IBS or an intolerance of some sort?

[2ndSopranosRule]

I feel like such a hypochondriac.

For as long as I can remember, I've had stomach problems. Bloating, sudden diarrhoea. It used to happen after I'd eaten ice cream bizarrely so I cut that out of my diet completely aged around 14. I'd eat some and within minutes go freezing cold and have to go. Really, really go.

Then it started happening again. This time GP suggested IBS. I'm very stressed out at work so it could be. Then I noticed that it was happening after dairy, in particular milk. I don't take milk in drinks in any case, but stopped having cereal. Too much cheese set it off too. GP agreed it sounded like a lactose intolerance but said it was very tricky to accurately test, so if cutting back on dairy helped, carry on.

Then recently it's brown bread.

What is this!? For full disclosure I am also coming out of a pretty bad period of depression and anxiety: I've been on a different dose of ads for two weeks and am getting better. The GP is sick of seeing me at the moment.

Don't stop eating bread and get a coeliac test as soon as you can. DH had stomach problems for years, then depression and was then diagnosed with coeliac disease. It can often go together with lactose intolerance. As your doctor and if he tells you to cut anything out, ask another one as a coeliac test will be negative if you stop eating gluten. The good news is that if you are tested positive, you should feel much better very soon if you then change your diet.

I'm absolutely certain my GP will say no to testing. I have to beg for antidepressants and have had ever since I first took them six years ago.

See a different GP. IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion so when it came up with me my GP did various other tests including the coeliac one and a pelvic ultrasound. So at the very least you should have those.

Get tested for coeliac. If it isn't that look at the FODMAPS diet for IBS, especially as you are having issues with bread and dairy.