On Fodmap diet under Dietition but suffering as badly as ever.

[Gardener]

Feeling really low as I am being very strict with the Fodmap diet - nearly 2 weeks, been told I have to do it for 8 weeks, but the wind and bloating is really bad. I get a terrible pressure high in my stomach and a feeling of something stuck and queasy, hard to eat and drink sometimes and a lot of belching which is also hard to achieve sometimes. Also the bloated feeling extends to my whole bowel although no real pain as sometimes in the past. Feels in spasm when on the toilet, which is normal for me. So am wondering whether oats, or anything else allowed is making it worse. I am supposed to do exactly what the Dietition says for the 2 month period, but finding it really hard. Anyone else found the same?

[Hidden]

Hi Gardener,

I have IBS-D and have been successfully doing the FODMAP diet + many tweaks for 7 months now. However, there are foods listed as 'safe' on FODMAPs which are definitely not okay for me. Having discovered what most of those are, I can now cheerfully say that I'm okay 90% of the time - and if I stuck to the diet totally, that percentage would be even higher, but I do give in to temptation sometimes and then spend a week regretting it!

Some other foods I have to eliminate are:

all grains, including oats and rice and its derivatives, e.g. flour and starch

blueberries

pineapple

grapes

some varieties of lettuce, e.g. iceberg

all varieties of melon

I would have a go at leaving out anything that you feel might be further triggers over and above FODMAPs. Dietitians are mostly helpful, but if they've never had IBS themselves, they don't really understand what it's like to live with it.

Pagan

[Gardener]

Thank you Pagan for telling me your experience. I suffer more from IBS-C, although fibre definitely gives me terrible bloating and pain. How do you manage to get enough carbs to keep your weight up? I am underweight and dare not lose anymore. I do eat a lot of rice but feel there is no suitable substitute. Thanks again for the trouble you take in giving very sensible advice.

Ros

[Hidden in reply to Gardener]

I eat tortillas and crackers made with maize flour and potatoes cooked any way suit me fine. I do have a problem keeping my weight up and stable, but if it drops too low, I just increase my safest options. I'm still fiddling around after more than half a year at this diet, so don't give up until you've given it your best shot.

[poing]

Your symptoms sound pretty similar to mine. I don't have any formal diagnosis, but I do have C and it's getting worse.

I have found that small amounts of magnesium citrate can help. It is a stool softener so it makes stool easier to pass. Obviously, if you overdo it, then things would go the other way!

I have also cut some stuff out of my diet, and the two that I cut out are gluten and yeast. Gluten triggers a complete digestive shutdown, but oats are fine. I got to this by trial and error by myself.

I think that the FODMAP diet is often not so effective on IBS-C, but if it is going to work, then apparently it can take a while to feel the effects. So stick with it if you can... at least you can tell the dietician that you gave it a proper chance.

You could also ask your dietician about digestive aides - things like betaine HCl and enzymes. These seem to help me by relieving the symptoms of bloating and pressure high in the stomach... but I don't know if they would be allowed while on FODMAPs.