I had a great day yesterday, watching the Woman's 100 Hundred match, of which Southern Brave I am a fan off Won... I ate good yesterday, Had three Waitrose battered fish fingers, and a portion of their own make chips washed down with Tartare Source. Evening had a light salad, tomato sliced, ham slice, a very small piece of pork pie. pack of plain crisps.
Went to bed fine, woke up a little later, thinking I was good, after going normal loo, having early morning tea, tummy was grumbly, this got uncomfortable, went and did a little bit 2 hours later, but felt incomplete. later try again all i got was skid marks of brown on loo paper. It get so frustrated lately, have to eat something, we on low pensions so cant buy best products. But i always seem to get pain after dipping sauces or battered things like those haddock fingers, or onion rings.
I will end up eating nothing soon apart from scrambled egg on toast. 🤔🤔
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drax83
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Yes, the traditional English diet is not the healthiest for IBS. Cutting down on the fried stuff should definitely help.
Why on earth are you causing your own problems when there are better choices. Do you not realise you are the author of your own demise.
Sorry to be blunt, but I think you need a reality check with that list of food you got through. Damn, that would be a week long party for me and a month long flare up, to boot. I would likely enjoy it, but the thought of the flare up stops me in my tracks.
Buy the fish fingers frozen and take them home and grill them if you must have fish fingers. There are loads of foods that are not expensive and don't cause problems. Frozen vegetables can be every bit as good as fresh and in some cases cheaper.
I don't actually eat any fried foods now, cut them out. These were oven baked not fried. My lifestyle is problamitic, arthritis took my mobility away, so, unfortunately I can't be active like I was 13year ago, doing some DIY or just getting out. I keep changing my diet. Bought an expensive Ninja air fryer, cut down on oven electricity. These fish long fingers were frozen, but battered. Being blunt will do me good, I usually give advice here, but let myself into a slightly problematic issue with stress, and sort of lost the plot lately😕😕
We can all lose the plot, no shame in that. It is what we do about it, that matters.
Stress will stuff you around like you wouldn't believe. I'm riddled with osteoarthritis but force myself to keep mobile. I just have to force myself through the pain barrier, it takes a strong will, I refuse pain killers. More fool me!
For me Tartare sauce, tomatoes and crisps are a stomach killer. Mind you right now everything is killing the stomach including my medications. I've had to stop eating and medicating, yet again. An endless 4 monthly cycle for me. I only put up with it because the brain won't let me die. It's probably the challenges that keep me going!
You could look at more digestive foods and fibre. You obviously tolerate onions, try them half cooked, or if you can eat them raw do that, they are a digestive and a prebiotic food. Instead of potato use sweet potato, far better for the stomach and just as nice chipped. I don't have an alternative for crisps as usually it is the cooking medium that is the trigger, not the food. Another good food is rhubarb, I guess it is the fibre content and I grow it like a weed. It can be container grown.
Two things I have learnt, and should have listened to years ago. We need to exercise mildly and communicate with each other to keep the body functioning and the mind working. Opt out of those at our demise.
DC I really admire your no nonsense approach, and will to try and master your own problems. Shame about tomatoes, was bought up actually growing them for years in my much younger days. There really good for you, I think like tea they have antioxidants that can stave off other things. Pain from my hip plus tummy just makes me tired to an extent, I struggle to do a lot of things. My buscapam and paracetamols are not helping at the moment. I'm not allowed NSAIDS like ibroprufen, because of my hiatus hernia & diverticular, my Diazapam does help in the morning. Benzos are one of the best antispasmodics, and actually used a lot in hospitals. A phycologist I had for 6 months in the eighties, told me to keep them up, stating it would control spasms. After 50 years though, my current doctor keeps lowering them far below the recommended level I'm used to. It's a political game played by govt to stop Benzos, but I was a benzo baby, 1974 this wonder drug controlled my anxiety and panics, but they failed on testing properly. Well better go, thanks again all, been most helpful👍👍
Sad to say I grow my own tomatoes and can't eat them, I grow them in Zoodoo which makes them leap out of the ground and grow twice the size of normal. Over 14 feet tall and packing an amazing taste. They usually have a reasonable tough skin and fruit profusely. My loss everybody else's gain.
I'm limited in what meds I can take and have this morning stopped all meds apart from Aspirin for stroke prevention and Omeprazole. I can only have opioid based pain killers and I refuse to take them no matter how much pain I'm in. Since last November I have had 3 serious IBS flare ups and it all points to the meds slowly destroying the stomach each time I'm persuaded to take them. I have to stop eating as long as I can to let the stomach recover then it takes another 4 months of meds to destroy the stomach again. When the stomach is relatively good, for me I'm limited to one small meal spread through the day. Constantly hungry and spitting up reflux. Every now and then it get's to me and I ponder is it better to live like this or let the inevitable happen. I'm still here so I guess that answers that. I have lost most of my strength and stamina but am still as bloody minded as ever and cannot give in.
Day one of cups of tea only to keep my fluid intake going and mentally I'm feeling stronger, but am in agony with the stomach and abdomen letting me know their presence. Kind of like a damn mouth ulcer every time I eat. As I can't eat enough to sustain life with my IBS I can already feel the energy draining and am starting to struggle to get about. Big day tomorrow with the housekeeping to do. That usually slows me down pushing the vac around. I'll try and up the multivitamins I'm on to push through. I have run out of options and am relying on my self preservation instincts to get me through. It will be interesting if my Dr get's her A into G on this one.
For the moment absolutely everything kicks off in the stomach and abdomen. Even my good old cup of tea or water. It's simpler and easier for me to stop eating and wait it out.
I believe the meds have damaged the lining of my stomach which should heal given time. The longest I have managed living on cups of tea was 6 weeks. I lost a lot of weight and when I turned sideways in the mirror I disappeared!
I'm already past the dire hungers so should be good to go. Be aware after around a week or so of no food you need to force yourself to eat again, you're heading into anorexia territory and the will to eat disappears.
Sorry to here of your woes, it's only since 2006, when I putting up greenhouses, paving slabs, mixing concrete, planting, digging, still doing some of my own vehicle repairs. Since then the arthritis kicked in by 2011, and took away my life really, I used to go to club premises, quite often, but unlike USA a lot of places are upstairs which I can no longer climb. I now how you feel with no energy. I found I'm actually worse if I don't eat meals, like I occasionally take omeprozele if I'm earing late or hacking a Chinese. Although I'm not recently as won't pay nearly 20 quid for just two meals and some prawn crackers. I'm not allowed aspirin, as had a gastric bleed back in 2010, so like you I am in lingo. I do play lots of games other activities on my computer or ps4, that keeps me alive. But my purchases of new games is out of my pocket, so tend to collect horror movies for some time, as A Taylor Swiftie new fan, I love her songs that help me unwind at times. CD - Vynl-cassette, T shirts to name a few. I think it's important to try think out of the tummy diverting your mind to something creative maybe. Good to share though, this a great place to talk, some lovely people on here, who never makes light of each others problems. Thanks for all your input DC👍
My former Dr told me I had 5 years to live. I remind her when I see her I'm still here and plus 2. I went home and closed my business then and there. Since then I have diagnosed osteoarthritis in the knuckle of both hands from a life time of fine instrument repairs. One hip is the same and both shoulders are so warn they can jamb at the most inappropriate time. A real bastard when holding a cup of tea, just can't get the mouth to it. I still have my workshop I am heavily into CNC machines and radio control models. Like you I did and still try to do all the manual work myself, I built my last house. I wore out my shoulders from Kart racing and motorcycle riding with all the vibration. Had to leap off the roof a few years ago with vertigo and shattered my calcaneus/ heel. Lucky to escape fracturing my pelvis. I remember thinking roll when I hit the concrete. So what did I do, splat. Took 6 hours to reassemble the bones, 7 months on my rear and another 7 months on my rear after forcing the surgeon to remove the plate he inserted, which was too big and stopping me from standing or walking. Shifted my milling machine while the leg was in plaster and non load bearing. Went well until I managed to roll it over and was thrown across the workshop. Man can fly unaided!
I haven't been out for a meal since CKD and IBS decided they needed me, just to keep them company diabetes decided to join the club as well. Had to learn how to cook my diet and never ever buy man made or adulterated foods. I can now comfortably sit and watch others feasting without wanting it myself. But don't leave a bar of chocolate open around me. It just seems to melt way instantly. Sometimes you just have to partake of the forbidden fruit and to hell with the consequences. What is 3 days of pain and suffering for 5 minutes of total lust, nothing in the big picture. Ask me the next day and I'll tell you a different story about the biggest fool I know!
You're absolutely right. Divert the mind and the problems are forgotten. I deal with my pain in the same way by jamming my strong fingernails into my palms diverting the attention.
yep engineers suffer in later life. I went into vehicle repair a very long time ago, Mobile at first, then got my own garage going. nowadays, mechanics dont an awful lot of the manual heavy work now. But i have belted my right thumb nuckle countless times knocking track rod ends out to replace. I now have , sometimes severe wear and tear pain, just by screwing a lemonade cap. I gave up after some years as doctor told me my discs were showing signs of wear. I ended up with inflamation of the sciatic nerve, luckily was living still with parents. remember stretching to cabinet and home, and a sudden excruciating pain hit me so bad, I was crying like a baby. dad took me upstairs called doctor, (they came quite quick in those days)...... Was given solphadiene in water for the pain. Had to lay on a board, or door fr some days. Had to crawl along the landing to get to the loo then. I never want that again. took me over 4 weeks to be back to some sort of normality, but in 87 decided moving to the peace of The Pembrokeshire coast, whee I became a wildlife warden and helped kids with basic english. wasnt going back in engineering , I knew If I would I would be a wreck, seems you had an illustrious career in many ways. Take care🙂🙂
Sounds like we might have gotten on like a house on fire. Vitals are holding up and touch wood, no pains but the cup of tea is yet to come.
I could never get enthused with motors, cars yes but not the mechanics. Decided years ago new offered less problems and the business always afforded me a new one every couple of years, or less. Never had a car out of warranty in the past 20 years. Now retired the focus has shifted, no money in no money out, Scotch ancestry. I'm renowned for squeaking when I walk!
No I don't have moths in my wallet, they can't get past the cobwebs.
To late for me now, I been them 50 years, mental health team looking after me 10 year ago, said I wouldn't be able to live a normal life without them, possibly ending up in an institution. No one did the proper assessments in 1974 when I was put on them, I been on them ever since.
Not to bad DC thank you, picking my meals and just eating smaller meals for the time being. Hope you are doing ok?, actually nice and sunny for a few days, try and get a run in our jaguar I bought recently, get some sea air, as miss it inland, having lived by the sea all my life apart from these last 5 years inland which I cant handle the humidity heat and dirty air. Hope you manage to have a lovely weekend . take care
Good to hear. Nothing like blowing the cobwebs out either. Used to enjoy my sports car but had to sell it as I could only fall into it and not crank the legs back tight enough to fall out. A fault of getting old, flexibility or lack of. If someone would produce a soft top SUV we could be talking.
After 4 days of starvation manged to get some food in without too much discomfort. Nothing like canned spaghetti to slither down the gullet smoothly. Accordingly my glucose and BP are up, you can't have everything in life! Still off meds and will be at least for another week. Would like to make it permanent but the risk of strokes is too high now.
Yes, eating the food is often no problem, and often feeling great after is no problem, but it's the morning after isn't it when we find out...oops, shouldn't have done that.
It might be the batter, or it might be some other additives in processed foods like those fish fingers. I have found that I can happily manage fish fingers but they have to be Birds Eye with breadcrumbs, and not cooked in oil, but just grilled dry. Now that's odd, as fats don't usually bother me but my gut doesn't like if I fry them or add oil while they cook (why? no idea, while I can eat a bit of oil on some foods, and as much butter as I want)
I get the feeling the Birds Eye ones don't have any unfriendly additives for me.
Pork pie...tartare sauce...chips? Those also are possible culprits. Who knows what additives are in them. The only chips I can eat happily are those "naked" kind with just a bit of sunflower oil . I think Tesco's sell them, and Mc Cain's make those too.
Don't know if you have a Tesco's near you? But I have saved a lot with that Clubcard thing. There are often really reduced offers for Clubcard members, and there are offers on large packs of frozen fish fingers too (like 30 Birds Eye Omega 3 in breadcrumbs) which you could get while they are on offer, for your freezer. And reduced offers on many veggies and other things. Waitrose might have a simliar scheme.
Tartare sauce...what's in it?
It's such a drag being a slave to label reading. I know. But processed foods of any kind usually have all sorts in them and with this anti-sugar craze going on to make us "healthy", artificial sweeteners are in everything even non-sweet food items for some weird reason.
Plus all the other chemical additives which can be unfriendly to IBS.
I know what you mean about costs. I only have my state pension coming in too. Granted, I don't have to buy or cook for anyone except me. But I do manage to eat fairly healthy and keep it very simple, just plain fish, eggs, certain veggies that suit me, sometimes some grapes (which heavens above for my sins, I have to peel!) And can also sometimes manage a little bit of rinsed canned chickpeas added to my steamed veg. I also eat pasta, ciabatta toast, butter, brown and white rice, potatoes and the occasional bag of plain crisps which seem fine. A bit of chocolate doesn't upset me either, dark or milk.
I get the D version but it sounds like you get more pain and constipation? It might help if you could manage some plain but healthy food like steamed veg that suits you, plain chicken, fish just steamed or baked with only some salt, eggs. Maybe some fruit if it suits you, and pasta, rice, potatoes, or anything else just fairly plain. The wholewheat breads and pasta if you're constipated and the white ones if you have the D.
The only fiddle would be if you have to cook for two and your spouse doesn't want those plain foods, so you'd have to cook 2 dinners.
I think maybe the cost of those things would work out the same as buying the more processed foods? Perhaps even less.
Onions are a big no no for me anyway. I wouldn't like to do battle with onion rings! Even though I do miss them.
Oh and I'll just say...beware of your appetite when you're hungry for dinner. Many a time when I'm really hungry and feel good I will happily eat ANYTHING, and even kid myself I can eat stuff that I know will give me a bad toilet morning following! It smells wonderful, it tastes good, it is happy in your tummy....until it gets lower down! aarrghh!
Thanks so much Luisa, for taking the time to write such a a long caring reply. I understand what you saying, used to cook our own foods from fresh ingredients, but honestly at the moment, with our grocery bill at a stupid amount of £80 plus delivery, with actually not an awful lot to show for it, seperate ingredients cost a lot now. I try and do better👍👍
I beg to differ. What ingredients are you talking about? If it's all meat, fancy veggies & alcohol, I can see that being a problem.
I limit myself to more staple or in-season veggies & fruit (lettuce, cabbage, carrots, frozen or canned stuff), cheaper cuts of meat (and not that often), things like pasta/rice/grains, (whole if possible), tea ... I don't really care for sweets, so that helps a lot.
Thanks, but don't drink, don't eat veg unless it's root. Cabbage is supposed to be a no no isn't it? Pasta isn't easy to digest. As I also have diverticular I have to avoid if possible, nuts, certain cereals, peas etc so I keep to cornflakes with rice crispies. Greasy foods almost gone from my diet, my main problem is being immobile far long periods because of arthritis in hips, exersise would be good for me, but very difficult in practice in a court, where I'm on first floor. I do miss my birdwatch trips to RSPB centres, that's for sure.
Yes, I know what you mean. My own bill comes to over £60 usually just for me, then the flexi-saver delivery which is the cheapest at £3.
I do find though that buying fresh or frozen basic veggie ingredients is the safest thing for my tummy. But that's different of course when you are sharing with someone who might not like that plain food. And two lots of groceries is way too much to spend!
I’m afraid I agree that your diet is an IBS disaster ! I havent eaten anything like that for over 10 years..I’ve become pescatarian, gluten free and follow Fodmap strictly. No processed foods, no ready meals, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, everything cooked from scratch. Our diet is light, delicious and tasty…you can find loads of low Fodmap recipes online to try. And it’s NOT expensive either.
Anything in batter is a no no, even if you put them in the oven. I have fish fingers but only in breadcrumbs and grill them, they are fine! Onions i would avoid and dip in sauces, just tomato ketchup is fine and nice with fish fingers
I have had IBS for years. I also find that food in batter or breadcrumbs can trigger my IBS. I cook them in the oven or air fryer so not fried in oil. I think it is possibly one the ingredients in the batter or breadcrumbs e.g palm oil etc. Who knows what they add to our food these days. I get fed up because sometimes you just want to eat what you want. If I do have anything that may upset me I always plan to be at home the next day just in case then anxiety is kept at a low level. Although as It makes me feel so tired etc. I tend to stick to my ''safer options"
Hi there, I too can't eat battered food. Took me ages to work out why and in my case its because they contain eggs and during the course of my "IBS Journey" my digestive system can no longer tolerate things it used to. The big culprits for me are eggs, milk and soy. This rules out all sorts of things like most pies/pastrys, almost everything battered, most bread, cheese, most crisps, most dips. These ingredients are in a lot of food so worth checking them out.
My boring but effective solution has been to cut out most meals out and takeaways and replace with cooking things from scratch (which I have learnt how to make tasty and healthy through using spices and herbs that I can tolerate just fine and things like vegan mayo that is egg free). I can also enjoy some food in restaurants such as chips and sausages (non battered) in fish and chips places and full English breakfast (minus eggs) in cafes.
I hope you manage to find your food triggers but it can take awhile and even then its not consistent so its probably a help not a cure!
Yes I miss the batter but the non-battered sausages are still v nice and (for me at least) cause no issues. Have you tried keeping a food and drink diary for a few weeks to see if there is a pattern? It's taken me years to untangle food intolerances but I have been making progress.
Sorry to so late to respond. During lockdown I found my IBS diet very boring and bland. As a treat my nutritionist suggested I try fish and chips. Much to my amazement! But she told me to remove the batter. I still do this and luckily dont seem to have any reaction.
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I ate good yesterday, Had three Waitrose battered fish fingers, and a portion of their own make chips washed down with Tartare Source. Evening had a light salad, tomato sliced, ham slice, a very small piece of pork pie. pack of plain crisps.
Urgency
Anyone else get a feeling like you are drowning in your own bodily fluids
Gastroscopy / colonoscopy on Saturday!
IBS and how to deal with it 
