I agree with SamLovesRats. My mom has IBS, and so did her father (my grandfather). This is definitely a genetic or familial problem.

You might be surprised to learn that many other young women have IBS - She isn't alone! I found this out when I moved into a sorority house and saw boxes of Immodium in other girls' rooms. I couldn't believe other people relied on those pills to get through the day. Could your daughter talk to Student Health or the counseling center at her college--maybe there is a support group on campus.

Have you looked into allergies. I had been having a ton of stomach issues as well. I was diagnosed with IBS 5 years ago. I started to have a few issues this year. And they started looking at food allergies for me. It has made a world of difference now.

Like many others I have lived with and suffered from IBS for about 25yrs. Most of these years have been very disabling for me personally/ Have had all the tests, tried all the meds with no luck, worked with many dr's, nutritionists, alternative therapies etc etc. Honestly...you have to try everything for yourself. What works best for one person will not work for others. Its your journey. Read/study up on ibs as much as possible and then your daughter has to do the trial and error thing for herself. there are some basics that run across the board like eliminating certain foods and drinks. But I find that lettuce might set one person off and not another. You have to find what aggrevates you! I will tell you to get yourself on a strict routine: get up at a certain time, move your body, eat "small' meals, reduce as much stress in your life as possible, find time to meditate to quiet your mind. You will find that your body will get on a routine and you will be better off in the long run.
My pain is 24/7 and even though it for the most part is very disabling, I am in a better place than I was 10-15yrs ago. It is an emotional journey. Reach out to people like on this site. Only we can truly understand what life is like living with IBS. I wish you well.

I will certainly agree with McMahon - IBS is as much a mind issue as it is a gut issue. Hypnosis, guided imagery etc are all wonderful tools to have in your basket of tools to use to help you cope with your day. it takes practice- so be willing to put in the effort.

I also find that I will feel good for a few days and my meds and fiber pills will work, but if something is troubling me and I get anxious, I mean overly anxious that the meds and fiber pills will become ineffective and i would really love to try proibotics but I dont have the money for it. i also have arthritis which is very painful and i have to pay for glucosamine chondroiten. i get that when meijers Dept store is having a buy one, get one free sale and they have that sale every month. Too bad they don't have that sale on prohibotics.

I have had a lot of the same issues. my dr did a hydrogen breath test it came back positive. google sibo or small intestine bacterial over growth some people have it for years and never get it diagnosed. its been pretty recent for me so im still trying to figure out what to eat. dairy is off the list completly

When mine is in an uproar which it is now, it's constant, every day, pain on both sides of my abdomen, diarrhea. I usually have IBS-C but when it's in an uproar as it is now, it's constant for quite some time. Bentyl does nothing for me really. I'm hoping I can get a prescription for Librax tomorrow when I go to the GI doc (which helped many years ago when it got this bad). I've been living on soup and rice for 5 weeks. I've lost 9 pounds which is the only good thing about it. I think my paranoia makes me think it's more than IBS and there is something else going on. I'm lactose intolerant too but I know to steer clear of that stuff. I wish all of you good luck. This is no picnic for sure.