osbo54,
I believe all of us on this board have had the same feelings of frustration as you are experiencing. I'm just really sorry you haven't found a doctor who has compassion. I can't imagine my doctor saying some of the things I have read on this board. I knew there were some real jerks out there so I did research on finding a good GI. My doc told me that 1/3 of his patients have IBS and that he really tries to work with them so they can at least have some sort of a normal life. He admitted that IBS is one of the most frustrating conditions for not only the patient but the doctor. I too hate running to the doctor, but I do think it's important to find a good, understanding one who believes IBS is real. If you start reading some of the posts here, you will find that most of us have other conditions that sometimes exacerbates the IBS. Sometimes a doctor can at least help with one issue.
IBS has changed all of our lives. I believe the anxiety part of it is probably the worst. I am 55 and like you, I lived a very, very active life up until 3 years ago. I was outgoing and fun, ate and drank what I wanted without a second thought. I've always had bouts of insomnia due to being a worrywort, but never had the IBS issues until later in life. Having major surgery in January kicked in the IBS full force and I was not even able to return to a job I loved. This spring was probably the lowest point of my life and I knew I had to try and understand what was going on and to try and manage it. I would strongly recommend (as others have) the EFI diet and hypno tapes. For most people, the tapes really help with the anxiety. I actually started working with the diet and Acacia last November, but got messed up with the surgery. The diet and Acacia is NOT a quick fix. For some, it has very little impact, for others, works great and then many of us have to tweak it a bit. It's all trial and error.
You say you don't want to "live on drugs" and I too feel the say way. I actually always used to tease my husband how we were spending all the money on his drugs and the only thing I ever used on occasion was Ambien for an insomnia bout. I now feel totally different. If someone has diabetes or MS they must take drugs for that conditon. IBS is a condition and if something helps, I will take it. I have taken Ambien on occasion over the past 12 years and it has been a godsend. I have found that when I'm going through a very anxious period I will take a low dose of Ativan in the evening for a few days and it helps from going into a full blown attack. If they found a drug to take every day that would "cure the IBS" I think we would all take it for the rest of our lives. What I am saying is don't rule out drugs entirely. There is a place and they can be helpful.
I think the most useful thing for you to do is to go thru as many posts here as you can and read about everyone's experiences. It will really make you feel like you are not alone. We all have similar situations with a little different "spin". I have used many suggestions that people have made. It is a challenge and there is no "one path".
Take care.
Sharon
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