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Hi fellow sufferers. I googled IBS support group. I was looking for others who deal with symptoms I have. I don't have a formal diagnosis but I'm planning to see my Gastro doctor (who has done my colonoscopy and upper endoscopy in the past year.) He's very nice. I've messaged him often and he communicates well. SO I do plan to get some answers because I know gut issues can be a variety of things. I'm keeping a little pocket calendar with some notes on what happens each day to show him. I seem to go from constipated to then diarrhea and it's so unpredictable and frustrating. I will try a little Miralax when I'm constipated and then it starts to help.. then a couple days later I'll start to go and go 6 times in one morning! Then it becomes too soft and watery and I'm empty again.. then I don't go for 3 days. This happens a lot. I saw a nutritionist and have gone GF for 3 years. That seemed to totally help that AND acid reflux but now both are back. I am healthy weight and a lifetime WW member. I walk a mile+ daily. I am age 68 and very active.. do yoga once a week, ride my bike 4 miles 4xweek in summer... drink lots of water... grow a veg garden and eat healthy and I also like fruit. I try a probiotic daily.. sometimes a little Kefur and take Magnesium Aren't I doing all the right things? I consider myself really healthy and take pride in taking care of myself. I'm happily married and busy all the time. I sleep well. This is the only thing, other than a few orthopedic issues such as back surgery once that is my biggest health problem. I have great Blood pressure at 115 and never smoked. I only take Omeprazole 20 mg and a small dose of simvastin because I never could get my "good cholesterol" high enough. That's it for medications. Questions: Can you have IBS C AND D interchangeably? Does IBS also go hand in hand with acid reflux? Which is better.. Benefiber or Metamucil. I have used both and have both. I had my first diverticulitis last year day after my colposcopy.. they figured the test irritated the colon. Did not like the 10 days of antibiotics.. then it returned 3 weeks later and another round of antibiotics!!! SO that's my story and some of my questions. I like forums with others who share... but there's always the worry that people can sometimes share horror stories and make a person more scared. I DO like to learn from others! I really want to know what this is called for sure... IBS or something else! AND do those of you who know for sure you have IBS just have to experiment like I'm doing and "live with it?" Thanks for taking time to read this.

I have bowel issues, where I have feelings of incomplete bowel movements, often, sometimes alternating from constipation, and diarrhea, mostly constipation. I am straining when I have a bowel movement, I do get a "full" feeling, and dull pain, on the left side of my abdomen. It gets better when I have a bowel movement, but it starts back up once I eat something. I have not lost weight, in fact, im gaining weight, and there is no blood in my stool. I do have clear mucus in my stool often. My main complaints are the feeling of incomplete bowel movements, and the "full" feeling in the left side of my abdomen under the rib cage. Some days are worse than others. I am male, 25, and there is no family history of colon cancer. What is this im concerned thank you!