At a glance

There is a wide range of normal bowel frequency.
Record stool frequency and consistency, urgency, abdominal pain, bloating, major meals, caffeine, alcohol, new supplements and medicines.
IBS can involve recurrent abdominal pain and bowel changes, but other conditions can overlap.

Start with what changed from your normal

There is a wide range of normal bowel frequency. Note whether your own pattern became more frequent, less frequent, looser, harder, more urgent or more painful, and whether the change followed infection, travel, antibiotics, a new medicine or a major diet change.

Use a simple two-week diary

Record stool frequency and consistency, urgency, abdominal pain, bloating, major meals, caffeine, alcohol, new supplements and medicines. The goal is to identify repeatable patterns without turning eating into a full-time investigation.

Do not diagnose IBS from one symptom

IBS can involve recurrent abdominal pain and bowel changes, but other conditions can overlap. A doctor may consider age, duration, bleeding, anaemia, fever, family history and weight change before deciding whether tests are needed.

Food experiments should be structured

Removing many foods at once makes it hard to know what mattered. If you test a food relationship, change one major factor at a time. Very restrictive diets can reduce nutrition and may be better supervised by a dietitian.

Where TCM may fit

A TCM consultation may explore food, sleep, stress and bowel patterns and may discuss acupuncture or herbs. Traditional terms should not replace medical assessment when symptoms are persistent or concerning.

Know the red flags

Blood in stool, black sticky stool, unexplained weight loss, persistent fever, severe worsening pain, repeated vomiting, night-time diarrhoea or a major new bowel change later in life needs medical review.

Changing Bowel Habits: A Useful Symptom Diary Before Assuming IBS