS specialist, not just a gastroenterologist. We’ve worked with many IBD patients who also have IBS, and we’ve found that most of them experience improvement in both their IBS and their IBD once they get to the bottom of their IBS.
And there is no need to come to us in person. We have helped people all over the U.S. and in many other countries via zoom and telemedicine. And we’d love to help you too. We’d be happy to work with you, even if you only have IBD and not IBS.
If you’d like to learn more, please contact us.
Thanks for watching. If you found this video helpful, give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel for more information about your digestive health.
Related Content:
How Do I Know If I Have IBS?
Is IBS Hereditary?
All About IBS-C
All About IBS-D
Footnotes:
1 https://journals.lww.com/ajg/abstract/2012/10000/prevalence_of_symptoms_meeting_criteria_for.6.aspx
Dr. Wangen is the founder and medical director of the IBS Treatment Center, the award winning author of two books, and a nationally recognized speaker on digestive disorders. He has been on ABC, NBC, and Fox as well as public radio, and was named one of Seattle’s Top Doctors by Seattle Magazine.