Alternative Milks and IBS

[SilkyG9]

Hi there, I wonder if anyone has any experience with nut or oat milk and IBS, do they make it worse or give you constipation or diarrhoea? I usually have soya milk but have enjoyed coconut milk for last two weeks but have now had terrible constipation so thought it coulfpd be the coconut milk?

[Maureen1958]

Hi, I have tried quite a few of the alternatives milks except soya, as I remember I used to have problems with soya years ago. I found all those that I tried, and it was most of them, all tended to make me more constipated.

[Tilly1312]

Rice milk fortified with calcium and vit D has worked wonders for me!

[one-n-den]

Hi,

We now use oat milk for breakfast cereals and to ‘extend’ soups, but still use cows’ milk for tea and coffee. We buy the calcium fortified oat milk.

Overall, I can claim a mild improvement in my IBS-d, certainly it’s no worse!

I started adding oat bran to my muesli, the theory being that it would ‘soak up’ liquid, which also seems to work.

Then I find an IBS app for my phone which tells me that muesli should be avoided if possible!

Can’t do right for doing wrong, as a friend of mine used to say!

Hope that helps.

[claire_louise]

Everyone is different. I was diagnosed as dairy intolerant so now use almond and rice milks, which I seem to tolerate fine. Have you ever had issues with coconut in the past? Maybe try a different kind for a couple of weeks and see if things improve? Some people find goat's milk easier to tolerate than cow's milk.

[Kimmiejo]

I use almond milk and it works well for me. I am allergic to soy beans so I can’t do soy at all. I haven’t tried coconut milk as coconut doesn’t always agree with me. I have had IBS and a nervous stomach for years.

[Jts1]

Check out low FODMAP if you haven’t already. Lactofree milk can usually be used more than alternative milks in terms of quantities vs alternative milks.

[Gettingoldnow]

After suffering for years with constipation I tried having weetabix with almond milk and it has helped me enormously ,don't always go every day but every second day which was better than 7 days and easier to go.i also drink apple juice a couple of times a week.hope this helps

[SilkyG9]

Thanks all I will try your tips

[Pepsi29]

I have stopped having milk and now only have powdered milk which has helped me enormously. I've put on about 6llbs though in weight which tells me it's working. I still get flare ups though but maybe 6 times a year rather than weekly. I had severe cramping and fainting, sweating in the middle of the night and a bad stomach, I'm not sure what caused it but I think it might be the steak I had for dinner as I don't seem to tolerate beef that well.