46 with IBS ? any experience with foods/products

getmebackforlife
getmebackforlife Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Putting this out there as a question to see what type of suggestions/experiences you have had with IBS products and dietary changes. I just ordered some of Heather's IBS products with great hope they will help. Trying to navigate getting on a healthier eating norm and managing IBS ..... suggestions welcome!

Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    I have a huge improvement in symptons if I avoid the ingredient 'carrageenan'
    its usually in deli meat, dairy products... its made from kelp.
  • bombedpop
    bombedpop Posts: 2,227 Member
    I`m stabilized on the heather`s tummy fiber, peppermint caps and the peppermint tea and have been taking since 2007. It took me about a year. In the meantime I gave up caffeine (coffee for me), which was a trigger, and carbonated beverages, for me it was just giving up my Pellegrino habit, I never drank soda. I can now drink sparkling water and champagne, as it doesn`t bother me. Coffee will send me on attack. I have IBS A, primarily D.

    edit to add, whey powder is a trigger for me as well, I can handle once a week, but that`s it and now that I finished off my anywhey powder this weekend, am sticking with collagen/whey blend not in shake form.
  • getmebackforlife
    getmebackforlife Posts: 20 Member
    thank you so much for the feeback so far. Feeling like I have to stay home all the time or having to cancel plans at the last minute is really starting to drive me crazy. It's terrible to not be able to do the simpliest of things like pick up my child from school!
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Long chain omega-3s plus freeze dried probiotics are effective for some.
  • Catjag
    Catjag Posts: 107
    Rosemary and curry are triggers for me. I have to eat small meals every 2-3 hours. If I go too long between meals I have to start with a light carb. I make sure I drink plenty of water and I find the cleaner I eat the better I feel and the easier it is to handle IBS. Good luck OP!
  • RetiredAndLovingIt
    RetiredAndLovingIt Posts: 1,395 Member
    bump
  • trizzell79
    trizzell79 Posts: 153 Member
    I stay away from too much fiber and fried foods. I also avoid things like raw veggies, as specially the gassy cruciferous ones.
    I had good luck with a probiotic called bio k+. I have IBS-D.
    Feel free to add me anyone.
  • darleyschroeder
    darleyschroeder Posts: 322
    Hi, I am 23 and have IBS as well. It's a very annoying thing to deal with and it seems like those who don't have it don't understand. My husband gets a bit annoyed at times because of my tummy.

    Anyways, staying away from processed meats like sausage and the like seems to help. But a lot of times it seems to be triggered by stress. I am not sure how to avoid it!
  • JourneyTo75
    JourneyTo75 Posts: 6 Member
    Hi, I pretty much have my IBS under control now. For me it was mainly sticking to as much unprocessed foods as possible. My triggers in particular were caffeine, chocolate, rich tomato based recipes. But I do know that the change to a healthy lifestyle was the main factor. It has made a huge difference to my life...no more constant trips to the loo...sometimes up to 20 times a day. Good luck. I think you will find just good fresh healthy food will make a big difference.
  • sarahhiggins69
    sarahhiggins69 Posts: 1
    Gluten free and Pescaterian ( Vegaterian but I have fish ) has really helped also Birkm yoga ( hot yoga) seems to help
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    Google FODMAPS. Lots of people find this useful.
  • ladyartichoke
    ladyartichoke Posts: 22
    Alcohol, especially beer, is my main trigger (and at 22, that sucks big time). Flying doesn't help either. I also get problems from dairy and wheat (not all the time, it's unpredictable). I never did a food diary but it was a relief when I discovered my triggers, I still eat and drink (I try to stick to wine though) what I like but I'm now aware that there may be consequences: aka I'll be running to and from the toilet a lot.
  • ladioffaith
    ladioffaith Posts: 49
    I have IBS and have since my mid 30s. At one time I thought it was a diet thing so I started keeping a diary. Then came the day I concluded frozen ravioli and sauce was a "miracle food." I started my period the next day. So I think my hormones have a bigger impact than my diet.
  • RhondaRho
    RhondaRho Posts: 24
    I cannot have anything with tomatoe sauce (not even 1 piece of pizza). I switched from regular milk to "Lactaid" then almond milk. I can eat yogurt if it doesn't have a lot of fillers. In general, I did away with processed foods as much as possible, cut out white bread, and began eating a fresh apple each day. Coffee and chocolate are ok, if I don't over do them. Things are much better now.


    Good luck.
  • getmebackforlife
    getmebackforlife Posts: 20 Member
    Thank you so much everyone. Sometimes I feel very alone. It's hard when you feel like you can't leave your own home because you may have to find a bathroom one mile from your house. It seems that milk and ice cream are triggers, even low fat ice cream or the healthy versions of yogurt based ice creams. Pork is out as well (even lean porkchops) and that's fine. I don't mind staying away from things I know will give me a day in the bathroom! But it seems even when I am watching the food I have episodes "out of nowhere". Using MFP will serve as a food diary of sorts so maybe I will see if there are other trends. Eating HEALTHY raw veggies and fruits also seems to trigger which stinks because I like them AND it should help me loose weight and be healthier. Its such an irony for someone who wants to eat raw veggies and fruits when those things can make you hurt so badly :(
  • jessjoye
    jessjoye Posts: 69 Member
    Good thing you know what your trigger foods are- dairy is definitely on my list! Next thing I did was go through my daily vitamins. Make sure you have probiotics and even prebiotics in your list. Finally I add a 1/2 to 1 Tbsp of Chia seeds in my diet daily, kind of a flax seed substitute. It has worked wonders and I love it! Good luck.
  • bombedpop
    bombedpop Posts: 2,227 Member
    Thank you so much everyone. Sometimes I feel very alone. It's hard when you feel like you can't leave your own home because you may have to find a bathroom one mile from your house. It seems that milk and ice cream are triggers, even low fat ice cream or the healthy versions of yogurt based ice creams. Pork is out as well (even lean porkchops) and that's fine. I don't mind staying away from things I know will give me a day in the bathroom! But it seems even when I am watching the food I have episodes "out of nowhere". Using MFP will serve as a food diary of sorts so maybe I will see if there are other trends. Eating HEALTHY raw veggies and fruits also seems to trigger which stinks because I like them AND it should help me loose weight and be healthier. Its such an irony for someone who wants to eat raw veggies and fruits when those things can make you hurt so badly :(

    As another person above said, raw veg is a huge trigger (other than lettuces for me at least). Even cooked broccoli I can't manage. I used to think I was getting food poisoning all the time. LOL, it was the broccoli and raw veg. Try roasting your veg, it breaks it down a lot and makes it more digestable - you can still eat healthy and overcome this :)
  • gsbrooks1
    gsbrooks1 Posts: 54
    I have IBS and spastic colon and I take 4oz apple juice with two good tablespoons of 100% psyllium husk. I use Konosyl but I started with one called Colon Cleanse. I use it at night and in morn business is handled and I dont have any problems at all. I've been doing this for years. I have heard that IBS/Spastic colon is an enzyme deficiency.
  • pksd
    pksd Posts: 34 Member
    I have had stomach/digestion issues past 10 years of my life. Five years ago on my 40th birthday I had my first IBS attack. Terrible stomach pain followed by an anxiety attack (at that time I thought it was a heart attack). It took me two years of struggling to find what was upsetting my stomach, but could never figure it out. During that time I was too afraid to go to work, or to the post office or pick-up my kids from the school and the list goes on and on.

    But today I think I am 95% better(everyone has stomach problems one time or the other). Best thing I did was to visit a holistic/Naturopathic doctor. She had me take IGG and IGA blood tests (not performed by your regular doctors). That determined that I was allergic to 9 different foods(no more guessing). Once I eliminated those food(mostly yeast and wheat), I was getting better by the week. I also started taking ALIGN probiotics (sold at Costco) along with fiber and digestive enzymes. I also switched from coffee to Green tea and Stomach Ease tea twice a day.

    Although it seems, and your doctors tell you that you will never get rid of IBS, trust me, with a right actions you can have your normal self-back.

    Links to Align and Stomach ease tea.

    http://www.aligngi.com/

    http://www.tealand.com/Stomach-Ease-Tea-Yogi-Tea-Supports-Healthy-Digestion-P121.aspx

    Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions, I know what you are going thru.
  • getmebackforlife
    getmebackforlife Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks for the reponses. My GI doctor (after a colonoscopy and endoscopy 5 years ago) told me I have IBS. After the colonoscopy I was attack free for a year. Then I would have them once a month. It has now gotten to be more frequent and all they want to do is give me a perscription for something doesn't work much better than adding fiber and trying to figure out triggers etc. (based on doing reading on drug reviews etc) It just feels like the doctors say..."well I understand you hurt and you can't be more than 10 feet from a bathroom but you have IBS soooooooo check back in with us next year."
  • pksd
    pksd Posts: 34 Member
    Unfortunately traditional medicine doctors are clueless when it comes to IBS and many other digestive system problems. I have several doctors in my family, they all tell me there is no cure as pharmaceutical companies would rather sell you prilosecs and anti-anxiety meds for life. Although one of the doctors told me that one bio-tech company in San Diego is working on remedy from Kiwi fruit enzymes. She said it works. It might take some time for the medicine to come on the market, so I eat Kiwi fruit as often as I can.

    My GI was the one who recommended Align probiotic, he said that it is the only one that has show to be effective for IBS, and I do believe it has made the difference for me.

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