Gut Health/IBS issues

emilyluder19

I have been dealing with, what i think is, sever IBS for a year now. I keep a food diary every day to try and find my triggers but i can’t come up with anything. I have constant pain, awful gas, diarrhea or consolation, and severe bloating every day. I went vegan over the summer and it helped 100% for a couple of months, though all of a sudden things got bad again. I noticed my symptoms came back a few days after I accidentally had some dairy, but I can’t imagine it taking days before symptoms to show up if that was a trigger. I’ve tried low FODMAPs, probiotics, apple cider vinegar. I’ve seen a GI doctor who just said take out dairy and see what happens. Does anyone have any tips of relief stories? It’s taking over my life!! I’m constantly afraid of being in crowds in case I have some gas, because it’s so bad everyone notices it instantly it’s so embarrassing.

jondspen

I've been battling the same problems for years now. It's hard to point to something, without a whole battery of tests. You may see a day or two delay in lower gut flair-ups, esp if you have constipation mixed in. I have experienced cramping BM 15 minutes after eating, or 12+ hours later after a trigger food.

Onions, garlic, and certain fruits are typically my triggers that sneak in. I can usually cut out the things I know are problems (processed foods/meats, cheeses, breads)...but onion and garlic powders are really popular spices in a LOT of foods, so you really have to be careful unless you make everything from scratch.

I've also noticed peanut butter gives me issues....so if you're vegan and use PB to help protein, that may be a trigger. Maybe switch to sunflower or almond butter.

I would suggest you find 3-4 foods you know are safe and for 1 or 2 weeks eat only that for every meal. Maybe also incorporate a fiber supplement (go low dose starting out). I did baked potatoes (russet or reds), white rice (wasn't a trigger for me), low fodmap salads with vinegar/oil dressing with egg and other veggies, plus chicken or turkey breast. Be sure to cover your food groups, as well as fiber/fats/nutrients in balance as best you can. Cut out all sodas and only drink water or tea (no sugar).

From here I just started moving stuff back in that I was craving (red meat, cheese, different types of wheat/corn/potato breads, seltzer waters). If I had an episode, I would log it using Poop-Tracker and then go back to base foods for 3-4 days till I was back on track. A bit inconvenient, but tracking foods/exercise here along with BM will give you a full accurate picture of not only triggers, but time they are processed and cause pain/discomfort.

I'm not fixed yet, in fact had a mild episode this morning...but considering I had a cheeseburger with onions @ dinner then 2+ plates of Chinese buffet @ supper, a mild episode is a major improvement from where I was just a year ago.

CarrieA140

I struggled with these issues for two decades and saw a gastroenterologist who performed a colonoscopy and diagnosed me with IBS. Gave me medication that didn't help at all so I stopped taking it. Symptoms got progressively worse and seemed to be linked to wheat so I stopped eating wheat of all kinds and felt much better but still not well. Fast forward to one year ago. I was doing some research and stumbled on a diagnosis of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and some recent research studies. t was an "aha" moment for me. Per the recommendation, I started taking the Align probiotic (the research was based on that particular brand) every day. I felt a significant improvement within a week and within a month I was symptom free. After about three months, I felt so good that I reintroduced wheat with no problem. I still take Align but every other day now and still asymptomatic. I can eat anything. It has been a miracle for me and definitely worth the cost. Shared all of this with my doctor and he agrees that i had been suffering with an overgrowth of bad bacteria. It happens to more people than you would think. When you introduce good bacteria to your gut and it flourishes, it pushes out the bad bacteria. You can try a cheaper brand but the original study was done with Align. Other probiotics include different strains. I hope that you will try Align and find relief! Best of luck.

CarrieA140

https://hollywoodhomestead.com/5-probiotics-for-sibo-which-actually-work/

CarrieA140

Align is the same type of probiotic listed as #2 in the article. 35624.

helene4

No one wants to hear this
But many people are walking around with parasites and don't know it
I'd get tested by a doctor .....or to begin with try out a parasite cleanse from Whole Foods or something

My digestion was really messed up and was linked directly to my diet imo. I eat based on the Body Ecology Diet now - all about creating a healthy environment in your gut/body to repair ur digestion, promote good bacteria growth, and fight candida. Changed my life for the better!!! I highly recommend, cleared up my skin, I have a normal bowel movement after each meal (tmi sry), lost weight quickly!!

but def do what's best for you