Diet Not Working
#331883 - 07/01/08 03:21 PM
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CandyGirl
Reged: 06/29/08
Posts: 3
Loc: Houston, Texas, USA
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I, like many others here, have been told that my IBS is stress related, and despite trying anti-spasmadic meds and different diets, nothing has helped.
I have tried Heather's diet in the past with success but then went back to eating a higher protein diet since I weight train and need to have more protein in order to gain muscle.
I'm back on Heather's diet and even cooked some of her recipes, but the diet is actually making things worse with bad bloating and gas.
I'm drinking lots of fennel and peppermint tea, and am eating a soluble fiber first (sourdough bread, sourdough pretzels, white rice, orzo, Cheerios) and a lot of it, before eating any smaller portions of insoluble fiber (smoken turkey breast, fruit and rice smoothies, egg whites, melon after a meal.)
I'm not eating anything on the no-no list either. I'm really confused about what's causing such bad bloating. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks! 
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It could be your body jsut getting used to the change - if you have swapped from one to the other your body will need tim eto adjust - I would suggest going right back to basics with this - have a couple of days on the safe foods only then start introducing all the other nice luxurys heather lets us have - sounds to me like you need a coupl eof days to stable yourself first - i did this about 6 years ago and i actually had control over my life - recently i have used to guidelines but strayed and i have bad days some good but mostly a pain in the *** (scuse pun) I hope this helps - i shall be doing the same as you !!
Also stress really does have an effect on your body specially your bowels adn the more anxious and worked up you get the more it will effect - i have now got a pattern from which i know what will happen if i get stressed and when it comes back on my bowels so try some calming music for half hour a day or some yoga - it really will help you - i go to bed every night now with a relaxation cd - yes sometimes i fall asleep but it really doesnt matter - its mean to relax you !! xx hope this helps
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Ibs sufferer for 7 years !
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Just an observation but I absolutely cannot eat smoked meats. Don't know what it is but they bother me. Also melon is a big no no.
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IBS-D, Gas & Bloating
Barbara50
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Actually, melon is listed on the insoluble fiber list and is a fruit that is supposed to be eaten in small portions with a soluble fiber. It is not on the trigger foods list like red meat, dairy and alcohol; therefore, it is not a no-no.
I'm just following the diet, so I don't think I did anything wrong. There is also a recipe for a sandwich that has smoked chicken breast with sourdough bread. Again, I'm trying to follow the IBS recipes and always eat a soluble fiber first.
After following the diet for about a week, I think that I'm noticing I have to alter it a bit because I do not do well with the following soluble fibers: soy, barley, quinoa, beets, or papaya.
And when I eat a soluble fiber first, I still have problems with the following insoluble fiber foods: peas, green beans, cabbage, broccoli, nut butters, and brussel sprouts. 
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Hey Candy girl,
I can not eat watermelon or any melon actually.It sends me running and I know alot of people have the same problem.Even if you eat sf it can still be a nono for alot of people.
I can not eat any soy either,no green beans, no cabbage(I almost die from this!) no nuts,no brussel sprouts,actually everything you listed I can't tolerate.Even full of sf.
That said everyone is different and so Heathers diet is just a guideline so even though it says its safe or whatnot, for your body it might not be.
If you are unsure remember to watch your diet really carefully and only introduce one maybe food every couple days.
Just because you eat something today and you are ok doesn't mean it wont bug you tomorrow when you have already forgotten about it.
I have been keeping a journal of my meals and even though it sounds boring I eat the same thing everyday for lunch and breakfast and i eat what my safe foods are for supper so I know if what I ate that week is safe or not. Then the next week I change my lunch and try it for a week.I have known for a long time,even before I found this site, what most of my triggers were.
Heather has helped for me to widen my food list and to help me understand the whys too.
I hope this helps.
Just remember to be careful and that your body is totally different from everyone elses.
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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I don't disagree with you but I absolutely cannot eat smoked meats or melon despite the fact that they are not on the no no list. I also can't have soy and I am sensitive to fructose in all forms. I get D and quick from all of that. The diet is a place to start and you have to build on that from your own experience. It was very frustrating at first but now I am in a routine of buying and preparing the foods I can have and I occasionally try a new item with mixed results but at least I am not living with IBS symptoms all the time. I hope you are able to resolve what your problems are because this syndrome in full blast form makes your life miserable and limits your ability to enjoy just about all of the activities that I like to be involved in!!!
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IBS-D, Gas & Bloating
Barbara50
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I have been on the bland diet suggested in the "What to eat when you can't eat anything" section, then I am planning on slowly adding in other things. However, I've seen very little improvement. My wife, who does not suffer from IBS, joined me on the diet and said she feels more gassy than usual and her bowel movements have gone from being 1-2 per day to once in the last 3 days.
I am sticking very closely to the diet, just cereals, breads, etc. All the bread and bagels are bakery-fresh, not Wonder Bread. I am taking Benefiber powder (unflavored) mixed in with Peppermint tea (hot), twice a day. I've been trying to drink more water although I'm not sure it's enough. My wife has been drinking _lot_ of water.
What are we doing wrong? Why does it seem to be having a negative effect on my wife? I am still having some slight bloating and gas although nothing like when I have a bad attack.
I should also mention that I'm on three different medications for anxiety/depression: Effexor, Lamictal and Nortryptaline. My wife isn't taking any prescriptions meds.
If anyone has any thought as to what we might be doing wrong or what isn't working I'd be very grateful!
Shawn 
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Are you IBS-C, IBS-D or IBS-A? The reason I ask is that one of possible side effects of all three drugs you are taking is constipation.
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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If you on the bland diet and still feeling gassy, I'd try substituting the wheat products for another grain - rice, oats, amaranth, millet, quinoa. Wheat flour, even the white stuff, makes a lot of people bloated, including non-IBSers like your wife. I haven't eaten it for years.
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IBS-C, lots of spasm and trapped gas.
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I've been alternating between the wheat and rice mostly. I'll try to see if I notice any issues specifically with rice.
Any thoughts on what's going on with my wife's poop? She didn't have any cramping or pain but it ws just irregular all of a sudden? Is this just normal for a carb-only diet?
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I would say is pretty normal for a refined-carb diet. If your wife does not have an irritable gut, eating only white rice, refined white flour, etc. is not going to give her the protein she needs.
I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for saying this, but this is not the world's healthiest diet. It's great for calming down an upset gut, yes, but in a normally functioning gut it's not ideal. Kudos to your wife for trying to be supportive, but it sounds like she needs a lot more insoluble fiber! I wish I had her guts!!!
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IBS-C
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Yeah, I certainly wasn't expecting to stay on just bread and water for very long. 
I guess we'll move onto phase II and see how things go.
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Oops - I actually meant to say the diet is not going to give her the fiber she needs, but obviously protein is a concern as well.
If your wife wants to eat the same foods you do, that's certainly possible, however she'll need to eat more IF. For example, she could eat a much larger portion of veggies with dinner than you. Or she can eat a salad while you eat some well cooked veggies mixed with SF (like rice or pasta). If you're eating a peeled apple, she can leave the peel on hers. Etc.
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IBS-C
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