Can IBS cause fatigue?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition that can affect how your body digests certain foods and absorbs nutrients. One of the most common symptoms of IBS is fatigue, or low energy.

People with IBS may experience fatigue because the condition affects their overall gut health by causing an imbalance in bacteria. This may contribute to a decrease in energy.

Several treatment options can help with fatigue caused by IBS, such as:

• medications, to help with symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea
• talk therapy, to help you cope with stress
• probiotics, to help balance the bacteria in your gut

Can IBS cause fatigue?

Fatigue is one of the most common extraintestinal symptoms of IBS. Extraintestinal symptoms are those that occur outside the intestines.

About half of people with IBS experience fatigue. A 2016 analysis found that people assigned female at birth have a higher risk of developing fatigue due to IBS.

IBS can prevent your body from absorbing enough nutrients from food. This may cause a reduction in the energy your body is able to produce, causing tiredness and fatigue.

In addition, the condition typically causes certain changes to the bacterial flora of your gut. These changes may also cause long-lasting (chronic) fatigue.

What are the symptoms of IBS-induced fatigue?

Fatigue caused by IBS may result in symptoms such as:

• weakness
• the feeling of having no energy left
• malaise or feeling ill
• muscle pain
• joint pain without swelling
• headaches
• chills and night sweats
• sensitivity to light and sound

IBS can also cause other symptoms that may occur inside and outside the gastrointestinal system. These can include:

• abdominal pain and cramping
• nausea
• bloating
• flatulence
• backache
• issues with urination, including needing to go often or suddenly and feeling like you cannot fully empty your bladder
• difficulties managing your bowel movements
• diarrhea
• constipation

Treatment options for IBS

Several options are available when it comes to treating IBS. Doctors may recommend combining medications, talk therapies, and probiotics to improve your day-to-day life and help provide symptom relief.

Medication options for IBS

People with IBS can often experience abdominal discomfort. Doctors may prescribe medication to help with this, such as:

• peppermint oil capsules, like Lavandulae aetheroleum
• low doses of tricyclic antidepressants, like amitriptyline (Elavil) or desipramine (Norpramin)
• antispasmodics, like dicyclomine (Bentyl) and hyoscyamine (Levsin)

If you regularly experience diarrhea or you have difficulties managing your bowel movements, a doctor may recommend you take medications such as:

• loperamide (Imodium)
• alosetron (Lotronex)
• rifaximin (Xifaxan)
• eluxadoline (Viberzi)

If you regularly experience constipation and excessive bloating, they may recommend the following medications:

• lubiprostone (Amitiza)
• linaclotide (Linzess)
• plecanatide (Trulance)

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Talk therapies

Talk therapy may help improve stress and other factors that can trigger IBS. It may also help improve muscle relaxation, reducing the feeling of fatigue.

Talk therapies for IBS include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This can help you change behavior and thought patterns that can enhance stress and trigger IBS symptoms. CBT may also help improve pain perception.
• Relaxation training: This can help reduce stress and increase muscle relaxation.
• Gut-directed hypnotherapy: During these sessions, a specialist uses hypnosis to treat your IBS symptoms. Hypnosis is a state that can increase your focus or relaxation.

Probiotics

Doctors may recommend that you take probiotics to help with IBS symptoms.

Probiotics are bacteria and other microorganisms that naturally live in your digestive tract, forming the intestinal flora. Taking probiotics may help restore the natural bacterial balance in your gut and reduce IBS symptoms.

How to prevent IBS flare-ups

If you have IBS-induced fatigue, you can try several strategies that may help improve symptoms of IBS. This can include:

• making sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep every day
• speaking with a doctor about whether you need to take supplements if you have any vitamin or mineral deficiencies
• eating fresh and non-processed foods, if they’re available to you
• including healthy fats in your diet, particularly omega-3 fatty acids
• staying hydrated and avoiding carbonated drinks and caffeine
• doing physical exercise regularly to improve energy levels, increase blood flow, and reduce stress
• practicing mindful activities, such as yoga and meditation, to manage stress levels
• discussing a low FODMAP diet with a healthcare professional, such as a dietician
• adding fiber to your diet slowly

A doctor can recommend the most appropriate steps for preventing IBS-induced fatigue and reducing the risk of IBS flare-ups based on your individual symptoms and health conditions.

When should you speak with a doctor?

Dealing with pain and tiredness from IBS on a daily basis can be difficult and frustrating.

If you find that IBS symptoms are impacting your day-to-day life, consider speaking with a healthcare professional. They can perform relevant tests to diagnose what is causing your discomfort and recommend the most appropriate treatment to reduce your symptoms.

A healthcare professional can also recommend lifestyle strategies that can help improve IBS symptoms and reduce the frequency of flare-ups.

Summary

IBS is a health condition that can cause fatigue, weakness, and other symptoms that can make it difficult to perform daily activities. Appropriate medical treatment can improve IBS symptoms and reduce the frequency of flare-ups.

Several treatment options can help manage symptoms, including:

• medications, such as loperamide (Imodium) and alosetron (Lotronex)
• talk therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• probiotics

Lifestyle measures such as eating a healthy diet — for example, a low FODMAP diet — and getting enough rest can also help improve symptoms and reduce the risk of flare-ups.

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