hey there newbie i first got IBS/C when i was in highschool and during my senior year i had gas problems just like you--during my classes too!! i remember having this studyhall right after lunch [and keep in mind this was WAAAAAY before i knew about heathers site and her diet--im 20 now and have been dealing/suffering for 4 years] and it was always SO quiet! it was always my luck that i would develop the kind of gas that shouldnt be held in convenientally at the time when i couldnt let it out IE: during the quiet studyhall where everyone would hear it. [sorry if that destroys your image of girls and bathroom stuff!--i know its a big joke that girls dont ever have problems like that when guys usually joke about it] but seriously if you hold it in, it makes a kind-of barrier that usually causes worse constipation, if you already had it to begin with. the oatmeal sounds good--do you have it every morning?? maybe edit your dinner veggies..i know broccoli and others of that group cause gas--and sometimes sauces too. i think maybe the reason youre having so much gas is b/c youre worrying about it too much but i know what its like to worry about that. i hate it too. i used to take laxatives just to get out of going to school. try to just deal with one gas-attack at a time. if its easy for you, duck into a bathroom or an empty hallway whenever you feel the urge coming on. really its much better to let it out, despite what the cool kids might think you could just explain that its all apart of a natural human function??? also you might like to try some tea in the morning. peppermint is really good. mint magic by celestial seasonings is really good too. so whichever you try, good luck! the boards are here for you to vent your IBS frustrations. take care!