I was wondering if anyone know the best way to relieve symptoms of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). I am not sure if any biotech companies have already developed novel compounds for curing IBS. As far as I know there's certain single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) tied to tendancy toward causing this chronic syndrome. So I guess it's genetic. It really bothers me that there is no particular reason (sometimes it's not stress or diet) why suddenly I'm having excruciating belly pain followed by diarrhea. It's been more than a decade since I had this problem. I really don't want this IBS keeping me from pursuing my dream of becoming a doc.
Any suggestion? I would appreciate it.
You should talk to your doctor or a specialist. There have been some new treatments in development but they may not yet be on the market & i`m not sure for which type of IBS (there are 2 as I guess you know). (one treatment was actually withdrawn in the last couple of years and at least one was recently approved).
The GI doctor who diagnosed me as IBS did not give any other treatment except telling me that I should control my diet and stress. ahh How can I not have stress when I’m studying my butt off for the MCAT?? 
Make sure you actually have IBS. There are a myriad of other illnesses, like Celiac Disease, that mimic the same symptoms.
Also food allergies can have the same effect. Consult your GI doc about having a duodenal biopsy and/or blood work done for Celiac Disease. You might also want to consult an allergist for some food tests. A cheaper, albeit sometimes more frustrating way of finding out what an offending food might be is to keep a food diary. Write down what you're eating for a week or so and note what types of symptoms you are having in conjunction. If you note a pattern, eliminate the suspected food and watch for a recurrence. Many people with dairy allergies develop patterns similar to IBS, but they don't have true IBS. Treatment for IBS can involve anything from medicating the GI tract to try to slow the peristaltic movements of the intestines to taking anti-depressants (some docs believe that IBS is caused by anxiety rather than an immune or GI response to diet). It's best to find out the actual cause of the problem rather than label it with something as nebulous as IBS.
Once you figure out the cause of your symptoms, it's much easier to deal with them. It won't rule your life forever, it just feels like it now.
Feel free to contact me off-line if you have any more questions.
Take Care
Andrea
Fundee, Check out a book called eating for IBS. It has great information. I was recently retired from the army for Ulcerative Colitis(after I was diagnosed with every gastro illness you can thank of until Stanford Gastro Dept got it right and they led me to this book).
I am new to the OPM but look forward to reading many posts and replying to those I can give a little insight to.