I have had abnormal bowel habits for a long time now - something like 18 years. I go to the toilet first thing in the morning - there is usually a tremendous sense of urgency. I'll go almost straight away, then again 10 minutes later, then again another 10 minutes later, and maybe then 15 or 20 minutes later again, sometimes 10 mins later again. I still don't feel satisfied after this. Consistency varies. Sometimes the first bowel movement is fairly copious and often very loose, followed by one or two more like that, then there may be small bits in the next go, then watery the next and so on. After eating lunch I will often get an urgent desire to use the loo again and will go two or three times, and the same thing happens after my evening meal. Sometimes I feel like I desperately need to go but it's just wind or a small bit. If, and this is rare, I do a formed stool it tends to be quite thin. I can count the times I have passed what looks like a normal stool on one hand in the last 18 years. I suffered from the most dreadful anal/rectal pain for about 18 months starting in September 2006 and that lasted on and off till March this year (2008). I saw my GP and he was convinced that this is caused by anxiety. I was in so much pain I didn't really describe my bowel habits properly and said I went three times per day. As you can imagine this takes up a large part of my life. I eat high fibre diet. I cut out dairy products for a month but that didn't help. Any suggestions?