Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | just venting---and a few questions

sorry this is long but i need to vent and you guys will understand more then anyone.

i took antibiotics in feb 2003 for an ear infection and it caused a bacterial infection in my digestive system. i was cured from that stomach infection (ironically with more antibiotics) but i've never been the same since. my dr's now think i have IBS and so do i as there are no other explaination for my symtoms.

before the infection i was healthy, had no food intolerances or anything. now i am struggling to find foods that i can eat. through this process i went from 120 lbs to just over 100lbs, and i have not gained any weight back. my drs are useless so i have been seeing a naturopath and doing research on my own trying to help myself. i found the specific carb diet and was sure that i was getting better but it doesn't seem to be helping much anymore. the reason i started it was because the diet consisted of food that your body could easily break down and contained no sugars or carbs. foods like bread, sugars and grains are hard to break down for certain people with a compromised digestive system and the bad bacteria in your gut can feed of these foods and make you sick. i didn't know that this diet isn't recommended for people with IBS. i still have several (4-5) bm's daily and 'd' quite often. i've read many postings of people that will eat something one day and be fine, then eat the same thing the next and get sick and that what happens to me. the cramping, bloating and gas can be unabearable sometimes. it's frustrating because this effects your whole life. i stress about going out, taking holidays etc. i've tried elimating all the foods that make me feel ill so my list of 'ok' foods is getting smaller and smaller. i cut out rice because it has me sick (sometimes) , white flour, (gluten), lactose and on and on. (i've recently found out that rice ferments incredibly fast so maybe thats what made me iill--who knows). i thought for sure that i was sensitive to gluten because how i felt after each time i ate it whether is was in soy sauce, msg or white flour. i even had my dr do a blood test to check for that and it came up negative. this just give me more questions and i am so confused. i am just so tired of trying to get better, especially when i feel like i am not improving. (immodium has been my best friend through many hard times) it's so hard not to think about this all the time and that causes additonal issues with my digestive system. i don't mean to be such a downer but this has just bothering me more these past few weeks because i have been feeling unusually bad. is it common for IBS sufferers to be gluten sensitive as well? could i still be gluten senstive even if the test was negative? i just don't know how to explain why i get sick from it. will be IBS diet be hard to follow if i choose not to eat gluten?

the bright side-the acacia fiber really seems to help me. i thought i would miss a dose or 2 to see what would happen and soon realized that that was a bad idea. also, the fennel tea has helped me as well. on a few occasions it has helped my gas within minutes.

again, sorry to vent. if anyone has any suggestions i would love to hear them

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