Associated symptoms in patients with IBS

Abstract

Summary. We examined the frequency and clinical variety of associated extraintestinal symptoms in 125 IBS patients within the age of 19 - 45 years by using SOMS-2. There was a high prevalence of associated symptoms in IBS patients group. More then 40% of examined patients have had from 16 to 25 nongastroenterologic symptoms in one patient. The most frequent associated symptoms were varied types of pains in different parts of body. Furthermore different vegetative and neuro-endocrine-motivational disorders were observed. More than half of patients in the study reported increased fatigability. Women reported “dyspnoe”, “syncope’s”, “rushes”, “visual fuzziness”, “sense of burning in perineum”, “dyspareunia” and “indifference in sexual life” statistically significant more often then men. Men reported “chest pain” statically significant more often then women. Correlation analysis revealed the predominance of constipation type of IBS in women and diarrhea-type of IBS (IBS-D) in men. In patients with IBS-D type there were statistically significant predominance of “swallowing discomfort”, “poor appetite” and “sence of inner trembling”. The results of the study allow to enter additional arguments in biopsychosocial model of IBS. Nevertheless, it is necessary to compare extraintestinal symptoms in IBS patients with those in healthy control group and in IBD patients to specify these factors.