IBS and Dieting

I have the exact same issue..anything I eat causes it!

IBS runs in my family and I too suffer...I have not gotten to point for the meds just yet, Im trying to maintain before it gets that far...I've recently began the pescatarian diet (no meat except seafood, eggs and dairy)...I have never been a huge fan of dairy and eggs so I consume those in moderation...and that has helped me ALOT! However, its not easy because I love me some hot wings and fried chicken

I have a family history of IBS. My grandma has dealt with it for years. The big thing for her (as recommended by her doctor) was plenty of fiber. She took citrucel (sp?) 2-3 times a day. She ate whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies. She cut back on her fat and avoided her trigger foods (chocolate and nuts) most of the time. It didn't make it all better, but it certainly helped. My mom is going through similar issues as well (and I have occasional problems, especially with pregnancy). I remember hearing that citrucel worked better than Metamusel because of the type of fiber - it caused less gas and bloating.

However, I still would suggest visiting a doctor. You want to rule out other issues that can have similar symptoms - polyps in the bowel, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn's Disease can have similar symptoms, especially when meats are your main trigger. There are other treatments, I think, for those, depending on what it is.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/crohns-disease/DS00104/DSECTION=symptoms

Could be Chrone's. Could be IBS. They have similar symptoms, but one is hereditary and REQUIRES medication to control it. Take a look at your family history and see if anyone has ever had Chrone's Disease. I have a friend with Chrone's. He suffers from it horribly.

I have IBS and most of my triggers seem to be irritants, anyhow. Popcorn, for instance, because of the husk. Too much broccoli and I have the same effect because of the high fiber content. Very acidic or spicy foods hit me. Stress plays a big factor in triggering, sometimes, as well. HUGE factor, since I have social anxieties; it makes going any place not a whole lot of fun.

I treat my IBS sans medication. I avoid trigger foods and try to maintain a low stress lifestyle through exercise and meditation. I don't miss the trigger foods (I used to love popcorn, but I can give or take it) and who doesn't need a little less stress in their life?

i've had ibs for 5 years without medication. My best advice is do a week of totally bland eating i'm talking grilled chicken & brown rice. Avoid any dairy,wheat,citrus fruits,high fat or take out all werk & see how your symptoms are. Then keep a food diary & introduce a new food each morning noting in diary how you felt after & any symptoms experienced over the next 24hr. Do this for about a fortnight & then take it all to the Dr so he can assess you better.

As for managing the symptoms i use a lot of herbal teas. Peppemint helps the cramps/wind, lemon balm for the diahorrea & nettle helps with bloating. They are worth trying, when i wake up & having a bad stomach day the tirst thing i do is brew a strong tea & drink a couple of cups by the time i've got to work all symptoms sorted:) Aloe vera juice can really help & theres some tabletsat Holland&Barrett called colon cleanse that my sister swears by for her symptoms. Good luck make sure you see a Dr x

I suffer from IBS...not sure if that is what you have or not.

My struggles went like this...I would be constipated for sometimes two weeks then finally it would pass. Always in the middle of the night. It actually would effect my blood pressure, it would drop dramatically and I even blacked out once (while on the toilet). Needless to say I would have to wake my husband to go to the bathroom with me. It was very rough and went on like that for several months. I finally accepted that I needed to change my habits...there are several trigger foods. Not everybody reacts the same. I see on here some are saying eat raw veggies...that is a trigger food for me. Salad kills my stomach. Artificial sweeteners are horrific for me...if I drink a diet soda I feel it within an hour. I am curious you say when you eat meats they are bothering you...are you eating a salad before or during eating these meats? Meats are not generally a trigger food...at least from what I have been told. If I eat a salad and then a steak, I am usually in the bathroom before I leave the restaurant! I haven't had any problems since I started eliminating all those things.

Good luck...I hope you get all this figured out.