Symptom overlap and comorbidity of irritable bowel syndrome with other conditions

Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of several highly prevalent, multi-symptom gastrointestinal motility disorders that have a wide clinical spectrum and are associated with symptoms of gastrointestinal dysmotility and visceral hypersensitivity. Symptom overlap and comorbidity between IBS and other gastrointestinal motility disorders (eg, chronic constipation, functional dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux disease), with gastrointestinal disorders that are not related to motility (eg, celiac disease, lactose intolerance), and with somatic conditions (eg, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome), are frequent. The clinical associations and pathophysiologic links between IBS and these disorders continue to be explored. This review discusses overlapping symptoms and comorbidity of IBS with select gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal disorders and attempts to identify commonalities among these conditions.