Friendliest diet/WOE for gastrointestinal issues? Help!
VividVegan
Posts: 200 Member
I didn't know where to post this since there's no medical section but I need suggestions asap. For many months I've had a large number of gastrointestinal issues that keep occurring on a weekly basis (bloating, gas, stomach cramps, pelvic cramps, constipation, impaction, diarrhea, rectal bleeding [and mucus], hemorrhoids, nausea, loss of appetite, increase in appetite, sluggish [mainly when constipated]). I experience different symptoms on different days. Very rarely do I go a day without at least one of these occurring. I made an appointment with a gastroenterologist because it's getting worse by the week and nothing is working (exercise 5 days a week, 25-30g fiber a day, 1 gal of water a day, laxatives when needed, heating pad for cramps, lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats, healthy fats, whole grains, and very little dairy). The soonest I can see her though is the end of the month. So I'm wondering if there's a specific diet/WOE that is known for being very friendly towards people with digestive issues. A lot of my cramping occurs shortly after eating by the way so maybe it's something I eat?
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Replies
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I would start logging your food intake and symptoms in detail to look for patterns. If it occurs after you eat, you could try taking things out of your diet and seeing if you can find the cause. Otherwise I don't think I have other suggestions. Unfortunately your symptoms could be a food allergy or they could be a more serious underlying physical problem. While many people here may have had experience with this and say what works for them, it wouldn't be specific to you or specific to your underlying issue as you don't have a diagnosis. Not trying to be unhelpful, but I would really just start to aggressively record your intake and symptoms so you have specifics when you visit the gastroenterologist.6
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I echo @aub6689 's advice to track your intake on MFP and see if you can find a pattern with specific foods. So much depends on the ultimate diagnosis.
Try a low/no fiber day, replacing with plain carbs, and see what happens. (IBS or Crohn's perhaps?)
Try a low fat day and a high fat day and see what happens. (Wondering if it is your gall bladder)
Try a probiotic day with Kefir, Kombucha, and perhaps a probiotic from a health food store. See how you feel the next day. (Improve the flora).
Try a low protein day and see what happens. When you do eat protein, eat plenty of veggies with it.
Try an all-smoothie day, and see what happens the next day. An all-smoothie day is not sustainable but if you have any sort of constriction or blockage, the smoothie might get through without any cramping.
[Edited to add: Don't do these all on the same day. Try each one on a separate day. This is an elimination experiment.]3 -
I echo @aub6689 's advice to track your intake on MFP and see if you can find a pattern with specific foods. So much depends on the ultimate diagnosis.
Try a low/no fiber day, replacing with plain carbs, and see what happens. (IBS or Crohn's perhaps?)
Try a low fat day and a high fat day and see what happens. (Wondering if it is your gall bladder)
Try a probiotic day with Kefir, Kombucha, and perhaps a probiotic from a health food store. See how you feel the next day. (Improve the flora).
Try a low protein day and see what happens. When you do eat protein, eat plenty of veggies with it.
Try an all-smoothie day, and see what happens the next day. An all-smoothie day is not sustainable but if you have any sort of constriction or blockage, the smoothie might get through without any cramping.
[Edited to add: Don't do these all on the same day. Try each one on a separate day. This is an elimination experiment.]
THIS ^^^^^^ 1000 times over. Your symptoms scream either food allergy (dairy, gluten and nightshades are big common ones) or IBS/Crohns type of situation. But trying these suggestions one at a time (especially the logging and comparing symptoms in a notebook) can be exceedingly helpful while you wait on the doctor. If you notice worse symptoms when you eat certain foods you can pull them out temporarily until you talk to the doctor. I will warn you that it was 7yrs of doctors testing for food allergies in our house before we finally did the ELISA 96 food panel that actually showed severe allergies before we figured out what was wrong here (every "standard" test showed negatives). So if they test you and you show negative but they can't figure out what else is wrong, look at having the ELISA panel by US BioTek done.4 -
I echo @aub6689 's advice to track your intake on MFP and see if you can find a pattern with specific foods. So much depends on the ultimate diagnosis.
Try a low/no fiber day, replacing with plain carbs, and see what happens. (IBS or Crohn's perhaps?)
Try a low fat day and a high fat day and see what happens. (Wondering if it is your gall bladder)
Try a probiotic day with Kefir, Kombucha, and perhaps a probiotic from a health food store. See how you feel the next day. (Improve the flora).
Try a low protein day and see what happens. When you do eat protein, eat plenty of veggies with it.
Try an all-smoothie day, and see what happens the next day. An all-smoothie day is not sustainable but if you have any sort of constriction or blockage, the smoothie might get through without any cramping.
[Edited to add: Don't do these all on the same day. Try each one on a separate day. This is an elimination experiment.]
I agree with this advice but typically foods that trigger reactions do so as they continue to be digested so generally the advice is to remove an item for at least a week. It took quite some time to determine that I had an intolerance to gluten, for a while it was suspected I had an intolerance to lactose because I hadn't taken into account how long food takes to pass through the digestive system
Food / Symptoms diaries are a great starting point as they can help identify patterns
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The things you're being told to do are spot on. I have IBS and through keeping a food journal, I discovered the foods that are big no's, occasionally won't hurt me if I don't mind a little discomfort, and safe foods. My biggest triggers are cauliflower, garlic and onions (sad, right?!) If I eat even small amounts of those I am miserable. Other foods will impact me to a lesser degree; I can eat dairy sparingly but if I go overboard I pay. Apples and nectarines can also be an issue for me if I get too much.
Pretty random list, right? I used the low FODMAP list from Monarch University as a starting point and cut out everything but what was on the "green" list. Then I added the other things one at a time over the course of several weeks and figured out what works and what doesn't. If you have IBS then this list is a gift! BTW, I get all of your symptoms if I eat the wrong things. The more cauliflower I ate, the worse things got and that was when the mucous and bleeding were at their worst. I cut out cauliflower and that cleared up. Diet makes a HUGE impact so keep a food diary even though you are seeing a doctor. I will only help them help you. Good luck!2 -
I had nearly identical symptoms for years. Turned out it was a soy allergy. Log your symptoms & food, and a trip to the doctor for testing for allergies, an autoimmune disease such as Crohn's, or ulcerative colitis are in order.1
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http://www.eatingwell.com/blogs/health_blog/top_8_food_allergies_and_how_to_eat_around_them
These are the top 10 food allergens in the U.S.
1. MILK
2. EGGS
3. PEANUTS
4. TREE NUTS
5. FISH
6. SHELLFISH
7. SOY
8. WHEAT
Take one away for a week and then bring it back for three or four days and see how you feel,2 -
Omg! That's awful. I'm so sorry. I'm an RN and your symptoms sound like a food allergy, IBS, or Crohn's. Is it possible another GI doc can see you? Maybe even a nurse practitioner. You need relief sooner than later. I would call the GI doc's office and see if they can recommend a diet in the meantime.3
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As a sufferer of IBS and gluten intolerance myself for years, I can see you have received some good advice already. Detailed food/allergy diaries will help your gastroenterologist to spot patterns of when your symptoms occur and will help track down the culprit. Log all symptoms in the diary with times as well as foods (I logged my food down to ingredients level) If it is an allergy I would be hesitant to remove anything out of your diet at this point as it can give you false negatives, rather log it all, present your case then go onto a food elimination/FOODMAP diet after to see what you react to. Celiac Disease for example, unless you eat gluten in the 6 weeks before the bloodiest you are almost guaranteed a false negative and being put into a 6 weeks gluten diet for retesting. You need a long term solution not a quick fix and be persistent with your specialist, get tested for anything and everything.
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There's an app called MySymptoms Food and Symptoms tracker. You can track food detail reactions (times, symptoms). It lets you print off a PDF for the Doc.3
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My mom had similar issues and followed FODMAP. Ends up her culprit was apples, which she Never even considered because who can't eat apples?!? And they are healthy so she would eat several a day!
So, basically, start eliminating friend!
With my daughter, we had chronic stomach aches, and reducing all fruit helped. For some, gluten. I think it's easier to eliminate a lot of stuff and then slowly add food groups back in, but that can feel overwhelming, so just start somewhere and stick with it.1 -
Ditto the advice to follow a low FODMAP diet. I have IBS and all of my triggers are FODMAP foods (but not all FODMAPs are triggers for me).0
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Schedule a colonoscopy!!
If you suspect crohn's or ulcerative colitis you should try low fiber, cutting out fresh fruits and vegetables, all skins, seeds, nuts, spices, etc.
I have Crohn's so if you need support you can friend me1 -
singingflutelady wrote: »Schedule a colonoscopy!!
If you suspect crohn's or ulcerative colitis you should try low fiber, cutting out fresh fruits and vegetables, all skins, seeds, nuts, spices, etc.
I have Crohn's so if you need support you can friend me
How do you get nutrients and healthy bowel movements?0 -
Sudden increase in Fibre is a culprit to gas/wind. Allergy test could be a way to go, get tested0
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FeedMeFish wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Schedule a colonoscopy!!
If you suspect crohn's or ulcerative colitis you should try low fiber, cutting out fresh fruits and vegetables, all skins, seeds, nuts, spices, etc.
I have Crohn's so if you need support you can friend me
How do you get nutrients and healthy bowel movements?
In my case, the RAW state of vegetables can be problematic if I eat too much but cook them and I'm fine. I can only eat salad or smoothies so many days in a row before I'm camping in the bathroom.0 -
FeedMeFish wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Schedule a colonoscopy!!
If you suspect crohn's or ulcerative colitis you should try low fiber, cutting out fresh fruits and vegetables, all skins, seeds, nuts, spices, etc.
I have Crohn's so if you need support you can friend me
How do you get nutrients and healthy bowel movements?
My bowel movements are 5+ times a day. I pray for a normal bowel movement but it's infrequent for someone with Inflammatory Bowel Disease to actually have normal bowel movements.
Adding fiber makes it worse. For nutrients I take a lot of supplements (a multi, iron, b12, d). I also drink a premade shake that's by the same people that make ensure but is made especially for people who suffer from malabsorption. Some cooked are ok (starchy vegs, squash, and carrots basically pureed). I can eat bananas raw and cooked apple and peach (without skin). Juicing is an option since it removes the fiber. Actually most of these come out (TMI alert) undigested anyways so I am not getting the nutrients from them. I definitely would not get the nutrients from raw veggies anyways as they pass too quickly and come out the same way they went in (and cause extreme pain, dehydration, etc)1 -
singingflutelady wrote: »FeedMeFish wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Schedule a colonoscopy!!
If you suspect crohn's or ulcerative colitis you should try low fiber, cutting out fresh fruits and vegetables, all skins, seeds, nuts, spices, etc.
I have Crohn's so if you need support you can friend me
How do you get nutrients and healthy bowel movements?
My bowel movements are 5+ times a day. I pray for a normal bowel movement but it's infrequent for someone with Inflammatory Bowel Disease to actually have normal bowel movements.
Adding fiber makes it worse. For nutrients I take a lot of supplements (a multi, iron, b12, d). I also drink a premade shake that's by the same people that make ensure but is made especially for people who suffer from malabsorption. Some cooked are ok (starchy vegs, squash, and carrots basically pureed). I can eat bananas raw and cooked apple and peach (without skin). Juicing is an option since it removes the fiber. Actually most of these come out (TMI alert) undigested anyways so I am not getting the nutrients from them. I definitely would not get the nutrients from raw veggies anyways as they pass too quickly and come out the same way they went in (and cause extreme pain, dehydration, etc)
I feel for you so much. My partner has crohn's as well and he faces many of the same problems with veggies. If it's green, cooked or not, he pretty much can't have it. And corn is a definite no.
He recently had a bad reaction to a protein bar because we didn't think to check the label and the syrups got him
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Green veggies are a huge no go. And corn I miss popcorn so much! Someone was telling me a story about last year's crohn's and colitis canada annual conference. They had a popcorn machine and everyone was annoyed as popcorn is a no go for most IBD patients. Well, it turns out they had someone remove all the kernel, husk parts and just left the fluffy part so everyone could eat it. Lots of people cried over this! 0
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singingflutelady wrote: »Green veggies are a huge no go. And corn I miss popcorn so much! Someone was telling me a story about last year's crohn's and colitis canada annual conference. They had a popcorn machine and everyone was annoyed as popcorn is a no go for most IBD patients. Well, it turns out they had someone remove all the kernel, husk parts and just left the fluffy part so everyone could eat it. Lots of people cried over this!
I bet! He still has popcorn on occasion, maybe once every few months if we go out to the movies or have a movie night at home. He does find that the OR popcorn chips don't bother him as much but he's lost the taste for them lol.0 -
Update: Day 1 of trial and error elimination. Today I chose to eliminate grains for the day. Didn't make much of a difference. Tomorrow, I'll eliminate wheat and see how I feel.0
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Remember that you need to eliminate a food for a minimum of 3 days (and really 7). It takes 72hrs for a food protein to leave the body cells completely. So eliminating it for one day and doing something different the next day you may not notice a difference or you might confuse which foods are doing what. Grains that contain gluten are wheat, barley, oats (unless specifically run on gluten free equipment), rye, triticale, spelt, and kamut. So if you're testing gluten vs. other grains (corn, millet, quinoa, etc) there's the break down for you. It can be a tedious process to eliminate, but it can be VERY helpful in figuring out what's going on.1
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Doing it one day is not enough. It needs to be about a week.1
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FeedMeFish wrote: »Update: Day 1 of trial and error elimination. Today I chose to eliminate grains for the day. Didn't make much of a difference. Tomorrow, I'll eliminate wheat and see how I feel.
One day often won't make a difference. Often a few days, or even weeks, is needed to see improvements in symptoms. I old give it more time. Eliminate grains for a week or more... More is better. I am a celiac and it took me a few weeks for things to really improve, and a good year until symptoms stopped improving. Give yourself more time on eliminated foods before you judge.
The same goes for reintroduced foods. Food sensitivity reactions can start within minutes or take a few days. Keeping a food and symptom journal may help.
All that being said, the foods that bother my stomach are grains and sugars, as well as veggies - especially raw. Lactose is another problem food for me. It varies so much between people though.
Good luck!1 -
The obvious things are to log your symptoms & foods, frequency, changes, etc.. if you want a clean anti-inflammatory diet, check out pancan.org for pancreatic cancer diet.
Although IBS, Chron's, celiac, gallstones, frequent courses of antibiotics (causing overgrowth in gut) and food allergies are frequent problems, but there can be others, like I have.... pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and non-diabetic/non-alcohol chronic pancreatitis. Several conditions underlie tumors, too. I'm waiting for cancer diagnosis as I write this.
Don't mess around. Go to a GI specialist. Btw, if poop or diarrhea floats, it's because essential fats necessary to digestion are being lost or not produced. Severe malnutrition can occur because enzymes aren't able to work with water soluble vitamins, etc. If poop is not formed or there are multiple bowel movements a day, it's just not healthy. Get checked out.
Please don't assume it's an allergy or uncooked veggies. Anything that persists, gets worse, or affects your life and ability to function, IS a problem best left to a GI specialist.0
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