Hello. I am sitting here at my desk suffering from awful pain and bloating. My body hasn't decided whether or not it will relieve itself. I have already made 2 trips to the bathroom this morning. It is literally my second office. IBS is such an embarrassing problem. I am caught in so many social situations where I just want to curl up and die. The worst had to been a night out with my boss and 2 other co-workers- he had extra tickets to the symphony, and asked us to go. It was the last thing I wanted to do. But feeling brave, I ate a hearty meal right before going, and sat for THREE hours in absolute agony, squirming and doing everything I could not to give off any sounds or odors. Someone at work commented I must be doing "coke" in the bathroom since I leave my desk so many times. I constantly think I am giving off a bad smell (can relate to several stories in the "leaky gas" section). Around the first week before and during my period it gets significantly worse. I've told my doctors my stomach bothers me at least 50% of the time. I take Bentyl which makes me anxious and it effects my speech - just one more reason my co-workers probably think I am doing drugs in the bathroom. As a result I get extremely depressed. On the weekends I lay around(usually suffering from some symptom of IBS) and sometimes never venture outside. I've tried EVERYTHING. Exercise, herbs, ancupuncture, peppermint tea, fennel, cutting out all wheat (thought maybe it was Celiac disease), stopped drinking beer (although still drink wine - it's the only thing that deadens the pain). Help, help, help. I am sick of telling people "my tummy hurts". I am sure I have lost friends this way. I am sure they thought I was blowing them off. If not that, they probably thought I acted distinterested around them, but really it was me suffering from pain, gas, bloating, or either D or B, that I could only focus on getting out of whatever social situation I was in. I am an attractive, educated, and successful 30 year old woman. I am engaged to a great guy, and luckily he understands my stomach ailments. I don't feel as embarrassed around him if it is just him and I. Anyway, this felt good. No one else besides other people that know what I am going through can sympathize. I honestly feel as though my personality is changing b/c of my IBS. I am literally losing a part of myself. I suffered from a sensitive stomach most of my life, and within the past 2 years it has gotten significantly worse. Finally found a GI doc and got a colonoscopy/endoscopy and of course everything was "normal". How can this be normal?