IBS and/or MC - Flux & Others, need help

Please understand, my intention is not discredit my wife�s doctor by posting what follows. I realize the complexities of the issues surrounding intestinal tract disorders and that specialist and professionals of unquestionable expertise will have opposing views on this subject matter. My intent is only to receive input on the opposing views that follow so that I can weigh that input, like so many others on this board, in my search for direction to minimize the terrible impact this illness has imposed on my wife�s quality of life.As for background on Dr. fine, whose opposing view follows: Dr. Fine, who specializes in intestinal disorders, is a board certified internal medicine doctor and gastroenterologist, professionally involved in patient care, medical research, and teaching for over 10 years. And for anyone interested, his website is www.finerhealth.com. Now to the meat and potatoes �. I posted the following message on Dr. Fine�s bulletin board:�Dr. Fine; My wife was diagnosed with MC (Microscopic Colitis) last October. She had been through numerous tests and procedures including colonoscopy and endoscopy, both with biopsies. Her symptoms are diarrhea (95% morning thing with 3 to 5 BM�s in first 2 hours of waking) and the cramps (pain) that are there all the time and run from mild to dibilitating (definitely the worst part of this ordeal). She also had weight loss. She�s 5� � 6� and went from 138 to 113 in three months and is at 118 now. In January, on the follow-up with the gastro, it was explained that patterns had developed suggesting IBS. One example is that stress can set the cramps off in less than a minute and they are severe. You should also know that food, mainly dinner, also sets it off quickly and water will even set it off. Because of the reaction to stress, the gastro changed his diagnosis to IBS with MC. Additionally, I spend a great amount of time, daily, on a IBS group self help bulletin board where it�s easy to see that her symptoms are more closely tied to IBS, but there�s slight differences in some cases that have me believing there is MC with the IBS. My questions are: 1) Have you ever heard of a person having both IBS and MC going on at the same time? 2)If yes to the above, does IBS and MC tend to work against each other (I was told that they do by a knowledgeable guy on the IBS bulletin board)? 3) Do you have any advise for treatment if this is a combo of IBS and MC?�Dr Fine Responded:�Stress aggravates the symptoms of most GI disorders, especially immune diseases and diarrhea. This would not constitute a diagnosis of IBS and by definition, IBS patients have no other definable syndrome.I would not agree with this diagnosis (and a patient with another diagnosis doesn't need a diagnosis of IBS because it serves no purpose). Most MC patients with pain and cramps have concomitant gluten sensitivity. All MC patients should be tested for this and if positive need to avoid gluten in the diet.Tests for gluten sensitivty are available online from www.enterolab.com Good luck.�There you have it. Sorry for the book, but input on this is extremely important to me. If anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated.Thank you!