Here are a few things I’d recommend trying to improve your IBS. I eat lots of fiber and drink plenty of water and my symptoms have improved.

Tips on controlling IBS

• Eat a varied healthy diet and avoid foods high in fat.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Try eating 6 small meals a day rather than 3 larger ones.
• Learn new and better ways to deal with your stress.
• Avoid using laxatives. They may weaken your intestines and cause you to be dependent on them.

Soluble fiber supplements, herbs that have medicinal effects on the gastrointestinal tract, heat therapy, probiotics, calcium and/or magnesium, and digestive enzymes are all of proven benefit. Best of all, results are usually felt very quickly – sometimes even immediately.

Most reputable Irritable Bowel Syndrome supplements are very safe and healthy overall (and they’re usually inexpensive as well), so you definitely don’t have much to lose by trying them.

Probiotics, such as acidophilus, are live cultures, and are available as pills or in soy yogurt (avoid dairy yogurt – see dietary trigger foods to learn why). Probiotics occur naturally in fermented foods.

The cultures help normalize and maintain healthy gastrointestinal flora, which can minimize diarrhea, bloating, gas, and painful abdominal cramps. Probiotics are most effective when they’re taken in conjunction with a prebiotic; a prebiotic (such as Tummy Fiber Acacia) is something that encourages the growth of probiotics. Soluble fibers often have a prebiotic effect, as their normal fermentation in the gut causes the production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids, which then lead to the growth of good gut flora. This in turn leads to a reduction (sometimes dramatic) in abdominal bloating and gas.

Probiotics are particularly effective when your gut is under assault from antibiotics, though they can also be helpful when taken for daily maintenance. Quite a few research studies have shown that probiotics can dramatically improve irritable bowel syndrome. The problem is that other studies have found that many retail brands of probiotics don’t actually contain any live cultures at all, and are thus worthless. Though probiotic supplements are widely available at drug and health food stores, it can be difficult to know if the brand you’re buying is high quality and really does contain live cultures. Probiotic supplements should be taken with food.

Calcium and Magnesium play critical and antagonistic roles in regulating muscle function. Together they provide the mechanism for muscle contraction and relaxation.

In terms of GI tract function, calcium has a constipating effect, whereas magnesium acts as a laxative. As a result, calcium supplements can be truly beneficial for people with diarrhea-predominant IBS, and magnesium supplements can work wonders for IBS-constipation. Remember that calcium can block iron absorption in the body and contribute to anemia, so women who take calcium supplements may want to take an iron supplement at a different time of day. Calcium and magnesium should both be taken with food.

To take a calcium/magnesium supplement that will keep your bowel function in balance, it’s typically recommended to use a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium, as many people absorb magnesium more easily than calcium. I wouldn’t exceed the USRDA for calcium or magnesium, taken either singly or together, without an explicit recommendation from your physician.

Digestive Enzymes can be helpful when taken right before a meal, especially if there is more fat in that meal than is safe for IBS. Enzymes are available at all health food stores and may be of more benefit to older people, as natural digestive enzyme production declines with age.

For gassy foods such as beans, lentils, and many vegetables, there is Beano, a brand-name digestive enzyme. Beano contains the sugar-digesting enzyme that the body needs (and which some people lack) to digest the complex sugar raffinose. If you have trouble digesting raffinose the sugar will ferment in your colon, producing gas and intestinal distress. Beano breaks down raffinose into simple sugars that cause no GI discomfort. Beano is available at health food stores in either tablets or drops, and is simply taken at the beginning of a meal. There are no side effects and the product can be used every day.

Source: http://www.helpforibs.com

Types of Fiber: Soluble Fiber and Insoluble Fiber
Both soluble and insoluble fiber are undigested. They are therefore not absorbed into the bloodstream. Instead of being used for energy, fiber is excreted from our bodies. Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid, while insoluble fiber does not. Insoluble fiber passes through our intestines largely intact.
 

Benefits of Insoluble Fiber

-promote regular bowel movement and prevent constipation
-remove toxic waste through colon in less time
-keep an optimal pH in intestines to prevent microbes from producing
-cancer substances; therefore preventing colon cancer

Benefits of Soluble Fiber

-lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) therefore reducing the risk of heart disease
-regulate blood sugar for people with diabetes
Key Message
An average diet contains 75%:25% insoluble fiber: soluble fiber. When making a food choice decision, don’t worry about choosing a specific type of fiber. Many foods such as oat, oat brans, psyllium husk and flax seed are rich in both insoluble and soluble fiber. Eating enough fiber is more important! The recommended intake of fiber is 25g per day. If you eat at least 5 servings of fruits & vegetables as well as at least 6 servings of grain products per day (at least 3 of which are whole grains), you are very likely meeting the fiber requirements.

1. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of fluid everyday. This will replace lost fluids. Water, juices (except prune juice), broth or consomme, ginger ale, Gatorade jello and weak tea are all good sources of fluid.
2. Watch how long you have diarrhea. If it lasts more than 2 days, contact your doctor. Unfortunately, these are a lot we do not know about the effects that foods have on diarrhea. The treatment of diarrhea is different for each individual. Don’t try these all at once, rather try a couple suggestions at a time to find those that work best for you. This will prevent you from avoiding some foods unnecessarily.

• Limit foods that contain caffeine such as coffee, strong tea and cola beverages
• In some cases milk and milk products such as milk, cheese, pudding and ice cream can made diarrhea worse. Reduce your use of these foods to see if your diarrhea gets better. If you think these may be a problem, talk to your dietitian or doctor for more information. Lactose-free milk or soy beverages may be better tolerated. 
• Limit your use of high fat foods such as fried foods, fatty meats, high fat desserts, excess butter, margarine, higher fat milk products (homo milk, cream) and greasy snack foods
• Try to reduce the amount of fibre in your diet. Fibre is found mostly in fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, nuts and seeds. Try a low fiber diet with Low fiber foods
• Some people find that removing the skins, seeds and membranes from fruits and vegetables makes these foods easier to digest. Canned or well-cooked fruits and vegetables may also be easier to digest.
• Try eating several small meals throughout the day
• Limit your used of dried fruits, berries, rhubarb, legumes (lentils, kidney beans, lima beans), peas, corn, broccoli, spinach and nuts. They may make diarrhea worse for some people
• If you have gas or cramping you may find it helpful to avoid foods that can increase gas production. These include dried peas and beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, brussels sprouts, carbonated beverages, beer and chewing gum
• When diarrhea is no longer a problem, gradually resume a normal diet

In many cases, dietary fiber may lessen Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms, particularly constipation. However, it may not help pain or diarrhea. Whole grain breads and cereals, fruits, and vegetables are good sources of fiber. High-fiber diets keep the colon mildly distended, which may help prevent spasms. Some forms of fiber also keep water in the stool, thereby preventing hard stools that are difficult to pass. Doctors usually recommend a diet with enough fiber to produce soft, painless bowel movements. High-fiber diets may cause gas and bloating, but these symptoms often go away within a few weeks as your body adjusts.

Drinking six to eight glasses of plain water a day is important, especially if you have diarrhea. But drinking carbonated beverages, such as sodas, may result in gas and cause discomfort. Chewing gum and eating too quickly can lead to swallowing air, which again leads to gas.

Also, large meals can cause cramping and diarrhea, so eating smaller meals more often or eating smaller portions should help Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. It may also help if your meals are low in fat and high in carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice, whole-grain breads and cereals (unless you have celiac disease), fruits, and vegetables.