After a few weeks of self-tests, I've discovered that when I drink coffee (with or without milk), the same day or nex day, I've diarrhea. Sometimes very loose and sometimes liquid.

May be coffee a IBS symptoms trigger?

Alot of people have to stop drinking coffee with IBS. It activates your gallbladder to put excess bile that will give you diarrhea ---- an empty stomach is usually worse.

My wife use to could only drink a half of cup before having diarrhea!!!
Harry

Yes, coffee is lethal stuff - give it up.

Is it the coffee or the caffeine?

Merrida,
It is the coffee that makes your gallbladder work like you've eaten a steak. The caffeine is not that bad.

COFFEE, I love it. The first thing I do in the a.m. is make that wonderful auroma & have a cup. Then comes the big D...In Dr. Weil's site, you will find a lot of good advise re:IBS. Some herbal remedies to combat both D & C. He stresses it's the caffeine, not only in coffee but in anything that could cause diarrhea. He agrees w/Harry on what to take to help. After seeing what Harry posted re:his wife drinking 1/2 cup of coffee and then D...I can so relate to that!!!. Weil also suggests, it's not only regular coffee but decaf as well to stop while having a bout w/IBS. It's really tough for me, I'm not drinking milk, & now limiting my coffee to a couple of slirps. The Metamucil is helping me along w/the acidophilus in yogurt. I do buy & drink skim milk containing acidophilus & bifidum cultures which, in the past, did not bother me, but, since this last attack of IBS, I'm trying not to drink any. If any of you are interested, you may want to check out this site of DrWeil.com. Lots of good stuff. Thanks for all the good info here. GOD BLESS AMERICA

I, too, can not have coffee and believe it is do to the caffeine. I LOVE soy coffee from a company called Revival.(Go to the 700 Club web page and they can link you) It tastes so devine with soy creamer and a little Splenda sugar. ( I like it sweet) Anyway, it is caffeine free naturally. Even regular decaf coffee has a little caffeine in it. So, this could be an alternative, however, I still get the "runs" from drinking several days in a row and I wonder if it is because it is a hot drink and the "heat" also triggers our colon. Any thoughts on this? I thought about trying the soy coffee when it is lukewarm.