When To Call a Doctor
Call your doctor or other
health professional if:
- You have been diagnosed with
(IBS) and your symptoms
become worse, begin to disrupt your activities, or do not respond as usual to
your home treatment.
- You are becoming more tired than usual.
- Your symptoms wake you from sleep.
- You have unexplained weight loss.
- You have decreased appetite.
- You have abdominal pain that is not associated with changes in
bowel function or that is not relieved when you pass gas or a stool.
- You have abdominal pain that is now in one area (localized) more
than any other area.
- You see blood in your stool.
Watchful Waiting
Watchful waiting is not appropriate if you have
any "alarm symptoms," which could mean a serious problem. Alarm symptoms
include:
- Fever.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Blood in your stools.
- , which is a decrease in the amount of
oxygen-carrying substance (hemoglobin) found in red blood cells.
- Family history of colon cancer or
, which causes chronic
inflammation of the intestines.
If none of the symptoms listed above is present, try to
rule out other causes of abdominal problems, such as eating a new food; eating
sugar-rich foods, especially milk products; eating foods containing sorbitol or
other artificial sweeteners; nervousness; or stomach flu. Try home treatment
for 1 or 2 weeks. If your symptoms don't get better or if they get worse, call
your health professional.
An occasional case of upset stomach,
diarrhea, or constipation is common, especially during stressful times.
Symptoms of stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that come on quickly
and that go away on their own are more likely to be caused by stomach flu or
food poisoning, especially if other people around you are also sick.
Who To See
The following health professionals can diagnose and
treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
If more tests are needed or your symptoms do not respond
to initial therapy, it may be helpful to see a doctor who specializes in
treating digestive system problems (). If stress may be playing a role
in IBS, it may be helpful to see a
or
.
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.