Do you reckon I have IBS?

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Replies

  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    I've found the log on MFP to be super helpful with my food intolerances. After I eat something I put a food note if I had any problems afterwards, keeping track of how I felt after each meal helped me pinpoint the most likely causes and have eliminated them completely. So far i'm on my third day of no serious reactions.
  • hillarysiegel24
    hillarysiegel24 Posts: 14 Member
    noobletmcnugget wrote: »
    hillarysiegel24 wrote: »
    This happened to me, and I suggest eliminating everything at once for about 2-3 months, then slowly reintroducing. I cut out everything high in FODMAPs and when I got the okay from my doctor to bring stuff back in, I started with gluten, then lactose. I am now currently eating low fodmap entirely besides gluten and lactose both about 2-3x a week, and I feel about a million times better.

    That's reassuring to hear you had success with the elimination method! How long did it take after eliminating to see any improvement? Was it quite quick or did it take the whole 2-3 months? Also, if you reintroduce a food group and you find out it's a trigger, do you have to eliminate everything for 2-3 months again or just until the symptoms subside?

    i re-eliminated until symptoms subsided! I have also found that the following medications/supplements help IMMENSELY with symptoms:
    -prilosec
    -zegerid
    -citrucel
    -align
  • MamaRiss
    MamaRiss Posts: 481 Member
    I might be reaching here, but are you dehydrated? You posted the other day that you don't think you have to drink water
  • noobletmcnugget
    noobletmcnugget Posts: 518 Member
    MamaRiss wrote: »
    I might be reaching here, but are you dehydrated? You posted the other day that you don't think you have to drink water

    I've been making a conscious effort to drink more since then, with no improvement, but I'll continue doing so. Also, my drinking habits had been like that my entire life. I only started to experience these symptoms in september, as soon as I introduced new foods.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    You should see a doctor because IBS symptoms can be indicative of bigger problems. IBS is actually a diagnosis of elimination (they don't find another explanation). Also, if you plan to do an elimination protocol, especially eliminating FODMAPs, see a dietitian. That is pretty intensive elimination and needs to be done right.
  • noobletmcnugget
    noobletmcnugget Posts: 518 Member
    Just wanted to say today I avoided eating any onion, broccoli, or mushrooms today and the bloating is SIGNIFICANTLY better than usual, and I don't feel gassy or uncomfortable at all.

    I know it might just be due to eating a decreased volume of food, or might just be coincidence, but this gives me hope. :)

  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    You need to see a doctor to rule out anything else. A lot of IBD have similar symptoms to ibs like crohns or ulcerative colitis.
  • jpotts666
    jpotts666 Posts: 1 Member
    I have severe IBS and colitis, I don't find a problem with veggies but definitely with anything too refined like bread, cake etc. And anything fatty like red meats. I think I'm also a little lactose intolerant. I would say Keep away from anything wheat based especially refined ones which release gluten through the process it takes to make it as this sticks to the gut stopping it from working properly. I also take acidophilus probiotic when I'm feeling bad and bloated (feels like I have someone's hands inside me squeezing and twisting my guts). Also try buscopan you can get it over the counter and is a godsend I'd you have IBS as it's a anti-spasmodic. But do speak to your GP, they usually like to check it out just to be sure it's nothing sinister.
  • AhXiou
    AhXiou Posts: 1
    I know you may not have a lot of faith in probiotics but I say you give it a try for a month or so and see how you feel. I went with a gastroenterologist and she suggested I do the low fodmap and take probiotics at the same time. I haven't been strictly on that diet but I think what has worked wonders is the probiotics. I had tried some before and nothing would happen and then I tried these called Jarro-Dophilus EPS (I take 2-3 daily) and I've been doing waaaay better. Last night I was even able to drink a beer and felt fine after. I also take an aloe vera concentrate before breakfast, I don't know if you'd like to try that too. Hopefully you try this and it works because just a few months ago I was in your shoes and I felt totally miserable, I feel your pain!
  • kellyjellybellyjelly
    kellyjellybellyjelly Posts: 9,480 Member
    rayneface wrote: »
    If you increase your fiber intake via veggies and beans make sure you are also increasing your water intake to help keep things regular. If you didn't eat a lot of veggies before it and you are not super consistent on your intake still, that may be causing the periods of discomfort.


    I have to second drinking a lot of water when you're increasing your Fiber.

    Last week I noticed I was severely constipated & realized it was from too much fiber & protein & not drinking enough water to keep things moving.

    I also eat prunes whenever I feel constipated & usually by the next day with the prunes & water I am more regular.
  • AndiJH
    AndiJH Posts: 84 Member
    noobletmcnugget wrote: »
    Just wanted to say today I avoided eating any onion, broccoli, or mushrooms today and the bloating is SIGNIFICANTLY better than usual, and I don't feel gassy or uncomfortable at all.

    I have pretty annoying IBS that almost made me have to drop out of college my freshman year due to being unable to eat without severe pain (I went from 122 lbs to 103 by Christmas break).
    Broccoli is a HUGE issue for me when raw, but I find that when most foods are cooked down, they are easier to digest. If it is IBS, your best bet is to manage stress!! Yoga poses to relieve gas and bloating will help, and meditation. Also finding your "trigger" foods and avoiding.
    For me, those are raw broccoli, cucumbers and some other veggies, ground beef and other fatty meats and certain grains.

    I also recommend investing in peppermint and ginger, and adding those to your diet, as they naturally aid in digestion (plus they taste awesome).
  • noobletmcnugget
    noobletmcnugget Posts: 518 Member
    AndiJH wrote: »
    noobletmcnugget wrote: »
    Just wanted to say today I avoided eating any onion, broccoli, or mushrooms today and the bloating is SIGNIFICANTLY better than usual, and I don't feel gassy or uncomfortable at all.

    I have pretty annoying IBS that almost made me have to drop out of college my freshman year due to being unable to eat without severe pain (I went from 122 lbs to 103 by Christmas break).
    Broccoli is a HUGE issue for me when raw, but I find that when most foods are cooked down, they are easier to digest. If it is IBS, your best bet is to manage stress!! Yoga poses to relieve gas and bloating will help, and meditation. Also finding your "trigger" foods and avoiding.
    For me, those are raw broccoli, cucumbers and some other veggies, ground beef and other fatty meats and certain grains.

    I also recommend investing in peppermint and ginger, and adding those to your diet, as they naturally aid in digestion (plus they taste awesome).

    Thank you for your reply! Some really helpful suggestions! Sorry to hear you have such bad IBS - it sounds awful! I've heard that thoroughly cooking veg makes a big difference, so I always avoid raw veg.

    Does making sure that you chew really thoroughly also help? I imagine it helps to speed up digestion. I'm quite a quick eater so think this might contribute.

    I'm actually quite interested in getting involved in yoga! I think I'd be embarrassed going to a class or anything though because I'm sooooo inflexible - I imagine it'd be embarrassing! Is it something that's easy to do at home with youtube videos and stuff?

    That's interesting that you struggle with cucumbers, most websites I've looked at don't list it as a common intolerance. I got in the habit of eating half a cucumber a day at least over the past month. I'll see if that's causing any issues as well.

    I'll also look into peppermint and ginger. Thanks!
  • noobletmcnugget
    noobletmcnugget Posts: 518 Member
    kellyjellybellyjelly wrote: »
    rayneface wrote: »
    If you increase your fiber intake via veggies and beans make sure you are also increasing your water intake to help keep things regular. If you didn't eat a lot of veggies before it and you are not super consistent on your intake still, that may be causing the periods of discomfort.


    I have to second drinking a lot of water when you're increasing your Fiber.

    Last week I noticed I was severely constipated & realized it was from too much fiber & protein & not drinking enough water to keep things moving.

    I also eat prunes whenever I feel constipated & usually by the next day with the prunes & water I am more regular.

    I'm definitely going to focus on upping my fluid intake. Hopefully that should help to keep things regular. I have a pretty severe aversion to dried fruit so will probably gives the prunes a miss though haha
  • noobletmcnugget
    noobletmcnugget Posts: 518 Member
    jpotts666 wrote: »
    I have severe IBS and colitis, I don't find a problem with veggies but definitely with anything too refined like bread, cake etc. And anything fatty like red meats. I think I'm also a little lactose intolerant. I would say Keep away from anything wheat based especially refined ones which release gluten through the process it takes to make it as this sticks to the gut stopping it from working properly. I also take acidophilus probiotic when I'm feeling bad and bloated (feels like I have someone's hands inside me squeezing and twisting my guts). Also try buscopan you can get it over the counter and is a godsend I'd you have IBS as it's a anti-spasmodic. But do speak to your GP, they usually like to check it out just to be sure it's nothing sinister.

    Hmm, I've always been okay with stuff containing gluten. Pasta, rice, bread and other stuff has always formed a significant proportion of my diet. I haven't eaten mushrooms, onions or broccoli for about a week and the bloating/discomfort has essentially vanished... so I think they're the main culprits. I'll reintroduce them individually at some point and see which of them causes it. Or it might turn out that I just can't eat them in large quantities and have to stick to small servings. We'll see. I'll probably arrange to see my GP though just to make sure it's nothing else. I'll have a look into different probiotics and meds. Thank you!
  • Nataliegetfit
    Nataliegetfit Posts: 395 Member
    There should be some info on the fodmap thing on dr. oz, he had it on his show one time. My daughter has issues like this too. You know all the foods you used to eat and had no problem with are all ok, so I would start eating like you used to for a week, then add one item in that is a newer food to see if you tolerate it, and log it in and in the comments in the diary, put if you have a problem or not, then a couple days later, add another newer food. I wouldn't add broccoli, onions and mushrooms all at once, one thing at a time and you should be able to tell pretty quickly what your trigger foods are. It will be worth the trouble to find out and then all you have to do is avoid it. Probiotic would be a good thing to add for a few months too to see if it helps you. It's good that you aren't gluten intolerant, less things to eliminate and figure out. Good luck with it, and you may just have to have a different meal once in awhile if they're cooking something you can't have.
  • noobletmcnugget
    noobletmcnugget Posts: 518 Member
    Nataliegetfit wrote: »
    There should be some info on the fodmap thing on dr. oz, he had it on his show one time. My daughter has issues like this too. You know all the foods you used to eat and had no problem with are all ok, so I would start eating like you used to for a week, then add one item in that is a newer food to see if you tolerate it, and log it in and in the comments in the diary, put if you have a problem or not, then a couple days later, add another newer food. I wouldn't add broccoli, onions and mushrooms all at once, one thing at a time and you should be able to tell pretty quickly what your trigger foods are. It will be worth the trouble to find out and then all you have to do is avoid it. Probiotic would be a good thing to add for a few months too to see if it helps you. It's good that you aren't gluten intolerant, less things to eliminate and figure out. Good luck with it, and you may just have to have a different meal once in awhile if they're cooking something you can't have.

    Thanks! I've decided that's what I'm going to do... reintroduce them individually. My housemates are completely on board with it which I'm really grateful about. :) Hopefully my body only disagrees with one of them. I'm glad I don't seem to have an issue with gluten... I'd find it so hard to cut out!
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,535 Member
    edited April 2015
    Yoga: don't worry about it....lots guys are not very flexible. Get there early & get in the back if you want. Don't eat any gassy foods beforehand, avoid your own embarrassment. Also, cruciferous veggies are huge gas generators. I bet your roomies would be happier to breathe cleaner air, too. (lol) Wonder if w/a bunch of guys are you drinking more beer, too? Beer/beans/broccoli/onions omg I can imagine the tamborine dance in your gut would be unbearabe.
    Probiotics yogurt helps, lots water. See how you feel, perhaps you can fix this yourself without spending money on a dr., who may tell you to do what you're already doing, which is eliminate those foods.

    (eta: not saying NOT go to a dr., k ;) )
  • noobletmcnugget
    noobletmcnugget Posts: 518 Member
    allaboutthecake wrote: »
    Yoga: don't worry about it....lots guys are not very flexible. Get there early & get in the back if you want. Don't eat any gassy foods beforehand, avoid your own embarrassment. Also, cruciferous veggies are huge gas generators. I bet your roomies would be happier to breathe cleaner air, too. (lol) Wonder if w/a bunch of guys are you drinking more beer, too? Beer/beans/broccoli/onions omg I can imagine the tamborine dance in your gut would be unbearabe.
    Probiotics yogurt helps, lots water. See how you feel, perhaps you can fix this yourself without spending money on a dr., who may tell you to do what you're already doing, which is eliminate those foods.

    (eta: not saying NOT go to a dr., k ;) )

    Haha I'm a girl (I realise my profile picture makes me look like a guy). I've never been a fan of beer, so don't have to worry about the issues that brings! That combo sounds deadly haha.

    I live in the UK so would be able to visit a doctor for free, which I'll do in the future if I can't pinpoint trigger foods.
  • jorinya
    jorinya Posts: 933 Member
    I recommend you see a dietitian or a nutritionist if you feel you have IBS symptoms. Peppermint tea should help if it really is IBS but still if it is not then it still can help with digestion. Ginger is also good for stomach problems. These are the only two natural solutions that might bring some comfort. Some common irritants are MSG and coffee. Check the extras they are using when cooking and try reduce that first. Drink plenty of water to flush out any toxins. A little fresh lemon juice in water is great for detoxing. Try increasing your intake of fruit. Someone told me yesterday that she knew a man that had severe cramp and pain, they said his gut was twisting and a doctor told him to eat a banana, followed by a kiwi, within hours the man was back to sitting on his throne better after months of not being able to go comfortably. Well, that's here in Nigeria, but anything that helps is worth a try. Let me know how you get on.

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