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How old are you?? 20

How old were you when IBS began? I realize now that I've probably had it my whole life - to varying degrees. I've had random D and cramps and such most of my life, but it only started getting really bad (such that it was seriously interfereing with my life) about a year and a half ago.

How old were you diagnosed? I "self-diagnosed" myself with IBS a year ago (that would be age 19, after having vaguely suspected it for a while). I was officially diagnosed by a doctor with all the tests and such last summer.

How long have you been helped "Heather style"? Pretty much since I "self-diagnosed." It started to help immediately but I still wanted to go to the doctor to be sure there wasn't something worse wrong with me (well, my boyfriend forced me to go to make sure of that... I'm not a big doctor-fan, lol). It definitely has helped me *a lot* since then. I don't think I would consider myself "stable" but I certainly know how to control it, and it doesn't interfere with my life for the most part any more. I saw improvement probably within the first few weeks of being on the diet simply because I was able to identify triggers I hadn't suspected (like whole wheat) and to employ eating strategies that ensure I don't feel sick after eating anything (SF base, eating small meals every few hours, low fat etc.). So that helped a lot. A few months later I went on acacia and within a few weeks of that I saw more major improvement - D lessened significantly and cramps and bloating too. I still get all three of those things but they are certainly improved from before. I've also seen improvement with digestive enzymes, probiotics and peppermint caps - all of which I take regularly.

I think what remains between me and getting stable is lifestyle factors - getting enough sleep, less stress, more exercise (though I've been doing well with that lately), eating often, etc. I *know* I can be stable if I diligently stick to those (as I've had stable periods before), so I know this diet and strategy works for me. It's just a matter of staying low-stress, getting lots of sleep etc., which is difficult in university!

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