Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

I don't really remember either - my diagnosis sort of happened gradually in the course of other medical stuff. Here are links to 2 other pages in Heather's website that might help:

Diagnosis and Testing
Questions for your doctor

Also, I suggest you start reading "The First Year - IBS". It will give you an understanding of what IBS is all about which might help when talking to your doctor. You might be able to find a copy at your local library or you can order it from the Website or from Barnes and Noble or Amazon. The first part of the book is also on-line on this Website. Click here to start reading it on-line. (One caution: If you want to quote what you're reading to your doctor, quote the book, don't mention the Website. Doctors are often automatically sceptical of "I read on the Internet" - with good reason. Real published books they sometimes take more seriously.)

Good doctors: If you like and trust yours by all means stick with him - good IBS docs seem to be hard to find. If you eventually decide you need more or better help, here's a post of good IBS docs. They're thin on the ground but there might be one in your area. And if the doctor you're seeing now proves to be a good one, please add him to the list.

One last suggestion - kind of a standard one with me. Ask you doctor(s) for copies of your test results - lab work, parasite tests, colonoscopy reports, whatever. I just think it's a good idea to see this stuff for yourself. I've never had any trouble getting this information from my doctors. (I'm in the US)

HTH. Keep us posted.

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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

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