Finally found a solution that is working!
#348918 - 08/11/09 11:04 AM
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LK123
Reged: 08/11/09
Posts: 1
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Finally, after a year of suffering severe pain and weekly attacks, I am going on 2 months pain free, attack-free.
Its been a combination of things but the key was trying to figure out what was triggering my attacks. I stumbled across the SAGE Complement Antigen test and my doctor never heard of it. It tests for delayed sensitivities to a ton of common foods and additives. I asked my doc to order the blood test and my insurance paid for it. This is different from regular allergy testing. The SAGE test shows what can trigger an IBS attack in 1 to 4 or 5 days after you eat. That is why its been so difficult to figure out what foods were causing my attacks. The test showed sensitivity to eggs, milk, casein, soy, beef. I don't eat those foods anymore. I have been taking Levsin before meals to relax the intestine but I would still have excrutiating painful attacks a couple of times a week anyway. At the same time that I began eliminating those foods, I also started taking a probiotic. AMAZING!!! I have been free of pain and the big D for coming up on 2 months and I feel great.
I believe that the probiotic helps, and I know the Levsin calms down cramping, but the elimination of these foods that the SAGE test identified sealed the deal. I have my life back. I just wanted to share this with folks.
Its so important to KNOW for sure what foods you have a delayed sensitivity to. Just google Sage Complement Antigen Test and read about it.
Its so worth it!!! [color:black] [/color]
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Has anyone else done this?
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I have wondered for years if I have a delayed reaction to certain foods, because I've had a tough time correlating my IBS symptoms to particular things. I don't seem to get the same reaction twice. I know now part of the reason for that has to do with what I else I've eaten that day, and even in the same meal. But I am interested in being tested for delayed food sensitivities. Has anyone else tried this?
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I believe that is the case with me too....I eat something and seems ok and the next day it hits....makes it very difficult to figure it all out!
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I put in a request to my GI doctor to see if she is familiar with the test and if she would be willing to order it for me. I am really interested in pursuing this.
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What probiotic do you use?
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--------------------
 Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow”. Mary Anne Radmacher
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+1
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What is this in response to? I don't see anything in this thread that contradicts the EFI diet.
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IBS-A and GERD since 1983
Low FODMAP since 2012
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you have followed the diet strictly for at least 6 months. Just last week you reported eating trigger foods (dairy, red meat, cabbage, salsa, etc) with every meal. It is a bit unfair criticizing the EFI diet if you don't follow it closely for a considerable period of time.
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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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... all of things this poster, who has only posted one message, mentioned as showing food sensitivity to except soy is on the EFI trigger list. So there is nothing surprizing here.
However, this posting does sort of look like an advertisement for the SAGE Complement Antigen test (ELISA) test which is expensive and reportedly not as sensitive as using a simple dietary exclusion process.
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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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Quote:
However, this posting does sort of look like an advertisement for the SAGE Complement Antigen test (ELISA)
That was my impression.
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IBS-A and GERD since 1983
Low FODMAP since 2012
Edited by vettech (08/21/09 07:27 AM)
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I understand what you're saying. I don't mean to be critical, so much as pointing out what you said yourself; that you have issues with fructose and onions and garlic, all of these things are not excluded using the EFI diet. And after making hummus this week with a raw clove of garlic, I am pretty darn sure garlic is a trigger for me too. I just wonder what other triggers I might have, beyond the EFI diet.
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You can find information about the problems with garlic, onions (sulphur containing foods), fructose and the EFI diet on this web page.
Good luck 
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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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Syl, you're obviously quite knowledgeable about the EFI diet. I do appreciate your responses, and I could use a little more guidance. You linked me to a page about how onions, garlic, citrus, and fructose are particularly troublesome for IBS. However, Heather recommends that we still eat these foods because they are nutritious, we just need to do so with a solid foundation of soluble fiber in our system. I get that.
My question is twofold: 1) If I follow Heather's recipes in the EFI cookbook, where she incorporates ingredients like honey, applesauce, garlic, and onions into recipes, can I assume it's safe to eat because she's designed the recipe around the principals of soluble fiber as a base? 2) Or is it possible that some of us should totally avoid certain foods (such as garlic) because we are more sensitive to them than others?
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You have asked an astute question. Many us fall into the second alternative you have given. I cannot eat any sulfurous foods no matter how much soluble fiber I eat. Similarly, I am very sensitive to foods with excess fructose. Many people on the board can eat some foods with excess fructose. There is a bit of misleading information on the web page I pointed out to you. It says to treat juices as you would insoluble fiber and drink them carefully, with soluble fiber foods. Unfortunately, if you are sensitive to excess fructose it doesn't matter how much soluble fiber you eat it offers little protection against fructose problems.
In summary the EFI is a set of guidelines. Many of us are quite sensitive to some foods which are according to the guidelines are okay in moderation. Unfortunately, you have to determine your sensitivity to these foods experimentally.
I have a base diet that I follow and when I want to experiment with a new food I strictly follow my base diet and slowly add a new food over a week or so to see if I have any reactions. Some times a reaction can be delayed - not necessarily because of a sensitivity to the food but because, for example, some foods effect the growth of certain bacteria in the colon which produce byproducts when they ferment indigestible foods. Some times these byproducts are bowel irritants, have inflammatory characteristics or the bacteria produce methane gas which is known to increase constipation.
The gut is one of the most complicated organs in the body. Unfortunately, for us IBSers there are few clear answers but there are fairly clear dietary management guidelines.
Good luck
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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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When you have been on the board for a while you will very much see the answer to question 2. Lots of people have specific foods that can be considered 'safe' to many but to them are unsafe. For some that is bananas, oatmeal, egg whites, etc. Also people can have additional issues like Fructose Intolerance or Gluten Intolerance or even soy allergies.
For question number 1: the cookbook and many of the recipes outlined here follow just the basics of the IBS diet; people with additional difficulties OR PEOPLE JUST STARTING OUT still need to avoid some recipes or foods. People are always at different stages of their becoming stable and the recipes in that way are somewhat 'generic' I guess. Also early on newbies are recommended many places on this website to start with the Break The Cycle diet only and slowly incorporate others foods starting with the easier ones first. Only after that can a person eat pretty much all fruits and veggies, grains, and other natural products in a low fat, dairy free diet.
The basis of every IBS safe recipe should be low fat percentage of calories, dairy free, yolk and red meat free, artificial product free (like splenda or MSG) and non-cooked alcohol free. Not all recipes are SF containing in themselves- veggies or meat recipe are intended to be eaten with SF as a side. Then, *on top of those above exclusions*, some people have to avoid excess fructose, or gluten, or soy, or sugar, or many veggies, etc.
Hope this clears things up.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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That is very common! That is why so many people continue to eat the really unsafe stuff after hearing they shouldn't because the reactions are many times not immediate.
Why is this? when the gut gets those foods very often it just chooses when to freak out; it doesn't do so every moment of the day. Also sometimes it can handle one bad food but not another one on top of it, or stress can play a factor too and cause a tough food to only be a trigger some of the time.
For me, years ago when I thought I had IBS a doctor (not a nice one) just said to avoid dairy and high fat. Well I was eating dairy every day in large portions and because I wasn't having terrible issues every day I didn't think dairy bothered me. After finding the EFI diet years later and avoiding the known triggers, everything fell into place and it became obvious what I couldn't eat.
Then after being on it for a while, triggers became very easy to discern (for the most part). When I fall off the wagon it doesn't take long to get a reaction. Like when i really wanted brie cheese some time ago; I got D on the way home. It was immediate and decisive.
So the only way to go is to avoid the known triggers. They are the most common and make the most sense to be problems for people. After that individual issues can be ascertained.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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This is the same conclusion that I came to. I could not for the life of me, figure out why for weeks/months I could eat a certain food, and then BAM, out of the blue that same food gave me problems. I also figured my gut finally said enough is enough or I ate another food along with it and that was the straw, so to speak.
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Thank you for posting very helpful posts, Little Minnie. I just wanted a little clarification on this one. I am trying to do the Break the Cycle diet. Like you said some people might not be able to tolerate oatmeal, bananas, etc. But these foods are part of the Break the Cycle diet. What do you think should be eaten on the break the cycle diet?
This is what I have been doing
Oatmeal with bananas for breakfast
Rice cakes for snacks and rice crispies
Brown rice for lunch
Rice pasta for dinner, sweet potatoe
I want to be sure that I'm not sensitive to any of these "staples" such as oatmeal, etc because I sure am eating a lot of these things.
I have IBS-C with terrible bloating and gas.
Thank you so much 
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IBS-C, GERD, Lactose Intolerant, "Allergic" to Legumes (Soy!), Tree Nuts.
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Because I don't have a problem with oatmeal, bananas or acacia, I tend to deny that other people really do. (sorry all) Like when men never get cold and can't accept when their daughters or wives are freezing! LOL.
Anyway I like your diet for the most part. Watch rice cakes for bad additives and rice krispies for HFCS. I would love to see you add well cooked frozen peas, slightly mashed up and mango. And you have no protein like you say, so add some egg whites or chicken breast or fish. Also add a little smart balance light or just a little fat - not much- but some will help move things along and that little bit will not trigger anything unless you are the most sensitive ever. I am talking 1T smart balance per day, 1t in each meal.
To test if oatmeal bothers you (my guess is that it doesn't) you can try another hot grain breakfast like corn grits or perhaps the Hot tasty Cereal by Bob's Red Mill, but I am not sure on the IF content of that. You could have hot white rice with sugar for breakfast too. I have that with acacia and rice milk occasionally. Make sure you are drinking a lot of fennel tea especially. Water is great too but something about the hot water really helps and the fennel works wonders for bloating. Stevia can be used instead of sugar.
I hope this advice is sound. I really try!
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Thanks-- yes I have been solely on the break the cycle diet so I definitely plan on increasing protein, IF, and fat but I am trying to do so very slowly.
The rice cakes and "rice crispies" that I have are organic versions so they don't have HFCS or anything else really besides rice and sea salt, etc.
Thanks for your help!
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IBS-C, GERD, Lactose Intolerant, "Allergic" to Legumes (Soy!), Tree Nuts.
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Or like when men won't ask for directions.   I must confess, I never quite understood that.
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Why? Who needs directions?
I have always known where I am at.
Might not know where I am going ... sometimes... or remember...
so I'll just stay here.
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Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow”. Mary Anne Radmacher
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