New to the forum. Your post is most interesting. I've struggled with IBS for about 40 years and have found that IBS has no rhyme or reason (nothing specific seems to excite it). I started taking IBGard 3 days ago and as you describe, I 'think' that I see signs that it helps a little.
I'm just curious, have you found anything (besides Imodium or Pepto Bismo) that helps to firm the stool?
After lifetime of studying & observing, the only thing that I feel that I'm sure of is in my case and underlying cause seems to be the inability to absorb water from the colon. Imodium or Pepto Bismo seems to promote the water absorption and thus causes more urination (more absorption), thus firmer stools. But this begs the question, what is the root cause for this?