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Too late for a Fat Tuesday post? Anyone with IBS?
OMG, I think I'm dying.
What do people with IBS eat?
I cut out artificial sweetener a while back. I cut down my coffee today. I'm ditching the mixed green salads. Today I had cheese ravioli with meat sauce (contained onion, garlic, mushrooms, red peppers) for lunch. I'm in so much pain.
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Re: Too late for a Fat Tuesday post? Anyone with IBS?
Was it a tomato sauce? I'm sensitive to acidic foods, and sauce can be killer.
Yes. Do I have to give up tomatoes? Motherf*cker.
I've also heard onion and garlic can be triggers? Without onion and garlic, what is even the point of eating?
Sorry Bridey, but I think dairy can be a trigger food. And I know that high fat foods can trigger a reaction too.
Also, I know you said the doctor told you that you didn't have celiac, but have you ever eliminated gluten to see if it helped? You don't have to have celiac to be intolerant.
I have not tried eliminating gluten. Breakfast never gives me a problem and I usually have some combination of eggs, meat, cheese, whole wheat toast, and fruit.
Today, I had cheddar cheese at breakfast and for a snack with no ill effects. I started getting cramps and gas within 30 minutes of eating lunch, so I think that's a culprit.
I guess it could be a cheddar vs. ricotta issue? Aren't hard cheeses supposed to be easier to digest?
Gah. I had bean tacos Sunday and felt likeshit. I usually put almonds and dried cranberries on salads. This explains a lot.
Motherf*cker.
Back when I was doing all my reflux research, I stumbled upon a fair amount of IBS info and the frustrating thing about both was that it seemed to be very individual. Basically you have to do your own elimination diet and/or keep a food diary and be very, very good about sticking with it.
Like PP mentioned, gluten-free seemed to come up frequently as a positive change in diet.
Nosy question: did you have these issues prior to stressing about a job search way back when? My impression is that stress plays a huge role for many. It's tipping point for H, aside from tomato sauce on pizza from a local joint.
Not really. dr. groomy has been convinced it's stress-related.
DAMMIT.
Now I have to figure out what the hell to eat for the rest of the week and do this food diary.
I used to have HORRIBLE IBS issues--even ended up in the ER once because I had an attack at work that was so painful I couldn't move.
Giving up coffee didn't help. I'm not sure giving up booze and cigarettes did much, either.
I noticed that a lot of my issues were hormonal--the last week or so before my period.
This may sound a bit crazy, but my chiropracter had me drinking a turmeric supplement (turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory) called UltraInflamiX. No, it doesn't tase like curry. I drank the mango flavor and mixed it with ice and orange juice and selzer water. It totally helped.
Also try probiotics. You can see if taking Lact-aid helps, too, if you think dairy is an issue (it is for me--especially alone).
I've also read that hormones can affect it, and women get IBS more than men. Here's the thing: I don't remember having problems before getting my Mirena. So now I'm getting all suspicious of it.
It might not even be an intolerance issue. Gluten is a known agitator, so while you might not have a problem with gluten itself, if you have an underlying GI problem gluten can definitely exasperate it.I'm sure thats why it's usually recommended in elimination, even if it's just temporary.
I remember the crippling pain I used to go through and thinking if I wasn't dying that I wished I was (mine actually was Celiac, but thats besides the point). I'm sorry you're going through this and hope you are able to figure out the cause and can get some relief.
I was diagnosed with IBS last year, and have had stomach issues for most of my life.
For me, the issue is a combo of lactose and high fat foods. I had a HUGE attack after eating pasta with a creamy tomato sauce, and lots of garlic cheese bread.
Ditto the food diary. I know it sucks, but it will help a lot.
Oooo, I'm happy to see that my hormone theory isn't totally crazy. I've noticed I'm more likely to have a reflux flare-up when premenstrual.
Also, I'm a huge proponent of probiotics. I can't be 100% certain that they fixed what ailed me, but I improved almost completely once I started taking them. It did take several weeks so it's not an overnight fix.
Thanks for all the suggestions, y'all.
Now here's the big question: What the EFF should I eat for dinner tonight? I was going to have the same thing I had for lunch, but that sounds like a terrible idea. I have nothing else planned or prepped. groomy is working late tonight, so it's just me. In the past, I would do something like get a salad at the grocery store. NOPE.
Dunno if you've ruled out lactose intolerance. Cheddar and Munster are lactose-free but feta is not.
How are you with ice cream?
its probably best to go back to basics anyway to help your ruling out. you can have cheddar and bread - do grilled cheese for dinner. Then maybe one "test" food a bit later to see how it goes.
I've noticed that cooking has become a lot easier after adopting a more spartan diet. I had to get over the idea that meals had to have names and no more recipes required. Get a meat, cook it simply. Get a veg, cook it simply. Done. I guess it sounds pretty boring compared to ravioli with delicious fillings and sauces and multiple sides but the upside is that you can address a health concern for free, DIY style with no side effects.
One thing we do to make it less boring is to add fat, spices and salt right at the table so mr. has olive oil and less salt and I'll have butter and more salt or some spice blend. One of my current favorites is a pile of steamed broccoli topped with crumbled ground beef and TJ's smoky south african spice blend. YUM.
Re: the hormones, I've heard here and there that they can alter the composition of gut flora. Stress jacks up the way things are moving through your digestive tract. Maybe the hormonal effect of stress also influences gut flora. PP's mentioned a lot of the common things to try eliminating: grains, especially gluten-containing (beer falls into this category), dairy protein, tomatoes (sometimes people eliminate all nightshades), legumes. Raw veggies can be rough... try cooking them well done for a while. Starches/too many carbs can cause overgrowth of problematic bacteria.
Bone broth (where you cook bones for stock with some acid like lemon juice or vinegar added to the water) is supposed to be very good for healing the gut. That could be another easy meal - make up a big batch of the broth in a crock pot and freeze the extra. Dump meat and/or veggies in to make stews and soups.
I've had issues before and after gallbladder removal...I avoid:
dairy - I can eat a low fat string cheese or a minimal amount, but not everyday
coffee - although it's gotten better
high fat foods - If I want chick a fila I steal a couple waffle fries and a nugget from SO...I can't even eat a kids meal without getting sick
almonds
too much of any salad dressing
onions, but not garlic
Now SO has BAD IBS and he has different reactions...dairy helps his stomach, but he avoids tomato sauces...I am the opposite
I've been eating alot of soups....I get the progresso low sodium ones and add a salad, if you think you can handle it, or a nice chunk of french bread....bread helps my stomach and is my go to. Just watch how much you eat
I will confirm that stress plays a major part...my horrible boss left and my stomach issues have gotten better. Keep the food diary and go see a GI doctor...maybe they can put you on something to help. I use Aciphex but it is expensive and I want to switch to something cheaper
What are you drinking?
I frequently get stomach aches if I drink more than a small glass of any carbonated beverage, particularly on an empty stomach. If you are having a soda around lunch time, that might be what is triggering the pain.
I just saw this and hope I'm not too late. I have IBS and I will say that first, stress will make it 1,000 times worse, so there is that. I never had hormonal issues though. It is so individual that what one person says can be completely different from another person.
I did an elimination diet using this book:
http://www.amazon.com/IBS--Free-Last-Revolutionary-Step---Step/dp/0982063504/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334759653&sr=8-1
It was amazing. Yes, it was hard, yes, it took time, but after years of suffering through the IBS? I can say that hokey phrase "It changed my life". I realized I have three trigger groups - lactose being one - but as long as I don't cross eat from the three groups (so I couldn't eat baked beans and cheese in the same meal for example), I can eat dairy/cheese/lactose with no issues. As long as I pay attention to what I eat, I have absolutely no problems.
I think it was 100% worth it and I would highly recommend it.