So i have alot of anxiety (especiaaly lately) and the past two weeks have been hell on my stomach. either i have diareah (AHHH sorry if that too much info) or get constipated but my stomach feels like it cringes and like i have to be in a fetal postion. i get bad stomach cramps (nothing like period cramps) and it scares me. i feel like i have an ulcer. is the IBS??

Hi Holly

Sorry you've been feeling awful. I know what the whole diarrhea issue is like. You could try immodium for a short term fix for the diarrhea. If you think you have an ulcer you should definitely go to the doctor and get it checked out. I would recommend askong for other tests as well (lactose intolerance, Celiacs, bacterial overgrowth) to rule out other illnesses. You could try doing an elimination diet and keeping a food diary to figure out possible trigger foods.

This forum has quite alot of general info
http://www.helpforibs.com/messageboards/
However the diet they recommend didn't really work that well for me. But the tip on cutting down on insoluble fiber was a good one. I recommend this book too:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irritable-Bowel-Solutions-Essen...tments/dp/0091917069

It's well researched and prescribes one of several different diets for ibs depending on your symptoms. There's a section on anxiety and air swallowing that helped me alot.