Prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Chronic Fatigue
Open accessAbstract
The aetiologies of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue are unknown. Psychological as well as physical factors have been implicated in both. Fatigue is common in irritable bowel syndrome patients. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in chronic fatigue sufferers. A bowel symptom questionnaire was sent to all 4,000 members of a self-help group for fatigue sufferers. Of the 1,797 who responded, 1,129 (63%) fulfilled a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (recurrent abdominal pain and at least three Manning criteria). This greatly exceeds estimates of irritable bowel syndrome prevalence of up to 22% in the general population. Furthermore, irritable bowel syndrome sufferers within this chronic fatigue population reported more Manning criteria (14% had all six Manning criteria) than irritable bowel syndrome sufferers in the general population. This study demonstrates an overlap of symptoms in chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome. In chronic fatigue, irritable bowel symptoms may be one aspect of a more generalised disorder.
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Studies of IBS among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have reported a prevalence ranging from 35-92%.
“Studies of IBS among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have reported a prevalence ranging from 35-92%.”
From Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Co-morbid Gastrointestinal and Extra-gastrointestinal Functional Syndromes (2010) · cites this paper as [36]
The paper’s opening section reports IBS in 63% of respondents from a chronic-fatigue self-help group, which falls within the claimed range. It does not report a 35–92% range, and the Methods state that participants were not screened for chronic fatigue syndrome specifically. (LLM, conf=0.89)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredStudies of IBS among CFS patients have reported a prevalence ranging from 35-92% with a median of 51%.
“Studies of IBS among CFS patients have reported a prevalence ranging from 35-92%34-38 with a median of 51%.4”
From Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Co-morbid Gastrointestinal and Extra-gastrointestinal Functional Syndromes (2010) · cites this paper as [36]
The Results report 63% IBS prevalence among respondents from a chronic-fatigue self-help group, a figure within the claimed range. The paper does not report a 35–92% range across studies or a 51% median. Its Methods also state that participants were not screened against research criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). (LLM, conf=0.85)
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Cites
Epidemiology of colonic symptoms and the irritable bowel syndrome
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Research works printed but not linked: 12
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Functional somatic syndromes: one or many?
Wessely, S., Nimnuan, C., & Sharpe, M. (1999) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(98)08320-2 · Cited by 1,211 · see citing works
Whitehead, W. E., Palsson, O., & Jones, K. R. (2002) · Gastroenterology · doi:10.1053/gast.2002.32392 · Cited by 1,116 · see citing works
How many functional somatic syndromes?
Nimnuan, C., Rabe-Hesketh, S., Wessely, S., & Hotopf, M. (2001) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/s0022-3999(01)00224-0 · Cited by 269 · see citing works
Autonomic nervous system dysregulation in irritable bowel syndrome
Salvioli, B., Pellegatta, G., Malacarne, M., Pace, F., Malesci, A., Pagani, M., & Lucini, D. (2015) · Neurogastroenterology & Motility · doi:10.1111/nmo.12512 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Sperber, A. D., & Dekel, R. (2010) · Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility · doi:10.5056/jnm.2010.16.2.113 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Well-being in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Relationship to Symptoms and Psychological Distress.
Jackson, H., & MacLeod, A. K. (2017) · Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy · doi:10.1002/cpp.2051 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
- Authors
- Gomborone, J., Gorard, D., Dewsnap, P., Libby, G., & Farthing, M.
- Venue
- Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1996-11
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 512-513
- ISSN
- 0035-8819 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5401514
- OpenAlex
- W126739309
- Cited by
- 58
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Keywords
- irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, prevalence, Manning criteria, recurrent abdominal pain, self-help groups, symptom overlap, psychological factors, bowel symptoms
- MeSH terms
- Colonic Diseases, Functional, England, Humans, Self-Help Groups, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic, Prevalence
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