How quickly does food affect you?

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I'm sure this varies from person to person but while trying to work out "what" sets me off I suddenly realised I have no idea how quickly you'd expect to see symptoms from ingesting an ingredient your body dislikes. Pre any of this I'd always assumed that it would be a long time say hours or even a day while the food was being digested.

For instance this morning all I had was my peppermint capsule and a pint of weak squash and before I had even finished the drink my stomach was cramping / trying to claw its way out through my belly button / making me very gingerly navigate to the bathroom less I explode mid route (I have a cold - sneezing with an "upset" / "thoroughly pissed off" stomach leaves me scared of loosing all control).

Normally (not that I'm sure what normal is any more) symptoms kick in very quickly after eating (i.e. within half an hour) but surely that's too soon for my stomach to have even seen the food much less my entire stomach swelling up like I'm six months gone. I also get reactions (most often bowel explosions) several hours later which is utterly confusing me!

So is there a "normal" time frame in all this? I'd really appreciate your in put while I navigate this.

(Shopping for the first time on the wheat / gluten / yeast / dairy / alcohol / caffeine / any meat other than chicken / any fruit that is citric / anything that looks tasty tonight. I am quite nervous!)

Replies

  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    When I am flaring, it is almost immediate. Not to be gross, but my food often passes through undigested in this situation. I have seen evidence of something I ate less than an hour later in the toilet. I try to stay low residue when in a flare.
  • Lady_Clarington
    Lady_Clarington Posts: 76 Member
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    Thanks!
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    When I am flaring, it is almost immediate. Not to be gross, but my food often passes through undigested in this situation. I have seen evidence of something I ate less than an hour later in the toilet. I try to stay low residue when in a flare.

    Same for me. Even when I am not flaring, food passes through undigested within 4-6 hours of consumption… particularly veggies and grains.

    What do you do to ensure you are getting daily serving of veggies?
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    My go to veggies are sweet potatoes, zucchini and avocado. I eat a crap ton of them. Maybe try pureed carrots as well. Spinach doesn't bother me much, but it also does not appear to digest either. I avoid corn, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. when I am flaring.
  • Lady_Clarington
    Lady_Clarington Posts: 76 Member
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    I just wanted to say I'm so very grateful for your being on this group! I'm picking up so much that the doctors didn't tell me. I went on a few "help groups" but found them very "oh poor me" which isn't my style (not that I don't complain my fair share). Today marks the start of week three of a very restricted diet (chicken, veg, water, fruit) and I have found so far that I react to apples (including juice - but don't ever remember reacting to cider?!) Where I reacted within half an hour, aAnd have also had one "tummy troubles" reaction that happened 5+ hours after eating (foods I'd eaten several times before and were fine with) in a similar vein to the episode that triggered my writing this post which I will ask the doctor about but assume it just a weird quirk of my body.
  • fcordingley
    fcordingley Posts: 25 Member
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    Some foods can take 3 days to effect me- most are very quick but through a variety of elimination diets I have realised that some are much longer. Apparently I am unusual in this as my dietician said most people will have seen a reaction within 2 days but its worth trying to find out what's normal for you. I keep a food/ symptom diary so that patterns are easier to spot- always worth a try :)
  • Lady_Clarington
    Lady_Clarington Posts: 76 Member
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    Thanks for adding to this Fcordingley! I was starting to think that the delayed symptoms were just my mind driving me crazy! (I am aware I over think things at the best of times so am starting to get to the stage where I am not sure what is "normal" happens to everyone and what is potentially something to concentrate on which no doubt is raising stress levels and not helping matters!)

    I am getting a nagging feeling that bread may be about to go on the limit / banned list which is going to be a pain in the rump as I love bread but all the "free from" ones I have see are so expensive I'd never be able to justify them in the shopping budget. I have a family member who works in a flour mill but they don't make gluten free flour - I could have pestered after freebies to make my own!! Oh well, we'll get there eventually :)
  • suefromgrays
    suefromgrays Posts: 9 Member
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    Hi there,newly diognoised but feels like its stright away.
    Feel free to add me
    Sue :-)
  • ckdprevent
    ckdprevent Posts: 105 Member
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    For me it is very quick after I eat, less than 30 minutes.
  • sh1n0bu
    sh1n0bu Posts: 1
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    In the early stages of a flare-up, I usually start feeling pain 3-4 hours after eating. When I'm in a full-blown flare-up, I'll feel pain within 1-2 hours after eating. Most food (especially veggies like lettuce, corn, and peas) move through almost completely undigested. >_<
  • ckdprevent
    ckdprevent Posts: 105 Member
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    I am trying the FODMAP plan. I'm using myfitnesspal food diary starting with the good to eat foods to make sure I don't have a reaction to them. I am also checking off the "don't eat list" if it doesn't bother me. I am also making a move to eating whole foods, less processed foods, and stopping artificial sweetners.
  • AutumnElf80
    AutumnElf80 Posts: 58 Member
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    Hi, brand new to this and just starting restricted eating on the advice of my Dr. Not diagnosed yet but it's probable. I know my stomach is in trouble 30 -45 minutes after eating. Maybe 30 minutes after that I'm on the toilet. I have not noticed if what I'm expelling is what I just ate or not.

    Can I just say that I'm happy to finally have found a doctor that doesn't say it's "cycle related" or "maybe it's food poisoning" .
  • jktin008
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    Hello All,

    Recently Diagnosed in May 2014 with Crohn's Granulomatous Colitis and NOT in remission yet. I swear I eat more pills than food.

    The "bad" foods affect me pretty much within the hour of eating them. I can't even look at a salad, raw fruits/veggies or any dairy with lactose, lots of caffeine, spicy food of ANY kind and any kind of seeds/nuts right now LOL.
  • ckdprevent
    ckdprevent Posts: 105 Member
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    Chinese food. Before I even left the restaurant.
  • EllieB_5
    EllieB_5 Posts: 247 Member
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    Depends on the food; my worst triggers I can sometimes eat for up to 5 days before I notice a real difference, but then sometimes I notice a difference immediately. There doesn't seem to be any reason to it.
  • OregonRunner5
    OregonRunner5 Posts: 404 Member
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    Some foods -- I'm not even done eating the meal before my G.I starts to gurgle in an alarming manner, but some like apples might take a few hours.

    @lporter229 -- those are my go-to veggies also!
  • 68116
    68116 Posts: 6 Member
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    About 30 minutes. I have the best luck staying away from ALL fruits and Veggies. Potatoes and corn chips and bagels are my go to foods...the less my tummy needs to work- the better. What works one day is not necessarily going to "tummy friendly" the next. Very frustrating! Dairy seems to be another food I stay away from.
    ckdprevent - I applaud you trying the FODMAP...I do not have the will power :s
  • LEJ2015
    LEJ2015 Posts: 25 Member
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    I am exactly the same way! Within 30minutes I am sick and going to the RR (although it feels more like as soon as something hits my stomach) and have severe pains and this crazy sense of urgency that feels like I possibly won't make it! I mean I'm pretty much down to nothing anymore which is one of my main issues because every time I eat it's so painful and awful that it literally makes me want to eat at most once a day , if even that and then when I do eat I'm limited to carb-based foods with crap nutritional value! I have cute out all animal products minus the occasional cheese/yogurt craving that I get (which I pay for severely) so it's like I am at a major loss as to how to lose the weight that these stupid medications and bed rest cause you to gain! It seems like I only lose weight when I'm on TPN or fasting and that cannot be life! It's been almost 6 years and this disease still ceases to amaze me about how much it freaking SUCKS!
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    Oh it does totally suck