"I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT EATING OUT - NOW I'VE GOT LIFE BACK"

From her early teens, Anne Muir, 52, regularly experienced stomach pain and discomfort, bloating and frequent changes in bowel movement, including sudden bouts of diarrhoea.

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These symptoms were initially attributed to colic. But, over time, Anne's symptoms got worse, especially in the week before her period. Anne took ibuprofen to manage the pain, but the tablets did nothing to alleviate her symptoms.

"It wasn't until I was in my late 20s that my GP diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome, and advised me to take an over-the-counter medicine as well as peppermint tablets," says Anne, who is Director of Portfolio management for Venture Capital in Perthshire.

"It was a relief to finally have a diagnosis. Unfortunately, these didn't work for me, yet I continued to take them."