Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | New to the message board

Hi! I am new to the message board and I am not quite sure if I am in the correct room for my post. If not, please direct me to the correct room. I am 33 years old and I have suffered from IBS since I was 18 years old. I have tried acupressure and chinese herbs, I have tried the no refined sugar, no meat, no white rice or flour diet along with herbs with enzymes to aid digestion, acidophyllis, flax seed oil, caclcium magnesium, and a natural colon cleanser. So far I have been unsuccessful at controlling my IBS. Furthermore, I was recently diagnosed with PMDD-premenstrual dysforic dysfunction and I am being treated with seafem(low dose of prozac). I also just started a trial pack of Zelnorn for IBS with constipation. In December I had a laporoscapy to determine if I had endometriosis and the results were very little amounts of endometrium found. The laporoscapy was performed based on my complaints of excruciating menstrual cramps that could not be minimized with contraceptives nor the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. Even after the laporoscopy I am still having bad menstruel cramps with diarrehea. I also beleive that the Zelnorm is inducing diarrhea since within and hour of taking a pill I have very bad abdominal cramps followed by diarrhea. Now that you have hear my background here are my questions:(by the way, I just received my "Big Kahuna" order and I am anxious to start "eating for IBS) 1. I am hesitant to indulge in the refined sugars and white flour products based on my past instruction from the herbalist. I have always been told that white bread was the enemy to the digestive track. Any comments on this?
2. I feel that the Zelnorm, the anti-inflammatry pills and possibly the serafem are contributing to my IBS issues. Sometimes I feel as if my symptoms vasilate between cramps with constipation and cramps with diarrhea. As of late, most of the cramps are followed by diarrhea. I do not want to stop taking the serafem because mentally I have been feeling much better. Should I discontinue the Zelnorm? and
3. I have also developed GERD I should be taking prevacid but I have not been consistent. I am hesitant to start drinking the peppermint tea and taking the peppermint pills. When should I begin taking these two items? Any advice you can offer would be helpful. When I have my bad bouts I take bentyl along with a muscle relaxer like soma or a pain releive like vicodine. Outdise of this, the only thing that releives my bouts is the GI cocktail given to me in the emergency room. They should market this concoction! Anyway, I am on my way to starting the new diet and I am hoping for relief. Thank you, Stacy

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