Can IBS cause extreme fatigue?
Fatigue is a common symptom of IBS, with as many as half of all people affected, thought to struggle with their energy levels. Improper absorption, changing diet or lifestyle habits, or an imbalance in gut bacteria can all contribute to fatigue. However, a range of diet, lifestyle and supplement options can often help.
How are IBS and fatigue linked?
As I often explain in my blogs, IBS is often very individual in terms of how the symptoms present themselves. So, fatigue might not be a very obvious symptom to some, but it certainly is one that is commonly associated with IBS. And the research also backs this idea that IBS and fatigue are often commonly linked. (1)
But what processes are likely to contribute to fatigue? Here I delve into these in a bit more detail, plus, explore what can be done to help:
1. The inadequate absorption of nutrients
IBS is very often linked with digestive insufficiency. So, perhaps your stomach isn't working quite as well as it should. Further down, your small intestine is where a lot of absorption of our key nutrients happens. Although much of the absorption actually occurs in the small intestine – sufficient stomach acid is required to help support these processes. So, if the stomach isn't working properly or not releasing enough strong gastric acid, then the small intestine also can't do its job. And that can create a whole host of other issues as well.
What can be done to help?
To help support the stomach initially, I often recommend people try a digestive bitters remedy such as one made with the herb Yarrow. Of course, if you're able to incorporate bitter foods in their whole form into the start of your meals, that's absolutely brilliant, a good alternative. But tinctures made from bitter herbs are often especially convenient. Hold the bitter tincture in your mouth for a few seconds, and take this 3 times daily, 5-10 minutes before eating.
By supporting your digestion you may be able to help support the uptake of a number of nutrients we need to help keep us feeling energized. Iron, the B vitamins including vitamin B12, magnesium, calcium, zinc and vitamin D; just to name a few, are all important for supporting our energy levels and reducing symptoms of tiredness or fatigue. Many of these nutrients can be found in our Balance Mineral Drink.
2. Your eating habits have changed
Your eating habits might have changed generally, or in response to the IBS itself. Perhaps the timing of your meals have changed. If you're skipping meals, or if you're going for long periods without meals, then you might suffer in terms of your energy levels. Or it might be the types of food that you're opting for, again, just generally or as a result of the IBS.
Perhaps you're now having more caffeine or refined sugar. We know that as much as these can give us an instant energy hit, our blood sugar will rise quickly with refined sources of sugar or caffeine, but we then get the drop. We then get that trough in energy levels as a result of your blood sugar crashing as well. Another common scenario with IBS is the reduction in dietary fibre, for example, with following the low FODMAP diet.
Fibre helps to slow the release of sugars into our bloodstream and helps protect against these highs and lows; therefore, a reduction in dietary fibre could have an impact on your energy levels.
What can be done to help?
Trying to eat regular meals, some snacks in between perhaps, always with a source of good quality protein, healthy fats and fibre, plus, not too many refined carbs can all help to keep you feeling energised for longer.
If you often reach for caffeine, try swapping in some caffeine-free options such as some nice, naturally-low-in-caffeine, herbal teas or Bambu coffee alternative.
3. Changing lifestyle habits
Lifestyle habits that could be having an effect on your energy levels include; how much you are moving or exercising, plus how well you sleep.
If you fall into the habit of moving less, this can affect your metabolism or your energy levels in general. This can also go on to affect your sleep, so those two factors can be related, as well as distinct in their own rights.
See, the more we move during the day, the more likely we are to feel tired and sleep better at night. However, as above, sleep is important in its own right. Whenever someone says to me, "I'm looking for something to improve energy," or, "Energy is a factor." The first thing I ask is, "Are you sleeping?" If their answer is, "No," then, that could very well be a direct influence. We need to be sleeping well, preferably undisturbed, and for enough time, in order to feel energised the next day.
What can be done to help?
It can be helpful to try and identify some of the likely causes of sleep disturbances initially. But then there are often lots of areas where you can make improvements, such as with your sleep hygiene routine at night, your diet, how and when you're eating in the lead up to bedtime, and of course, there are herbal helpers if you feel you just need something a little bit extra, something like our Dormeasan Sleep oral drops, containing a combination of the herbs, valerian and hops.
4. An imbalance in good gut bacteria
Our good gut bacteria live in your large intestine and are extremely important for supporting a number of bodily functions, including your metabolism and energy levels.
An imbalance of gut bacteria could, first of all, populate as a result of your stomach not working properly. If you're not breaking down your food properly, larger particles of food can travel into your small and then large intestine, and it is here bacteria can metabolise these particles which shouldn't normally exist there.
As above, introducing bitter herbs such as Yarrow complex can be a nice first step to support your digestion and therefore the balance of bacteria naturally.
Sometimes it could be a quicker change in bacteria as a result of illness, food poisoning, or a bug that could create the imbalance of bacteria and therefore influence your symptoms.
What can be done to help?
Molkosan is rich in L+ lactic acid and in this way acts as a prebiotic to help support the internal environment of the gut. In addition to this, a probiotic from a professional brand such as Optibac could help to support the balance of bacteria in the gut further.
5. An imbalance in neurotransmitters
There is a well-established gut-brain axis. This means your gut is very connected to your brain, and the other way as well, it's a bi-directional relationship. Therefore, neurotransmitters such as serotonin are very prevalent in the gut, as well as affecting our moods and our energy levels and sometimes it can be unclear which imbalance developed first, although both areas are affected.
What can be done to help?
Every little helps when it comes to supporting mood.
Eating fresh foods, acquiring enough nutrients including vitamin D or magnesium, cooking from scratch, limiting processed food options with lots of artificial sweeteners or additives that could be having some negative effects.
Sleep has a direct influence on your mood, as does exercise. Feel-good endorphins that are released are very good for supporting your mood.
Then, as always, if there is a more pronounced issue with your mood which isn't improving with diet and lifestyle tweaks, then it would be worth chatting to your doctor in case some medication is required just to help you overcome that.
6. Stress
Stress is another potential factor when it comes to fatigue as a result of IBS. Stress can be totally draining both physically and mentally.
Stress also directly influences your stomach; it decreases that important stomach acid, and that can have a kind of domino effect throughout the rest of your system on those gut bacteria and everything.
What can be done to help?
Much like supporting your mood naturally, almost everything you do in your diet and lifestyle, no matter how small, could have a positive influence on stress.
However, contributors of tress, of course, can be quite individual.
However, there are a wide variety of stress management techniques that can work well to suit different needs. Exercise, or simply moving a bit more, is a common one, or dedicating a small amount of time each day to do what is stress-relieving for you as an individual.
Of course, there are also some herbal options which can help with stress to. Something like Passiflora tablets could help to support your resistance to stress.
7. Pain
Pain itself can be extremely draining, depending on the severity of your symptoms. Also, there is lots of crossover with pain and other symptoms of IBS and other conditions as well, such as chronic fatigue syndrome.
What can be done to help?
It's important to understand your body and track your own symptoms. If your symptoms are severe or persistent, then it's absolutely time to go to the doctor. This goes for any pain, or any of the other symptoms that we've mentioned today. We can often only do so much in terms of diet and lifestyle and supplements, and there may come a point when it's necessary to go to the doctor.
In the meantime, Silicol Gel may be helpful in managing stomach ache or discomfort associated with IBS.
Silicol®gel for symptoms of IBS including nausea, flatulence, stomach ache, diarrhoea and discomfort.
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