Gastrointestinal Issues After Extreme Weight Loss

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kitkatcad
kitkatcad Posts: 13 Member
edited March 2016 in Motivation and Support
Has anyone here developed severe IBS and/or had to switch to a low-FODMAP diet as the result of extreme weight loss?

I lost 120 lbs with MFP by August 2014 (yeah diet and exercise!), met my goal, but had a sugar binge one night like I hadn't since before I started losing. I broke up with my serious boyfriend and my sister broke up with hers in the same week, so it was a 3000 calorie Friday night.

Anyway, the next week I developed IBS.

I haven't been able to shake the IBS since. It feels like a lead balloon settled in my abdomen after that meal, heavy and taking up space. I can't eat solid food like I used to and FODMAPs make me unbearably bloated and gassy. (I once had some kind of organ pop out of my abdomen after a larger than average but not excessive meal and I had to push it back in; there just wasn't space in my intestines. Insane.) Lost another 20-25 pounds just from the pain of eating :/

Hope this is the right forum. Let me know if you also had any chronic gastrointestinal issues (any at all) after losing a lot of weight? Thank you!

Replies

  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    I have severe chronic GI issues but haven't lost a lot of weight. I have Crohn's disease.


    Have you seen a GI Dr or have tests done?
  • kitkatcad
    kitkatcad Posts: 13 Member
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    I have severe chronic GI issues but haven't lost a lot of weight. I have Crohn's disease.


    Have you seen a GI Dr or have tests done?

    Hi :) Sorry to hear about your Crohn's. Yes, about this issue I've seen two gastroenterologists, two gynos, and several GPs. Testing so far is ultrasounds, x-rays, colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, Hydrogen Breath Test, and blood tests. They haven't turned out anything.

    I saw the gynos because I developed amenorrhea from weight loss a few months before August and thought there might be a connection, some problem or that I was pregnant (a bulging stomach a few months after losing your period usually means one thing!)
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    By what means was IBS determined?
    I had all the tests you had. Are you eating a balanced diet?
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    OK so probably IBS. I have never heard of the bulging organ thingy except for people with bowel obstruction.

    I also can't eat most fodmaps plus other restrictions. GI problems suck!

    I'm assuming you are ibs-c?

    Actually thinking back a lot of my issues did start after I recovered from anorexia but I also abused laxatives for a while and other not so healthy behaviours. I am curious if there is a link
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    By what means was IBS determined?
    I had all the tests you had. Are you eating a balanced diet?

    Isn't IBS basically diagnosed when tests (scopes in particular) come back clear/ no evidence of other diseases? That's how I was diagnosed when I just had IBS not Crohn's as well but that was 15 years ago lol
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited March 2016
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    By what means was IBS determined?
    I had all the tests you had. Are you eating a balanced diet?

    Isn't IBS basically diagnosed when tests (scopes in particular) come back clear/ no evidence of other diseases? That's how I was diagnosed when I just had IBS not Crohn's as well but that was 15 years ago lol

    I was told I had IBS-C by a process of elimination (no pun intended). Just wondered if there was more to it than that (or self diagnosis). My "IBS-C" symptoms cleared when I cut down on grains.
  • kitkatcad
    kitkatcad Posts: 13 Member
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    By what means was IBS determined?
    I had all the tests you had. Are you eating a balanced diet?

    Isn't IBS basically diagnosed when tests (scopes in particular) come back clear/ no evidence of other diseases? That's how I was diagnosed when I just had IBS not Crohn's as well but that was 15 years ago lol

    That's how my IBS was diagnosed. One doctor tried to put me on antidepressants to manage it! No help at all.

    Anyway, my diet was very balanced and healthy prior to the problems! Most of my calories came from unprocessed proteins, veggies, and lots of healthy fats. The sugar rush was that night was extremely not me, so much so that I think it caused this problem.

    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    I was told I had IBS-C by a process of elimination (no pun intended). Just wondered if there was more to it than that (or self diagnosis). My "IBS-C" symptoms cleared when I cut down on grains.

    I have IBS-C and cut out the FODMAP foods. It gives me *a lot* of relief from the gas, but no cure. I don't eat more than traces of wheat, dairy, stone fruits, etc these days.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    Crohn's is the opposite problem most of the time (other than occasional obstructions from narrowing of the intestines from scar tissue) and the same c diet helps for d too. I basically can only eat a few veggies and fruits and only white carbs (I'm low fiber) and white meats plus a few other things but if I am flaring badly all food= trigger
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    kitkatcad wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    By what means was IBS determined?
    I had all the tests you had. Are you eating a balanced diet?

    Isn't IBS basically diagnosed when tests (scopes in particular) come back clear/ no evidence of other diseases? That's how I was diagnosed when I just had IBS not Crohn's as well but that was 15 years ago lol

    That's how my IBS was diagnosed. One doctor tried to put me on antidepressants to manage it! No help at all.

    Anyway, my diet was very balanced and healthy prior to the problems! Most of my calories came from unprocessed proteins, veggies, and lots of healthy fats. The sugar rush was that night was extremely not me, so much so that I think it caused this problem.

    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    I was told I had IBS-C by a process of elimination (no pun intended). Just wondered if there was more to it than that (or self diagnosis). My "IBS-C" symptoms cleared when I cut down on grains.

    I have IBS-C and cut out the FODMAP foods. It gives me *a lot* of relief from the gas, but no cure. I don't eat more than traces of wheat, dairy, stone fruits, etc these days.

    How about root vegetables, starches etc? Good luck though!
  • kitkatcad
    kitkatcad Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Crohn's is the opposite problem most of the time (other than occasional obstructions from narrowing of the intestines from scar tissue) and the same c diet helps for d too. I basically can only eat a few veggies and fruits and only white carbs (I'm low fiber) and white meats plus a few other things but if I am flaring badly all food= trigger

    Interesting. Thanks for telling me about Crohn's. I'm going to read up on it and see if there are any parallels at all, something that might explain our different symptoms. Worth a shot at this point.
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    How about root vegetables, starches etc? Good luck though!

    Root veggies, yep. A baked sweet potato with butter was one of my staple lunch sides. Roasted beets in olive oil. Yum. I'm still able to go for the sweet potatoes in smaller quantity :) Thanks, you too.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    Crohn's/ulcerative colitis ( inflammatory bowel diseases /IBD) have some similarities to ibs-d but there is ulceration and inflammation in the intestines plus they are autoimmune disorders so you get non GI symptoms as well.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Crohn's is the opposite problem most of the time (other than occasional obstructions from narrowing of the intestines from scar tissue) and the same c diet helps for d too. I basically can only eat a few veggies and fruits and only white carbs (I'm low fiber) and white meats plus a few other things but if I am flaring badly all food= trigger

    Yes, Crohn's is usually the opposite issues. Colitis too.
  • ydyms
    ydyms Posts: 266 Member
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    kitkatcad wrote: »
    Has anyone here developed severe IBS and/or had to switch to a low-FODMAP diet as the result of extreme weight loss?

    I lost 120 lbs with MFP by August 2014 (yeah diet and exercise!), met my goal, but had a sugar binge one night like I hadn't since before I started losing. I broke up with my serious boyfriend and my sister broke up with hers in the same week, so it was a 3000 calorie Friday night.

    Anyway, the next week I developed IBS.

    I haven't been able to shake the IBS since. It feels like a lead balloon settled in my abdomen after that meal, heavy and taking up space. I can't eat solid food like I used to and FODMAPs make me unbearably bloated and gassy. (I once had some kind of organ pop out of my abdomen after a larger than average but not excessive meal and I had to push it back in; there just wasn't space in my intestines. Insane.) Lost another 20-25 pounds just from the pain of eating :/

    Hope this is the right forum. Let me know if you also had any chronic gastrointestinal issues (any at all) after losing a lot of weight? Thank you!

    Were you tested for SIBO? That's a strong cause for ibs as bacteria feeds off sugar in the small intestine.

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