The p
abnormal passage of stool
abnormal form of stool (soft, watery, stringy, hard or pellet-like)
increased amount of mucus in stool (and rectum)
feeling of bowel not empty after opening
feeling of bloating (abdominal distension)
Testing in IBS used to based on the exclusion of other potential causes of the symptoms and tested by colonoscopy. Now it has moved from Secondary Care diagnosis to Primary Care (GP) diagnosis according to the 'Rome II Criteria' and by positive symptoms and blood tests and that there should have been 12 or more symptomatic weeks in the last 12 months that are related to an alteration to the patients normal bowel habit.
Merely displaying the symptoms of nausea, dyspepsia, flatulence etc without the alteration of bowel habit is not indicative of IBS.