Mary
I have had IBS ever since I was a teenager, and I am 75 now. It can become a real problem unless we can get it under control. Some people respond to antispasmotics such as Bentyl, or Donnatol, several others your doctor can precscribe. Sometimes it even takes Pain meds to give you some space. It seems to be one of those dis-eases that each person has to work out for himself, experiementing as time goes on. If I eat green vegetables in the afternoon, I will have diahhrea by 10:00 PM. So if you want to go out for the evening it is wise to eat bland and light things in order to keep your tummy from swelling, and your having to hunt for a bathroom. I have discovered that toomuch fibre will cause a lot of pain, but i have found some breads in the grocery store that have 3 grams of fibre in each slice and 2 slices a day is powerful enough and gentle enough to do the job. You can spend a lot of money going to doctors and you will always hear the same thing: "You have IBS, or spastic colon. You won't die from it, but you will die with it." Sometimes it will make you think that you have something very serious, like cancer, but tests will almost always prove that there is nothing wrong with your colon, except a few spasms that drive you crazy. I always have a colonoscopy every 4 years just to keep my own mind at ease, but my father died of colon cancer and I have to do that. You probably won't. Just settle it in your mind that you are going to learn how to cope with this by trying different things, foodwise, emotional wise, and just being wise and knowing what is going on inside you and not being afraid. God bless you.