Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Everyone's solutions are so different. I was spending 4-6 hours a day in the bathroom, and had terrible cramps and discomfort. I was very stressed out at work. When it was it's worst I would take prodiem several times a day in hopes of slowing things down, and right before bed in hopes of preventing the morning rush. The only other thing that helped was having a lot of good books to read during my time in the bathroom.
Losing the job was a blessing, though it didn't seem that way at the time. My symptoms started getting better right away. I'm diabetic, and my blood sugar levels plummeted as well. It took a couple of years, but my IBS is mostly settled down now (and my last A1C was 5.1). I get flare-ups when I fight with my SO. I find now that dairy and fresh vegetables help to keep everything moving at a steady pace (they seem to balance each other out). I think regular exercise is helping too.
The good news is that IBS does not predict getting serious bowel diseases like Crohns. Do your best to manage your stress (mindfulness, meditation, exercise and relaxation), and hopefully it will get better. Good luck
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GaleHawkins wrote: »acorsaut89 wrote: »Since I have not plans to ever eat sugar/carbs/grains again for health reasons I am not sure what stopped my 40 year old IBS condition nor do I care at this point.
So I'm really curious . . . How can you survive without any kind of sugar or carbs? Grains, it's possible, but do you mean processed/refined sugar and starchy carbs? Because even if you eat fruit, berries have a lot of carbs in them, and if you're eating fruit there's a lot of natural sugars in them.
Those three ingredients are key in most foods, processed or not. Unless you're living off of only meat (and only natural, organic, free-range meat at that), it's really hard to avoid these ingredients.
Bottom line we often do not know the cause(s) of IBS so we need to cut back the the required food groups and see if we can get stable then we can start to add back foods. My point is we will not die if we cut out carbs for awhile or forever (which is not practical). Carbs are where we get our fiber that comes in handy.
It is true there are going to be some carbs in any healthy diet because they will tag along with Fats and Proteins. Carbs are not like evil or anything but they have been associated with an increase the risk of stroke, cancer, heart attack and Type 2 diabetes for some people were as today this does not seem to be the case with saturated fats.
ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.long This paper talks about how carbs are not essential for human life in a technical sense and is not something you even need to read unless interested.
Because carbs are everywhere and cheap we all will eat some carbs one way or another. The point is we can greatly reduce our carb intake and add the calories back with fat if we have health issues related to dealing with carbs in a healthy manner.
Fats help me slim down and carbs make me fat. Well both can make one fat but fat and some protein can reduce craving carbs like sugar and starchy bread etc which leads to the desire to overeat. It was the craving for carbs that lead to my overeating.
For my pain control I need to keep my carbs as low as possible so I shoot for <50 grams of carbs daily. That low level of carbs is not required for IBS management in my case but I do need to stay away from grains which means breads.
Everyone is different on the inside so when addressing IBS the same solution does not cure all for sure.
While not IBS related I am learning one can have a healthy diet and stay under 50 grams of carbs daily.
There is so much confusion on this subject even among the MD's even so that will mirror through to these forums. One just needs to learn their bodies and leave off the offending foods. We can get ideas from others but not the final solution typically.
Which is what I said earlier . . . but your post before stated you plan to never eat carbs, sugar or grains again for health reasons so I was curious as to how that happens.
From what you've wrote here, you're not eating starchy carbs or processed/refined sugar which is what helps pretty much everyone lose weight, maintain healthy eating habits and encourages proper disgestion - not just those with IBS.
If you have figured out that lower carbs works for you, then now you know. I was genuinely curious as to how someone would survive without carbs, sugars or grains but now that you've clarified you follow a low carb diet, I see there was some confusion.
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SpecialKitty7 wrote: »i actually have ibs-c (c is for constipation) so i generally have the opposite issue, i don't go enough. switching to a more whole food oriented diet really helped me out. i didn't have to cut any foods out but i do have to make sure i keep my fiber intake at a steady amount using a supplement. the doctor always tells me fiber and water are the key and i just have to find the balance of the two that works for me.
This is me. There will be a whole week I don't go and then...relief. But then another week I might be running to the toilet every few minutes. It's one or the other. Ugh.
If I travel, I know it will be a full week until go time. If I'm stressed, no go.
I never take laxatives, but I do take magnesium citrate every night that I'm not drinking alcohol.
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CoffeeMate flavored creamers do me in.
They have some sort of additive in them that is just ghastly for my IBS. I can drink a single cup of black coffee with a meal with no problems, but the creamer while tasty, just causes horrendous issues. And it took me a LONG time to isolate it as the problem!
I have never tried these, but now I will stay away from them! Cream in my coffee also does me in, so now I have milk but I very, very rarely drink coffee because it upsets my tummy a lot . . . and this may or may not be true, but I feel if I am on the verge of a flare up having coffee like pushes me over the edge. I have no way of knowing this, or confirming it, but I feel like it's true, although it could be me imagining things.
I found anything highly processed does me in for days!!!! Like almost anything I don't cook myself pretty much from scratch - hot pockets, tv dinners, heatable lunch trays, hot stuffs, pogos, chicken nuggets/strips, etc. It has to be something in the preservatives they add but I know for sure one meal of those - even a small one - and I'm done for. It really sucks sometimes because I like pogos, sometimes lol.
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wow sounds like IBS affects each one differently.
I have IBS diagnosed by doctor.
Common problem for me is loose and frequent stools.
For years I took Metamucil-6 capsules to firm up the stools.
Last spring I took a pro-biotic and FINALLY got formed stools on a regular basis
I was able to give up the Metamucil.
I can eat most everything BUT raw lettuce. I can tolerate lettuce, mixed green etc. IF I microwave them first-till just soggy.
Otherwise they clean me out.0 -
acorsaut89 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »acorsaut89 wrote: »Since I have not plans to ever eat sugar/carbs/grains again for health reasons I am not sure what stopped my 40 year old IBS condition nor do I care at this point.
So I'm really curious . . . How can you survive without any kind of sugar or carbs? Grains, it's possible, but do you mean processed/refined sugar and starchy carbs? Because even if you eat fruit, berries have a lot of carbs in them, and if you're eating fruit there's a lot of natural sugars in them.
Those three ingredients are key in most foods, processed or not. Unless you're living off of only meat (and only natural, organic, free-range meat at that), it's really hard to avoid these ingredients.
Bottom line we often do not know the cause(s) of IBS so we need to cut back the the required food groups and see if we can get stable then we can start to add back foods. My point is we will not die if we cut out carbs for awhile or forever (which is not practical). Carbs are where we get our fiber that comes in handy.
It is true there are going to be some carbs in any healthy diet because they will tag along with Fats and Proteins. Carbs are not like evil or anything but they have been associated with an increase the risk of stroke, cancer, heart attack and Type 2 diabetes for some people were as today this does not seem to be the case with saturated fats.
ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.long This paper talks about how carbs are not essential for human life in a technical sense and is not something you even need to read unless interested.
Because carbs are everywhere and cheap we all will eat some carbs one way or another. The point is we can greatly reduce our carb intake and add the calories back with fat if we have health issues related to dealing with carbs in a healthy manner.
Fats help me slim down and carbs make me fat. Well both can make one fat but fat and some protein can reduce craving carbs like sugar and starchy bread etc which leads to the desire to overeat. It was the craving for carbs that lead to my overeating.
For my pain control I need to keep my carbs as low as possible so I shoot for <50 grams of carbs daily. That low level of carbs is not required for IBS management in my case but I do need to stay away from grains which means breads.
Everyone is different on the inside so when addressing IBS the same solution does not cure all for sure.
While not IBS related I am learning one can have a healthy diet and stay under 50 grams of carbs daily.
There is so much confusion on this subject even among the MD's even so that will mirror through to these forums. One just needs to learn their bodies and leave off the offending foods. We can get ideas from others but not the final solution typically.
Which is what I said earlier . . . but your post before stated you plan to never eat carbs, sugar or grains again for health reasons so I was curious as to how that happens.
From what you've wrote here, you're not eating starchy carbs or processed/refined sugar which is what helps pretty much everyone lose weight, maintain healthy eating habits and encourages proper disgestion - not just those with IBS.
If you have figured out that lower carbs works for you, then now you know. I was genuinely curious as to how someone would survive without carbs, sugars or grains but now that you've clarified you follow a low carb diet, I see there was some confusion.
Sorry for the confusion. There have been groups of people that lived centuries without carbs just fine because of where they lived (like at the north pole). Not sure how he does it but I am sure Santa Klaus if finding some carbs some where.
There are groups who have lived on a mainly high carb diet (food that they grew) and were healthy and not obese.
In all developed countries processed carbs are very common and cheap source of energy. To eat a low carb high fat diet in the USA requires some thought and research if one eats out three times a day for sure but is doable.
For Amanda82691 diet concerns relating to triggering IBS is not a typical weight loss issue but based on my case it was just more of a food elimination process. To do it quickly one can cut out all but Fats and Protein and work forward adding back foods one at at time.
Cutting out all carbs is not required perhaps but we just do not run into as many 'processed' Fats and Proteins. I for one was able to gain weight with IBS.
It all gets back to the individual and what works for them and that is why we can NOT tell others here what to eat/do with any validity.
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Last spring I took a pro-biotic and FINALLY got formed stools on a regular basis
I use pro-biotics to get me through the holidays (and any event where I know there's going to be rich, highly processed foods that don't agree with me). They're easy on my tummy, too - which is always helpful
They're amazing! They don't help me with bloating, though I can't complain too much because they help a huge amount with all the other unpleasant side effects 0 -
I have been diagnosed with IBS. Done the whole bit (yup even the colonscopy). Take daily meds too for help with spasm that causes the pain. I believe that everyone is different. I changed my diet dramatically and eat Paleo (removing processed foods). This works for me.
I also take probiotics to promote a healthy gut. I cannot do anything with dairy. I would recommend eating very clean and start adding back slowly.
It will be worth it when you don't have pain, bloat, etc.0 -
For me, eating lighter has made a huge difference. I still have issues from time to time, usually around that time of the month, but it has gotten so much better. I did not cut out carbs or sugar or go completely whole food route. I just stopped eating really heavy stuff and really acidic stuff like red pasta sauce or greasy stuff. Oddly, green juice will get me every time. So I use it now when I'm on the other end of it.0
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I just got this information from my doctor last week when I mentioned I've had severe cramps from IBS for a while. Google FODMAP diet.
From WikiPedia but I've read a book and many articles that confirm the accuracy of this information:
"FODMAPs are short chain carbohydrates (oligosaccharides), disaccharides, monosaccharides and related alcohols that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. These include short chain (oligo-) saccharide polymers of fructose (fructans) and galactose (galactans), disaccharides (lactose), monosaccharides (fructose), and sugar alcohols (polyols) such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and maltitol.
The term FODMAP is an acronym, deriving from "Fermentable, Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols." These carbohydrates are commonly found in the modern western diet. The restriction of these FODMAPs from the diet has been found to have a beneficial effect for sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome and other functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID). The low FODMAP diet was developed at Monash University in Melbourne by Peter Gibson and Susan Shepherd.[1][2] Since the development the diet has been studied for its efficacy for individuals with FGID and is now considered beneficial to be commonly recommended for individuals with FGID.[3]"
I'm just starting this but the anecdotal evidence from people who have been helped significantly is amazing.0
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