IBS help

[twinnett]

I've been having tons of digestive problems lately...constant bloating, going between constipation and diarrea, horrible gas, stomach queasiness. I've been trying to get to the root of things..here's what I'm doing so far

digestive enzymes
probiotics
fennel/peppermint supplements
cutting out diet pop/splenda
cut out wheat and dairy (other than all natural yogurt)
got on goat or rice whey

I am still having upset stomach, digestive issues and I keep gaining weight, feeling irritable and cranky and tired ALL the time..

Anyone have any success with things that have worked for them?

[imperfectly_lou]

Have you cut eggs out of your diet as well? I didn't realise how much gas and tummy issues eggs gave me until I reintroduced them while I was in Europe. After 3 weeks of eating them daily, I felt (and smelt!) rotten!

[twinnett]

I had stopped them for a week and got back on them...going back on an elimination diet for at least 2 weeks..only having:

chicken, olive oil, avocados, rice, yogurt, applesauce and bananas and veggies (no tomato, onion, or broccoli)

[freebirdmac]

Go easy on the olive oil. That can cause cramping and really loosen the bowels (oils it well!). Also drop the yogurt. It's got enough dairy in there to make a difference (I used to eat yogurt all the time too). You'll also have to watch your oatmeal intake so you don't get too much fiber. No goat ir rice whey either right?

Basically forget macro and cal targets and just focus on the elimination diet. It's tough to go through, but it is temporary. You could add in some sweet potatoes. They're pretty hypoallergenic.

[twinnett]

ok...Emma told me no sweet potatoes though...to stick w/ quinoa or amarenth or brown rice for carbs...

[tiffy_sugar]

I have IBS myself and take month long cleansers when things get really bad. Organic herbal teas work well for keeping my tummy feeling better. I drink 1 -2 full (10oz) glasses of water or herbal tea before each meal and it helps to move things through faster, and not giving me so much cramping or problems. Also, having some green/blue alge (its in powdered form, tastes terrible, and turns your poo blue/green) helps keep me going regularly. Sounds gross, sorry... lol

[RazzyDaz]

You need to watch your glutens! If I had to bet, you are gluten sensitive. Do you know if you have Celiacs disease? You may want to check this out (http://www.celiac.org/cd-main.php), as well as this (http://www.celiac.org/cd-symptoms.php).

[LionChick]

ok...Emma told me no sweet potatoes though...to stick w/ quinoa or amarenth or brown rice for carbs...

I'm sure emma has a reason for that, but that goes against most of what I have heard about IBS. Foods like quinoa, amaranth, and brown rice are all very "grainy" and if you are not digesting them well the small particles can get lodged in your intestines and cause problems. Especially if your intestines are inflammed it is best to stay away from particulate foods. Perhaps a "cream of rice" would be a nice compromise.

this is a little "ad-loaded" but it gives some of the basic advice I have heard my parents give about taking care of their colons.

http://www.helpforibs.com/

[PremierGirl]

Me and my brother take papaya enzymes and love it.
I stringly reccomend it.

[imperfectly_lou]

ok...Emma told me no sweet potatoes though...to stick w/ quinoa or amarenth or brown rice for carbs...

hehe then why post the question babe? ;)

[zakkala]

My hubby has IBS - although he takes medication for it (which I assume you'd like to avoid) he finds the following helps:

Avoids too much coffee (especially the machine rubbish), beans, courgette etc - anything he's found to trigger it through trial and error.

Finds the following helps: peppermint or camomile tea - peppermint aids digestion and camomile calms the stomach. If he's having a bad flare up, he'll fast for a day or so, then introduce meal replacement drinks for a day or two and then move onto bland food; seems to re-set his digestive tract!

I know from research I've done that Aloe Vera gel is supposed to be a huge help when taken daily - but I'm still working on him to take that; it doesn't look or taste the most appealing apparently!

[JoyP]

x2 on the peppermint & chamomile tea, I guess we're all different when it comes to what sets us off, sugar, artificial sweeteners & gluten I avoid like the plague, processed foods in general don't agree with me.
I've found the more I clean up my diet, the worse the effects are when I slip up with something I shouldn't eat... or maybe it's just that I forget how painful it is!

[sharonatkinson]

I have ibs , probiotics upset my stomach

[filmchick]

I have IBS, as well, and I agree with a lot of what has already been posted. Additionally, check out Heather Von Vorous' book on eating for IBS -it's been a lifesaver. Be careful with caffeine, coffee (even decaf), tea, chocolate, egg yolks... virtually anything high in fat is going to cause you problems. Are you consuming foods high in insoluble fiber or soluble fiber? Dairy and red meat are sometimes triggers. In my case, I've eliminated all sources of caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate), virtually all artificial sweeteners, nuts, and I also avoid anything high in starch or high in insoluble fiber. Lots of water, mint teas (unless you have GERD or excessive amounts of stomach acid, as mint only further irritates that). A couple of supplements that have been helpful are aloe vera gel and slippery elm. The aloe will taste awful and you will need to get used to its slimy texture, but it will make you feel better. I hope this helps. :)

[zakkala]

Cassava Chips!

Sorry - I've been trying to remember what they're called since I first posted this morning; it's been driving me nuts!

Cassava Chips are made from the same stuff as Tapioca and although they're not exactly 'clean' food, they're gluten free and my hubby has found them very good for calming his stomach. I read about them somewhere as being good for people with IBS as they also are gentle / calming on the stomach.

Thank heavens I remembered - thought that was going to drive me mad!

[bambifox]

I've been reading this and WOW...can't believe it...but I'm almost sure I have IBS!!!:eek: I thought I ate something bad, but have been suffering with these symptoms for the past 3 days (hurting right now). This will sound crazy, but I always thought it was funny having very foul smelling gas (tee hee)...I would laugh as everyone ran away...I thought it was normal for me (being irregular)...always felt bloated, but thought that it came from my uterus changing somehow after childbirth...I know..I know...sounds stupid, but it's true.

Wasn't concerned until 3 days ago when I started experiencing a different kind of pain...like a sour stomach, like acid stuck in my esophogas...like this constant urge to vomit. Monday went #2 3 times, Tues, didn't go at all, Wednesday, small movement, Thursday, nothing and Today was diareahh (sorry tmi)....sheesh if that don't sound like IBS?

But what to do? Sounds like you can't have fat, can't have carbs, can't have fruit, can't have tea, coffee, etc., etc., etc....what the hell can u have? Does quality of life count? Helllllppppp!!!

/end rant...sorry for long rant, happy to find this thread.:)

[twinnett]

I'm fine with fats actually...I'm trying out staying away from nuts though...avocado and olive oil seem fine...

For carbs, bananas seem good for me and applesauce and you can have sweet potatoes and things like rice (rice, cream of rice, etc)

Basically, it's trial and error...I've found that eggs and dairy especially bloat me up, as do harsh things w/ lots of seeds or too much fiber

[bjg7]

sorry to jump in on a female thread, but can having IBS slow down your fat loss due to the struggle of digesting/breakingdown food??

[rcswent]

I found Kefir to be very helpful for me. You can buy it at any health food store and in most major grocery store chains. The unflavored kind is bitter but I drink it anyway because I like to stay away from the flavored kind which contains more than double the sugar. It's all natural and some brands are organic, so it's just the fruits making up the majority of the sugar content. It's a yogurt consistency but it's supposed to be a lot better for your system. It should help with the irregularity but be prepared to feel and increase in gas before you feel relief, but then again, maybe you won't. It depends on the person.

[LionChick]

Tara, what I have learned (and my bloat has been completely resolved by this, litearlly the problem was fixed overnight) is that it isn't necessarily just what you eat in each meal, but the order that it goes in...

if you begin the meal with a soluble fiber and follow that with a combination of your protein and a small amount of cooked vegetables or fruits, you will be fine.

i am obviously a fan of the potato, but any soluble fiber will do very well... cooked apples i like, bananas, all potatoes, yams, carrots, beans, lentils, white bread or any sort of ground up whole grain, instant oat meal, instant grits, think "baby food" or "what they serve people in hospitals". if you use this at the beginning of every meal (even taking psyllium in your protein drink helps!) it does WONDERS for the IBS and the bloat.

seriously that eating for IBS book was a lifesafer. and i don't even obey the no coffee and no diet sodas part yet... but this has made such a difference!

[MGG98]

X 2 on the gluten thing. I have Celiac disease and alot of what you said sound similar to what I go thru during a "reaction". You are doing the right thing by the elimination diet, hopefully you will get your answere soon because i know the state you are in is not a good feeling!

Sometimes I get "issues" and cannot figure out the culprit so I go back to everything in its natural state and slowly start adding my foods back in. Splenda is a bad one for me, if I have had any sort of gluten exposure then have something with splenda...yikes!

I feel for you girl...Good luck!

[SevenValhalla]

I had stopped them for a week and got back on them...going back on an elimination diet for at least 2 weeks..only having:

All this sounds like good attack.
chicken, olive oil, avocados, rice, yogurt, applesauce and bananas and veggies (no tomato, onion, or broccoli)

Try ripe pears. After battling IBS to the point where I was a skeleton and 135. Pears have been divine help.

[SevenValhalla]

sorry to jump in on a female thread, but can having IBS slow down your fat loss due to the struggle of digesting/breakingdown food??

It can make you a skeleton if you are not careful. Malabsorption = death

[SevenValhalla]

I have IBS myself and take month long cleansers when things get really bad. Organic herbal teas work well for keeping my tummy feeling better. I drink 1 -2 full (10oz) glasses of water or herbal tea before each meal and it helps to move things through faster, and not giving me so much cramping or problems. Also, having some green/blue alge (its in powdered form, tastes terrible, and turns your poo blue/green) helps keep me going regularly. Sounds gross, sorry... lol

Roasted Dandelion Tea
Love it, when pepermint failed, papaya enzymes failed, when probiotics failed, this one passed.

[freebirdmac]

2.5 year old thread

[Ang123]

Taking Primal Instinct on empty stomach, Kefir and Glutamine helped me.