General depressed feeling and continual lethargy. Unpleasant tastes in mouth. Having considered the symptoms, the next stage is to determine the possible causes. It is extremely difficult to be specific but one of the underlying causes is considered to be stress. Stress manifests itself in many ways often not apparent to the sufferer.
Stress can set up a tension within the individual, resulting in anxiety.
This situation can create a spasm in the intestinal tract. At this stage it is importart to understand how the food we eat is moved through the intestine. Other possible causes are thought to include a change of diet, food poisoning or gastro-enteritis and the well known situation of insufficient fibre in the diet. Treatment Medical practitioners who recognise IBS may suggest a variety of treatments including stress management and relaxation, diet changes and prescribe antispasmodics of which there are several available over the counter. But it is important to be mindful of mis-diagnosis.