[jjsobey]

I'm new to this site so here's a brief history - I am 26 and was diagnosed w/ IBS about 1.5 years ago. About 3 years ago I became violently ill with severe stomach pain, nausea, and bowel movements everytime I would eat. Eventually I became afraid to eat anything and at my lowest point I was down to 85 lbs(I'm 5'6), my hair was falling out, and I barely had enough energy to get out of bed. There was a minimum wait of 10 months to see a GI doctor in my area and both my primary physician and the emergency room had done everything they could, they were baffled. Finally, after going through every medical test I could possibly imagine w/ everything coming up negative I was diagnosed w/ IBS. I've managed to gain some control through the use of medicines/vitamines and changes in my diet and lifestyle. I am on a restricted diet and can have no fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy or meat(just to name a few!). The problem is that for the past 3 years I have had this constant irritation in my left lower abdomen. The symptoms vary but I often feel pressure, numbness, throbbing, etc. Sometimes the pain feels close to the surface while other times it seems much deeper. No medication has helped, a change in my diet has made no difference, and it is completly unpredictable. It can last for 5 minutes or 5 months and is not relived by a bowel movement. They have done every test to rule out all possibilities and have concluded it must be somehow related to IBS. My doctor is now considering exploratory surgery because it is such a problem that affects everything I do and all tests come up negative. I am feeling frustrated with that answer because I can gain no control over this and don't particularly want to go thru surgery. Has anyone else ever experiences this type of pain on their left side?