I have BAM and IBS. Diabetes (type 2) arthritic issues and other stuff. The list is endless. As always, I'll tell you I don't do all the right things nutrition wise or in fact anything wise currently. My life is tough and due to the gut disorders particularly, I barely go out now, suffer with chronic pain and fatigue most days. Typically I wake up in some kind of pain and have to run to the toilet, which always starts the day of badly. This goes on through the day - sometimes a lot and sometimes not as much, but it happens every day. I've asked before about help with BAM - I don't actually want online help , I want to be able to discuss this over the phone or in some way- the BAM diet and diabetes diet clashes. (and yep I have previously looked at the fodmap diet but it is really difficult relating to all the clashes mentioned) I have other issues so food is always a problem. I have a combination of healthy and unhealthy nutrition in my life- I appreciate that there are lots I can change - and I do change some, but equally I am drained and depleted and my motivation to do anything is sometimes zero. Due to the diabetes , I feel faint at times - I know my blood sugars are all over the place. I don't want to be told off- and I appreciate it may sound frustrating that I'm not doing enough. I was colesevelam (I tried the other drug for it and couldn't take that either) for BAM but couldn't handle it- also it didn't seem to be making any difference. I ended up just being told that I should take a whole load of imodium every day. I don't do that - but I do take it as and when. My stomach has been distended since the beginning of all of this and nothing seems to help this. I get cramps a fair amount. also have acid reflux and heartburn ( have a small hiatus hernia) All fun and games !
I can't always find what I need to take in between meds. painkillers, imodium etc. I feel my life is so hard and the pain coupled with the humiliation of these illnesses, is so much to cope with. Just feeling very, very low. Any plans I make for the day normally change due to the nature of how all of this is making me feel. I just want to be put in contact with someone who can help me manage all of this stuff and be able to discuss this with them. I've had enough. I hope you are all doing better than I am.
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Houseofpain
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Hi houseofpain so sorry you are having a tough time i too am in lots of pain due to mulitude of bone and muscle problem you say you tried fodmap food have you looked at trying low Gi food i found this help a little with my reflux and gut problems i think you need to push your GP to refere you to a specialist for some sort of help please dont give up also your doctor should refere you too a diebetic nurse who can help with nutrial meal plan mine has been a god send and now im pre diabetic blood sugers dropped by 6 points so again your doctor needs to refere you to people who you can talk too maybe too they can refere you too others snowballing onto the right help stay strong stay safe .xx
Thank you for your kind message and sorry to hear you are equally in a lot of pain. Regarding low GI food, I have looked into it a tiny amount before but not enough. will do, again - the thing is as my diet ( I am fully aware) is not good for the most part in terms of all the conflicts. I need to get my motivation back on that front. Re the diabetic nurse I have been asking for that type of thing for ages and aside from an 8 hour virtual group recommended by my doctor (it was mostly generic stuff and obviously they didn't cover any other health issues or potential clashes- they were meant to find a me a dietician and didn't) I have only recently spoken briefly to a dietician - they are not specialised in diabetes though. I have an oncoming chat booked with them soon. ( but it will be very short) My doctor is caring, but she is overworked and we can never set out all the issues/referrals etc. I totally hear what you are saying re the snowballing effect though, it's just annoying that everything seems to take years to come to fruition. I hope you have some support too.
That was like reading my life story, having IBS and diabetes type 2 is very hard to juggle, I also have angina, high blood pressure, diverticulitis, sinus issues, and kidney stones, I am waiting to see a ENT about sinuses and the kidney stone removal got cancelled so am waiting on new appointment, when I have to go into hospital or anywhere to be honest it completely stresses me out for days before due to having to rush to the toilet upto ten times a day. I don’t know what the answer is to help you, I am a 59 year old male that is over weight, and been struggling with the IBS for 30 years and diabetes for 25 years, finding food that suits them both is very hard indeed, I can’t use sugar replacement like Splenda ect as it gives me diarrhoea, foods that help stabilise the diabetes can cause constipation, it’s a game each day of this or that might work. I do know one thing I can’t drink tap water as it affect the IBS terrible and when the diarrhoea kicks in it in turn lowers my sugars making me feel really Unwell. I take Imodium if I am going out just for peace on mind.
Thank you for your reply. appreciated -also relate to some of the issues you have re blood pressure and sinus issues- I have sinusitis. You are bang on the money regarding the sugar free stuff. It is very hard to find diet products that don't contain particular sweeteners that cause stomach issues. I do have a bit of a (mostly decaffeinated) pepsi max habit and I'm pretty sure that's doing me not much good, but I drink a lot of water and like to have tasty flavoured drinks - again anything fizzy is probably going to be bad for the stomach, but equally normally flavoured stuff candy the same down to sugars/sweeteners. That said I have a bit of a chocolate milk thing - that obviously is not good for me (regardless of whether it is oatly flavoured or normal low fat one) As I said my diet is a combination of healthy and not unhealthy.When you said about foods that stabilise the diabetes causing constipation, I was thinking that would be a relief currently. How bad is that? I think it's also the volatility of imodium in terms of the fact that some days it works and others it has no impact at all. If I am going out, I often take imodium first but here are times I don't eat properly until I am out and feel I may pass out due to the diabetes. Also currently with the hot weather, diabetes is a hard one to manage as the sun dehydrates you ( I'm sure you know all of this) I have just bought some more electrolytes -sugar free and the ones I already own affected me negatively. I'm sorry that you've had to deal with this health issues for so many years. For me as an addition to the other stuff I deal with, the diabetes and BAM have started in the last three years or so. Last year my diabetic annual review went really well( I was surprised) They told me I was doing great - this year I'm scared to see them ! What you said about top water was a surprise to me - I hope there is stuff that you can eat/drink that doesn't affect you negatively. Don't know if you've looked into trying stevia as a sugar replacement. May be worth reading up on. At least we all can empathise with what we're going through.
I have tried most things over the years, I just try to avoid sugar all together now where possible, have you looked into soluble and insoluble fibre, soluble soaks up liquid in the colon slowing down even stopping diarrhoea while the other insoluble don’t soak up water so making diarrhoea a lot worse, foods you think are good for you like cabbage can make diarrhoea a lot worse, are you in the uk
No, I haven't looked into the soluble and insoluble fibre, but wil do, thanks. Re cabbage, I would associate that with other stuf, but don't really have that often.If you arbue trying to avoid sugar, that is good. How is your salt intake (re blood pressure)? I don't use salt when I cook, but I do get takeaways so its not always easy to know how much you are ingesting. I used to ask for no salt. Mostly, chicken and rice, veg/salad seems to be a general go to.
Ps when you mentloned your stress around going to hospital appointments and the amount of toilet visits, I totally hear you. It's depleting and draining on top of everything.
I don’t have much salt, if you look on wsh.nhs.uk/CMS-Documents/Pa... web site it will guide you regarding fibre, it’s more important than you would think with IBS, to many take away meals will also affect the diarrhoea a lot as most take always have a lot of fat in them that just goes through the digestive system faster. I think most people who get these illnesses take a while to accept they are unwell before they start to take care of diet, I used to eat take away a lot a few years ago before I decided I could not take the pain or the rushing to the toilet any more, I had all the cameras inside me but the doctors could not find anything so said it’s IBS, everyone with IBS have different symptoms and we have to find our own path through it the best we can, I keep a daily diet of sugars toilet and what meals I have had, are you on meds for IBS and diabetes?
Thank you for the details. I have IBS and BAM so with BAM too many fibrous carbs is not good either. I am not on meds for BAM or IBS. Just imodium. Re the takeaways, i do get healthy freshly prepped poke dishes and the chicken stew or shish is always with rice or bulgar rice.
I’m 54 and suffered with diarrhoea since my mid 20s. Told IBS. At 38 diagnosed with nafld. My whole lipid profile was sky high so was put on bp meds, a statin and fenofibrate. Mid 40s type 2 kicked in so now take 4 metformin. Then at 50 finally diagnosed with bam. I’ve seen dieticians but they don’t seem to understand what I can/cannot eat. I’ve learned over the years that anything fatty, has skin, seeds or leaves need more bile to digest. Fodmap is good for IBS but not for bam. I’m ok with root veg (no skins) and steaming them makes them more easily digested. I’m ok with white carbs but can’t eat eggs. Little dairy (if making a sandwich for example). Caffeine and artificial sweeteners are a no no. I’m ok with banana and berries, but nothing else. Chicken and fish ok but struggle with anything else. My recent bloods show my liver is now progressed and is showing signs of fibrosis so I’m being referred back. I take 4 colesevelam and loperamide as well as meds mentioned above, and a shit load of vitamins. If you don’t take or haven’t had a vitamin check, may be worth while. Your B12 can cause fatigue if low. Oh and to add insult I’m also going through the menopause!
Hi jbrking can i ask if you dont mind how you have been on finofibrate i cant take statins and my doctor wants me to go on this drug altho i eat healthy my collestrial is up the wall i seem to be makeing my own 95 per cent of my food i grow myself so i know its organic
The only reading which is good is my cholesterol so it must be doing some good! I also take omacor (which is prescribed omega) which increases my good cholesterol (as it should be around 1.0 and mine was low at 0.5 and still only 0.8 after years being on omega) but my overall cholesterol is only 2.7 which is absolutely amazing!
Thanks wsh mine was as low as your at 6+😆 im shouting out for ideas to lower and information as to why im making it myself rather than my eating habit causing my high lvls. Take care stay safe
Mine was 15 at its highest so the statin and feno fibrate has definitely helped. I’m low fat, use the things like benecol spread etc and by raising my good cholesterol has changed the overall ratio.
Thank you for your kind and informative message. I feel your pain...I would say in genre that've cut down on caffeine - I drink mostly decaf pepsi max but appreciate that the combination of fizz and sweeteners in no good and is probably impacting on me more now then before. I like coconut water and the best ones are really expensive and you never get enough for it but also I think although they contain electrolytes the fruit sugar probably spikes the insulin levels and plays to my diabetes, my main source of protein is chicken - I'm starting to think that is affecting me also. I do have eggs and enjoy smoked salmon, but again coupled with bread it's always difficult to know how it will affect me. My bread intake can go between rye (which is generally good but I think rod-map wisent so good) sourdough to bagels (bagels are not good for diabetics due to sugar content- plus simple carb effects- but conversely simple carbs are better for BAM sufferers -it's a bloody minefield) Sorry I know you don't have diabetes and I'm writing a lot about it in this bit but it's just hard to manage the combination of all these horrible illnesses. I'm sure in 1,000 years they'll find a cure for everything ! Thank you for the B12 reminder. Glad you can handle the colesevelam. I hope things improve for you and that you have some helpful support around the menopause and in general. We all need more support and care .
I have diabetes too! Pepsi max is about the only drink that doesn’t spike mine and I don’t have too much, but it’s a treat when I get fed up of water. I eat chicken (but no skin) I’m ok on bread (for bowels but not for diabetes) but eggs definitely affect me. I have lots of questions for when I see some “specialists” because my doctor didn’t even know what bam was and it was only on talking to another consultant it was him that referred me to gastro. Years of being told IBS and lack of vitamins has taken its toll.
Totally hear what you are saying re pepsi max. The great thing (I'm being tongue in cheek here) about the internet is that you always find millions of opinions of what is good and bad for you. It's hard to decipher without just checking yourself and even then, things can affect or not affect me. I think stress is a massive contributor to gut issues but equally with BAM, I just seem to have problems all the time regardless of what I eat, whether I eat, don't eat etc. A doctor have to look BAM up in a book when I spoke about it. I also used to refer to it more as BAD and some people laugh when hear this. Bile Acid diarrhrea sounds a lot worse than Bile Acid malabsorption. Either way, nobody bloody understands it including me !
Your mention of distended stomach and acid reflux and heartburn struck a chord with me as they are 3 of the many many symptoms of SIBO. Might be worth getting a breath test to see if SIBO could be responsible for some of your issues? I have just ordered one from ibsandsiboclinics. If you are interested, their website lists their practitioners and their different specialities and you can book appointments with which one suits you best. They do consultations over the phone too, followed by zoom or skype. You can have a face to face too if you live close enough.
My breath test cost me £160 but I am willing to pay this to try and help get my problems sorted with someone who seems willing to help. UNlike all the medics I have come across.
I'm new to all this so just starting to find answers but just thought I would suggest it.
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