What Does IBS Pain Feel Like?
Last updated: December 2022
As with any diagnosis, IBS pain can affect people differently. However, most people living with IBS experience pain at some point. In fact, the most common symptoms of IBS are abdominal cramps and pain, according to data from our 2020 IBS In America survey. For some, it can be debilitating at times.
To learn more about how IBS community members would describe their pain, we reached out to followers of our Facebook page. We asked you to fill in the blank: "Tell us: IBS pain feels like ____." More than 100 of you responded.
While some of you understandably said there are no words to describe the pain, others said IBS pain feels like:
- Labor pains
- Like something is twisting my intestines
- Like a mule kick to the stomach
Here are some more of your responses. We hope this video helps you feel less alone in your IBS journey. Start a conversation in our forums or join the discussion on Facebook.

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