Have been looking at FODMAP diet books on the internet but none seem to be from uk

[scarby72]

Very interested in this diet as IBS been worse in last 6 months diagnosed 23yrs ago but recently had constipation and diarrohea alternating never been like it before driving me mad.

[Hidden]

Hi,

Yes, I agree there's a definite shortage of UK books about FODMAPs. However, the NHS has recently got behind this diet and its dietitians are now trained to advise on it. If you ask your GP you should be able to get a referral to one.

In the meantime, go to the website for Monash University in Australia where the diet was developed. There's a very good iPhone app you can download from there (android version being made available in September) and I also highly recommend a book by the American dietitian, Patsy Catsos, 'IBS- Free At Last' which gives a good plan to follow whilst doing FODMAPs and lots more besides. (Be very wary of getting info from any other websites as many are outdated and incorrect.)

I appreciate that advice about UK-specific foods is missing in both the sources I've mentioned, but when I started on FODMAPs 9 months ago - and pre-NHS development - I managed to make the diet work just by using the two sources I've mentioned.

Hope this helps.

Pagan

[Em46 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Pagan, I'm new to this site and would appreciate any info on FODMAP diet which I hadn't heard of before. I have suffered from IBS-D for some 15 years now and a couple of years ago had a colonoscopy or scan which was clear, also had test for coeliac, again clear. Previous GPs prescribed Loperamide which I have been taking for some time now, but when I have bad bouts even tho' I take the max. dosage, it doesn't seem to take any effect. I do have anxiety/panic attacks which does antagonise the IBS (I am at the moment on an on-line CBT course and trying to use breathing techniques to try and relax when I feel stressed), which is of some help. Thanks in advance.

[Hidden in reply to Em46]

Hi Em46,

Here's my standard response to anybody who's about to look into the low FODMAP diet, sorry it's a bit lengthy, but there's so much bad and outdated info out there on the web and, if you get it wrong, it won't work, so take a deep breath and read on:

The diet was (and is still being) developed at Monash University in Australia, so its website is the best place to start at monash.edu.au – just put FODMAP into the search box on its homepage and you'll get there. If you have an iPhone there’s an app you can download from there, which will also be available for android in September, and a booklet you can send for.

An American dietitian called Patsy Catsos has written an excellent book about FODMAPs called 'IBS - Free At Last' (available from Amazon) which follows the Australian model very closely and contains all the info you need to get going. She also has advice on which food additives to avoid which is really useful.

Although the NHS has now got behind this diet, I didn't find its guidelines either as strict or as good as Monash's so stuck with what Monash said along with Patsy's book which became my bible.

When you first read about FODMAPs, you'll wonder what on earth you're actually left with to eat, but you do get used to it. The diet isn't meant to be a life sentence; what it does is to cut out all the food groups which contain the most likely suspects, making it easier to work out what suits you and what doesn't. I found that there were several 'safe' FODMAP foods which weren't safe for me at all, but these were easily identifiable as my menu was so small.

Once you get a real improvement in your symptoms, you then start to reintroduce the different food groups back into your diet one at a time to see which affects you and how it does so. After 9 months, I can now eat from all the food groups with only minor problems and have identified most of my triggers.

I was amazed when I got a result from FODMAPs within 4 days although it can take several weeks for other people, so don't give up if you don't have an immediate result.

Hope this helps.

Pagan

[Em46 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Pagan, thank you very much for the info, sorry for the delay in replying. I will look into the FODMAP diet on the website you suggest and also the recommended book. Will let you know how I get on!

Regards

Em46

[kavanagh1955 in reply to Em46]

Hi Em46

You sound just like me with all the tests etc and the doctor telling me to take Loperamide every day when needed and I quite agree that this does not always work. I also suffer from IBS-D which I have had for around 30 years.

I must admit that I tried the FODMAP diet for around 2 weeks but did not really find any difference, but having said that maybe I just needed to continue the first phase it for longer or maybe I was not doing it correctly. It seems that it is getting such good feedback that you should give it a go. I think I need to try and find a dietician to help me with it as I do not seem to have much willpower even though I want to do it.

[Em46 in reply to kavanagh1955]

Hi Kavanagh

Thanks for your reply and for the info which is most helpful. I hope you eventually find a diet which helps your longstanding problem.

Best wishes

Em46

[Hidden]

I have been eating oy the "green foods" from the Fodmaps diet for two weeks now and am amazed at the result already. I also only drink water plus fennel, peppermint or ginger tea which help with gas and bloating. Iam really getting hopeful that I might be able to get well enough to do a few things eventually but I won't hold my breath. One step at a time!!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi sashapet,

I started on FODMAPs 9 months ago and found an almost immediate improvement, however, I also discovered that there were several 'safe' foods on the list that weren't safe for me at all - melon of any variety and blueberries to name but two. Sounds as if you've still got some residual problems, so it may be worth looking out for odd things that could still be causing you problems although regarded as okay by Monash.

Over the months I've been able to reintroduce a lot of high FODMAPs as I'm sure you will too.

Pagan

[krusty]

I can highly recommend "The Complete Low FODMAP Diet" by Sue Shepherd and Peter Gibson'. Easy to read and excellent recipes. I've. been on the diet under the supervision of a NHS dietitian and will be starting the challenge phase next month. As said, Patsy Catsos's book is also excellent. The Monassh Fodmap app for Android is scheduled for release in September.

[sickandsore]

Please ask to see a dietician before you part with lots of cash for fodmap books!! the nhs dieticians are now trained and can give you a comprehensive list of safe foods and how to do the diet properly!

[Hidden in reply to sickandsore]

Hi sickandsore,

A member posted on here a couple of weeks ago saying that the NHS had withdrawn funding for FODMAPs in their health area and they had had their dietitian's appt cancelled as a result - typical that cuts are being made around a Cinderella illness like IBS.

I started on the diet some time before the NHS got behind it using the iPhone app from Monash and Patsy Catsos's book and they served me brilliantly. When I eventually got the NHS info, I wasn't that impressed with it as, for my liking, there were far too many recommendations for processed foods which contain some pretty awful additives (and main ingredients) which are listed as products to avoid in Patsy's book. The app only costs £8 and the book about the same so not too extortionate.

I hope you're doing as well on FODMAPs as I have. I've been able expand my menu enormously now especially since my GP prescribed colestyramine in order to stop bile acids going through my system too fast and being the main cause of D.

Pagan

[krusty in reply to Hidden]

I've had excellent support from my NHS dietitian and have found the 3 booklets produced by KCL very helpful: in fact funding has been increased here..postcode lottery I'd say. As I said previously this book amazon.co.uk/The-Complete-L... is fantastic and written by the main researchers at Monash. med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/...

Still waiting on the long promised Android app.

[KClare in reply to krusty]

So interesting to hear about the work being done at King's College. It is really good to see UK resources coming through. I would really like to get a copy of their booklets.