Hello & Dairy Question
#290155 - 11/15/06 07:45 AM
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Hi all - I was first diagnosed with IBS-C about a year ago. No tests were done at that time but I recently saw a GI doctor who confirmed the diagnosis and had some blood work and a lactose intolerance test done for me. Everything came out normal, including the lactose test.
That leads to my question: When I eat dairy (milk, cheese, etc) I get an upset stomach, feel "off" and get cystic acne. Since I'm not lactose intolerant, could these symptoms (at least the stomach issues) stem from my IBS?
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Yes. Dairy has fat, which is a trigger, plus several of the proteins can be very hard to digest.
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-Carol
IBS-A
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Yep the upset stomach you say you get from eating dairy is pretty consistent with those who have IBS. I also have been tested at one point for lactose intolerance and it came back negative (not lactose intolerant) yet I get a pretty strong reaction when eating dairy products.
I think if you read about the diet on this website you'll understand a bit more. Have a look especially at the Trigger Foods section.
As for the acne reaction, that could be a link as well. Some docs believe that acne flares up with digestive problems and managing a healthy digestive system could help reduce acne symptoms.
You should also have a look at the diagnosis information for IBS: IBS diagnosis just to make sure you've had all the tests done.
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Kat
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- Complete blood count, sedimentation rate, and chemistries
- Stool for ova, parasites, and blood
- Urinalysis
- Liver function tests
- Rectal exam
- Abdominal x-rays
- Colonoscopy
- For women, a gynecological exam including CA-125 blood test for ovarian cancer
I need to have all of these tests done?? Neither doctor even came close to suggesting all these tests. The first doctor didn't want to do any, just told me to take fiber (which totally backfired bc I had no idea how to take it). My current GI doc did mention some of the above but ruled out most with listening to me. She did say that if it isn't being managed after a while, it'd be time to check for cancers, etc. I'm also getting allergy tests done soon.
Btw, she didn't mention anything about diet for IBS management. Just gave me medications to try.
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Unfortunately many doctor visits go just as you described.
My first visit to a GI, I told her I had diarrhea, she told me I had IBS, prescribed an anti-spasmodic and told me to eat more bran. I am currently on no medications and I stay far away from bran! I also haven't gone back to this doctor.
You do have to be somewhat persistent in getting a proper diagnosis, and also getting proper information about medications. It's up to you if you want to wait to get tests done. If your symptoms get worse then of course get them done. If you want peace of mind then you could do them now.
Diet is a major factor in IBS but most doctors don't know how to give advice on it. My doctor was happy to hear I had found a good diet, and I gave her this website so she could get more information on it. So I suggest you read this website thouroughly and get as much information as you can.
If you aren't comfortable with the medications you can ask questions on here, maybe others have tried them and can report on side effects or success they had with them.
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Kat
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Thanks! It makes me feel better knowing that I didn't have an unusual experience.
I really don't want to be on a prescription medication, especially long-term, so I'm happy to have found this site. I do feel very wary of taking the advice here bc Heather isn't a doctor, and neither doctor I went to suggested diet changes. I especially feel this way bc the advice about food (white grains instead of whole grains for instance) goes against everything I've been told is good for you.
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Yeah the media and doctors have been pretty nuts about telling us to eat only whole grains. As an IBS-D I know for sure this is not the way I should eat, it makes me ill. I think it helps to look around the world at the healthiest populations. The people who live the longest are in Japan, and the basis of their diet is white rice. I travelled all over Europe this past summer and they eat lots of white breads.
For someone with IBS-C, you need to get more IF (veggies, fruit, grains) than someone with IBS-D. The purpose of the SF is to keep your digestive system calm and functioning more smoothly. The IF will help you 'go' and most IF is very nutritious.
I just want to point out a few more things, one is a response to a question about the high carb vs health thing FAQ
and the other is about the Atikin's diet
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Kat
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One more thing, LOL sorry this is turning into so much info..
Eating SF foods doesn't necessarily mean eating white bread at every meal. There's a lot of healthy safe sources of SF. We had a discussion recently about it on the Fitness/Lifestyle board and came up with a few good ones:
carrot, bananas, squash, sweet potato. These are all low-sugar healthy SF sources. I tend to eat more white rice than pasta or bread, and for bread I usually have white pita bread instead of the usual Wonder loafs.
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Kat
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No, no I love all of this advice! I feel very confused about it all. I'm planning on using this weekend to go through Heather's books.
So white grains are considered SF? I thought they had no nutritional value... Also, aren't whole grains (wheat, etc) IF? I've been making sure to pick out the breads with around 4 grams of fiber/serving...
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Grains are considered IF. The outer hull is usually the insoluble fiber part. You still need IF but need to eat it properly with a buffer of SF first.
'White' SF foods made from grains have that outer hull removed, and what is left is the inside soluble fiber part. This includes white rice and flour. As for nutritional value, white flour still has soluble fiber, iron, and protein. It's just missing the IF.
There's lists of soluble fiber and insoluble fiber foods on the website.
I tend to get most of my IF from vegetables and fruits, which have a lot of vitamins. I'm limited in the amount of IF I can eat, cuz I get D pretty easily, so I tend to not eat grains since they don't have the vitamins like veggies.
It took me a while to sort through all the info and make sense of it all, so taking a full weekend is a good idea. Happy reading!
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Kat
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I understand now... (I think  ) I wonder why "they" don't mention this when saying whole grain is the only way to go? I thought that white grains were horrbile horrible horrible for you.
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