This table provides information about the frequency of symptoms from an internet survey of people who reported having a diagnosis of either irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia (FMS) or ME/CFS (CFS). Some people have more than one diagnosis, so the numbers in each of these three categories adds to more than the total number. The number of people experiencing the symptom at least weekly is shown. The percentage is shown in brackets. By looking at the percentage of any symptom you will see how prevalent that symptoms is in people with different diagnoses. The message that this tables gives is the high frequency of many different symptoms experienced by patients with these diagnoses. Please note these data are based on reported diagnosis given by the person completing the survey.
|
Symptom
|
Frequency (%) of symptom reported at least weekly
|
|
All
N = 1751
|
IBS
N = 1122
|
FMS
N = 1127
|
CFS
N = 619
|
|
Waking up still feeling tired
|
1629 (93.0)
|
1019 (90.8)
|
1111(98.5)
|
603 (97.4)
|
|
Fatigue for no reason
|
1566 ( 89.5)
|
961 (85.7)
|
1095 (97.1)
|
602 (97.3)
|
|
Difficulty concentrating
|
1489 (85.1)
|
910 (81.1)
|
1066 (94.6)
|
587 (94.9)
|
|
Mental fog
|
1481 (84.6)
|
902 (80.5)
|
1061 (94.1)
|
583 (94.2)
|
|
Fatigue increasing the day after you are active
|
1471 ( 84.1)
|
872 (77.8)
|
1078 (95.7)
|
602 (97.3)
|
|
Memory problems
|
1455 (83.1)
|
883 (78.7)
|
1050 (93.4)
|
574 (92.7)
|
|
Waking up often at night
|
1449 (82.7)
|
906 (80.7)
|
1032 (91.6)
|
521 (84.2)
|
|
Easily feel too cold
|
1407 (80.4)
|
883 (78.7)
|
984 (87.4)
|
526 (85.0)
|
|
Pain increasing the day after you are active
|
1398 (79.8)
|
818 (72.9)
|
1070 (94.9)
|
558 (90.2)
|
|
Bloating of the stomach
|
1366 (78.0)
|
970 (86.5)
|
893 (79.2)
|
466 (75.3)
|
|
Pain in legs and arms which is not due to hard exercise
|
1357 (77.5)
|
648 (71.1)
|
1070 (94.9)
|
520 (84.0)
|
|
Back pain
|
1348 (77.0)
|
842 (75.1)
|
1020 (90.6)
|
486 (78.6)
|
|
Easily feel too hot/sweating
|
1340 (76.5)
|
841 (74.9)
|
958 (85.0)
|
510 (82.4)
|
|
Very cold hands or feet
|
1339 (76.5)
|
847 (75.5)
|
933 (82.8)
|
499 (80.6)
|
|
Difficulty getting to sleep
|
1325 (75.7)
|
830 (73.9)
|
957 (84.9)
|
504 (81.4)
|
|
Pain moving from one place of body to another on different days
|
1268 (72.4)
|
752 (67)
|
1022 (90.7)
|
486 (78.6)
|
|
Sensitivity to noise
|
1264 (72.2)
|
769 (68.5)
|
937 (83.0)
|
519 (83.8)
|
|
Stomach pain
|
1233 (70.4)
|
910 (81.1)
|
799 (70.9)
|
421 (68.0)
|
|
Sensitive or tender skin
|
1229 (70.2)
|
750 (66.8)
|
969 (86)
|
447 (72.2)
|
|
Irritable
|
1220 (69.6)
|
786 (70.0)
|
860 (76.2)
|
434 (70.1)
|
|
Sensitivity to bright lights
|
1178 (67.2)
|
718 (64.0)
|
888 (78.8)
|
487 (83.8)
|
|
Jittery, easily startled, often worried
|
1175 (67.1)
|
765 (68.2)
|
840 (74.5)
|
423 (68.4)
|
|
More clumsy than others
|
1161 (66.3)
|
713 (63.5)
|
869 (77.0)
|
482 (77.8)
|
|
Thirsty all the time
|
1154 (65.9)
|
736 (65.5)
|
865 (76.7)
|
440 (71.1)
|
|
Numbness, tingling, pins and needles
|
1153 (65.9)
|
703 (62.7)
|
894 (79.3)
|
446 (72.1)
|
|
Headaches
|
1149 (65.6)
|
722 (64.3)
|
588 (74.5)
|
453(73.2)
|
|
Feeling anxious for no reason
|
1125 (64.3)
|
743 (66.2)
|
793 (70.4)
|
395 (63.8)
|
|
Itchy skin
|
1122 (64.1)
|
735 (65.5)
|
836 (74.2)
|
421 (68.0)
|
|
Intolerant to some food
|
1082 (61.8)
|
806 (71.8)
|
655 (58.1)
|
406 (65.6)
|
|
Itchy eyes
|
1013 (57.8)
|
664 (59.2)
|
756 (67.1)
|
388 (62.7)
|
|
Constipation
|
1002 (57.2)
|
709 (63.2)
|
710 (63.0)
|
347 (56.1)
|
|
Feeling out of breath for no reason
|
989 (56.4)
|
628 (56.0)
|
739 (65.6)
|
432 (69.8)
|
|
Racing heart
|
959 (54.8)
|
608 (54.2)
|
688 (61.0)
|
391 (63.2)
|
|
Swollen painful joints
|
953 (54.5)
|
582 (51.9)
|
766 (68.0)
|
355 (57.4)
|
|
Cramps in leg, foot or bottom
|
947 (54.1)
|
601 (53.5)
|
743 (65.9)
|
357 (57.6)
|
|
Very vivid dreams
|
944 (53.9)
|
608 (54.3)
|
656 (58.2)
|
381 (61.5)
|
|
Feeling very ill for no reason
|
937 (53.4)
|
579 (51.6)
|
689 (61.2)
|
446 (51.0)
|
|
Depression
|
920 (52.6)
|
603 (53.8)
|
690 (61.2)
|
330 (53.4)
|
|
Nausea for no reason
|
917 (52.4)
|
619 (55.1)
|
625 (55.5)
|
376 (60.7)
|
|
Fatigue increasing after a cold or sore throat
|
910 (52.0)
|
558 (49.8)
|
691 (61.3)
|
396 (64.0)
|
|
Diarrhoea
|
874 (49.9)
|
684 (61.0)
|
518 (45.9)
|
281 (45.4)
|
|
Blocked nose
|
871 (49.7)
|
575 (51.3)
|
651 (57.8)
|
336 (54.3)
|
|
Urinating two or more times per night
|
854 (48.8)
|
563 (50.1)
|
639 (56.7)
|
330 (53.3)
|
|
Face flushes
|
848 (48.4)
|
536 (47.7)
|
638 (56.7)
|
314 (50.8)
|
|
Hands tremble or shake
|
838 (47.8)
|
529 (47.2)
|
655 (58.1)
|
349 (56.4)
|
|
Ringing in ears
|
823 (47.1)
|
518 (46.2)
|
603 (53.5)
|
347 (56.1)
|
|
Heartburn
|
819 (46.8)
|
569 (50.7)
|
579 (79.2)
|
272 (43.9)
|
|
Running nose
|
786 (44.9)
|
533 (47.5)
|
572 (50.8)
|
296 (47.8)
|
|
Chest pain
|
733 (41.8)
|
475 (42.3)
|
577 (51.2)
|
293 (47.4)
|
|
Feeling faint
|
658 (37.6)
|
419 (37.4)
|
461 (40.9)
|
333 (53.8)
|
|
Twitching other than eyelid
|
558 (31.9)
|
349 (31.1)
|
459 (40.7)
|
265 (42.8)
|
|
Twitching of eyelid
|
546 (31.3)
|
348 (31.0)
|
434 (38.4)
|
238 (38.4)
|
|
Nightmares/night terrors
|
480 (27.4)
|
316 (28.2)
|
353 (31.2)
|
206 (33.2)
|
|
Double vision
|
469 (26.8)
|
297 (26.6)
|
372 (33.0)
|
233 (37.7)
|
|
Boils or pimples on face or body
|
448 (25.6)
|
294 (26.3)
|
309 (27.4)
|
196 (31.7)
|
|
Choking sensations
|
409 (23.4)
|
291 (25.9)
|
413 (29.7)
|
169 (27.3)
|
|
Skin rash
|
365 (20.8)
|
252 (22.5)
|
266 (23.6)
|
146 (23.6)
|
|
Head colds, sore throat, flu
|
353 (20.2)
|
234 (20.9)
|
260 (23.0)
|
191 (30.9)
|
|
Mouth ulcers, sores in mouth
|
268 (15.3)
|
177 (15.8)
|
214 (19.0)
|
108 (17.5)
|
|
Loss of voice
|
259 (14.8)
|
177 (15.8)
|
214 (19.0)
|
113 (18.3)
|
|
Cold sores on or near lips
|
79 (4.5)
|
54 (4.8)
|
65 (5.8)
|
34 (5.4)
|