My "Weird" IBS Symptoms

I’ve lived with IBS for over a decade now, so paying attention to my body has become a forced skill I can’t unlearn. Over the years, I’ve experienced some “weird” and unusual symptoms that have made me question whether it’s truly IBS or something else.

Let’s face it: IBS is more of an umbrella diagnosis for a collection of symptoms that most people face, but instead of feeling just one at a time, those with IBS feel multiple constantly.

Here’s a list of some of the unfortunate, debilitating symptoms I deal with almost daily. I don't deal with all of them at the same time, but I can almost guarantee that at least 2 of these menu options will be on my plate on any given day.

1. Visceral hypersensitivity

Visceral hypersensitivity is one IBS symptom that shows up in different ways for me. Many times, as soon as I consume liquids or solids for the first time that day, a bowel movement is instantly triggered. This might sound like a normal, common digestion that happens when you “break a fast”, but it’s the immediate sharp pains in my stomach and the urge to rush to the toilet that feels so strange to me.

Intense pain in my lower left abdomen

Another way visceral hypersensitivity shows up is intense pain and uncomfortability in my lower left abdomen. At times it feels like a sharp blade randomly squeezing through my intestinal walls, even though I now know it’s often just intense gas pain or the urge to have a bowel movement.

Instant urgency after laying down

Another strange visceral moment is when I lay down to rest, especially if I’ve been laying down for a while, eventually my symptoms kick in out of nowhere and I get an instant urge to get up and rush to the toilet. I don’t know what it is about laying down that triggers it, but it almost never fails.

2. Fatigue

Extreme fatigue is another symptom I never thought I would experience. Now, maybe 8 times out of 10 after a bowel movement, I feel like I need to lay down and rest because I get so drained of energy. For some reason, it completely wipes my energy and I need a moment (and sometimes a whole nap) to recover.

3. Painful bloating while eating

Abdominal distension, or extreme painful bloating, is another symptom I deal with often. I generally get full or bloated pretty quickly while eating a meal, and it doesn’t seem to matter what or how much I eat. In other words, it doesn’t take much food for me to look like I ate a balloon because of how distended and sensitive my belly gets.

4. Paresthesia, the "pins and needles" feeling

Paresthesia is one symptom I wouldn’t necessarily call weird, but it’s definitely annoying. You know that “pins and needles” feeling you get when a limb falls asleep because you sat or slept on it wrong? That’s what paresthesia feels like, and I find it especially frustrating when it happens while I’m on the toilet.

5. Anismus, constipation, and straining

Anismus is another symptom I experience often, and I think it may have something to do with why I sometimes feel so fatigued after a bowel movement. It’s when you physically struggle to release your bowel movements, often leading to constipation and straining.

6. Tenesmus: I need to relieve myself, but I just went...

Tenesmus is the feeling that you still need to relieve yourself even though you already did. For me, it can trigger signals that feel completely overdramatic and create this painful urgency to rush to the toilet, again. This can feel pretty discouraging, especially when you have plans to leave your house or be simply productive that day.

If I took the time, I feel like I could write short stories about each of these symptoms and how they affect my life. Matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I already have in one way or another.

Nonetheless, I’m curious: have any of you experienced symptoms like these? If so, how has it impacted your life?