A 50-year-old female presents with alternating periods of diarrhea and constipation over the past year, with intermittent lower abdominal pain. She also reports a feeling of incomplete evacuation after bowel movements. There is no history of weight loss or nocturnal diarrhea. What might be the issue?
The patient's symptoms of alternating bowel habits, lower abdominal pain, and feeling of incomplete evacuation suggest Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Mixed Bowel Habits (IBS-M). While her age may necessitate a more thorough workup to rule out other gastrointestinal disorders, the lack of red flag symptoms such as weight loss and nocturnal diarrhea are more consistent with IBS.