Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patient Experience: A Survey of Patient-Reported Symptoms by Irritable Bowel Syndrome Subtype and Impact on Quality of Life

Abstract Objectives Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic, debilitating, functional gastrointestinal disorder with symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel behaviours of constipation (IBS-C), diarrhea (IBS-D), or a mixture of both (IBS-M). There is limited information published on the impact of symptoms on everyday life in the Canadian population. Methods An online survey was conducted with individuals diagnosed with IBS to capture the severity and frequency of patient-reported symptoms, including impact on productivity, quality of life, healthcare utilization, treatment access, and corresponding symptom relief. Responses from the three subtypes of IBS were categorized to illustrate differences among these. Results There were 2,470 qualified respondents (filtered from 2,981, which included nonspecific IBS). IBS-M was the most common subtype, at 44 percent. Most individuals from all three IBS subtypes reported experiencing moderate to severe abdominal pain (63–70 percent) and bloating (59–75 percent) over the previous 3 months. Persons living with IBS-C reported severe bloating (32 percent), straining (72 percent), and tenesmus (78 percent) whereas those with IBS-D experienced severe urgency (63 percent) and incontinence (29 percent). Symptoms interfered in daily life, sometimes in 46 percent and often in 23 percent of respondents. Patients reported mood and anxiety disorders as common comorbidities with IBS (mood disorders: 30–34 percent; anxiety disorders: 25–30 percent). Conclusions This study focuses on the differences among the IBS subtypes. IBS impacts productivity and healthcare utilization, which requires further investigation on approaches to improve treatment. The frequency and severity of symptoms in IBS are high and only a few respondents reported that their symptoms are under control.