severe pain from the intestinal spasms can cause nausea, cold sweats, vomiting, even loss of consciousness.
The body trunk is very dense with nerves, and pain in the gut from IBS can radiate down the legs or to the lower back in some people. Pressure and pain from bloating can radiate up into the shoulders for others.
Stress and fatigue from IBS symptoms can cause headaches.
People with IBS seem to be statistically more likely to have upper GI problems such as GERD or reflux.
So, even though IBS is a brain-gut dysfunction and the problem is happening in the bowel, IBS symptoms can end up affecting other body parts.
Bottom line is what helps you is what counts, and if you get help from something that doesn't seem to have any logical benefits for IBS, trust your body. If you feel better, then what you are doing works!
- H
-------------------- Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!