Anyone else with IBS managing it with diet?

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Replies

  • guidothecat
    guidothecat Posts: 141 Member
    I can't drink milk AT ALL, yogurt is still ok, but it has to be the plain with no additives. I can still eat the more aged cheeses and can use a bit of cream in cooking.

    Sugar is bad, HFCS is awful. Can't eat a plain green salad without some sort of protein in it either. Have to eat something with my hard boiled eggs everyday, like a bit of cheese and a tomato, that seems to do the trick.

    I have upped my fiber (physillum) I take a half dose about 2 hours after breakfast, after lunch and after diner. And fennel tea helps with the bloating.
  • 2Chaotic
    2Chaotic Posts: 23 Member
    I suffered with IBS for about 15 years and it was getting progressively worse, ie the attacks were becoming more frequent. Despite eliminating foods or trying to find a common tigger I could never figure what caused it.

    At the start of this year I decided to eat less meat for general health reasons. I was concerned that replacing meat with beans, pulses etc may trigger more IBS. Well, what a surprise... I have not had a single incident of IBS since the start of the year. I very occassionaly still get "the runs" but they don't last long and aren't accompanied by the excrutiating gut pain that I used to experience. I still eat meat but not as much as before. Unfortunately I still love my dairy foods....
  • purplishblue
    purplishblue Posts: 135 Member
    I had bad IBS, and followed the advice on the Help For IBS website, it actually worked really well! Essentially it talks about cutting back on insoluble fiber, while making sure you have plenty of soluble fiber. So for example, cutting way back on whole grains and being very careful with fruit/veggies. Also being very careful with fats, and other things. It was really helpful for me, and I was able to slowly over the years carefully add things back. I can now eat mostly normal without having any issues :)
  • patsypooter
    patsypooter Posts: 175 Member
    Thanks for sharing your stories everyone.

    I think it's so helpful to see what's worked for other people. There seem to be some common things that bother other people that bother me too.

    Gluten is a huge no no, it causes so much nausea for me. I don't really miss it though. Thought I would but it's just an adjustment then you get used to it. Hard at first for sure.
  • DebTavares
    DebTavares Posts: 170 Member
    IBS can go together with celiac disease so I would get checked for that
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I can't drink milk AT ALL, yogurt is still ok, but it has to be the plain with no additives. I can still eat the more aged cheeses and can use a bit of cream in cooking.

    Sugar is bad, HFCS is awful. Can't eat a plain green salad without some sort of protein in it either. Have to eat something with my hard boiled eggs everyday, like a bit of cheese and a tomato, that seems to do the trick.

    I have upped my fiber (physillum) I take a half dose about 2 hours after breakfast, after lunch and after diner. And fennel tea helps with the bloating.

    I have recently discovered that I am lactose intolerant, and that is pretty much what you are describing in your first sentence. I think sometimes we can get hit by a double whammy - lactose intolerance and IBS.
  • mountainrun73
    mountainrun73 Posts: 155 Member
    "At the start of this year I decided to eat less meat for general health reasons. I was concerned that replacing meat with beans, pulses etc may trigger more IBS. Well, what a surprise... I have not had a single incident of IBS since the start of the year. I very occassionaly still get "the runs" but they don't last long and aren't accompanied by the excrutiating gut pain that I used to experience. I still eat meat but not as much as before. Unfortunately I still love my dairy foods...."


    That's really interesting. I've been trying to cut down on meat intake as well and have toyed with going veg, but sometimes find that the only thing that doesn't cause problems is chicken and veggies. I'll pay more attention next time I eat a bean protein meal to see how it affects me, if at all!
  • elv1ra
    elv1ra Posts: 146 Member
    i didnt read the whole thread so i dont know if its been mentioned but there is a diet for ibs called the low fodmap diet and its supposed to help 70% of sufferers.

    unfortunately everything i like is on the list of foods to avoid (onions, garlic, avacado, brocolli, brussels sprouts, apples, mushrooms) so i was like "hell naw!" but if your curious, check it out.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Just dealing with an episdoe today.

    I'm blaming the stress of my boss being back from leave, together with a cup of black coffee I had for breakfast dont usually drink coffee)

    I'm tempted to buy some Yakult on the way home to see if a pro-bitoic helps.
  • Seevan07
    Seevan07 Posts: 23
    I've already posted and mentioned low FODMAPs. But I'm still having issues with constipation and gas. I want to start a probiotic, but are there any other suggestions for relieving those symptoms?

    If anyone wants to add me, I track pretty consistently and also include some things about my IBS in my notes so I can figure out triggers. It may be TMI for some, but I have no qualms about discussing poops and farts! Also, I'm a vegetarian if that interests anyone.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Good idea, I'll start using my notes section for that too ;-)
  • Diva_79
    Diva_79 Posts: 66
    is bumping allowed? If so, bump. :)

    What does "bump" mean
  • rossraskolnikov
    rossraskolnikov Posts: 29 Member
    I'm dealing with Crohn's (which is IBS With A Vengeance) primarily through diet.


    Side-tip: Breathing exercises can work wonders. Try setting aside a few minutes at the beginning and end of every day for them.
  • witsend79
    witsend79 Posts: 19 Member
    I took a year to work out what was causing my IBS. Mainly it's milk and yogurt, sweetener and sugar (as in normal sugar in coffee). I also struggle with iceberg lettuce, onion and some cheese.

    I've found the sweetener and yogurt to be the hardest to avoid- grabbing a snack when you're out is hard going now! I love yogurts and miss them massively but even soya hurts- I suppose it's the sweetener that is added (and I'm not a fan of the natural flavour).
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Bump means bringing the post back up to the list of active topics, or book Rking your place I. The thread.
  • Luv2eatSweets
    Luv2eatSweets Posts: 221 Member
    I knew someone who has Crohn's disease. Everything she ate made her sick. A nutritionist suggested she turn vegan. She turned not-quite-vegan; it turned out that honey didn't trigger her Crohn's symptoms. Her semi- vegan diet got rid of all her symptoms. She said she tried eating a piece of fish one day and it made her sick.

    I too have Crohn's. I was in a terrible state when I was diagnosed about 10 years ago. I have been able to keep my flare ups to a minimum, with diet and exercise. Yoga is supposed to work wonders. The diet changes were fairly drastic at first until I was able to pin point what was making me sick. I was also on a ton of meds, which half of which I had no idea what was for. I think it was just to make the doctors rich:wink: I try to help others with suggestions concerning their symptoms but it always isn't well received. The only thing to do is sympathize and give hugs.
  • UK34
    UK34 Posts: 23
    Mine got massively worse since going on a diet!
    First day back on my diet yesterday I was in agony, thank god for Buscopan!!!
  • patsypooter
    patsypooter Posts: 175 Member
    IBS can go together with celiac disease so I would get checked for that

    I have to get my celiac testing done, I put it off til after my wedding because it makes me so nauseous that I knew I couldn't do the three weeks of eating gluten to do the test. I've been told by another doctor that I very likely have celiacs so I should not put off getting the testing done.
  • patsypooter
    patsypooter Posts: 175 Member
    i didnt read the whole thread so i dont know if its been mentioned but there is a diet for ibs called the low fodmap diet and its supposed to help 70% of sufferers.

    unfortunately everything i like is on the list of foods to avoid (onions, garlic, avacado, brocolli, brussels sprouts, apples, mushrooms) so i was like "hell naw!" but if your curious, check it out.

    FODMAPS is a great diet and a great place to start for most people. It wasn't quite enough for me so I had to go a bit more strict with my diet. I had a severe reaction to avocado the last time I ate it, it was terrifying. I loved the stuff but I'll never eat it again. Oh, will I ever miss guacamole. But anything is worth not being in pain every single day!
  • persistentsoul
    persistentsoul Posts: 268 Member
    It is a pain, sometimes i start to think there is nothing i can eat safely. I have found cutting out all grains, pulses and highly processed food has helped a lot as well as greatly limiting sugar intake so that it only comes from mostly the little that is in veg now. I found fasting is a big no no for me as set a off gallbladder attack, anyone who has had a bad one of those knows avoiding setting them off is a huge priority. I have greatly reduced dairy in my diet but do still have some from time to time. I still struggle with getter fiber right. I am still discovering more things that cause flare ups. Vinegar was the last thing that upset my system.
  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
    Also suffering with IBS, I had it for about 5 years now, its been a real trial and error processes working out what sets me off, it seems like some days I can eat certain things and be fine then the next day it sends me to the loo,

    I've managed to work out what foods are guaranteed to set me off, Milk and Yogurts are a big no no for me as well as Wheat, as I mention there are foods that have a 50/50 chance of setting me off, bread is one of these for example, curry another.

    At the moment I am just playing it safe and eating loads of fruit.

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