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Hello and welcome! You mentioned the following in your original post:

"He saw me twice and he believes that I am suffering from IBS. He basically told me that I need to change my diet and learn to relax. He also suggested that I take 25mg of zoloft a day as an alternative!"

However, you didn't mention whether you've been following his recommendations. I would say with all the tests you've done and specialists you've seen, plus the fact that your health has not deteriorated, that you could put off the colonoscopy. I feel that if you're not ready at the moment to handle more invasive testing, the stress of having to have a colonoscopy at this time may excaberate your anxiety and your IBS. However, if you feel that you'll continue to worry and have anxiety that something more serious could be wrong, then get the colonoscopy. If you trust your GP and the four GIs you've seen, then don't. What you need to do, then, is accept that you have IBS and start dealing with it by following the recommendations of your GI.

Although more women than men have IBS, although it's not as common for someone over 30 to develop IBS, although your symptoms don't exactly fit the IBS criteria, it sounds to me that GIs you've seen have done thorough testing and are familiar with IBS. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have given you a very good plan for coping with it on a day-to-day basis. That's where Heather's book come in. Try the diet, follow the guidelines, but don't expect immediate results. I've heard that SSRI's are a great help. I've never used one, but I'm currently taking Buspar, which is an anti-anxiety medication. When I was anxious or having panic attacks, I really noticed that the pain in my abdomen (not just the lower abdominal area, but the area near the rib cage, my stomach, and to the right of my belly button) severely increased. After four months on the IBS diet and two months with Buspar, in addition to finding ways to manage stress and anxiety, I have a lot less pain! It's only been in the last two weeks that I've noticed the improvement, and I can hardly believe it!

I'm glad you found these boards. We'll all do our best to help you, but keep in mind that we don't always have the answers. However, you'll see that you're not alone in dealing with the pain and frustration. You're lucky you've been able to see great doctors and have found Heather's books within two years. A lot of us have had to deal with this on our own for a lot longer (about ten years for me).

If you start the diet, keep us informed of how it's going and any questions you may have. We'll do our best to help!

--Maria

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