Digestive issues no matter what I eat. Long, but Please help!!

hellokitty4321 wrote: »

I have been looking for a food allergist that takes my insurance but haven't found one yet. Maybe I'll try looking again. I quit the low fodmap diet on the third day bc it is extremely difficult. I cannot eat any fruits with the exception of a banana about every week and it seems like every veggies makes me feel bad except for spinach. So, I've been only eating chicken broth, rice, chicken, bananas, potato chips, eggs and spinach for the past three days. Still, my symptoms haven't gotten any better. The diet is extremely difficult bc you are so limited on what you can eat. With me, I don't even want to try eating fruits and veggies bc I remember years ago, I used to get horrible digestive issues from most fruits. But yes. I just hope that a doctor will be able to help me. I just need this digestive issue to go away.

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Have you been referred to an allergist/immunologist? Are you still seeing a GI specialist? My goodness there are any number of things that could cause these symptoms. Some are simple and easily fixed, others are complicated and not fixable, but you need to know the cause before trying to find the cure. Why did you quit on FOODMAP after only 3 days!?

Get thee to a doctor. If they can't help, demand to be referred on until you find someone that can.

A low fodmap diet is not a diet for life and nothing at all will happen in a few days. You are supposed to eliminate several foods (which means, yes, eating very little variety), wait a few weeks to see if you are feeling better, and then gradually reintroduce foods. The goal is to figure out what is bothering you, so you can permanently eliminate it. Depending on what you are sensitive at, it can take weeks of elimination until you can see a definite improvement. So, if a dr suggested you try this, you need to stick with it for the recommended duration, and be very careful about reading all labels and not cheating.

Hi,

I have chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as M.E). A lot of sufferers of that can experience digestive issues unfortunately, but it sounds like you have something else.

I see a gastroenterologist as I have IBS and for another stomach issue. He suggested I go on the Low FODMAP Diet as, like you, I have bloating after eating at times. Like you, I can put on a few inches around my stomach - I measured myself once and the difference was three inches. When my stomach is like this, I walk hunched over and it flares up my IBS after a while. I have linked it with certain foods (too much bread, for example - I know if it eat more than two slices of bread a day, I will be bad. If I have a sandwich for lunch, I won't have pizza for dinner). I tried the Low FODMAP diet quite strictly, though not too strictly (for example, high FODMAP foods, you can cut out completely or restrict - I just restricted, rather than cut out). I tried it for about a month and a half and it was such an improvement on my symptoms!

Christmas came along and then that screwed it all up! I haven't been all that great this year with following the low FODMAP diet. I might try and week here or there but now I know I need to do it really all the time to stop the pains.

I bought this book recently, which is great. There is another one by the same authors, but that is more of a cookbook, whereas while this one has lots of recipes too, over half the book is just explaining the diet, which foods are low, moderate and high FODMAP. amazon.co.uk/Complete-Low-FODMAP-Diet-revolutionary-digestive/dp/0091955351/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444218956&sr=8-1&keywords=low+fodmap+diet

Before I got the book though, from last year, I've been using this list online as a guide: Remember, it's just a guide. Not all of the foods will affect you! ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-food-list/

It's also worth getting tested for allergies and intolerances (not the same thing). Someone I know, who works in food intolerance, says that some food intolerances can be confused for others. For example, some people can think they're wheat intolerant, but it can actually be the yeast in the product, so it's worth having a test done to be certain what it is you're allergic or intolerant to.