Hi, all...Mike, well, my story is pretty long so I won't go into great detail about it. Basically, as you asked about medical history, physicians did no type of tests whatsoever, except for a stool sample for parasites which was negative. I have not seen a GI, and am in between doctors because I am 19 and at 18 you switch to adult medicine. So I really haven't had much time to build any sort of relationship with a particular physician, or find one that I think listens to me effectively...I have seen many different ones though. It started in about February, I saw an NP at home who told me to cut back on gassy foods and take simethicone..Saw another NP on campus for a second opinion who basically told me the same thing. I saw a doctor this past summer, who was very quick to say it was IBS (probably looked at my chart, thought I had anxiety) and that was it. I saw a doctor on campus about a week or two ago who listened very carefully and was very attentive, as I had been complaining of this since January and had not felt better. She still thinks it's IBS, without tests or anything. I am sure she thinks it's just anxiety because when I had seen the NP about this, I had also indicated that I was under a lot of stress and she noted that I was suffering from depression...she was right, but my symptoms are real, and most likely the depression worsened because of the symptoms I was experiencing. Anyway, the doctor I saw last week also said that she doesn't think a colonoscopy is necessary (I don't really want one either so I'm okay with that). I'm seeing a different doctor back home on Friday and am planning to demand tests for everything under the sun (maybe not everything, just possible things that could be affected.) The list is long: Gluten/celiac's, anemia, thyroid panel, hormones (estrogen level, fsh, lh, estradiol t3 and t4, prolactin and tsh, testosterone levels, progesterone levels, intestinal malabsorption test, enzyme deficiency, candidia....I'm certain that he will not want to go to such measures, but I'm pushing for it. and there probably are no easy tests for some (how is enzyme deficiency or intestinal malabsorption tested?). But i'm bringing it up anyway. Rumblegirl, Yes, about the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, I have heard about it and am starting to think that the symptoms are frighteningly similar to mine. Thing is, all the symptoms that I experienced have been gradual over the course of one full year. NOw, I feel, is the breaking point. Things have culminated to a point where my entire system is against me and is completely out of whack. I don't know, but maybe you have read or heard, can PCOS affect how often you have BMs? I don't think I have IBS anymore because it doesn't seem to matter what I eat. What may give me loads of gas and cramping one day, will not affect me at all on another. Also I'm neither C or D. I had C a week or two ago because I had been ignoring the many frequent urges to have a bm...which is bad, i know, but it's difficult to get up and use the restroom when you're in classes, study sessions, etc. I have the urge to go after I eat, all the time. If I could estimate the number of urges I get in a day, it'd be about 8, but I only go about three times. But the bms are normal, not c or d. which is why i think it could be somehting other than ibs. My stomach is huge right now...It looks like I lost weight but all of the weight, or most of it, ended up in my midsection. Like the fat is not distributed evenly or something. I get muscle aches, joint aches, last night I had terrible cramping in areas in my lower back and lower abdomen, I have more pimples than usual, more hair on my face, thinning hair on my head, I'm really gassy right now. This is really MAKING me stressed out...if stressed caused it, then this is a never ending cycle of stress...Enna, I didn't get my gluten sensitivity test done but will see another doctor on friday so hopefully he'll listen to me and do all the tests i request. Mannie, I did read your post before, but probably never got around to responding. I will be checking my thyroid (hopefully) on Friday so we'll see if the doctor actually does this for me. Oh, well....thanks for listening. Please post any info or advice you may come across. This is really worrying me because I have not found any relief of my old symptoms of gassyness, but now I seem to be adding new ones to the list all the time. I just hope it's not something untreatable or serious.