Diagnosed ibs with extreme bloating so look 9 months preg & cramps every day for last 2 months- alverine citrate not helping - need advice

[Tonilou82]

Any advice greatly appreciated- the bloating and running the loo constantly is interfering with my life & work- following healthy diet, only wholewheat bread, rice etc x

[physiogirl]

Hi Tonilou82. I'm sorry to hear that you are suffering from these symptoms and have been diagnosed with IBS. I was in a similar position 10 years ago and I'm pleased to say that without any medical help I made huge improvements. These were things that worked for me: going gluten free, exercise (taking toilet paper with me if I went for a run!), increase vegetable intake, only animal products were chicken/fish. Since this there is now the FODMAPS which is a diet especially for IBS. I recently went to see a dietiican as I have now been diagnosed with celiac disease and she has referred me to a FODMAPS group. You can find out more here and see if there is a dietician in your area to help:

kcl.ac.uk/medicine/research...

You can gain a referral from your GP if you ask.

hope this helps,

[Trekkiegirl]

When you say you are 'running to the loo' I assume you mean diarrhoea? If that's the case then the 'healthy' diet you're following may not be helping you!! Wholegrains are one of the things that gastro docs now tell IBS sufferers to avoid; you should be eating white bread/pasta/rice, not the whole grain sort. Also, certain veggies (especially ones with kernels on such as sweetcorn and pulses) can trigger an IBS flare up as can certain fruits, particularly those high in fructose. Although these are common triggers for IBS (along with caffeine and alcohol), everyone's triggers are slightly different so it's best to cut one food out at a time and then gradually re-introduce it to see if it makes a difference. Good luck!

[Hidden]

Try the Fodmap diet. It works for 75% of IBS suffers.

The complete low fodmap diet by Shepherd & Gibson and. IBS free at last by Patsy Catsos are the best sources of info. If you can get referred to a dietician they should have heard if it although the UK is far behind Australia & USA.

[AfricanSheila in reply to Hidden]

Get the FODMAP APP from Monash University as they give more specific advice about quantities, and this does make a difference.

[Ophelia_pain]

It could well be your healthy diet is giving you the problems. You may find a low FODMAP diet will help settle things down. Wholegrain/whole wheat bread is one of my main triggers along with garlic and onions (anything high in fructans, one of the FODMAP carbohydrates). Each person has their own triggers so you do have to follow the exclusion process carefully to get to the bottom of what is upsetting your system.

There are a lot of resources on the internet regarding low FODMAP foods and also a book by Patsy Catos, IBS Free At Last which is a good guide for the exclusion phase of the diet.

Good luck finding something that works for you.

[Tonilou82]

Thanks for your replies will research fodmap diet & buy the books suggested x

[angbri in reply to Tonilou82]

You can also check for SIBO ( small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) ibs & especially the severe bloating are a big symptom of this & goes undiagnosed in many ....

[xsnorkelx]

Hi my symptoms of IBS were similar to yours, I also was sick every week. After months of keeping a food diary and numerous tests and thinking I had stomach/bowel cancer I discovered the main culprits for me: I can't eat wheat that makes me bloat, gives me horrendous stomach pains, makes me sick, gives me acid reflux and puts weight on me. Milk gives me slight pains and bad diarrhoea 1-2 hours after I drink a cup of it, if I consume less I just feel sick. I would try keeping a food diary of everything you eat, cutting out (strictly) all processed food and gluten and dairy for at least a month then adding them back in one at a time. Or try FODMAP but do the monarsh uni one that's meant to be good, the NHS version isn't strict as they allow wheat crackers which I know I can't eat!

[Tonilou82 in reply to xsnorkelx]

Thanks xsnorkelx im gona ask to be referred to dietician and start keeping a food diary & cutting out gluten & dairy x

[xsnorkelx in reply to Tonilou82]

Ur welcome hope u get sorted I found docs only treat symptoms and never try and find the root cause so good luck and stand your ground!

[denvajade]

Hi there you may be gluten and lactose intolerant.

[Tonilou82 in reply to denvajade]

Im gona cut them out of my diet & then reintroduce slowly to see if it makes any difference x

[Chaobaby7]

I found cutting down on white flour helps me, also cutting down on pasta as that bloats me too, I am trying to eat as little wheat food as possible and if I do having spelt flour or whole meal, I get very badly bloated and alternate between diroeah and constipation, For carb food I tend to stick to potatoes as it bloats less. Finding food to suit me is a nightmare as I am vegetarian and don't like dairy much and lentils and pulses really bloat me, I also gain all my weight on the top half of my body so am insulin resistant. Fruit and veg is good but then be careful with onions, if I do have an onion in food it is only the red ones I can eat and very well cooked.

[orange123uk]

Get tested to see if gluten may be your intolerant a blood test will confirm this and if you are things will improve. That can make you look very bloated but just to be safe get a check as an ovarian cyst can as well. A ultrasound will rule that out. My sister had this and she looked 6 month pregnant but it was her ovaries

Good luck