{"id":10232,"date":"2020-04-03T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2020-04-03T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=10232"},"modified":"2022-06-14T11:55:07","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T15:55:07","slug":"ibs-and-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/ibs-and-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Does anxiety cause IBS?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019re feeling anxious studying for an important test, preparing to ask your employer for a raise, or getting ready to sit down and have a tough conversation with your spouse. Then, that familiar gurgling feeling hits you: Your stomach is hard and sore, and maybe you need to rush to the bathroom quickly. An upset stomach is a common reaction to anxiety-inducing situations. Nerves and digestive problems often go hand-in-hand. But is there a connection between life-events or psychiatric disorders and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? It\u2019s complicated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Office of Women\u2019s Health, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealth.gov\/a-z-topics\/irritable-bowel-syndrome\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">combination of symptoms<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that last for at least three months. Common symptoms of IBS include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stomachaches or cramping<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abdominal pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bloating<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diarrhea<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Constipation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOther conditions can cause similar symptoms, so it is important to have a medical evaluation to be sure none of these is present,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.stressillness.com\/about.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">David D. Clarke<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, MD, professor of gastroenterology and president of the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ppdassociation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Psychophysiologic Disorders Association<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, your healthcare provider may want to rule out celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn\u2019s disease, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/what-is-lactose-intolerance\/\">lactose intolerance<\/a>, or colon cancer. IBS is often a diagnosis by elimination, a process of making sure your symptoms aren\u2019t caused by other look-alike diseases.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What causes IBS?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no one clear cause of IBS, according to the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/9664-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs-q--a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cleveland Clinic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, there are some risk factors:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Gender: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IBS is more common in women than in men. About <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aboutibs.org\/facts-about-ibs.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2 in 3<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> people with IBS are female.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Stress:<\/b> <b>\u201c<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can start having IBS while going through significant mental stress,\u201d explains <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.memorialcare.org\/providers\/ashkan-farhadi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ashkan Farhadi, MD<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Mental disorders:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, depression, anxiety, and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) might be connected to IBS, according to Dr. Clarke.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Disturbances in gut biome: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around one or two out of every five patients with IBS will have bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. \u201cThere are conditions in the gut that can predispose you. You can have a bad episode of gastroenteritis&#8230;when the infection is gone, the hypersensitivity that remains afterward can result in symptoms of IBS,\u201d says Dr. Farhadi.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luckily, IBS does not shorten a patient\u2019s lifespan, both Dr. Farhadi and Dr. Clarke confirmed. It also does not lead to cancer. There are effective treatments that can restore your quality of life, whether you\u2019re experiencing just IBS, or anxiety, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How are IBS and anxiety related?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your brain and your gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are linked, by a communication system in your body called the gut-brain axis. In other words, when your nervous system (which controls your emotions and thoughts) experiences stress, that reaction impacts your GI tract\u2014and vice versa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you feel anxious, the stress hormones making you feel that way could be transmitted to your gut\u2014triggering the physical symptoms people often call \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/9664-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs-q--a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nervous stomach<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u201d those sudden bowel movements when you\u2019re upset. Or, when regular stomach cramps make you feel like you might need to rush to the bathroom at any time, your mood will likely be impacted. Simple things like a night out with friends or going on a long car drive can increase stress and social anxiety. It\u2019s difficult to know which comes first\u2014the anxiety, or IBS symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u201c<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cause and effect in medicine is really hard to establish, at most what we can establish is association,\u201d Dr. Farhadi says. \u201cAnxiety is highly associated with IBS, and IBS is highly associated with anxiety. Whether IBS is causing anxiety, or anxiety is causing IBS has yet to be proved.\u201d It\u2019s like the chicken and egg conundrum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anxiety and IBS can exacerbate each other, says Dr. Clarke. Studies show that depression and generalized anxiety disorder are more prevalent in patients with IBS, in comparison to the general population.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4956522\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> concludes that adverse childhood experiences (ACE\u2019s) increase the likelihood of IBS. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4188930\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> says that 30% of IBS patients report experiencing depression, compared to 18% of the general population. Likewise, 16% of IBS patients said that they have anxiety, while 6% of the general population reported anxiety. In <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5733421\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">some research<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the numbers were even more alarming: 44% of IBS patients reported anxiety, and 84% reported depression. The general consensus is that you cannot separate mental health and IBS.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to manage stress-related IBS<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treatment of<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/conditions\/ibs-treatment-and-medications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IBS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can include lifestyle modifications and prescription medications, depending on the symptoms and severity of the disease. When anxiety is in the mix, treatment should also include therapies to reduce stress or deal with symptoms of a related mental disorder.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lifestyle changes<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/a_to_z\/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs-a-to-z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harvard Health<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, some lifestyle changes include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gradually increasing fiber intake to regulate bowels<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tracking food intake to identify any foods that trigger IBS<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating smaller meals to avoid bloating and gas<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring appropriate water intake<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Farhadi says that he believes education is the most important component to manage IBS, and he encourages his patients to understand their bodies and how to control the flare-ups of IBS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medications<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some medications that he said may be helpful to treat IBS include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Antibiotics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which kill bad bacteria in the small intestine. The most commonly studied antibiotic for IBS is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/xifaxan\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xifaxin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/rifaximin\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rifaximin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/probiotics-do-they-work\/\"><b>Probiotics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which increase the good bacteria in the gut and may help improve mood. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/taking-probiotics-with-antibiotics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supplementing antibiotics with a probiotic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can alleviate gastrointestinal side effects, like bloating, and diarrhea.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Prebiotics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which feed the good bacteria (probiotics) help to create a healthy gut biome.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Antidepressants<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/off-label-prescription-drugs\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">off-label prescription<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), particularly those in the tricyclic family of antidepressants, can help to control the gut, or help a mood disorder.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therapies<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following therapies can help to manage stress and related psychiatric conditions:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Psychotherapy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cGetting professional help for anxiety, depression, trauma, or consequences from past ACEs that are not improving is important,\u201d says Dr. Clarke.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Relaxation techniques:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aboutibs.org\/psychological-treatments\/relaxation-techniques-for-ibs.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (IFFGD) recommends deep breathing, or diaphragmatic\/abdominal breathing; progressive muscle relaxation, which requires that you focus on specific muscles that you tense, and then relax; and positive imagery, which means you use your mind to imagine yourself in a calm and peaceful setting.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This technique can help to change thought and behavior patterns. It is helpful to treat anxiety, depression, and IBS symptoms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Support groups: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meeting with other people who experience anxiety-related IBS can reinforce that you\u2019re not alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you think stress is causing IBS to flare-up, taking steps to manage it can reduce the severity of your symptoms and their longevity\u2014so you can get back to normal life.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019re feeling anxious studying for an important test, preparing to ask your employer for a raise, or getting ready to sit down and have a tough conversation with your spouse. Then, that familiar gurgling feeling hits you: Your stomach is hard and sore, and maybe you need to rush to the bathroom quickly. An upset [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":12103,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8029],"tags":[790],"coauthors":[8365],"class_list":["post-10232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-education","tag-chronic-disease","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>IBS and anxiety: The gut-brain axis and how to treat stress-related IBS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nerves and digestive problems can go hand-in-hand. But is there a connection between IBS and anxiety? It&#039;s complex. Here&#039;s how to manage stress-related IBS.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/ibs-and-anxiety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Does anxiety cause IBS?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When you experience stress, that reaction impacts your digestive system\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/ibs-and-anxiety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Checkup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/singlecare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-04-03T13:00:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-06-14T15:55:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Blog_040320_IBS-and-Anxiety.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brianna Bell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Does anxiety cause IBS?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"When you experiences stress, that reaction impacts your digestive system\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SingleCare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@SingleCare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brianna Bell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ibs-and-anxiety\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ibs-and-anxiety\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Janice Rodden\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/169a1d8c8b88282cc3b792a394fc3575\"},\"headline\":\"Does anxiety cause IBS?\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-03T13:00:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-06-14T15:55:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ibs-and-anxiety\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1094,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ibs-and-anxiety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/Blog_040320_IBS-and-Anxiety.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Chronic disease\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health Education\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ibs-and-anxiety\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ibs-and-anxiety\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ibs-and-anxiety\\\/\",\"name\":\"IBS and anxiety: The gut-brain axis and how to treat stress-related IBS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ibs-and-anxiety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/ibs-and-anxiety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/Blog_040320_IBS-and-Anxiety.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-03T13:00:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-06-14T15:55:07+00:00\",\"description\":\"Nerves and digestive problems can go hand-in-hand. 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