Anyone tried a low-residual diet? - Endometriosis UK

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Anyone tried a low-residual diet?

Heloo85 profile image
Heloo85
ā€¢12 Replies

I suffer terrible constipation! I avoid high levels of fibre! Will never forget the last Xmas do I went on where we was served up posh, undercooked veg! Omg, I was in bits for 3 days šŸ¤£.

My bowels are my worst complaint, so Iā€™m going to try a low residual diet for a week or so! Atm Iā€™m struggling to eat anything, even my normal non grain type foods!

I have lost 10lbs this year!.... I need to sort this bowel issue!

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Heloo85 profile image
Heloo85
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EndoJaz profile image
EndoJaz

Have you tried psyllium husk, I have tried so many things like prune juice, flax, chia seeds but 2 spoons of psyllium in juice every night works wonders. Be sure to drink lots of water to wash it down after x

Heloo85 profile image
Heloo85ā€¢ in reply toEndoJaz

A low residual diet is no fibre! I keep impacting due to bowel adhesions! Now I canā€™t eat, because my bowel is killing me, sore! So now Iā€™ve dropped a lot of weight! So Iā€™m thinking of resting the bowel by eating a diet of not much... aka, pure carbs with a bit of protein! Xx

EndoJaz profile image
EndoJazā€¢ in reply toHeloo85

I have been recommended pelvic massage by my physio for adhesions. Ask to be put on the physio list as this may help x

Heloo85 profile image
Heloo85ā€¢ in reply toEndoJaz

Iā€™ve heard of that! How old are your adhesions? Itā€™s mainly effective if theyā€™re a year old or less supposedly! Mine is a very chronic issue! Itā€™s more about letting my bowel heal as itā€™s killing me.. then Iā€™ll reintroduce fibre! Xx

EndoJaz profile image
EndoJazā€¢ in reply toHeloo85

My hysterectomy was 4 yrs ago and had a few surgeries since. My bowel has been so badly impacted but by eating very small portions doing relaxation exercises for the pelvic floor and drinking warm lemon water and having the psyllium itā€™s cleared. I feel your pain. ā˜¹ļø Hope things improve soon. X

Heloo85 profile image
Heloo85ā€¢ in reply toEndoJaz

Yes, I too have used lemon water! I have used psyllium in horses, but not in myself! It is just fibre-gel really! Iā€™m currently eating small meals, the problems arrive when I get busy and forget I ainā€™t voided my bowel.. Next min Iā€™m wiped out, then I suffer for a week! Need to find an easy to stick to management program for sure!

Iā€™m glad youā€™ve found something to work... It is just trial and error xx

Dogmad6 profile image
Dogmad6

A low fodmap diet helped me a lot. My endometriosis specialist is in agreement as it has helped some of his other patients. I had tried other diets but none of them helped at all. You are right to rest your system and avoid fibre. I've had serious issues in the past with undercooked veg, horrible!

Salad also causes me terrible pain.

BTW I've twice had major surgery on my bowel due to endometriosis.

Good luck xx

vizzle_01 profile image
vizzle_01

I have diarrhea and constipation doesn't matter what I eat my bowels are all over the place. Constant pain and gas after eating anything basically really getting me down :( I kept a food diary and tried to do the low fodmap diet which helped a bit but as soon as I reintroduced things my symptoms have returned and get worse a week before my period and during the belly bloat is horrendous and painful to go for no.2. I had a stool sample and blood test a few months ago which both came back normal. I've been prescribed Mefenamic acid and have taken that for one month so far. It's a week before my period and the twisting cramp like pain over my right ovary is ever present. Haven't been diagnosed with endometriosis but I'm really feeling like I want to go to the doctors and demand more investigation now as it can't be right to have these crampy twisting feelings in my right side most of the time..

Heloo85 profile image
Heloo85ā€¢ in reply tovizzle_01

Unfortunately I canā€™t offer any advice, because now, too many times, I too have been fobbed off by Drs, until, they couldnā€™t fob me off any further! And then, once they cured me with some magic pill, went back to fobbing me off again, cuz now Iā€™m ā€˜curedā€™ šŸ¤£.Itā€™s a joke and I fully understand how youā€™re feeling! Itā€™s luck if you get a diagnosis, never mind an early one! Iā€™d say hound them, I have tried that, it also didnā€™t work, and it then resulted in an anxiety/depression diagnosis šŸ¤£.

Only thing I can suggest is look up gynaecological ā€˜red flagā€™ symptoms, and go to your gp complaining you have them, they should initiate investigation!

Best of luck xx

vizzle_01 profile image
vizzle_01ā€¢ in reply toHeloo85

Thankyou. I haven't tried a low-residue diet but it sounds interesting. 10-15g of dietary fibre a day is quite a small amount. With me if I eat certain veg like cauliflower or its undercooked or yellow/brown bananas or salad it REALLY affects my digestion.

TennisAM profile image
TennisAMā€¢ in reply tovizzle_01

Have you ever tried a probiotic for the bowel symptoms? Worth a try for 3 months. Definitely insist on tests and a referral to Gynaecology and Gastroenterology. x

Ash24601 profile image
Ash24601

Hi, I know this is an old post but I wanted to check in with how you are doing now?I was low fibre while waiting for bowel endo to be removed. Then I was okay for a bit. Now I'm recovering from lap number 8 where they found bad adhesions and have said I'm untreatable. So I'm back to living with bowel impaction again and no idea how to go about my day to day life tbh.

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