need your input!

I just registered on these forums after coming to my wits end with my stomach issues.

I am a 25 year old male, and for almost a year now i have been having stomach/defecating issues. Unfortunately i do not have health insurance and i have yet to see a real doctor about these issues. Little History: I quit smoking over new years, i used to drink a great deal but now drink only on weekends. I run, i haven't lost any weight recently. My problem is my stools never seem normal, and i am almost always in some sort of gastro-intestinal pain. I don't have diarhea frequently, but my stools rarely are as firm as they used to be. I tried taking Pepcid, zantac, etc. Thinking it was acid. As of late i take pepto in the morning and at night. Everything seemed pretty well under control as far as the stools go (going once to twice a day, pretty firm stools) but the last two weeks something odd has happened. I go out drinking with my friends on a friday night, and saturday morning i am awakened with diarhea. I take some pepto and then later on in the day my stool is semi-normal. However my stomach hurts all day. This is starting to alarm me. I saw a product in walmart the other day called "digestive advantage" ibs. I haven't been diagnosed with IBS, and it scares me actually to think i could have it. But my symptoms seem to fit. One thing i should mention though is i work at an animal hospital, and the Vets there have suggested i see a gastroenterologist, again though i dont' have insurance. Im scared i might have picked something up from the animals? Its just starting to affect my life in a way that i don't want to go further down this path sort of thing. LIke when i go out i always worry if there is a bathroom nearby. Even though ive had diarhea only a handful of times in 7 months, its just the feeling that it might show up out of nowhere, or increased urgency to defecate even if its a semi-normal stool. Anyway, sorry for writing a book. JUst need information before i shell out tons of money by going to a dr. thanks.

There are many things at the animal hospital that can be contracted without direct contact/ingestion of animal feces. However i agree that it is highly unlikely. Giving up alcohol completely is an option, but it seems to be only when i ingest it in great quantities. I am planning on tryign that this week and seeing how it goes. I would like to know if i can/should still take digestive advantage with antacids or pepto? I can try it out and see how it goes, i had added yogurt to my diet and was wondering if i shoudl also add some sort of probiotic or fiber. The main thing is i guess i should see a dr. first. Im beginning to think that its probably not IBS the more i research it, but who knows. LIke i said, the diarhea isn't usually accompinied with any other symptoms, but there are days at work where i feel bloated and have gas pains. Or in the morning i feel more of an urgency to go. Just not what it used to be like. Of course now im obsessing over it and it could be 50% mental. Oh well. Thanks again for the reply!