FODMAP diet IBS

Hello!
I suffer with IBS and find I struggle to go to the toilet more then a couple of times a week.

I have been reading up about the FODMAP diet and am wondering if anyone else has any experience with this?

Where do you start? What can you/can’t youn eat (all sires say different) and does it actually work? If so, how has it changed your health?

Thank you

Replies

  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,097 Member
    My first thought is to see a doctor. My second thought would be is to take a look at your fiber and water intake. See if those two things are causing your problem. Too little fiber(also too much fiber) can cause problems along with not enough water(liquids).

    I suffer from IBC(constipation) quite often. I can usually trace it back to a few things...fiber, water intake and eating too many vegetables that lends itself to leading to constipation...such as brussel sprouts! Onions will also sometimes set me off.

    Remember also that the amount of foods that you are eating while dieting can also affect how quickly your digested foods move through your system. Less food...less there is to have a bowel movement.

    Also...activity affects constipation. If I become comatose I have more problems with getting constipation. Ex: When my dog starts running in circles as fast as he can he will immediately go right afterwards. If it works for dogs it should work for humans!

    IBS and FODMAP is complicated. You give up a lot of foods initially and gradually add them back one at a time. It is a long process. I am not an expert in IBS but I had to become an expert on my own issues with constipation. I have a rather large hernia and when I become constipated I am in excruciating pain. So I work on it constantly.

    My question is are you using laxatives to take care of the problem. I found out real quick that it only made things worse for me. Sure I would go to the bathroom and get some relief but within a couple of days I was only repeating the cycle.

    My last piece of advice...if this has been going on for a long period of time and it has become painful for you...see a doctor.
  • katherineleggett
    katherineleggett Posts: 129 Member
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    My first thought is to see a doctor. My second thought would be is to take a look at your fiber and water intake. See if those two things are causing your problem. Too little fiber(also too much fiber) can cause problems along with not enough water(liquids).

    I suffer from IBC(constipation) quite often. I can usually trace it back to a few things...fiber, water intake and eating too many vegetables that lends itself to leading to constipation...such as brussel sprouts! Onions will also sometimes set me off.

    Remember also that the amount of foods that you are eating while dieting can also affect how quickly your digested foods move through your system. Less food...less there is to have a bowel movement.

    Also...activity affects constipation. If I become comatose I have more problems with getting constipation. Ex: When my dog starts running in circles as fast as he can he will immediately go right afterwards. If it works for dogs it should work for humans!

    IBS and FODMAP is complicated. You give up a lot of foods initially and gradually add them back one at a time. It is a long process. I am not an expert in IBS but I had to become an expert on my own issues with constipation. I have a rather large hernia and when I become constipated I am in excruciating pain. So I work on it constantly.

    My question is are you using laxatives to take care of the problem. I found out real quick that it only made things worse for me. Sure I would go to the bathroom and get some relief but within a couple of days I was only repeating the cycle.

    My last piece of advice...if this has been going on for a long period of time and it has become painful for you...see a doctor.

    I don’t use laxatives if I can help it. I have been to the doctor who has advised me to keep a log of what seems to trigger it off.

    I try and strictly drink 2 litres of water a day but I do eat LOADS of vegetables. I don’t eat a lot of meat and usually use veg as the bulk of my meals.

    I try and keep active, either going to the gym and I’ll walk. How do you get extra fibre into your diet?
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,097 Member
    Good for you on checking with your doctor!

    For a while I used Metamucil or some type of fiber additive. Some people take psyllium husk fiber pills or the powder(powder taste nasty to me). Mostly however I try to control it with the foods that I eat. It is all trial and error. If all else fails for me I have used a mild suppository. I try not to use them very often however. It has been over two years since I have had to resort to them.

    I also found that if when it starts to get very bad eating something greasy such as pizza will help. I failed to mention in my previous post...fats. Making sure that you get enough fats will help with the elimination problems. I seem to be always short since I don't eat a lot of fattier foods.

    Good luck and I hope that I have given you enough to research. Also google "stomach massage for constipation". I have had luck with that on occasion.
  • mochapygmy
    mochapygmy Posts: 2,123 Member
    Did you see a GI dr? I'm surprised they didn't discuss a low FODMAP diet with you.

    Ideally you work with a FODMAP trained dietician because if FODMAP isn't helping you they can troubleshoot to see what other food issues you may have.

    The gold standard source for FODMAP foods is the Monash University app. You do have to pay a 1 time fee of about $13 US. This money goes to further FODMAP research. The app updates regularly as they test how many FODMAPs are in foods and when portion sizes change on existing entries. Also the latest round of updates has made the app much more user friendly.

    The app also contains detailed information about how the diet works. The elimination and reintroduction phases as well as recipes and meal ideas.

    Joining a Facebook low FODMAP group was also extremely helpful.

    FODMAPs and IBS are so baffling to people because they are in healthy whole foods. I figured out I had a FODMAP issue after eating apples. They made and make me so sick.

    You need a good scale because the goal is to eat low FODMAP and for some foods that may mean you can eat 1/4 cup safely but 1/3 of a cup will impact you negatively.

    Like most elimination diets the goal is to get you to eliminate the potentially bad for you foods, get you feeling better then have you test foods to find what your food triggers are and how much of your triggers you can eat without negative consequences. Then you eat as wide a variety of foods as possible to provide you with healthy nutrients and keep your gut biome healthy.

    Oh a note about fiber. For some people with IBS fiber too much fiber causes pain, bloating and constipation so the old adage to add fiber is no longer true for everyone.
  • mochapygmy
    mochapygmy Posts: 2,123 Member
    I used alittlebityummy.com's reintroduction guide. They tested extra categories including stacking FODMAPS and their guide was more specific. They would use grams versus some guides that say 1/2 a peach. Half a small peach? A large peach? Who knows.

    I have identified my triggers and can navigate them to keep my GI system working well and pain free.
  • Emmapatterson1729
    Emmapatterson1729 Posts: 1,296 Member
    My daughter and I suffer from IBS. We recently discovered we have a sensitivity to breads and high starchy foods. After a lot research into carb sensitivity, we decided to give keto a try. Because it is usually used for medical purposes, it focuses on eliminating foods that cause inflammation (vegetable oils, beans and legumes, grains, starches and breads).

    So far, so good. My IBS issues are pretty much gone (especially my 24/7 bloat and discomfort). My daughter is better, but still having a little trouble. But she's suffered a lot longer with this than I had. She's had digestive/bowel issues almost her entire life, mine are more recent. For me it's been hard to wrap my head around, because we've always been told to keep her fiber high...in keto high fiber foods are viewed as problematic for bowel issues.

    Everyone is different, and what works for one may not work for another.

    I think it's investigating what foods trigger you as an individual.

    Good luck!
  • DiannePB54
    DiannePB54 Posts: 5 Member
    I have been following the FODMAP diet for about 2 years, maybe longer. I know my trigger foods very well. I however have the opposite problem whereas my trigger foods have me living in the Bathroom. No grains, cruciferous vegies and pitted fruit. I cannot do Keto because of the whole vegetable thing, but I also have high triglycerides and my dr. wants me to cut back on carbs so I am trying to eliminated the high starch foods from my diet. I use low carb tortilla wraps in place of bread for sandwiches. My issue is I need to loose approx 50 pounds, but am finding it very difficult with so many restrictions. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking of protein drinks for breakfast as this seems to be my MOST difficult meal. Again your input would be appreciated.
  • Emmapatterson1729
    Emmapatterson1729 Posts: 1,296 Member
    edited August 2019
    DiannePB54 wrote: »
    I have been following the FODMAP diet for about 2 years, maybe longer. I know my trigger foods very well. I however have the opposite problem whereas my trigger foods have me living in the Bathroom. No grains, cruciferous vegies and pitted fruit. I cannot do Keto because of the whole vegetable thing, but I also have high triglycerides and my dr. wants me to cut back on carbs so I am trying to eliminated the high starch foods from my diet. I use low carb tortilla wraps in place of bread for sandwiches. My issue is I need to loose approx 50 pounds, but am finding it very difficult with so many restrictions. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking of protein drinks for breakfast as this seems to be my MOST difficult meal. Again your input would be appreciated.

    My daughter can't eat hardly any veggies, they cause ulcers and internal bleeding with her Crohn's.

    She has found through trial and error she can tolerate squashes (zucchini, pumpkin, summer squash, etc), sweet potatoes, celery, carrots, avocados, bananas.

    With her version of keto she still eats some of the veggies she can tolerate. But really gets a majority of her calories with meats and eggs cooked in olive oil and/or butter, full-fat dairy (cheese, heavy creams, sour cream), and her protein shakes and bars.

    This is the most calories she's consumed in years. Her bloat is gone, her heart palpitations have stopped, her indigestion and acid reflux have stopped.

    She still has bowel issues... Always either constipated or diarrhea, back and forth!

    Can still lower carbs without going keto low. But if you do decide to try keto, up fat and protein to stay full and get calories in.

    Can check out the Low Carber Daily Forum group, most I talk to in this group are there for medical reasons. Some people in the group eat 150 grams of carbs, others eat close to zero. It's pretty diverse!
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
    If you are going to follow low FODMAP, it is best to find a FODMAP trained dietician to help you. Definitely follow Monash University's instructions: they are the ones who developed the FODMAP diet. Download their official FODMAP app - it costs something like $10, but it's the only entirely reliable source of information, and the money directly funds further research. Also, unlike most websites you might find, it doesn't just classify foods as "high FODMAP" or "low FODMAP", but actually gives serving sizes and specifically which FODMAPs it is high in. E.g. you can eat 10 almonds, but not 30 (depending on which FODMAPs are problems for you - maybe you can eat as many almonds as you want!)

    I've been following a low FODMAP diet for several years now. It's important to know that you do not stay in the elimination phase for long. You need to start testing foods to broaden your diet or you will not get adequate nutrition. It took me about a year and a half, but I eventually figured out that fructans, fructose, and lactose are my problems. This means I can still eat cauliflower, because although it is "high FODMAP", it's high in other things, not the ones that bother me. Again, this is why the Monash app is so helpful.

    Feel free to friend me if you like.
  • DiannePB54
    DiannePB54 Posts: 5 Member
    Mathandcats, thank you, very helpful.fyi I keep trying foods from the elimination phase, every 3 or 4 months cruciferous veggies, whole grains, and pitted fruit continue to be bothersome, I will eat these foods in small quantities on the weekends, so if there is a problem, I will be home and not at work.
  • DiannePB54
    DiannePB54 Posts: 5 Member
    Emnapatterson1729, your daughters diet, sounds exactly what I eat. I am trying low carb it makes it easier for my husband who is type 2 diabetic to keep glucose levels regulated. I am also trying to incorporate mindful eating. Thank you for replying, not feeling so alone. My best for your daughter.
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
    DiannePB54 wrote: »
    Mathandcats, thank you, very helpful.fyi I keep trying foods from the elimination phase, every 3 or 4 months cruciferous veggies, whole grains, and pitted fruit continue to be bothersome, I will eat these foods in small quantities on the weekends, so if there is a problem, I will be home and not at work.

    Do you have the FODMAP app? "Pitted fruit" is a pretty broad category (as is "cruciferous veggies"), and different ones are high in different FODMAPs. e.g. I cannot eat a whole mango because it's high in fructose. I can eat yellow peaches, because they're only high in sortbitol, which is not a problem for me. White peaches I cannot eat. It's very complicated. :neutral: Also, based on your comment about living in the bathroom, I'll also mention that in my experience (I'm not an expert or anything), the FODMAPs that cause diarrhea are primarily fructose, lactose, and sugar alcohols (polyols). Many stone fruits are high in fructose and/or polyols, as well as some cruciferous vegetables. So perhaps this is a place to start investigating, if you haven't already. If you can tolerate eating entire apples or more than 1 tsp of honey, fructose likely isn't the problem.

    Other examples of why I highly recommend the app vs. any websites: from it, I learned the following (verified through experimentation - but this is only for my specific FODMAP issues):
    - I can eat common tomatoes, but not roma tomatoes
    - I can eat not-very-ripe bananas, but not spotted ones
    - I can eat broccoli florets, but not broccoli stems
    - I can eat broccolini stems, but not broccolini florets
    - I can eat sourdough bread, but not other breads (the fermentation destroys the FODMAPs), although I can tolerate one wheat tortilla
    - rice is fine, but puffed rice, e.g. rice cakes, are very much not

    If you already have the app, apologies for going on and on about it!
  • DiannePB54
    DiannePB54 Posts: 5 Member
    No worries about going on, I did learn from your recent post.never thought about florets vs stems. I avoid the whole thing. Cruciferous is broccoli, onions except a small amount for flavor) cabbage, cauliflower. Pitted fruit, peaches, cherries, necterines..I do not eat acidic fruit like oranges and grapefruit, not only do they give me diarrhea, but I develop canker sores, and not just one but many! Tomatoes don't seem to give me any problems. When i develop canker sores, i am almost guaranteed a flare up. I will definitely check out the app.
  • TrishSeren
    TrishSeren Posts: 587 Member
    I have anxiety and IBS is usually a symptom of anxiety, when I get very anxious I get IBS, when I deal with the stress or anxiety, it goes away.

    In addition to working out what your tummy can't handle at the moment, it's also worth looking at your lifestyle. Are you stressed out or anxious about anything?
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
    Some people also have non-FODMAP triggers such as chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, or greasy foods.
  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
    I have IBS and follow a very modified FODMAP diet. My stomach stays functional with the following:
    - no rye or barley
    - mostly no wheat (I try to eat a little once a week to keep some tolerance)
    - no chickpeas
    - beans, lentils, peas etc. only occasionally (max. once a week)
    - shallots and other fresh onions: only the green part, not the white part
    - no yeasty stuff like beer/cider or baked goods with baking yeast
    - limited amounts of bubbles (sparkling water / soda / sparkling wine etc.)

    Then there's random exceptions, like I can eat wheat tortillas by a certain brand but not others and not wheat in general, and I have a friend with IBS who can eat tofu but not other forms of soy. There's general guidelines and instructions, but you have to figure out what works for you. You might have to try limiting more at first to learn what triggers you. For example, I first experimented on whether rye triggers me, but didn't figure it out since I replaced it with wheat in my diet and that's also a trigger.
  • r4r3fied
    r4r3fied Posts: 1 Member
    I've had a lot of luck with FODMAPS. I was very resistant for a while because I thought it was a fad diet, but it's not a meal plan or anything like that, just guidelines for foods that can cause issues. I think the reasons why so many sites have conflicting information is because different people react to different foods. In my case, my main issue is lactose, even though I tested negatively for lactose intolerance (the doctor who tested me later said the values were borderline on the side of no interolance, which is probably why it wasn't caught for so long and I can still eat hard cheese in small amounts). As for fruits, I have a lot of problems with apples and stone fruits (peaches, etc.). I have no problems with flour, but can't eat bulgar or coucous. Beans are hit or miss - chickpeas, green beans and green peas are fine, soy is a no-go and other beans can cause problems when I eat too many. I don't have a GI because there isn't one in my area, but I've been working with a nutritionist, which I highly recommend. They'll help you try out things and figure out what doesn't work or how much can work.
  • Emmapatterson1729
    Emmapatterson1729 Posts: 1,296 Member
    DiannePB54 wrote: »
    Emnapatterson1729, your daughters diet, sounds exactly what I eat. I am trying low carb it makes it easier for my husband who is type 2 diabetic to keep glucose levels regulated. I am also trying to incorporate mindful eating. Thank you for replying, not feeling so alone. My best for your daughter.

    @DiannePB54

    I suggest joining the groups and starting a friends list. 80% or more of my friends list are low carbers or ketoers, females 35-65 yrs old, all on this diet for medical issues, doctor recommended.

    The Keto group also has people eating low carb, but not all eat keto low. The groups are a very supportive environment!
  • geltner1
    geltner1 Posts: 85 Member
    I am just starting the FODMAP diet for IBS. It seems to me that it would be just as possible to lose weight on this diet as on an unrestricted diet. If you moniter your calorie intake on MFP and stay under your limit while experimenting with gradually adding foods as they tell you to do on the application. They have scientific studies showing that this plan helps many who suffer with IBS. Good luck Dianne.
  • wahelga
    wahelga Posts: 304 Member
    I did the low FODMAP diet under instruction of a dietician and it has changed my life. I now know I can't eat mannitol (cauliflower, mushrooms etc) of foods where there is more fructose than glucose (apples, pears, honey, dried fruits etc) but I can eat all other categories of high FODMAP foods.

    The diet is not intended as a solution you stay on long term but instead is a diagnostic tool. You avoid all high FODMAP diets until your IBS settles down, then test against each category to see if it affects you. Eventually (It took me 9 months) you emerge out the other side with a much better idea of what you can safely eat and what will affect you.