Symptom overlap between IBS and Crohn’s disease Two overlapping circles. Seven everyday symptoms sit in the shared middle: abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, bloating and gas, urgency, nausea and low appetite. Unique to IBS: a normal colonoscopy, symptoms triggered by food or stress, and relief after a bowel movement. Unique to Crohn’s disease: inflammation seen on colonoscopy, raised CRP or calprotectin, weight loss, joint or skin flares, and anal fissures. IBS IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME Crohn’s INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE Normal colonoscopy often never performed Triggered by food or stress Eased by a bowel movement SHARED Abdominal pain Diarrhea Constipation Bloating, gas Urgency Nausea Low appetite Inflammation seen on colonoscopy Raised CRP or calprotectin not raised in everyone Weight loss Joint or skin flares Anal fissures

IBS only

Irritable bowel syndrome

  • Normal colonoscopyoften never performed
  • Triggered by food or stress
  • Eased by a bowel movement

Shared

Why the two get confused

  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Bloating, gas
  • Urgency
  • Nausea
  • Low appetite

Crohn’s only

Inflammatory bowel disease

  • Inflammation seen on colonoscopy
  • Raised CRP or calprotectinnot raised in everyone
  • Weight loss
  • Joint or skin flares
  • Anal fissures
Most of what a patient actually feels sits in the middle. What separates the two conditions is a finding on a test, not a sensation. That is how Crohn’s disease gets called IBS.