PREVALENCE OF IRRITABLE-BOWEL-SYNDROME IN CHRONIC FATIGUE

The aetiologies of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue are un known. Psychological as well as physical factors have been implicated in both. Fatigue is common in irritable bower syndrome patients. The p urpose 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 suffere rs. Of the 1,797 who responded, 1,129 (63%) fulfilled a diagnosis of i rritable bower syndrome (recurrent abdominal pain and at least three M anning criteria). This greatly exceeds estimates of irritable bower sy ndrome prevalence of up to 22% in the general population. Furthermore, irritable bowel syndrome sufferers within this chronic fatigue popula tion reported more Manning criteria (14% had all six Manning criteria) than irritable bowel syndrome sufferers in the general population. Th is study demonstrates an overlap of symptoms in chronic fatigue and ir ritable bowel syndrome. In chronic fatigue, irritable bowel symptoms m ay be one aspect of a more generalised disorder.