IBS -- any suggestions or helpful tips?

annshandle

I'm pretty sure I have IBS (dr's appointments soon). It would really explain what's been going on with my digestive system over the last few years. I'd appreciate any tips/suggestions for support you may have.
I'm trying to figure out my triggers. Fried food is one, and I think lettuce/some kind of raw veggie may be another. Pasta can bother me, so I'm thinking wheat may also be a problem.
Also, I feel like I'm the only person with IBS who can't lose weight!

zeejane03

My husband has IBS. His doctor referred him to an allergist where he first had food allergy testing done, to rule out any allergies, and then the allergist had him do the FODMAP elimination protocol. It's a hassle to do but it was very helpful and he was able to pinpoint several of his triggers. Fast forward a year now and he's doing so much better!

My sister has also had similar success with FODMAP and is feeling much better now that she knows her triggers.

At your doctor appointment I'd ask about FODMAP and then maybe also see about food allergy testing.

beast_kitty89

Naw. Not the only one. I'll friend request you.

annshandle

I've recently had allergy testing, so I know what I'm allergic to (pistachios). I read about the FODMAP, I'll check into it more.

goodasgoldilox165

Sorry that you have it too. (Sadly it never helped me lose weight either.) Food is one possible trigger but I've always found it an emotional thing too. (Very exciting or worrying or upsetting experiences can set mine off no matter what I do or don't eat.) A combination of food and emotion is hard to keep track of but does explain why a food seems to have an dire effect on one occasion - and yet does nothing on another.

CharlieCharlie007

Prednisone would fix that. However, it is an evil little pill. I take it. Talk to your DR. Weight benefits vs side effects.

MPDean

My triggers are spicy food for 3 days, stress, excess alcohol. Two of these are easily avoidable.

I can get temporary relief by eating lots of pears or flapjack, not good for weight control.

For medication I use Colofac which is an anti-spasm medicine. If I use it for more than 3 days it makes my digestive tract earily calm.

Porridge for breakfast and probiotic drinks both seem to have a protective effect.

I hope you can get this under control.

DamieAnne

Mu mum has IBS and has had it for most of my life (she started with it when she was pregnant with my brother)... She can't eat olive oil, full fat dairy, high fat meats (high fat anything really), green leafy veg, mustard, honey, tap water or strawberries (they are just an outright allergy).

She can however eat milk chocolate (as long as its made with milk rather than cream... Hello cadburys) which has been her downfall when she's tried to lose weight in the past she's tried everything that the doctors suggested to help, but nothing has - quite often tablets if they're film coated make her ill too. She tends to avoid trigger foods at all cost.

Once you get a solid list of things that upset your system, try and make a list of some meals that are 'safe' for you and try to cook as much as possible so you can control what goes in...it's better to be safe than spend the next several days in the bathroom!!

annshandle

Thanks all for your thoughts! Seems like I need to figure out my trigger foods and go from there. I'd rather not take meds if I can, but the stomach cramps suck. I've been tracking so hopefully that will keep me on track. Not having daily stomach aches will also help with my exercise

AnnPT77

For me, the answer was getting the right balance of fiber, hydration, fats (more important than many realize), exercise (especially stuff that moves the middle), mostly; with a minor in stress reduction (breathing, meditation, stretching, hot baths, whatever), and maybe probiotic foods (kefir, yogurt, raw sauerkraut, raw kimchi, etc.).

If you might have food sensitivities, a formal elimination diet may be insightful: Ask your doctor for a referral to a registered dietitician.

Best wishes!

MikePTY

I have IBS, and I find I really don't have any specific trigger foods. Stress and anxiety definitely trigger it, but other than that, it seems to come at random times. I'm doing more testing to try to get a better understanding of it.

I do use medication sometimes to control the systems. I've found immodium to be very effective and I don't have any side effects or reactions to it. I only use it when I have a bad attack or preventative if I am traveling somewhere that requires long amounts of time away from a bathroom.

In terms of weight loss, I gained a lot of weight with IBS, so I know the struggle. But I've also lost almost 25 pounds, so I know with proper calorie management it can be overcome from a weight loss perspective.

And now that I have lost some weight and am exercising more and just improving my overall health, I have noticed some symptom improvement.

olivialouluvsu

Look up low FODMAP diet

MikePfirrman

I'm going to go against the grain on FODMAPs. My wife had terrible/awful IBS for years. Later developed Fibromyalgia. Going gluten free helped her tremendously. Immensely.

I learned so much about her condition and how to help her that I developed a very strong interest in the Microbiome. I'm a technical recruiter and have done some work in AI/Machine learning before and with some Life Sciences start-ups. I've worked with over 25 start-ups at very high levels.

This is my opinion. FODMAPs aggravate IBS because they are prebiotic. If you have SIBO or the wrong bacterial mix in your Microbiome, of course FODMAPs are going to aggravate you. It's common sense. But, here's the kicker. Most people get sick because they don't have enough fiber in their diets! Now, they are recommending avoid fiber!

My wife, since recovered from both IBS and Fibro, eats around 50g of fiber a day and has FODMAPs all the time with no issues. None.

Four things would help you tremendously. First, eliminating gluten first. Second, I do strongly agree on the elimination diet. Find out if something else affects you. Everlywell has a self home test for around $150 now. My wife was terribly allergic to cow dairy, but she can do limited A2/A2 dairy. Look into Colostrum. There seems to be strong evidence that it helps IBS. I know one start-up that has helped kids in 3rd world countries with diseases like Dysentary with Colostrum. Also, there is a little known study that just came out on depression and the Microbiome. There's one bacteria strongly tied to both depression as well as digestive dysfunction. Turns out that one other bacteria (E coli Nissle 1917) feeds this bacteria (that's needed) that produces GABA internally and improves both depression as well as gut dysfunction tremendously. Right now, there's only one company producing it (Mutaflor), but there's literally a race out there for other companies to produce it cheaply.

Just read an article on Linkedin from a CEO of a well known Pharma company. He was explaining why all the advances in AI and Machine learning haven't impacted drug discovery as rapidly as they had once hoped. I'm paraphrasing here, but what he essentially said is that AI and Machine Learning/Computational Biology and such are making us understand that modern medicine didn't know *kitten* before now and it's actually a miracle that any drug (until now) worked on such a complex biological system that interacts with it's own bacterial "invaders".

Torygetsfit

Hi there! Ibs warrior going on 12 years. Definitely track your triggers. Mine are red meat, eggs, full fats, most veggies are hard for me, and anything fried.

I do use probiotics and find them helpful.
I use vsl#3 it’s over the counter, Walgreens carries it. Stress and lack of exercise are also personal triggers of mine. I went gluten free this summer and noticed improvement.

I struggled to lose weight, but focusing on water intake, counting calories, and focusing more on protein helped and I’m down 20lbs. It is not impossible to lose weight with Ibs, it just may take extra or work. Please friend me if you’d like to chat more!

annshandle

Sounds like probiotics might be helpful as well. I went gluten free a few years ago thinking I had an allergy and felt great. Hard to keep up, though. But maybe I'll try that again.