How long do IBS symptoms last? I know some people seem to have symptoms all the time. For others it comes and goes.

I had the symptoms about all of last month. I added some fiber and my constipation went away and my bowels movements returned to near normal. Also the funny pains in the left side of my abdomen went away.

A week or so later and I'm constipated again. Some of the small pains are back. I'm having bowel movements but they're pencil thin. No weight loss, no visual blood in stools, no lack of energy. But some gas.

I had hoped that adding fiber might take away the symptoms for good. Is it normal for this sort of thing to come and go, on and on?

Timmy, I am going on 25 years or so. At least thats as long as I remember the symptoms. I know of quite a few who developed it in the 40s and 50s and it comes and goes so it just depends on the individual. Hope you have success treating it. BTW, you guys got all the tree limbs picked up from the big ice storm?

It will be some weeks before all the downed tress are taken care of!

I guess what threw me on this whole thing was that it just sort of came on me all at once. Although I used to have diareah quite regularly over the years, I adjusted my diet and haven't had an episode of that in nearly 2 or 3 years. Then suddenly I get constipated and have this change in bowel movements. I checked into the possibility of cancer, but I just don't have the usual symptoms. No weight loss, no real pain, no blood in stools, no lack of energy. Things sort of sorted themselves out over the past couple weeks and got back to normal, but now they've shifted back.

I'm going to try and stay on a fiber supplement and see if that's keeps things the way they should be. Perhaps this is something that can be brought on with a certain age?