Pasta and Weetabix kills me

[BlueKeith]

Just wondering if any of you can eat bread cereal or most things made of wheat but not pasta or Weetabix. Had a salad the other day but had pasta in it and picked out most of the pasta but still ate a little bit since eating my bowel on left side is cramping and hurting. It feels bruised and battered. I've had wheat intolerance tests and apparently I'm not intolerant. It does this only with certain pastas and Weetabix.

[SagaciousSag]

Have you gotten tested for coeliac disease? It could be that. It might also be a common ingredient of the two.

[BlueKeith in reply to SagaciousSag]

Yeah had a coeliac test and was negative. I thought it was a good chance I had it but obviously not.

[Blearyeyed]

You could be tolerant to some types of wheat but not others. Do you know if you wheat intolerance tests , tested different wheat types or just the most common one.Pasta is usually made with Durum Wheat.

If you only reacted to the pasta in your salad but you haven't had pain with it before it could be the way it was cooked , what it was cooked with or even what it was cooked in that caused the problem.

Weetabix contains a very high amount of sugar , people don't realize just how sugary it is . When I was young I can remember people giving old people or kids suffering with constipation a few Weetabix to help them go to the toilet .

More often than not it worked !! so if you have IBS - D already you can see why it's not a great food stuff to eat with loose bowels.

Many people feel worse eating insoluble fibre foods and if I remember rightly there is also bran in Weetabix.

I have worse pain with insoluble fibre but need soluble fibre , but I am IBS- C so your experience and mine can be quite different.

Many people can eat gluten but not certain wheat products. Many people can't eat normal bread but can enjoy sourdough . Many can't tolerate Lactulose but can eat natural yoghurt . How diet effects us is a big mystery still being solved. What is meat for one can be poison for another.

If that same pain continues for too long after the food you suspected as affecting you is out of your system you should seek advice from a GP.

Just because we have IBS it doesn't mean we can't have something else happen in our gut and we can't let doctors just brush it off either.

That is particularly true if the pain is worse or different to your usual IBS flares.

The pain may be something else , even an infection in another part of the body on your left side.

[Alybubbles]

What about the salad?I bloat & cramp with salad, it is SO painful. X

[BlueKeith in reply to Alybubbles]

I'm ok with all salad. In fact I have a list of safe foods. Salad, eggs, all meat, cheese, yogurt, oats, toast are among them

[Alybubbles in reply to BlueKeith]

Yep, I’m keeping a list now. I can NOT eat salad, bread (any sort) eggs, pasta etc

[Kazzacrazy]

Some salad stuff sets my stomach off its so hard to know what it is that's actually causing it sometimes! I'm ok with weetabix but can't eat any wholemeal bread.

[auntyjean]

I had same problem with pasta and the dietitian said pasta can cause problems when it is cold as in salads or reheated.

[BlueKeith in reply to auntyjean]

That's a good point that . I had it cold in a salad but had hit tagliatelle the week before with no problems

[Angie11]

Did you eat much lettuce. Lettuce gives me awful cramps and wind. My dietitian advised me not to eat it as it’s so hard to digest.

[Fernsmum]

Hello , I'm not a lover of pasta so can't comment on that , but weetabix is often my go to if I'm having a rubbish day ,and don't want to eat much ,I don't have a lot of bread ,either maybe a roll or sandwich for lunch , but I do find in general that my tolerances change , sometimes this sometimes that , fried eggs no good now but boiled is fine , sorry for rambling ,good luck with getting yourself sorted .xx

[Blearyeyed in reply to Fernsmum]

The egg thing is probably because you can't tolerate how frying in oil changes certain types of food , or your food sensitivities are linked to fats and heated fats in your diet.Do you get more IBS with fattier foods or bigger meals?

[Fernsmum in reply to Blearyeyed]

Hello yes to both , I'm afraid , bit of a nightmare

[Blearyeyed in reply to Fernsmum]

Has your GP checked your Gall Bladder Health.If you react , or increasing get pain after meals or foods with high fat content it can be a sign of gallstones or bile issues , which doesn't always show up in blood tests even if they are tests used to help diagnose gallstones .

I had a number of years with this situation , and finally recurrent gall bladder infections.

Because I didn't fit the pattern in body and lifestyle characteristics they kept dismissing it and acted like it was just a mild gall bladder case.

If they'd done an ultrasound on it they'd have seen that wasn't the case.

When the pain got so bad that they finally took it out they were surprised at how full of gallstones my gallbladder was.

I still have IBS- C now but it has never been as bad as it was when I had the gall bladder problem and the year of recovery after it.

It won't be the same for everyone , my gall issues may well have come from me having Ehlers Danlos Syndrome ( which they still hadn't diagnosed at the time , in fact I have only recently got the full diagnosis of it ) but gall issues are often overlooked in many IBS sufferers especially if they aren't in the pattern ( forties , female , blond , overweight or have had a lot of children).

I was in my thirties , underweight , have dark hair and only 2 children at the time.

[Fernsmum in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thanks for that information I must admit I was wondering about poss gall bladder , as I keep getting a strange taste in my mouth , nothing I can put my finger on , but strange just the same .

[Blearyeyed in reply to Fernsmum]

If you want to talk about it more message me , take care , Bee

[Fernsmum in reply to Blearyeyed]

Oh that's lovely thank you x

[BabsyWabsy]

I cannot tolerate anything made from modern wheat. My GP says I am allergic. I can however eat ancient types of wheat such as spelt with no issues. Anecdotally, this seems to be a common problem for those in my age group who were raised on the 'new' bread made by the Chorley Wood process which enabled bread to be mass produced with minimal fermentation, launched in the early 60's and still the manufacturing method of choice for most commercial bread to this day. Weetabix is a big no no. I can eat spelt pasta.

[Evonne02]

Sounds like my issues. Think you may have Diverticulitis. After diagnosis I was referred to the Urology & colorectal service. Apparently I was so constipated, even though I went a few times a day, that I had to take 8 laxatives and 2 laxative tablets a day. I then ate something containg wheat and was OK. Then 2 days later I had pizza and I was OK. Then the next day I had normal Bisto gravy and OK, and so on. The nurse said my issue was serious and wanted to admit me into hospital. We argued a few times as I refused being admitted but continued with the treatment. Now I feel better but just slowly reintroducing 'normal food' into my diet. I hope you find a resolution soon because I know it's awful. Please let us know how you get on. All the best 😍

[StrugglingAirHostess]

Funny you say this. I decided to buy weetabix last week to change up my breakfasts and I had it 2 mornings in a row and my god my stomach was so bad. After the 2nd morning of having weetabix I was going all morning, went about 7 times then thought by the afternoon it had calmed down but it started up again so had to take loperamide because I had plans that afternoon. I'm gutted cos it's a really nice breakfast with strawberries and coconut milk but hey ho, another thing on the 'can't eat' list 😮‍💨

[MatthewU]

I try and stay off wheat, especially in the pure form such as cereals; I eat oats instead and have less problems, less often. I also have very little cows milk.

[Pajarorose]

Then don't eat them. I can eat white bread, but not wheat bread. I am intolerant of Fructans. Perhaps you are also? In any event, you know what causes your distress, and that is a good thing.

[iloveglee]

I'd have to agree with all the comments on here. For me (IBS-D), insoluble fibre is hellish. So no, or limited greens, except strangely enough I'm ok with green beans. Carrots, Turnip and Potatoes are fine, as are peas and baked beans. No rhyme no reason, except the things I can eat probably have soluble fibre rather than the other kind. Salad is a definite no no.

So bread I also have trouble with but can eat sourdough, full rather than the bread with some in it. Maybe because its fermented? Definitely can't eat weetabix, so I get oatibix instead. Anything with oats is fine, porrige, oat cakes that kind of thing. Oatbread used to be available but doesn't seem to be now. Pasta is variable, I did try gluten free pasta but it's not nice so I just limit the amount I eat at any one time, and how many times. It's a pain because I love pasta, but rice is fine so go with that sometimes instead.

Dairy really gets me, but can eat non dairy plant based yoghurts which are really nice. Can eat hard cheeses, and veined cheese but not soft or cottage cheese. I believe it's the lactose, so I always have lactase tablets to hand in case I desperately want a cappuccino!!

It's a total nightmare and I don't know about anyone else on here, but I'm sick of it. I have had this for many years, but following a campylobacter infection a few months ago has been so much worse.

So far as I have discovered, everyone is very different, and sometimes you can tolerate stuff one day that you can't another. I have no idea why. I wish there would be more research done on this, as it's so common.

[Blearyeyed in reply to iloveglee]

You food pattern reads virtually identically to mine , except I can eat certain salad foods , like darker green leaves , tomatoes and peppers.It's interesting as I am IBS- C and probably right at the other end of the scale from you.

Especially , your comments on insoluble fibre.

I prefer lactofree or non dairy , but can eat live probiotic dairy yoghurt and some hard cheeses with no issue , and I know that is common too , as is the sourdough solution.

The fact that we do suffer the opposite symptoms in reaction to insoluble fibre and certain foods does prove that IBS is clearly as it states , a syndrome , and therefore caused by some other issue in our guts and not a disease on its own with no understandable cause as GPs and Consultants are constantly stating. It has a cause , they just don't know where to start to test it , or aren't willing to fund the tests required.

How are you with corn, spices and those nightshades like tomatoes etc.?

[iloveglee in reply to Blearyeyed]

I should have said, regarding salads, that I can eat tomatoes, cucumber and peppers. Also mushrooms I am fine with, providing I don't eat too many of any of those things at a time. I haven't tried corn, I may get a bag of frozen and see how that is. I have used it in the past to check my gut motility, since corn is just about the only thing I know that comes out exactly the way it went in!!

After almost 4 months of more serious issues I am now introducing, gently, different things. I have found I can eat just a little bit of regular bread, but dairy is still a no no, except actimel drinks, again possibly because they have a fermentation element to them. I tried kimichi, but I hate it, sauerkraut which is awful, and kefir which I can tolerate but is not that easy to get in the supermarkets, and is quite expensive. I have been recommended Kombucha, and I remembered many years ago my father used to get this, he swore by it although what for exactly I am not sure as he didn't have digestive issues to my knowledge. He asked if I could get a starter and make it for him, but I didn't have anywhere to 'grow' it. It's much more popular now and probably easy to get, so that's something to consider.

I have picked up many tips from here, and am also a member (cost £20 to join), ibsnetwork, which has loads of useful information, will answer questions, and has a telephone helpline a couple of times a week. In the UK though, so the phone helpline is not a lot of use for anyone who lives elsewhere. It's good sometimes though to know that this is more common than you think. One of the main problems with it is it causes anxiety, and the more anxious you are, the worse it gets. One of those vicious circles, which is very hard to break.

[Blearyeyed in reply to iloveglee]

If you get diarrhea be careful with the corn , as you say, it can go out as it came in , and cause some gut pain while it does it .I'd just try a couple of teaspoons at first if you want to try it.

I get on with probiotic things and the fermented foods . It's just such a phaff , or really expensive to use them regularly. Although I do have a sourdough starter that lives in the airing cupboard that I have nurtured , like a child , for more than ten years.

I'm not gluten intolerant but I have to make my own bread when I want it so I don't pay for it later.

Perhaps your Dad did have the same digestive issues as you , but he didn't discuss them , as was the habit in parents or men of certain generations. Is there any way you could find out now ?

It would probably be quite informative , as it could turn out your digestive issues have a genetic link that could be explored.

My IBS is definitely linked to my other health issues but for some years it was the worst symptom , along with period pain. My issues are genetic too.

[Fodmapfella in reply to iloveglee]

Yep, I'd agree that we are all different & different things affect different people. I'd also stress & agree with some of the comments on this thread, that sometimes, there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to this irritating & debilitating condition. Grrr. Whilst acknowledging our differences, I personally found it useful, to start off from FODMAP advice and, whilst guts are stable, then gradually try different foods & different combinations of foods.As an example, brocolli is a no no on most FODMAP charts but I'm fine with it - ditto (cooked) carrots & green french beans. Trouble is, I kept 'playing safe' and eating the same old, same old - gets very boring.

I recently reintroduced small portions of various salad foods with my dinner &, by & large, it didn't cause any problems. I try things that I'm a bit wary of, but always alongside 'safe' foods - in other words, not too big a portion.

Another thing I've being trying lately, came via a thread on this very site recently. Up until then, I was only using loperimide when I actually really needed it & had cramps & the other thing (I can't spell diarrhoea

) However, the thread write said that he or she, took one loperimide just a couple of times a week, as a matter of 'routine' & this settled down their guts generally. I've been trying that and, for me, it's been working really well & my guts don't seem as badly behaved as before, more settled, less general discomfort.

Obviously - hence the threads on this site - we are all very very different in the way IBS manifests & in our way of dealing with it. Sadly, for most of us, it ain't going anywhere soon so we have to get on with our lives & try to live by minimising it's awful hold over us.

So, I'd say to anyway, try not to lose hope, it can get better, but we have to try different things, sometimes different medicines. But I'd advise anyone to start with FODMAP and work up to different foods & meals from there.

Good luck all - don't let it get to ya!

[Luisa22]

Someone here mentioned that they think Weetabix has some bran in it? I think it has owing to the flavour. I haven't eaten it for years but used to like it spread with a bit of soft butter and topped with honey. I also liked it spread with peanut butter! That's hard to do, as the Weetabix is so crumbly

Bran is something I know will make you 'go'. I have to steer clear of anything with bran in it. I ate bran flakes for umpteen years. I liked them, and used to nibble them like crisps straight out of the box! but that habit had to stop.

What sort of pasta did you try? If wholemeal, then that's the same problem. Too much roughage. I can eat pasta okay, and cous cous which is made with durum wheat, but I have to choose the white kind, not the brown types.

[Roger1234]

I avoid all wheat products and all cereals like rye, rice and cornflour.

[drax83]

Well I love my cereals, but I'm picky. I have three cereals in one bowl. Rice crispies, kellogs crunchy nut cornflakes and the new kellogs bites in small amounts. Wheat flakes with strawberry berries etc I don't eat, just too much for me. Pasta is hit and miss. Love cold pasta with sauce twists for salads, but they have given me aches before, so I avoid. Pasta hot meals are sometimes OK, but avoid like plague if they contain creamy source or worst cheese.

[Luisa22 in reply to drax83]

Right, the only thing I can ever put on pasta is salt, or maybe a tiny bit of butter. What I do now is cook (white or those tricolore) pasta spirals, and just mix them with my veg, and that seems to work. Days of pasta and cheese /sauces etc are over!