🤢 Why IBS Can Cause Nausea and Vomiting

Many people with IBS also experience nausea or even vomiting. While these might seem like upper digestive symptoms and IBS like lower digestive issues, they are often tied to the same underlying causes.

Understanding the Digestive Tract

IBS is usually thought of as a middle-to-lower digestive tract issue, including symptoms like:

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Gas or bloating

Importantly, you don’t need all of these symptoms to have IBS—even one alone can qualify.

Nausea and vomiting are typically associated with the upper digestive tract, like the stomach. But in reality, the distinction between “upper” and “lower” digestive tract is mostly for convenience. The entire digestive system—from mouth to anus—is one continuous tube, with a complex ecosystem called the microbiome.

Why IBS and Nausea Often Overlap

The same underlying problem can affect any part of your digestive tract. Causes like:

• Food sensitivities, e.g., gluten intolerance
• Bacterial overgrowth
• Candida overgrowth

…can lead to a mix of symptoms anywhere along the ~30-foot digestive tract, including:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Gas and bloating

Some people get one symptom, others get another, and often they occur together.

The key takeaway: Upper and lower digestive symptoms often share the same cause, and treating one without addressing the other usually won’t resolve the problem.

The Good News

A knowledgeable IBS specialist can help identify the root cause—whether it’s food sensitivities, microbial imbalances, or other triggers—and help resolve both IBS and nausea/vomiting together.

While we’ve discussed gluten, bacterial, and Candida overgrowth as examples, there are many other potential causes. The good news is that with proper evaluation, most patients experience improvement in both upper and lower digestive symptoms once the root cause is addressed.

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Digestion and Fatigue