Hi Cindy --

I was diagnosed with IBS when I was in college. What you are describing is exactly what I was going through then. Agonizing, painful cramps that make you run to the bathroom 10-15 minutes after eating. My doctor also did not prescribe any medication. The only thing he told me to do was to take Citrucel daily, which I did. This really did help me a lot. I took it twice a day, morning and night -- but it took about a week to kick in and slow things down.

I'd give it a try. It's not a drug and the only thing you'll be out if it doesn't work is the $10-12 for a container of Citrucel.

My 7 year old has IBS as well and is doing pretty well on fiber therapy too. However, Citrucel did NOT work for her. Instead, she is on Benefiber, twice a day. It's great stuff -- mixes with anything non-carbonated or you can put it in food. My daughter prefers to just mix it with cold water from the fridge (it's tasteless).

I know some people will use Immodium -- however the only time I've used that was after returning from Mexico on vacation (if you know what I mean!)

Good luck to you.

May want to try Digestive Advantage. It helps balance out the bacterias living in the intestinal track. It has decreased my diarreah a long with the raw ulcerated pain in the intestines.

I had the same problem for years. I had a blood test that tested for food alergies and food sensitivities (holistic doc, not a regular GP ordered it). I took the things I was alergic too and sensitive too out of my diet and stopped having that kind of a reaction - diahrea.
Now when I have a reaction like that I know its because I have overloaded my system with Dairy products (yum) or a combination of foods I am sensitive too (mushrooms, spinach, corn, eggs...).

What you can do is start a food journal and list what you eat, not how much but how often and note when you have the reaction. You might see a pattern and then you can try taking the foods you suspect are the problem out of your diet for a while. See if you feel better. Now I can eat stuff I'm sensitive to, however I can only have them once each three days - more often and it overloads my system and I'm back on the pot.

Now when I have problems that are not food related, it is due to stressful times. Certain people who make me crazy give me gas, literally LOL! I had a job I hated and couln't get off the pot! I got fired for missing too much work and cried for three days at the injustice of it all - after all I hated it and I still dragged my but there everyday I could. Would you believe that five days after being fired all signs of IBS stopped cold? It was the job giving me diahrea!
So once you isolate the food issues, then you should use a journal to determine what events and/or people give you the big D. Good luck...I hope you feel better soon...hugs jilly

You've already gotten great advice. Jilly's story sounds really familiar. My big trigger before I ever had any other symptoms was my ex. For a while when we were going through the divorce I couldn't even talk to him on the phone without having to run to the toilet. Leaving me was the nicest thing he ever did. lol. I also found keeping a food diary helped me find what the offending food was. The difference is with me, it was usually about 24 hours later that I would feel the cramping and the mad dashes to the bathroom. I had to avoid mostly watery veggies like: iceberg and romaine lettuce, celery, cucumber. When I learned that raw pineapple got me to I had to go through a grieving process. At least I can have canned. One thing that nobody has mentioned is Dual Action Cleanse. I found it on an infomercial late at night. I tried it just as a temporary clean out, and learned that it is an herbal remedy, not a scarry laxative, but a nice smooth reaction as long as I take it with meals, I feel pretty good. I still can't eat pineapple though. Darn!~

i think jilly has said it all please take her advice as it does work

My gastroenterologist sugested that I take Welchol on a schedule. I take two 625mg tablets around the time that I eat (30 mins before is perfect) and that has GREATLY reduced my diarria. I have a true form of IBS, btw. I have a birth defect known as "malrotation" of the intestines. I also have Fibromyalgia, which one of the side effects is IBS. I have also seen an immunologist and my IGE's (allergy immunoglobins) are none existing. That means I have no allergies, nor have the ability to gain any (yeah). Good luck, if you need to talk I am always around.

Hi Cndy, I cured myself of this by changing my diet after 10 yrs of suffering. I started by changing my diet to only cooked white rice, potatoes and oatmeal. No Milk. No pop. No meat. After a week of this rather dull diet, I started to add in items one at a time. When a bad reaction occurred with bad D, I removed the new food item and went back to the successful diet I had before the last addition. My list of bad foods includes Milk products(cheese, yogurt etc), pop, candy, beef and most fruits. Once you get the diet right, the uncontrollable D goes away and you're just left with controllable D and stool that is too soft. Traditional Chinese herbs can take care of the rest of the problem safely in less than 6 months. Western drugs and fiber will only help in the most mild of cases.
KS

no advice but i totally understand.
mine usually hits me when i am out at a restaurant with my husband or family or friends...having a great time and then....RUN!!! and run again..."is everything alright,dear?"...run again..."i really like the decor in the ladies room"

it has gotten so bad sometimes that i make a mad dash for the car and leave

usually to get home and have everything "calm down"

i have had days at home that i am literally trapped within 10 feet of the bathroom.
i have not been formally diagnosed. one time about 12 years ago i was diagnosed with panic attacks and got xanax...lookin back..it was this same thing.