Introduction Irritable bowel syndrome is commonly reported among university students, however few analytical based studies are available on IBS from Pakistan. We investigate the prevalence and pattern of symptoms of IBS along with anxiety among medical students of Karachi.

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 medical students of Karachi. Data were collected using validated tool “Rome III Criteria” and Generalised Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire. Diagnosis were made on the criteria that students experiencing abdominal discomfort at least 2–3 days/month, also had high level of Anxiety. Convenient sampling was done to recruit the participants after getting written informed consent.

Results The prevalence of IBS was found to be 102 (28.3%) with a predominance of 87 (85.29%) in females than males 15 (14.71%). The psychological symptoms of anxiety were encountered in 57 (55.8%) participants with IBS, among which, male were 15.7% and female 84.2% respectively.

Conclusion The medical students of Karachi who suffered more mental stress and anxiety resulted in a high level IBS as compared with previous study reports. There were significantly more women with IBS than men. As a consequence, key health messages and interventions to reduce stress and anxiety among students may help in curtailing the burden of this disease.