All I have to say is this:1. I was slow-transit IBS diagnosed while on birth control pills over 20yrs. ago.2. I had frequent soft stooling, and bloating epsiodes while on antibiotic therapy for over a year. This continued for a few years until diagnosed by an allergist M.D. findings of a high sensitivity to candida molds. Diflucan (antifungal) took care of the frequent soft-stooling and proctalgia pain associated with it (which I believe was actually proctitis, but they unfortunately did not do a biopsy at the time of my colonoscopy). They also failed to take me off the antibiotic - duh! I finally took myself off when my gyno scraped the yeast from my vagina post hyster for endometriosis.3. I also have fibromyalgia, which quite possibly began as chronic fatigue syndrome, but undiagnosed (their symptoms are over-lapping, and mine began with fatigue and flu-like symptoms).4. Both endometriosis and fibro/cfs site Candida as a fairly common occurrence in books/literature containing research. It has been suggested that cfs/fms may stem from an HHV-6 virus as this also shows up frequently but has not been proven as yet. This would put them in the autoimmune category (they are listed on some autoimmune sites on the web). It has also been suggested that Endo may be caused by PCB toxins which may compromise the immune system.Does this mean Candida caused my IBS? Not necessarily. It is possible that some people have been misdiagnosed with IBS, when if they would have been treated for candida or a different bacterial over-growth or parasite, their bowel symptoms would have subsided.Another possibility for the cause might be that an autoimmune response precipitated by the use of a medication causing the fungal/other microbrial overgowth makes ones system overly sensitive to it. They say if one keeps ignoring a sensitivity response/continues to be exposed to a substance, the immune system may eventually over-load.Be it a toxin, virus, bacteria, parasite, or genetic predisposition of a sensitivity to a substance, it remains unclear. At any rate, the sensitivity or a immune response often involves spasming to occur. Spasming of the colon can cause stool and gas to be trapped which can be painful. This can result in slow transit or constipation. The other result of continual spasming may result in fast transit or frequent stooling.The argument as I see it is: Does IBS initially stem from a biological genetic defect in the brain/gut causing the spasm response, or does the CNS become aggravated or even altered from a substance introduced from the environment as mentioned above either acquired after birth or passed on in utero? We could argue back and forth about these, but the fact is that scientists are not sure of the answer yet.Some people have success controlling their symptoms with meds like antispasmotics. Some have better results with diet. I was able to control my symptoms of slow transit with nothing other than a higher fiber diet for twenty years until antibiotics. For this the antifungal worked to balance out my flora again, along with a low sugar/no fermented/aged foods diet for what I would guess might be due to a malabsorption of sugars resulting from the over-growth. I hope to eventually control it with probiotics and diet only. Each individual has there own degree of bodily/mind "disfunction" whether genetic, sensitivity to a substance, or infection. We all have different factors to a degree, which makes it all the more complicated to figure out.In short eric, what else can I say? It fits my profile, but maybe not yours or others on this board. If you notice, it doesn't dispute the fact that candida exists or can cause problems. It just states it is not implicated in the majority of IBS patients. It is possible for the two to co-exist in some patients, however.