A 30-year-old woman comes to the clinic with recurrent abdominal pain for the past 6 months. She notices the pain is relieved after bowel movements and is associated with a change in stool frequency and form. She has no red flag symptoms like weight loss or bleeding. She has no family history of colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. What is your initial diagnosis?
The patient's symptoms of recurrent abdominal pain associated with a change in stool frequency and form, which gets relieved after defecation, align with the Rome IV criteria for the diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Red flag symptoms are absent and her age makes colon cancer less likely. However, it's important to note that a clinical diagnosis should be followed by a reassessment of symptoms over time.