problems with the diet--oversensitivity
#299687 - 02/13/07 12:42 AM
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Hi,
I have been attempting to incorporate Heather's dietary guidelines into my eating habits for the last few months. I am not strictly following the diet, because I have found it impossible with the limited selections at my college dining hall, but I am doing my best to cut down on triggers.
Here's my problem: I find that the more I reduce the triggers, the more sensitive I become. For example, I stopped drinking carbonated beverages because that made sense to me, but didn't experience any relief from doing that (which I didn't expect, since I drank a LOT of Diet Coke, which has three major triggers in it!). But even though I didn't get any relief from cutting cola out, now when I cheat and have a little bit, I have a huge reaction to it. Same thing with ice cream--I used to be able to eat a little with no problem, but now even a spoonful or two upsets me. Is this normal? I'm beginning to wonder if I even have IBS, as none of the dietary suggestions have helped at all...
sorry if this is discouraging--it seems like the diet is helping most of you greatly, and that's wonderful! I'm just trying to figure out what to do for me.
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Were you diagnosed with IBS? A doctor has to do that, there is no way you could know without all the tests been run.
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I found that as I removed things from my diet that I became more sensitive to them when I tried to re-introduce them.
You say none of the dietary suggestions have helped yet you report that when you removed diet Coke and ice-cream and then re-introduced them you had problems. It seems that the diet is working as it should since it is giving you information about things that you should remove from your diet even though you don't want to. As you follow the diet I am sure you will find more things to remove that you wish you didn't have to eliminate. It is not unusual for the things we crave to be IBS triggers 
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The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
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Well, my assertion that it wasn't helping was based on the fact that my symptoms didn't alleviate at all when I removed those triggers. It is theoretically helpful to know which foods are triggers, but I have not experienced any relief from eliminating them.
And yes, I have been diagnosed with IBS by two different doctors.
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I have not noticed what you describe... But that might be because I didn't have much time to, I got IBS, went to the doctor, she told me I had IBS (after tests), found this site and got rid of most of the stuff I was eating. I just assumed I was sensitive as most people and that's why I had been in pain before. Heather's diet really helped me and now I am mostly pain free.
Would you like to share what you eat? It could be that there still is something bothersome in your diet, which is fuelling your pain. For example, college dining halls often make mashed potatoes with tons of butter. And it won't show, you know. It is also possible, that what you have cut off from your diet doesn't really bother you.
Your best bet is to remove ALL triggers, stick to the diet religeously until you see signifficant improvement. Then you start to add SUPER SLOWLY all kinds of things you were afraid to eat before (such as IF foods)
Unfortunately the period ntil you see a signifficant improvement might be long. Like more than a couple of months. For me it was pretty quick though (like a week).
I asked whether you were diagnosed, because yoo said you were wondering if you even have IBS...
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In your first 2 sentences you said you are not strictly following the diet, so to say that the diet is not working for is not really accurate.
You really need to follow the diet strictly. You should start with the BTC diet for 2 or 3 days, then start to add things in. Most college dining halls do have healthy alternatives like baked potatoes, steamed veggies, grilled chicken, turkey, tofu, fruits, small salad if you can handle it, etc. Plus you can ask for things to be made with substitutions or omissions. Sometimes it's too easy to overlook the healthier options when there's a nice gooey pizza, buttery garlic bread, hamburger, or a burrito near by.
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Thanks. I do try to follow the diet, but I assure you, it is very hard with my particular dining hall, and since much of the food is pre-made, substitutions don't work. I didn't say 'the diet isn't working for me' since I know I'm not completely following the diet. I was simply wondering whether anyone else had found that eliminating foods that *hadn't* previously bothered them suddenly made them very sensitive to those foods. I don't often have attacks, so I don't think the BTC diet is necessary (also, I'm hypoglycemic, so I would be very shaky without protein).
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Honestly, I have to agree with you. I HAVE noticed the more strict I am with the diet, the more things bother me when I fall off the wagon. For example, the only "safe" snack I have ever been able to eat at the movie theater is a pretzel with salt. I've been having a lot of flair ups with my IBS-D for a couple weeks (nerves and adjusting from a horrible trial with a new diet - don't get me started). So I went on the BTC diet for a few days, introducing food back in slowly. I got over the hump and started feeling a little better. Then my DH took me to the movies, I got the SAME pretzel I've always eaten and ..... was in the bathroom for hours. I think it all has to do with what we always talk about on the board. Different people with different sensitivities. Just try your best to stick to the diet when you can. College is hard and IBS is harder. I've been out of college for 11 years but I can't always make the best choices for my IBS either. Good luck to you.
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IBS-D, Acid Reflux, ???
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why can't you have protein on this diet? It does not say to exclude it. I have chicken, turkey, fish, and meat on a daily basis.
Edit: I see, you meant doing the BTC diet. Will 1 or 2 days be that bad?
Edited by Gracie (02/15/07 07:42 PM)
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I think she meant if she did the BTC diet which calls for SF only for a couple days then she would not be having protein.
As for the oversensitivity it definetly happened to me. Pork and beef have always caused immediate attacks, but milk I seemed to do ok with before. When I started this diet I cut out milk completely and now if I have even a small amount I have a bad attack. Thing is, I would never go back to before when I wasn't quite as sensitive, because back then I was having sporadic attacks (sometimes at the worst possible time) and never felt great. Now I feel good, and don't worry about an attack happening.
If you feel like cutting these foods out hasn't helped enough, try following the diet exactly. Goodluck!
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Kat
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