Arrange a clinic review
Arrange an assessment if you suspect IBS and symptoms have lasted more than four weeks. If already diagnosed, return when symptoms disrupt work, sleep or eating, or the plan is not helping. Bring a symptom diary and mention any foods you have stopped eating.
Seek prompt medical assessment
Unexplained weight loss, rectal bleeding, bloody diarrhoea or a new firm abdominal lump need prompt assessment. Unusual tiredness with pallor, breathlessness or palpitations may suggest anaemia. Tell your clinician about a family history of bowel cancer, inflammatory bowel disease or coeliac disease.
Get urgent help for possible bleeding
Black, tarry stool or significant bleeding, especially with dizziness or fainting, needs urgent medical care. Do not wait for a routine IBS appointment. These features can indicate another condition requiring immediate evaluation, even if previous episodes of pain and bowel changes were diagnosed as IBS.