Irritable Bowel Syndrome: What can I eat?

I've been having symptoms of IBS for the past week now (I'm 99% sure I have it), and I am actually really annoyed with having pains in my stomach and very soft stool one day, and constipated the next. What are some things that I can eat to help make my symptoms less painful?

I can only imagine the pain you are going through... IBS is definitely not pleasant. Well if you have diarrhea (or close enough to it), and you're constipated the next.. it does sound like IBS. So you seem right about that. I suggest you increase fiber in your diet! Some things to consider could be:

* Plums, prunes and prune juice, sort of naturally encourage loose bowels.
* Ground flax seed has been thought to ease constipation symptoms for some.
* Drink liquids throughout the day -- this encourages bowel movements.
* Consider limiting coffee and alcohol, because they can have a dehydrating effect and dehydration can make constipation worse.
* That high-protein, low-carb diet that is on its way out is thought to worsen constipation.
* Psyllium is in some of the fiber supplements you might see over the counter that you blend with water. There's some good evidence to support that can help people with constipation as well.

Please, please, please stay away from caffeinated drinks if you have diarrhea already! They are intestinal stimulants. It's possible that it's CONTRIBUTING to diarrhea. If you are constipated, try drinking it.. it will get things moving.

Here are some tips to consider:

* You may try emphasizing some soluble fiber sources. These add bulk to the colon but they're more gelatinous or gel-like and gentler to overly reactive intestines. You'll find soluble fiber in oats, barley, psyllium, and some fruit; half of the fiber in ground flaxseed is soluble.
* It may not be a good idea to drink fluids with your meals. Space your meals and fluids about an hour apart. The liquid can make everything run through more rapidly. Together they may be overloading your system, so alternate beverages with your meals.
* You might see if you have a reaction to the gassy vegetables: broccoli, onions and cabbage. They can cause gas in some people and it can make diarrhea sufferers feel worse. This is one of those instances where amounts can be important, so maybe half a cup of broccoli is no big deal but a cup and a half will cause problems.
* Fried foods can send some people over the IBS edge.
* Fructose can be a trigger for some people, so keep that in mind when you're looking through your food diary, if you're consuming foods with high fructose, like high fructose corn syrup in soda, for example. Let me add a statistic to this. A recent study found that 30 to 58 percent of people with IBS symptoms, particularly those with the diarrhea type, were fructose intolerant.
* Large meals can trigger your symptoms, so try to eat less at each meal so that you're not overwhelming the system at any one time. Eat small, frequent meals.

I also suggest recording and writing down what you have eaten every day. It really helps to keep track and stay on top of things.

Good luck to you!

As a sufferer of IBS, I take Metamucil everyday. You must take a tsp and slowly build up to 1TBLS everyday. It really does help. Try it and see if it helps you.