Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Lots of questions

The only thing I'm really sure about are my symptoms - stomach pain relieved by bowel movement and gassiness on a frustratingly inconsistent basis. Typically much worse in the morning. I've had this in varying degrees since i was a kid. While it sounds like stereotypical IBS, could it be something else like lactose intolerance?

I've been taking Acacia fiber for a couple of weeks but I haven't completely stabilized. I'm not sure if its due to my diet or the fiber. Does taking an excess amount of Acacia produce gas? After stabilizing for a week (taking 1 tsp 2x day) I still had a small amount of gas that made me nervous (i was afraid that it meant worse things although it never did.) so i tried cutting back to half of what i was taking. Then I had a bad couple of days so i increased the amount to 2x what i was taking in the first place. Reading the forum it sounds like I might be making my changes in increments that are too large.

If I eat something that doesn't agree with my body, when can i expect to suffer the consequences? I've had a few meals which break all the IBS eating rules and I feel perfectly fine 24 hours later. For instance - burger, fries, and guiness for lunch, followed by cheesecake - fine for the next 24 hrs, then i have an episode. Could it trigger an episode that far out? This is one thing that I find maddening - I'm having a lot of trouble telling what upsets my stomach. One evening I had a pulled pork sandwich and 3 beers and i was fine for several days.

I noticed that carrots should be fine but I've had them as a late night snack with hummus a couple of times and my stomach has been upset the next morning. Does this make any sense?

I do get plenty of exercise (6-8 hr. a week of intense cycling - I commute to ork) and this does help a lot. So I'm not breaking all of the rules.

This is my pile of mysteries. Any advice or insights?

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