Hello, new here. Been playing trial and error with diet over the past several months with no luck for my bloating or stomach pain. I was taking miralax, probiotics and digestive enzyme EVERY day which seemed to help at first but then relapsed. I finally stopped taking everything about a month ago and have been eating the SAME thing every day. Ironically, I'm going to the bathroom more regularly even though the diet is pretty much the same. Symptoms also finally got better but still pursued a dietitian since I know it could be a matter of time before that changes. It could be a fluke but my first day of a low FODMAP diet is the FIRST day in over a month that I have felt this horrible. First day in over a month since I haven't had a bowel movement. This is just an awful, ongoing process and feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I see a lot of people that have had success with a low FODMAP diet and know these things take time but I could almost kick myself for changing something that seemed to be working, even though probably wasn't the healthiest diet with much variety. I gave up my coffee and sugar free creamer and opted for green tea today and feel like I may as well have kept my old diet! I'm a vegetarian too and haven't been eating much dairy either, an occasional Greek yogurt. I'm just so exhausted and frustrated that I seemed to have relapsed by trying to do the right thing. Nothing is making sense to me and can't seem to connect the dots. Can anyone shed some light or experiences they have had with a low FODMAP diet (whether good or bad). Thank you so much!!!
IBS-C FODMAPS: Hello, new here. Been playing... - IBS Network
IBS-C FODMAPS
The FODMAP diet didn't work for me.
People have different problems so it can't be a solution for everyone.
I think elimination diet is more useful. You can find out what makes your symptoms worse if you are lucky.
True. Any elimination is hard but better than eliminating EVERYTHING and then not knowing what it was that was or wasn't working. I feel like I have to stick it out so as not to feel like I "failed" and because I have been complaining for so long that I'd do anything but it almost doesn't seem like a fix. Kind of like what I've read with other people - it's too generic of a diet and I want something specific to MY needs.
Hi Jackie,
Sorry to hear of your ongoing problems - my only additional suggestion would be to try Fybogel,
which is a vegetable product (Isphagula husk) and worked well for me. Not sure if you are in the UK, so not sure if you can get it in the US - worth a try, though - no prescription required, either!
Hope that helps.
Thank you so much for the advice! I am in the US but I looked it up on the internet and it appears I can buy it online! I will do some more research on it. Did it cause you any stomach cramping or bloating?
Hi Jackie,
No, no problems at all - actually, my problem is IBS - d, but despite what many people think, Fybogel helps to regulate the bowel either way - it’s not just a laxative. It is very gentle in its action and helped me a lot.
Do let me know how you get on!
Perfect, I'm glad it's worked for you! Good to know it's gentle. Appreciate it and continued luck to you!
I follow a fodmap diet through a dietician but that alone does not help constipation. You need to take a high amount of magnesium citrate or oxide. About 800 to 1200mg. I have had Ibs c almost my whole life and am now in my fifties. This is the best natural supplement to take for this condition and I have tried many. Even my consultant recommended it. I take it every day. You must take it on an empty stomach just before bed with lots of water. I would start with a high dose initially just to clear you out. Even if it means taking a few capsules. I sometimes take 6 200mg capsules. Capsules are the best not tablets and it has to be citrate or oxide as these are the ones that work for constipation. There is a lot of information about constipation and magnesium on the internet. The ones I take are either Now foods Magnesium citrate, Solgar Magnesium Citrate or Life extensions. I get mine from the US on a site called iHerb, but you can get them on Amazon. There are other magnesium oxide products specifically for colon cleansing called Mag 07, Colosan and Oxypowder. They are a bit expensive but are amazing. I use these in between. No cramps no bloating, just relief. You can get these on Amazon as well. Don't suffer any longer.
Thank you so much for that info! I actually have some magnesium supplements at home so I will look into taking! How's the FODMAP diet going for you with the dietitian? Did you do a lot of elimination and are you reintroducing things one at a time? Is the diet helping with the bloating at least?
I don’t follow it strictly, but close enough. I now follow a low carb Keto diet, so eliminating starchy carbs. This helps a lot with bloating.
Very interesting to know! I've heard a lot about that and would be up to trying but don't think I could being that I'm vegetarian. I naturally have a higher carb diet because of that, even though they are healthy, complex carbs. I've been counting macros for over a year so between that, being a vegetarian and the IBS, it's been hard to account for everything. I would like to "let go" of the counting and know it's become obsessive but it's so hard to after knowing I've been successful with counting macros and weight loss. My dietitian wants me to stop counting completely and just eat clean, whole foods. I know it's very healthy but I can't seem to break away from not knowing how much protein, carbs or fats are in my daily diet.
I can only sympathise and agree I'm afraid. I was on a low carb, low sugar diet for nearly two years and felt fab and lost loads of weight. It is very similar to a low FODMAP with only a coupe of things like cauliflower, cream cheese, milk and cream being the non recommended foods that I ate. Before Christmas (and after having a holiday and fighting two bouts of that bad cold that was going around) I started with the pain which hasn't eased up at all, even though I seem to be ok in the toilet department. I am sure if it is a food or food group that is affecting me, its not necessarily a low FODMAP one! I know everyone is different and symptoms and helpful remedies vary with each person, so it is very hard to find the cause. I also have a bit of relief for a few days when I try eliminating something or taking a new supplement but always seems to end up with the pain in various places, back to square one. My doctor has decided it is IBS and has only sent me to a dietician and doesn't seem particularly interested in looking at anything other than food, after blood tests seem normal and I am not coeliac. I feel like I have just lost the last six months of my life and even though I also have ME, this feels much worse with the ongoing pain. It is very frustrating and I do hope you can find and answer to help you get back to good health. I will keep trying eliminating things and taking supplements, giving the pro biotics another good try at the moment as they seem to help.
I'm so sorry you are dealing with the same frustration and roller coaster. We sound very much alike. It's so hard holding on to the "too good to be true" and almost waiting for the next bout when things have been going good for some time. Did you have regular bloodwork or food sensitivity specific bloodwork? There is a test called "MRT" that I am contemplating. VERY pricey but shows which foods come up specific for you as a sensitivity or not. I have heard that it has been helpful to a lot of people and also have heard that it's not necessary. Ugh. Will we ever figure it out? I'm ok with knowing that my stomach may bloat on rare occasions when I eat junk but it's the daily inconsistency with my routine lifestyle that I can't take and don't understand.
I only had a blood test as part of something else, which came back as low white blood cell count but seems ok now. I have looked into the online food tests as I have a background in natural health and nutrition (think I would be able to sort this out then, huh!!) but the nhs dietician rubbished them as in accurate. I got a bit confused as some places seemed to offer the same result but for vastly different amounts of money. (I'm in Scotland, so looking at UK tests) A few months back I had a few days or even up to a week pain free on and off, phew glad that's all over I would think, but back to the old routine which seems every day now. I am wondering if you can be constipated but still go to the loo every day. I wonder what the definition of constipation is as I have also read that not everyone goes every day but they don't seem to have these problems. Would be interesting to see if anyone has had success with the MRT or similar. Good luck in finding the answer!
I agree, seems like it should be easier than this! I've wondered the same thing - what exactly can constipation be considered. Thank you and good luck to you as well!
The FODMAP diet may not help with constipation. I keep my C under control by eating oatmeal porridge every day and making sure I eat enough 'opening' foods. There a quite a few low-FODMAP fruits (e.g. rhubarb) that have that effect. You need to give the diet time to work, four to six weeks. With luck your gut will calm down after that period. I found I had far less wind and bloating. You can then reintroduce FODMAP triggers (challenges) one by one to see what your triggers are. I only really noticed the difference after eating a high-wheat diet for a day. My problem foods turn out to be wheat and onions; lactose and the fruity FODMAPs are OK in moderation. Patsy Catsos' book IBS Free At Last gives a good explanation of the diet and the challenge process.
I have oatmeal every day too and that seems to work for me with the coffee! I also felt like almond milk was helping me "go" but the dietitian said to eliminate it for now because of the artificial stuff in it. At first I almost thought the oats were making me bloated and have heard others suffer from it but most days I'm fine with them so I don't know what it is anymore! With the lactose, this is something I'm having a hard time understanding - so if I have a DAIRY intolerance, then lactose free stuff won't even be good for me, right? I'll check out that book - thank you for the tip!
Jackie_veg: Get your doctor to prescribe you a drug called "Welchol." It's very expensive over here in the States, though, but it's a miracle drug for stopping diarrhea, which I suffered with for YEARS, until I found this doctor. I couldn't afford to continue to take it, so now I'm on a drug called "Colestipol." Works the same way...miracle drug! Yes..you'll be told it's a statin, but it's actually given along with a real statin. They also use it to treat Type II diabetes. But, you know they're always finding more uses for drugs, and treating diarrhea is a great use for both of these.
Thanks but I don't have a problem with diarrhea ever. Just constipation.
Oh..sorry...misread your post...duh....
No worries, glad you found something that has helped!
Me, too, Jackie_veg! It was a miserable life for YEARS before..now I can at least leave my house without fearing I'll have to come home quickly and change my clothes...hehe...
Thanks for the advice and info!
Hi jackie, I’m also new to this forum. I’ve had IBS for around 25 years. I tried the FODMAP diet skeptically following various bowel investigations from which not much was gleaned. I’ve come to the conclusion over a long time, that the cause of my IBS is split into 3 issues. So I get IBS-D when I am anxious or stressed. This 1st type isn’t particularly painful, but it’s uncomfortable and embarrassing as it causes urgency and I literally have seconds to get to a toilet. The 2nd type is that which I get following a couple of days when I haven’t been to the loo at all or have previously maybe taken Imodium to stop myself going. This type is painful and my tummy will cramp and cramp taking me through the entire Bristol stool chart until there is nothing left in me. The 3rd type is FODMAP related. I have come to understand that I can not have onion or garlic in any form and if I do, I get excruciating pain and would willingly shoot myself whilst sat on the toilet sometimes. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that the Fodmap diet for me has worked, but because there are other causes to my IBS, the diet alone will never eliminate my IBS and thus might be assumed by some that the diet doesn’t work. It does work, I just get pain and poo a lot for other reasons too 😊😥xxx
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