Low fibre diet

Hi all, I have now been on a low fibre diet for nearly 4 weeks, my last day tomorrow, and I will be gradually introducing fruit, vegetables, oats and nuts back in to my diet as from Monday. I have followed this diet to see if it helps and have to say that although I have had the odd cramp I would honestly say I've only taken about 8 Buscupan tablets in the whole 4 weeks - that it pretty impressive as I was taking on average about 4 to 6 a day before I started this diet. Although, this has been the most boring diet ever and I don't care if I never see white bread from a packaged loaf ever again! I have been eating what I would call very unhealthily over the last 4 weeks.

Back on to the food I love next week but easy does it as I don't want to tempt fate and eat far too much fruit, vegetables and nuts (and seeded wholemeal bread) and then suffer again and be back to square 1!

Best of luck to you all on this site.

[Skyrooms]

Hi,what is buscupan?

I am in the US.

Also,is there a name for your new diet?

I am looking to start a new plan. Ive been drinking rice protein drinks to try to get healthier with vitamins,etc. I used to drink Ensure,but it has too many chemicals and sugar.

Thanks luv,

Sky

[Hidden in reply to Skyrooms]

Sorry Skyrooms, I should have said I live in the UK. Buscupan is an antispasmodic pill that relieves cramps, I find it works reasonably well with me when getting pain with IBS. Also, there is no name for the diet, this is just a diet that I have chosen to follow myself and the reason for following it is: I had a Colonoscopy back in August and followed a very low fibre diet 3 days before the procedure and found that I felt really well on it. I stupidly though through the diet sheet the hospital gave me away so went on line on to the UK NHS websites and located some low fibre diets - you may be able to find diets like this on your medical websites in the US. The reason for following this diet also was because a friend of mine followed a junk food diet for a month and has never had IBS since - it was a fair few years ago now that she did this and is very well. I hate junk food so decided on the low fibre, although that was hard as I love fruit and veg.

Don't hesitate to message/reply again if you have any questions.

Best of luck

[JenE]

Very interesting reading this. For over 3 months now I've been following the low FODMAP DIET, with no improvement of symptoms. Was also on gluten-free, lactose-free diet. Although seeing a GI Specialist and a Dietitian it was my idea a week ago to cut out quinoa because I learned of its very high fibre content. My symptoms have decreased enormously! I'm hoping to start eating plain white bread in a few days. Were you on a specific diet directed by your doctor?

[hensonne in reply to JenE]

Go to the gutsense.org website and read about low fiber diet. It has actually been the first time in 38 years of IBS-C that I've found relief & something close to normal. Read what the dr says about high fiber diets.

[Hidden in reply to hensonne]

Thank you hensonne, I will have a look at that article. My reason for following was because I felt so well following low fibre for 2 days before my Colonoscopy.

[hensonne in reply to Hidden]

You may feel better because you're not eating high fiber. You don't have to eat high fiber in order for your digestive system to function properly. The website explains in detail. Hope it helps you

[Hidden in reply to hensonne]

I certainly know that both raw carrots and onions play havoc with my system as does broccoli if I eat it more than twice - my consultant did say to me though to eat it without the stalks which is what I am now doing.

Thanks very much for the website details.

[Maggieluff in reply to Hidden]

Find that cabbage. Sprouts. Broccolli.peas too much bread sets my IBS off

[Hidden in reply to Maggieluff]

Definitely agree with you there and I have to be careful in how much and how often I eat those as well.

[Jules40 in reply to JenE]

Hi I'm also on fodmap diet and I can't cope with quinoa

[Hidden in reply to Jules40]

Fibre is good for you but a lot of us with IBS cannot tolerate it.

[Hidden in reply to JenE]

Hi Jen, agree that high fibre is not good. I wasn't on a specific diet, this is just a diet that I have chosen to follow myself and the reason for following it is because I had a Colonoscopy back in August and followed a very low fibre diet 3 days before the procedure and found that I felt really well on it. I stupidly though through the diet sheet the hospital gave me away so went on line on to the NHS websites and located some low fibre diets. The reason for following this diet also was because a friend of mine followed a junk food diet for a month and has never had IBS since - it was a fair few years ago now that she did this and is very well. I hate junk food so decided on the low fibre, although that was hard as I love fruit and veg.

Don't hesitate to message/reply again if you have any questions.

Best of luck

[JenE in reply to Hidden]

Thank you very much. I'll try it!

[Hidden in reply to JenE]

You are welcome and it's certainly worth a try. I think most of us on this Forum will try anything.

Best of luck

[Grannycake]

If your low fibre diet doesn't work,go on a soluble fibre diet,worked for me

[JenE in reply to Grannycake]

Is there a particular soluble fibre diet that you've tried?

[Hidden]

Thank you for that Grannycake, that's really helpful.

[Grannycake]

Type soluble fibre into the search engine and look for various web sites and you will find a list of foods to concentrate on,a Canadian website is the best. There are 2 types of fibre. Insoluble and soluble. Since putting myself on a soluble food diet my life has turned round and I am 74! Waited long enough! Just do your homework,you won't regret it

It's a pity the medical hadn't told me this,seen enough doctors!

[JenE in reply to Grannycake]

Thanks!

[Hidden in reply to Grannycake]

Thanks very much and agree that it's a shame that physicians don't seem to know what to do.

[Hidden in reply to Grannycake]

Hi Grannycake, I wonder if you could help me pleased? I have been trawling through the network trying to locate a list of soluable fibre foods but cannot locate one, did you get a list of the foods when you put yourself on that diet?

Thanks very much

[jv50plus]

I had to do that, only root veg, they all taste the same! I was told only to have 3 portions of fruit and veg a day, not 5, so that's what I do. It's taking me a long time to reintroduce healthy food, because I am an aerobic instructor 3 times a week, I dare not risk anything the day I'm teaching or the day before, just in case, there's nowhere to hide in lycra !

[Hidden in reply to jv50plus]

It's very difficult in public and particularly when you are an aerobic instructor - really hard. The more posts I read on here the more I see that people are/desperately want to be healthy and eat all the right foods but the 'healthy/right' foods tend to be the ones that people with IBS can't eat.

[Grannycake]

The 2 web sites I use are Www.helpforibs.com

Www.dietitions.ca. You can print off a list of suitable foods

Aim for 30 gems of soluble fibre a day

[Hidden in reply to Grannycake]

Thank you very much, really appreciate your response.

[Jane2510 in reply to Hidden]

Hi there crazyfitness!

I got told my bland very unhealthy low fibre diet was a cause to my IBS D being worse not better. The consultant said we all need some fibre to bulk up the stools so that it’s not the runs - I was shocked to be told this as over 25 years ago got told minimise fibre! I didn’t really understand the turnabout and kind of messed with my head a bit but I went with it! I now eat a bran based bread - not whole meal as that sets cramps off right away - I’m eating skin off jacket potatoes and I’m even eating a bit of fruit! I stopped my lanzaprozole too and most of my IBS -D went away! I’ve even eaten some cooked onion in a sauce and although I didn’t eat the actual garlic had a meal that had chunks in it! No problems. I’m still in a learning curve as to what I can and can’t eat but my very bland - beige diet has expanded to eat more foods and I felt better for it 🙂🙂 xx

[Hidden in reply to Jane2510]

Hi there Jane,

Thank you for your reply and I am surprised to hear that as, as you say, we have been told so many times not to eat a diet too high in fibre. I have to say I am getting a few stomach problems again now as I think I've gone too far the other way. I have just become a Pescatarian (I was one back in around 2004 for a few years but started eating meat again) so my diet is a little more challenging as of course I'm not eating meat. I have made some meals using the slow cooker and they've had beans in them and I know what they can be like. I never thought of eating a bran based bread and I love the skin on jacket potatoes.

I have been placed on a waiting list to see a Dietician and my doctor said if I don't hear by Spring then to give him a call and he will chase it up. This will be for me to follow the low FODMAP diet and see if that works with me.

I am so glad you are feeling a lot better now that you have expanded your diet, isn't it difficult to know though sometimes what you can and cannot eat.

Well done to you.

Alicia xx