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I need advise on what to do or not to do. I'm trying to follow what foods NOT to eat but that is hard. I hardly eat anything anymore; my diet mainly consists of chicken, bananas, wraps with just deli chicken and mayo, bran muffins. Even the "safe" foods affect me in a negative way.

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a few thoughts:
you say you're having trouble following What Not to Eat, because it's hard? yes, it is hard at first, but worth it. eating and drinking things that are GI irritants will make you sick. you can eat all the safe foods you want, but if you're putting things like bran muffins and sodas and cokes and milk and things like that in your mouth, too, then they will make it down to your intestines where they will wreak havoc. believe me, cutting these things out are the way to go. and i know it's hard. i've done it AND i've cut out wheat. but i didn't stop hurting until i quit all the bad things. i have been able to gradually add some things back into my diet carefully and after a meal with soluble fiber, but first i had to quit it all and get stable.

bran muffins are probably too harsh for your stomach. if i eat a bran muffin, i then spend the rest of the morning in the bathroom. yes, some people recommend bran and whole wheats for IBS, but not here on this diet. i eat IBS safe 24 hours a day, but if i were to add a bran muffin in, i will still get sick.

mayonaise is not on the IBS diet. sorry. it contains eggs. most mayo is not low fat and if it is "light" you'll find high fructose corn syrup in it. no mayo!

if you are able to successfully cut out all the triggers, i believe you will find your symptoms improve. the safe foods are "safe" for a reason. if you're finding them irritating to the stomach once you've cut all your triggers, than you need to see what else may be going on-- maybe you have other food intolerances?

stress is definitely something that can impact your IBS. have you considered yoga or hypnosis? they both work, as do meditating (simple meditation: just become conscious of your breathing. just be aware of it for a few minutes, then try to slow it down and breath deeply for a few more minutes. repeat as necessary)

Linz gave you some good advice about tea. you can try chamomile and peppermint if you don't care for the fennel, or try to mix other things into the fennel.

hope you start feeling better soon.

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