Any Ladies Here Have IBS?

deevatude
deevatude Posts: 322 Member
edited December 19 in Health and Weight Loss
i have ibs-c and i have been having the worst attacks recently.

question is what does ur diet look like?

i know i cant eat certain foods but i have not found what i can and cannot eat yet and its so frustrating.

Replies

  • nlwilliamson
    nlwilliamson Posts: 225 Member
    Its kinda hard to tell you whats good and easy and whats bad. It will be different for each person. For me, pasta and cheese get me pretty bad. I try to steer away from gluten and fatty foods. I can relate to the IBS attacks, they are horrible :(
  • jessw1823
    jessw1823 Posts: 24
    I do!! It has definitely been a struggle for me as well. About a month ago I removed soda, any carbonated drinks, fast food, anything greasy, and any artificial sugars completely from my diet. I also try to limit my dairy intake. It has been tough to get used to, but has really helped!
  • 180farm
    180farm Posts: 230
    I have ibs-d. Anything creamy (lactose intolerant) or fried will bring it on but sometimes it seems so random. I had an episode last night after eating some spaghetti with sauce. Sometimes too much whole grain does it too. Since I really started watching what I eat and making healthier choices I have noticed a huge difference. Happens much less often. I still can't pin point all trigger foods even though I log everything I eat.
  • I avoid all sorts of pasta, bread, rice and almost anything with flour. I will have very small amounts of these things once and again, but mostly I avoid it, cause my system can't handle it.

    I am not too good with cheese either, but I simply can't give it up. I am a vegetarian too, and I feel like I can't cut out another food group at this particular time.

    I too struggle with what to eat. It's nice to hear from others in the same situation =)
  • Mrshotwing
    Mrshotwing Posts: 166 Member
    YES!!! Just went to the Dr. i thought it was due to my period but turns out I have bowel issues. It was so painful i would pass out!!!

    they put me on miralax for 2 months and a probiotic. i have no idea which foods are bad because i just started. I think i have probably always had it just never this bad.
  • Angelbinick21
    Angelbinick21 Posts: 39 Member
    Anything fried or creamy is trouble for me. And recently, my obgyn diagnosed me with endometriosis - which he said causes the IBS to be more severe. Apparently the bowel is very near your reproductive organs, and with all those hormones sloshing around it churns everything up pretty bad. I just thought I had a nervous stomach! Anyway, I try to keep it bland - simple proteins and whole grains. One thing that helps is eating lots of fiber with my evening meal (broccoli especially.) This way I can start the next day very 'regular' ha!
  • mtbke5
    mtbke5 Posts: 96 Member
    I have IBS also and I can wake up feeling miserable and then not be able to eat all day. I cannot find a specific trigger food or foods so I have to take each bite/meal with caution. There are days were the pain is unbearable and others that I'm just extremely bloated and full feeling.
  • BubbleGumKisses
    BubbleGumKisses Posts: 156 Member
    MyFitnessPal has helped me realize patterns sooo much better! I have realized that sugary or carbonated things are evil, and give me terrible cramps, and I don't think I tolerate 'fake sugars' well either...grease is a big culprit aswell....
    I eat a 60-cal prune-pack and also drink PlumSmart juice daily... that has really been helping me so much, but being so unpredictable or achy makes exercise tough!!
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    I thought I had IBS for years. So did my doctor. It wasn't until I went to a dietician that I figured out I don't have IBS, but gluten sensitivity. Since cutting out the gluten from my diet, I've notices a WORLD of difference. Although I will often suffer through the unpleasantness just so I can drink some beer. I love good beer.

    But anyway, my diet consists basically of no starches (no bread, no pasta, no rice), and mostly just lean meats, veggies, and fruit. I'll add in a sweet potato here and there, but that's about it. It's kinda boring, but I feel about a million times better this way. My multi-vitamins also contain probiotics and I try to drink a Kombucha (loaded with probiotics) a few times a week.

    Hope you find some relief, because I know how bad it can suck!
  • I recommend the book "Digestive Tuneup" by Dr. McDougall because it has a list of all the foods that help promote IBS. As many as 24% of American women are afflicted by IBS. It's essentially inflammation of the large intestine (colonitis). The causes could be anything from "a bacterial infection, a parasite, a virus, medications or even an allergic reaction to food or other substance." Some forms of IBS can be treated with the introduction of probiotics. Lactobacillus plantarum is one of the probiotics that you might wish to try. Some severe forms of chronic colonitis are incurable and even life threatening, so IBS is something that needs to be addressed very seriously. It might be a good idea to set up an appointment with your doctor to find out the cause of the discomfort. Then, pick up Dr. McDougall's book to find ways of treating the symptoms. Unfortunately, our medical system wants to prescribe dangerous drugs to treat colonitis and IBS. These drugs cause more problems than they solve. The bottom line is that dietary change is the key to defeating coloniitis and IBS. I hope that helps. Add me as a friend if you want more information.
  • Schraudt814
    Schraudt814 Posts: 496 Member
    What exactly are the symptoms? I've always wondered if I have it? But I'm not sure what the symptoms are.
  • I take benebiotics because it has a whole range of probiotics that promote intestinal health. I also try to stay away from sugar which is a leading cause of IBS.
  • Sorry to hog the board. This will be my last post. The symptoms of IBS can include any of the following or a combination of abdominal pain, diarrhea, mucus, bleeding.

    Here is the elimination diet:


    Brown rice
    Taro
    Sweet potatoes
    Winter squash
    tapioca flour
    puffed rice
    asparagus
    artichokes
    beets
    beet greens, celery, kale, lettuce, spinach, string beans, summer squash, chard,
    cooked fruits (all food should be cooked) include apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, cranberries, papaya, peaches, plums, prunes

    Condiments are salt
    Beverages are water

    After one week, your symptoms should go away. Then you can gradually add items back to your diet one at a time. The new food should be eaten three times a day for 2-3 days to see if it causes a reaction.
  • deevatude
    deevatude Posts: 322 Member
    Sorry to hog the board. This will be my last post. The symptoms of IBS can include any of the following or a combination of abdominal pain, diarrhea, mucus, bleeding.

    Here is the elimination diet:


    Brown rice
    Taro
    Sweet potatoes
    Winter squash
    tapioca flour
    puffed rice
    asparagus
    artichokes
    beets
    beet greens, celery, kale, lettuce, spinach, string beans, summer squash, chard,
    cooked fruits (all food should be cooked) include apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, cranberries, papaya, peaches, plums, prunes

    Condiments are salt
    Beverages are water

    After one week, your symptoms should go away. Then you can gradually add items back to your diet one at a time. The new food should be eaten three times a day for 2-3 days to see if it causes a reaction.


    im switching brown rice with quinoa.


    love bananas tho
  • andieb75
    andieb75 Posts: 26
    Yes I do, I have IBS C. So bloating can be an issue for me. Other than artificial sweeteners and greasy foods, I am not too sure of triggers. Although raw fruits and vegis can be iffy. I just started juicing for better digestion but a know it does cut some fiber. Do you ever feel like you just can't win?
  • Snoodle22
    Snoodle22 Posts: 13 Member
    I also have IBS. I've had it for years but I've never paid much attention to my trigger foods. I wish I had!
  • momtokgo
    momtokgo Posts: 446 Member
    I was diagnosed with IBS -D yesterday (though we have suspected for awhile). Everything was making me go, it didn't seem to make a difference what I ate or didn't eat.

    I know that dairy, anything greasy and red meats set me off, but even with cutting all those out I was still having issues. Now its time to figure it out I guess. My doctor was nice enough to give me meds to counteract the diarrhea though. I am hoping to go off the meds fairly soon and manage everything through diet, but I know how hard that can be.
  • momtokgo
    momtokgo Posts: 446 Member
    Sorry to hog the board. This will be my last post. The symptoms of IBS can include any of the following or a combination of abdominal pain, diarrhea, mucus, bleeding.

    Here is the elimination diet:


    Brown rice
    Taro
    Sweet potatoes
    Winter squash
    tapioca flour
    puffed rice
    asparagus
    artichokes
    beets
    beet greens, celery, kale, lettuce, spinach, string beans, summer squash, chard,
    cooked fruits (all food should be cooked) include apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, cranberries, papaya, peaches, plums, prunes

    Condiments are salt
    Beverages are water

    After one week, your symptoms should go away. Then you can gradually add items back to your diet one at a time. The new food should be eaten three times a day for 2-3 days to see if it causes a reaction.

    Mucus and bleeding can also point to much more serious problmes, and they should be checked by a doctor. Celiac disease and Crohns have those symptoms.
  • PinkKitty724
    PinkKitty724 Posts: 179 Member
    Anything creamy, oily, thick. Sometimes cheese. But, I am NOT lactose intolerant nor do I have celiac disease. I also had a horrible intrusive procedure to check if I had other issues.. and no. Bleeding could be fissures. But, visit a gastro doctor to discuss. I was given a prescription for Bentyl to take before I eat meals that I know will hurt me. Also, I can take it if I start to get an attack and it reduces the symptoms.

    I highly recommended getting tested for food allergies. Go to a gastro doc to discuss your symptoms. And taking a probiotic will certainly help with digestion. I take one sporadically, but it does make a difference. Make sure you are eating a fiber healthy diet.

    I can't tell you how much I went through, only to find out there was nothing really wrong, so they dx'd me with IBS- the catchall. Trigger foods will vary for everyone, so it is best to try and keep a diary of what you ate before an attack came on. Also, stress is a significant trigger. I notice when I am more stressed, I have an attack. My attacks are thankfully far between as long as I watch what I eat, take probiotics and reduce stress :)
  • wcmyers74
    wcmyers74 Posts: 11
    I have customers that use Shakeology from BeachBody. I am a coach and it works! It is a one a day meal replacement. If you don't like it, you get all your money back. NO RISK. Check it out...www dot shakeology dot com/wcmyers3
  • zellagrrl
    zellagrrl Posts: 439
    Forget Shakeology.

    What helped me most was an elimination diet. If you want a plan, Dr. Junger's got a very sensible one, and you can probably download the guide from their site (just tells you what not to eat). I'm now effectively Paleo (going to see if cutting out legumes helps improve things, doctor already has me cutting out dairy and grains and that was not as helpful as I'd hoped). I'm still waiting for a happy medium and taking Miralax, a probiotic and acacia fiber daily.

    I have IBS, my fiancé has gastroparesis and my dog's got weird stomach issues and ends up on a white rice diet quarterly. I'm waiting to see what the cat comes up with. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want to see my sometimes incomplete, sometimes misbehaved diary.

    As a note, my GI doc told me that my IBS had nothing to do with my diet... so he's no longer my GI doc. My naturopath has been treating this as a holistic, systemic thing and we're trying to find a happy medium, as opposed to taking medications that really didn't do a damned thing. No, I'm not still bitter about that episode.
  • GoodMorningGirl
    GoodMorningGirl Posts: 103 Member
    I have problems off and on, mainly during times of stress or before my period. I have found the most helpful treatment is to avoid certain foods (for me, it's anything fried or spicy, alcohol, coffee, and dairy). I went vegan in January and it's done wonders for how I feel. I have times where I need to eat nothing but Corn Chex, applesauce, and water for a day or two until things settle down. Another helpful product for me has been fennel tea. I bought mine from Heather's Tummy Care. On her web site, she has a list of foods that are good and bad for IBS. She shows them as green light foods (eat any time), yellow, and red. One more tip: never let yourself get really hungry by going several hours without eating, because then your digestion goes haywire when you do eat. By following all of these tips, I've been able to live drug-free and usually very comfortably. Stress is the major trigger for me, though. I don't think I have food allergies or gluten intolerance or anything like that.
  • Lauren8239
    Lauren8239 Posts: 1,039 Member
    I posted an article for people suffering IBS.
    One response.
    It had all you needed to know about diet and what foods make it worse.
    Yikes.
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    I suffered from IBS for years - painful cramps, runs, liquid poop, mucus and general yuckiness, having to rush to the loo minutes after eating the wrong food and basically exploding. I have done two things and it has completely gone. I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerence and my doctor suggested I look at FODMOP - it is about foods that set you off. I can't have onions or peppers in anything at all - I now use asafoetida in cooking for an onion taste because you can't have onion salt either. You can get a fodmop food list of the internet - it shows you foods to avoid and the best foods to eat. You don't have to exclude everything but when you read the list you may see some trigger foods in there. I now have a "lovely" regular bowel that moves once a day at 8am. Also, going gluten free cured my migraines that I had suffered from for over 20 years. My diary is open please feel free to have a look if you need ideas :-)
  • I used to have it (D), but seriously the following things completely elliminated it. It's amazing. REALLY.

    1. NO SODA
    2. Take L-Glutamine supplements at least 1000 mg a day. (I don't take it anymore but you will need to the first few months)
    3. Seriously seriously try to completely cut out dairy. DAIRY IS HORRIBLE FOR THE BODY. Almond milk is a good replacement and I personally think it tastes way better both plain and in cooking. Almond cheese is a good sub too but it can get pricey. Sour cream - use toffuti better than sour cream.
    4. Cut out red meat as much as possible. This was HUGE for me. Red meat is bad in general but I think it's especially bad for those with digestive issues. If you like recipes that call for ground beef use St Yves Meatless Ground. Sounds absolutely repulsive and looks it in the package but it tastes SOOOO good, seriously if you season it like you would beef you cannot tell the difference.
    5. eat at least 2/3 meals at home, home cooked and if possible not frozen meals.
    6. when you have to have sweets try and make them at home using agave nectar or raw sugar or brown sugar instead of plain white processed sugar. Sugar especially when combined with chocolate was horrible for me but if you don't use processed sugars its way better.
    7. DO NOT FRY THINGS. Sautee = fine, fry = bad.

    It seems really hard to do everything I suggested but it really isn't. The first week is a bit of a challenge after that its so easy to stick to it because you feel AMAZING. No more stressing when traveling or going out etc.
  • Kincar
    Kincar Posts: 601 Member
    I have IBS too (IBS - A). I wish I knew what my trigger foods are because I'm having a hard time with it right now. It's been way worse so I appreciate that it's not too bad, but I would love for it to go away. Probiotics usually help, but lately they aren't helping.

    I'm going to try some of the suggestions in this thread. Thanks to all who have posted!
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