Can fiber be the cause?

[Dlb121093]

I REALLY need some advice!

Iv been suffering with ibs for 3-4years now but last year it I’mproved and I believed it down to brown bread ect, I’m now trying to diet (again🙄) and really suffering Iv been eating a lot of fruit and veg well all that’s “good for you” (a lot of fiber) I know a lot online say fiber really help but I feel the other way round is anyone else like this??

Can fibre really be my problem?

Dose anyone else have this issue??

Can I get some advice so i don’t think I’m going mad!!

Thanks Don😀

[pump321]

Hi, I've just seen your post. I sympathise with you having IBS for so long, it is all a nightmare for sure. You don't say how you are 'suffering', is it with constipation or lose tummies? Or just pain etc.? My stomach just will not tolerate fruit or vegetables in quantities, I have to get just the right balance if not it just goes straight through me. I stuck to the most boring diet of white bread, mashed potatoes/baked potatoes, plain cooked chicken, salmon, eggs the odd tin of cream of chicken soup for a very long time. Very gradually I began to introduce a few carrots and parsnips, well cooked. I also take a Boots IBS tablet every morning and a probiotic in the afternoon before I have my main meal about 6pm. I am now able to eat a bit more but I made some vegetable soup last Saturday and only had a very small amount but I had an upset tummy on Sunday, which I am used to but it gives me a migraine so a double whammy! The doctors all say eat lots of fibre but we are all different and I think you just have to eat what suits you best. If it works, stick to it for a while. It's worth putting up with a boring diet just keep things under control. Anyway, I hope this helps a bit. Good luck and please don't feel alone with it all. There are so many people suffering with this. I had my gall bladder out many years ago and I think it's to do with all these problems. There is also an IBS site on Facebook which I belong to so you can always ask questions on there and people are always very helpful and you can learn a lot just from others.

[Dlb121093 in reply to pump321]

Thank you so much for getting back to me!! I suffer with constipation and the pain but it almost like fiber completely clog me up I haven’t been in 3 day 😫 I also feel like I can feel it my chest if that make any sense!

I went to the doctors awhile ago and they said Iv got slow working colon unlike most with ibs that are fast working, so most tablet unless I take them as soon as Iv been to the loo don’t help! Witch it such a nightmere 😕

I just asked to join the Facebook group so hopefully I’ll see more on there!

Thanks again.

[pump321 in reply to Dlb121093]

Hi again, I am sure you will get a good response from Facebook, I found a lot of nice people on there who helped me. Although I have a lot of lose tummies (Diarrhoea) I sometimes get constipated too as I have to take immodium to slow things down. I recently got very constipated and was advised by the chemist to take Lactolose which is quite gentle and helps soften your stools, it worked for me but I had to be careful with it as again it could loosen me up too much! I was going to get some suppositries but was advised these are far too harsh. I don't know what to suggest that you eat. Liquorish is good to help you go to the loo. I don't suppose you can eat coleslaw as that kind of thing helps also but it may not suit your stomach and give you pain. It's a vicious circle and difficult to find just the right balance. I hope you manage to get things under control a bit so life is more confortable for you.

[pump321 in reply to Dlb121093]

After I sent the message below to you I was watching the end of of 'GP's Behind Closed Doors' on TV and it said at the end that this lady was helped with her constipation by drinking a lot more fluid so I thought I would pass it along to you as well. Fluid helps to stop you getting so bound up, hope this helps as well.

[Eastbourne11 in reply to pump321]

Hi just a thought, if you have had gall bladder removed and are suffering from diarhea, could I suhhext the FODMAP diet. Your symptoms sound the same as mine and since going on the diet, fingers crossed I have not had an"episope". You HAVE to read the book. It's "mal absorbtion of bile" that causes the problem. Good luck

[pump321 in reply to Eastbourne11]

Hello and thank you for taking the time to send me a message. I am sure I do have bile acid malabsorption (BAM) and was given this Questran medication but it contained ingredients that i couldn't take so I just manage with my diet. I am interested in the FODMAP diet so will have to have a read get the book. Is there just one specific book or several?

[Eastbourne11 in reply to pump321]

I would recommend "Low Fodmap Diet" by Dr Sue Sheperd and Dr Peter Gibson. Good luck

[pump321 in reply to Eastbourne11]

Thank you very much indeed for the info.

[Gettingoldnow]

Hi I have been severely constipated most of my life (once a week)it was coincidence but had my yearly blood tests said my potassium was a little high so doc said cut out the bananas.i looked up for a low potassium diet and started having weetabix with unsweetened almond milk and cut out all high potassium foods.the interesting thing is a high fibre diet is a high potassium diet.i stick to a low potassium diet now and my bowels have improved a lot (3/4 times a week I have dried cranberries with my weetabix and eat white bread now.all my life I have eaten healthy but now I eat crap food and am much better.so a high fibre diet does not suit everyone.so find what suits you best .

[Dolly59]

I have IBS, hiatal hernia and have found a huge improvement after cutting out bread, pasta and rice. Bloating really improved.

[binks]

It is well known that fibre can make IBS worse. In an ideal world we should all be eating lots of fibre but - if you read John Hunter's "Irritable Bowel Solutions" chapter 5 is called malfermentation and IBS, it clearly states that at Addenbrooke's hospital they found that for the majority of patients, a high fibre diet is wrong "for the majority of sufferers".

When those patients were put on low fibre diets they found considerable improvement.

The book is excellent by the way.

[weegmack in reply to binks]

Totally agree! I haven’t read that book, but I must get it. Fibre does nothing to help me. It really irritates my IBS and makes it worse. So I just eat small quantities of fibrous veg and stick to more starchy veg. Brown bread really makes me worse too!

[Kilgh]

Here is an indepth article that may help.

todaysdietitian.com/newarch...

[dotster]

I have to agree, I have been told I am IBS although waiting gastro review as am gluten and lactose intolerant and some other issues. I had to give up slimming world because all the extra fibre I was eating was creating absolute havoc with my system. Ironically the worse I eat the better I am, obviously within my dietary restrictions. I am more constipated on extra fruit and veg then not. It doesn't figure, I feel your pain.

[Marygulliford in reply to dotster]

Yes, know what you mean, all the crap I was eating at Xmas and I was fine!!! That did include some veg, by the way x

[Dlb121093 in reply to dotster]

Hey I was 100% the same I done slimming world and couldn’t do it as I was in so much pain and Weighing day wasn’t poo day, I felt I never lost anything :/ it’s so hard to loose weight with ibs, if you fine and thing that works let me know

[dotster in reply to Dlb121093]

it appears to be a very fine line between eating healthily and being comfortable, I need now to lose about a stone that I wasn't carrying before

[Marygulliford]

Hi. I've had real problems with fiber, I'm back trying to lose weight. Last night went to bed at 8 due to really bad pains in lower tum following meat and two veg. It's like my stomach can't cope with veg. Awful bad pains all night! Dreadful. I sympathize with you. I'm gonna have to be so careful with veg and what type

Sorry you are suffering x

[Haylesss]

Fibre is a real issue for me - I tend to avoid any high-fibre foods (which isn’t ideal) but I’d rather be able to leave the house! I just try to focus on making my meals as healthy as possible without including those foods.

Perhaps try cutting it out for a couple of weeks and see how you feel?

Good luck!