Irritable Bowel Syndrome⚡Mnemonic⚡ : 100% Chance You Won’t Forget !

Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “STRESS”

S – Stress and Psychological Factors

T – Transient Gastroenteritis

R – Reactivity to Certain Foods

E – Endocrine Changes

S – Sensitivity to Pain

S – Serotonin Imbalance

Triggers for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “DIET FADS”

D – Dairy Products

I – Irregular Meals

E – Excessive Caffeine

T – Tobacco Use

F – Fatty Foods

A – Alcohol

D – Dehydration

S – Stress

Risk Factors For Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “YOUNG GALS”

Y – Young Age

O – Overuse of Antibiotics

U – Underlying Mental Health Issues

N – Nutritional Deficiencies

G – Gender (Females more prone)

G – Genetic Predisposition

A – Anxiety Disorders

L – Lifestyle (sedentary)

S – Sensitive Gut

Warning Signs of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “BAD CRAMPS”

B – Bloating

A – Abdominal Pain

D – Diarrhea

C – Constipation

R – Rectal Pain

A – Appetite Loss

M – Mucus in Stool

P – Painful Bowel Movements

S – Stress-related Flares

Predisposing Factors of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “LIFESTYLE”

L – Low Fiber Diet

I – Infections (Gastrointestinal)

F – Family History

E – Emotional Trauma

S – Stressful Events

T – Tobacco Use

Y – Young Age

L – Lack of Regular Exercise

E – Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Signs & Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “PAIN GAS”

P – Painful Cramps

A – Alternating Diarrhea and Constipation

I – Incomplete Evacuation

N – Nausea

G – Gas and Bloating

A – Abdominal Discomfort

S – Stool Changes (color/consistency)

Characteristic Findings In Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “FLUCTUATIONS”

F – Fluctuating Bowel Habits

L – Lower Abdominal Pain

U – Urgency for Bowel Movements

C – Constipation Predominant IBS

T – Triggers like Stress or Diet

U – Unexplained Weight Loss (rare)

A – Anxiety or Depression

T – Tenderness in Abdomen

I – Irritable Bowel Movements

O – Occasional Mucus in Stool

N – Nocturnal Symptoms

S – Symptom Relief After Bowel Movement

What Should Be Avoided In Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “NO SPICY FOOD”

N – Nuts

O – Oily Foods

S – Spicy Foods

P – Processed Foods

I – Intense Physical Stress

C – Caffeine

Y – Yogurt (for some people)

F – Fatty Foods

O – Onions and Garlic

O – Oversized Meals

D – Dairy Products (for lactose intolerant)

Drugs Used To Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “FIBER MAP“

F – Fiber Supplements

I – Imodium (for Diarrhea)

B – Bentyl (Dicyclomine for Cramping)

E – Eluxadoline

R – Rifaximin (antibiotic)

M – Motegrity (for Constipation)

A – Antidepressants (SSRIs, TCAs)

P – Peppermint Oil (for pain relief)

Drugs To Avoid In Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “NO LAX AGENT”

N – NSAIDs

O – Opiates

L – Laxatives (overuse)

A – Antibiotics (unnecessary)

X – Xanthine stimulants (caffeine)

A – Alcohol

G – Gluten (if sensitive)

E – Excessive Fiber (if causes gas)

N – Non-absorbable Sugars

T – Tobacco

Radiological Features of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “NORMAL SCAN”

N – Normal Bowel Wall Thickness

O – Often No Abnormal Findings

R – Regular Bowel Contour

M – Minimal or No Inflammation

A – Absence of Structural Defects

L – Limited Value for Diagnosis

S – Sigmoidoscopy Often Normal

C – Colonoscopy Typically Unremarkable

A – Abdominal Ultrasound Regular

N – No Specific Features

Diagnostic Tests for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mnemonic: “CHECK LIST”

C – Colonoscopy (to rule out other conditions)

H – Hydrogen Breath Test (for lactose intolerance or bacterial overgrowth)

E – Endoscopy (if other symptoms present)

C – Complete Blood Count (to check for anemia/infection)

K – KUB X-ray (to view abdominal organs)

L – Lactose Tolerance Test

I – IBS Symptom Questionnaires

S – Stool Tests (for infections, blood, etc.)

T – Thyroid Function Test (to exclude thyroid disorders)

Laboratory Findings In Irritable Bowel Syndrome

• • Mnemonic: “MOSTLY NORMAL”
    • M – Minimal Inflammatory Markers
    • O – Often Normal Blood Tests
    • S – Stool Tests Typically Regular
    • T – Thyroid Tests Normal
    • L – Low or No Specific Findings
    • Y – Yeast Overgrowth Tests
    • N – No Pathogenic Bacteria in Cultures
    • O – Occasional Elevated ESR or CRP
    • R – Regular Liver Function Tests
    • M – Mild Anemia in Some Cases
    • A – Absence of Parasitic Infection
    • L – Lactose Tolerance Tests Vary

Contraindications of IBS Treatment

• • Mnemonic: “PANDA”
    • P – Pregnancy (certain medications may not be advisable)
    • A – Allergies to specific IBS medications
    • N – Narrow-angle glaucoma (for some anticholinergic drugs)
    • D – Diverticulitis (certain treatments might worsen the condition)
    • A – Acute abdomen or intestinal obstruction

Side effects of IBS Medications

Mnemonic: “BLINDS”

B – Bloating (from certain fiber supplements)

L – Laxative dependency (with prolonged use)

I – Intestinal cramps (from antispasmodics)

N – Nausea (common with many IBS medications)

D – Dizziness (especially with anticholinergics)

S – Serotonin syndrome risk (with certain medications)

Clinical Features of IBS

Mnemonic: “ABDOMEN”

A – Abdominal pain

B – Bloating

D – Diarrhea or constipation (or alternating)

O – Often relieved by defecation

M – Mucus in stool

E – Episodes of symptoms

N – Nocturnal symptoms are uncommon

Complications of IBS

Mnemonic: “HAIRS”

H – Hemorrhoids (from chronic constipation)

A – Anxiety and depression

I – Intestinal barrier dysfunction

R – Reduced quality of life

S – Sleep disturbances

Differential Diagnosis of IBS

Mnemonic: “COWS DIG”

C – Celiac disease

O – Ovarian cancer (in women with late-onset symptoms)

W – Wheat allergy

S – Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

D – Diverticulitis

I – Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis)

G – Gastroenteritis or chronic infections