Is food really the answer?
#353119 - 12/10/09 01:46 PM
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I've become increasingly convinced over the past 4 months that food is not a significant trigger for my IBS symptoms. I came to this conclusion based on strictly following the EFI diet and severely limiting my food intake to try to make myself symptom free. Not only did this not work, at all, but it also created additional stress for me around food that wasn't there before (and incidentally caused IBS symptoms).
I also came to this conclusion from my own personal journey of trying to understand why I have IBS, which began to make a lot more sense when I read "The Divided Mind" by Dr. John Sarno. He theorizes that IBS (among other chronic pain and illnesses) is caused by the brain to prevent terrible unconscious emotions such as rage, sadness, pain, from transitioning into the conscious mind. This spoke to me in a way nothing else has because I carry around so much emotional pain. I even used physical illness, namely 'tummy aches' as a way to cope with my parents chaotic relationship as a child. Not any wonder why that's now a programmed response for me as an adult.
This weekend I decided to experiment because I finally convinced myself that food is not triggering my IBS. I ate whatever I wanted after spending 3 1/2 months of denying myself many things I enjoyed and craved. I ate pork and beef, cheese, italian food with garlic and onions, french fries, pizza, salads, apples with the skin on. I felt free for the first time in a long time. I wasn't stressed about food at all.
Guess what happened? Nothing. I feel no better and no worse than I did before in terms of my IBS symptoms. I even had a really good day this weekend. I did have a bad day this week as well, but that's no different than when I was limiting my food intake. It's just not food causing my symptoms! That's not to say I can eat whatever I want, because even healthy people have digestive problems if they eat too much junky, greasy food. But I certainly don't need to eliminate so much from diet.
I wonder who else out there has discovered that their symptoms are not really controlled by diet?
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Perhaps if gastroparesis is the dominant problem and IBS is a side effect then diet may not be a solution. Have you sought medical advice about appropriate medication and/or surgery for gastroparesis?
Diet management benefits me significantly. It isn't a cure but for many it is a simple tool for managing symptoms 
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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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Hi there,
Question for you...do you still think you have IBS or just gastroparesis. I'm leaning towards believing my IBS may not exist...all the symptoms seem to fit gastroparesis, and the lack of motility causes IBS like symptoms...
What do you think about it?
Did they ever tell you what the cause of GP was? They haven't figured mine out yet. I actually saw a neurologist today to see if he had any insight. Interesting appt, but not too much to do. I don't want to go through any more tests.
Aly
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IBS-A
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Hello Aly - I hope you're doing well. I do still think I have IBS in addition to gastroparesis. The gastroparesis is not very severe for me - mostly annoying. I never actually vomit from it, I just often feel queasy and too full after eating. In between meals and sometimes when I'm really hungry, my tummy feels uncomfortable. I tell my husband it feels like I am trying to digest rocks. And then there's the heartburn and reflux, which is much improved since taking licorice root supplement and lemon juice before meals.
With the acacia fiber, I've been having daily BMs (kind of amazing for me), but I still experience the entire gamut of lower digestive symptoms regardless of motility. Sometimes I lean more toward constipation and sometimes I lean more toward D - tho it's usually just soft, loose BMs, and at most I will have 3 a day, so it could be worse. But I still feel pretty miserable frequently.
I was told my GP is idiopathic, meaning they don't know the cause. What I do know is that GP has to do with a malfunctioning vagus nerve. The vagus nerve also controls the signals to your intestines, so it's not a big surprise that someone with gastroparesis would also have IBS.
My belief is that all of my digestive symptoms, upper and lower, begin in my mind. Not to say they are all in my head, but the CAUSE is in my head. So I've moved away from the diet and moved towards lots of mental/emotional work. I am learning so much!!
I've exhausted my efforts with medical doctors. I don't want to do any more tests either. They just don't know how to help me. I've finally accepted the fact that I have to help myself by finding the right path to healing.
Your situation maybe different. I know your GP is worse than mine. How are you doing these days?
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I do not have severe gastroparesis. Some patients can't keep food down at all, or often vomit after eating. I've never vomited from it. I just feel uncomfortable in my stomach after eating, often nauseous, overly full, etc. My GI doc said it's more of an annoyance than a serious medical problem for me. He was willing to prescribe one of two medications for it, but the side effects are SCARY, and even he didn't recommend them in my case. Surgery has never been discussed and seems unnecessary since I have a mild case.
I have tried digestive enzymes to improve digestion, but those actually caused my heartburn to return with a vengeance, so I decided not to take them after all. Bottom line, there isn't alot to do about the gastroparesis, and I don't think it explains the large amount of lower digestive symptoms I am having, all though it does make sense that if I am not digesting food well, then it can cause problems all the way down the line.
I don't know - I have not found what works for me yet. The only thing I know for absolute certain is that when I have an emotional upset, it sets off a flare up of IBS symptoms.
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Aly
#353135 - 12/10/09 07:43 PM
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Gerikat
Reged: 06/21/09
Posts: 1285
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Can I ask you a quick question? I know with your gastroparesis, you vomit. My mom has been very ill since July with digestive issues. My question is, do you get nausea before you vomit, or does the food just come up? Thanks for any input.
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Re: Aly
#353141 - 12/11/09 04:50 AM
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Aly
Reged: 08/16/04
Posts: 669
Loc: Columbus, Ohio
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Hello,
With my GP there is nausea for sure. I have to be having a really bad attack to vomit. I've been lucky enough to not have an attack like that for a few months. But when I do, I vomit. It always is accompanied by nausea--which intensifies until I vomit. Then the problem is that I don't STOP vomiting, even after every ounce of food is out of me.
Let me know if u have any other questions. I hope she doesn't have GP--it sucks!! Is she diabetic by any chance? That significantly increases your risk of GP!
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IBS-A
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I hear ya, I have certainly felt the "done with doctors" things plenty of times. I got way too fed up going to doctors and hearing there was nothing they could do. I did the hypnosis tapes awhile back and that helped. I'm figuring a lot out on my own.
The biggest change in that mentality came with finding an AWESOME doc. She's truly my miracle worker. I know she probably has no life outside of her job, but for her patients she will always be there to help. She even called me one Saturday bc she knew I'd had a rough week. She spoke with me for AN HOUR. So knowing she cares allows me to explore other medical conditions and try to get to the bottom of my problems.
My doc did say the GP could be idiopathic, but they shouldn't diagnose that until they've looked into all possible causes (But I understand you're not interested in that, so don't think I'm pushing it, just telling u what my doc said). I'm curious bc the neurologist said it could be autonomic neuropathy, which basically means my nerves are all screwed up--sounds possible. The testing for it is pretty involved and we want to wait. Especially since there is nothing they do for it but treat symptoms, theres no need to test.
I agree that emotions/stress play quite a role in this battle. While I firmly believe there is no psychological/emotional root to my IBS/GP/Whatever I have, I know stress can be a trigger for me. I have always felt if I eat a so called "trigger" food while relaxed and enjoying myself, I rarely get sick. If I eat a "trigger" food and worry about getting sick--it'll happen.
The mind certainly is powerful.
I hope you are hanging in there. This GP diet is not easy for me. I really get down sometime not being able to eat fresh fruit and veg in their whole form. I do lots of smoothies and cooked veg, but I used to enjoy a salad now and then....miss those days! But I don't miss getting sick enough to be admitted to the hospital!
Take care
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IBS-A
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Re: Aly
#353145 - 12/11/09 06:32 AM
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Gerikat
Reged: 06/21/09
Posts: 1285
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Aly, thanks for answering so quickly. I do not believe my mom is diabetic, unless undiagnosed. Without going into great detail here, suffice it to say that GP crossed my mind due to the stomach/esophagus surgery she had over the summer. They did actually tear a hole in her stomach during the surgery, so my thought was that they damaged the vagus nerve. We are all still trying to figure out what's going on with her. God, it's never-ending! Thanks for your help!
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Eating right doesn't cure IBS and symptoms for some people can persist without stabilization when they are on the right diet. However, off a safe diet will, sooner or later but usually sooner, lead to worse symptoms. I can say that with as much conviction as I have ever stated anything. Avoiding the classic unsafe foods for some just makes things a little less bad.
I disagree with the idea that not thinking about IBS or not depriving oneself will lead to less symptoms. I know people have felt that way before and it can seem that way at times. For me, I often feel just fine at a party where I stand a lot and eat a little this and that and it should seem like I'd be worse. BUT the standing and the slow snacking are what makes the difference, not the particular food.
I do agree that the mind is a huge factor in IBS. Eating whatever you want just leads to the sort of "food hangover" regret that none of us want. Instead of hanging on the porcelain throne we'll be sitting on it. 
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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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I want to be clear that I never said nor expected that changing my diet would 'cure' my IBS. But I was of the expectation that I would feel considerably better, which I did not.
Feeling extremely stressed about everything I put in my mouth especially when I wasn't the one who prepared it did contribute to making my IBS symptoms worse. Adding that kind of pressure to eating is not only unnecessary, but it also does contribute to more intense IBS symptoms. Why? Because for me (and I suspect for many of us) stress is a HUGE trigger - in fact it is THE biggest trigger - for IBS symptoms.
If we do eat "trigger" foods (which I could never personally figure out because my reactions were never consistent and I was triggered all the time), we may feel worse. Why? Because our guts are more sensitive - that is true. As I said, even healthy people have problems with foods that are greasy, spicy, or too much of something like red meat. But I don't have to strictly avoid dairy, or any other food, but I do need to them in moderation.
The "food hangover" is not something I buy into anymore. I've stopped blaming food every time I have a flare up because it's not particularly productive or useful. I look instead to my level of stress or anxiety, and focus on the mental-emotional aspect.
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I agree with you 100% and so well written.
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My philosophy on IBS is by coddling the stomach physically through careful eating (both foods and how we eat), we are making it less susceptible to reacting badly due to non-physical stimuli such as stress. The calmer the stomach due to physical reactions the calmer it is from emotional reactions. In my opinion there is really nothing to be done for IBS but the basic- treat the gut like a spoiled child and its senseless tantrums will be lessened.
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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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It's all about the mind. We know that, don't we Frygirl? 
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Quote:
I've become increasingly convinced over the past 4 months that food is not a significant trigger for my IBS symptoms. I came to this conclusion based on strictly following the EFI diet and severely limiting my food intake to try to make myself symptom free. Not only did this not work, at all, but it also created additional stress for me around food that wasn't there before (and incidentally caused IBS symptoms).
I also came to this conclusion from my own personal journey of trying to understand why I have IBS, which began to make a lot more sense when I read "The Divided Mind" by Dr. John Sarno. He theorizes that IBS (among other chronic pain and illnesses) is caused by the brain to prevent terrible unconscious emotions such as rage, sadness, pain, from transitioning into the conscious mind. This spoke to me in a way nothing else has because I carry around so much emotional pain. I even used physical illness, namely 'tummy aches' as a way to cope with my parents chaotic relationship as a child. Not any wonder why that's now a programmed response for me as an adult.
This weekend I decided to experiment because I finally convinced myself that food is not triggering my IBS. I ate whatever I wanted after spending 3 1/2 months of denying myself many things I enjoyed and craved. I ate pork and beef, cheese, italian food with garlic and onions, french fries, pizza, salads, apples with the skin on. I felt free for the first time in a long time. I wasn't stressed about food at all.
Guess what happened? Nothing. I feel no better and no worse than I did before in terms of my IBS symptoms. I even had a really good day this weekend. I did have a bad day this week as well, but that's no different than when I was limiting my food intake. It's just not food causing my symptoms! That's not to say I can eat whatever I want, because even healthy people have digestive problems if they eat too much junky, greasy food. But I certainly don't need to eliminate so much from diet.
I wonder who else out there has discovered that their symptoms are not really controlled by diet?
+1
Food is definitely not a trigger for me either. The only trigger i have is coffee and its a bad one. Other then that i have tried every imaginable theory on what might be causing my symptoms. SIBO, hypnosis, regular excersize and stress reliefe, pro-biotics and supplements of all sorts. Nothing seems to work. Doctors can't figure out whats causing it either.
This forum is very biased towards dieting to help IBS. There are other forums out there that explore every means to control IBS not just by dieting.
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I am the polar opposite of you- It is FOOD and FOOD only that trigger my symptoms- not stress. I can be under extreme stress and my belly can be fine if my laxatives and diet are working together. Conversely- I can have the most stress free relaxing of times, and if I am eating too many raw veggies and IF- the symptoms are extraordinarily horrendous. Unlike many- and I have tracked it for many, many years- stress does NOT affect my IBS. And I have it very bad. That being said- I do think that my extremely traumatic childhood caused it.
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Just a comment on your "feels like trying to digest rocks"- I often try to tell people what the food feels like in my stomach and it's impossible to explain- I say it feels like I ate bricks and trees and wet sand with some air balloons mixed in! It's nice to know others feel (kinda) the same!
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I am agreement with both of you.
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I know I'm a little behind but I though I'd jump in on this discussion. I have recently dealt with the domestic violence of my first marriage-which ended in 1978 and until 2 months ago, I never named it, or talked about it. I am convinced that this is the root cause of my IBS. And my mantra now is-my tummy doesn't belong to *&^&$ it belongs to me! - I've also been fairly stable (episode about once every 5 weeks, but not too bad) for a year because avoiding certain things. I've learned that it is not just what I eat or don't eat-it's how I eat. The how helps me a lot (SF before a meal, acacia, probiotics) I can eat salads and raw foods in moderation if I chew till practically nothing is left. So for me its part diet and part in my mind. I suspect that true for most of us. (PS-its been 8 weeks and not even a gurgle!)
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Frygurl, my symptoms are only controlled by my diet insofar as avoiding refined sugar. With all the research I've done on my own (because all the doctors I've seen have helped me DIDDLY SQUAT) I'm convinced my body is just plain OFF BALANCE... i.e., presence and overgrowth of unfriendly organisms such as candida (which is why avoiding refined sugar helps me so much), "bad" bacteria, and parasites. I also feel the ROOT CAUSE of my body being off balance is indeed mental/emotional, since I have spent so many years of my life dealing with traumatic things (abusive marriage and a host of other things I won't get into). I feel the body reflects the spirit, or soul, or mind, whatever you want to call it.
So I've been working on my own "IBS" with a two-pronged approach; 1)addressing the physicality of it with anti-candida, anti-parasite, and anti-bad bacteria measures (I could write a book about THAT) and 2)trying to heal ME, not just my body.
Since I started this approach a month ago, I've felt the most relief I ever have yet. I don't feel completely "normal" yet, but I've had more normal days than I expected so soon.
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FYI
SEXUAL ABUSE: WHY IT IS AN IMPORTANT HEALTH RISK FACTOR
What is the relevance of a past history of sexual and physical abuse for patients with
functional gastrointestinal disorders?
http://www.med.unc.edu/medicine/fgidc/Sexual%20Abuse%20-%20Why%20it%20is%20an%20Important%20Health%20Risk%20Factor.pdf
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My website on IBS is www.ibshealth.com
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This is very important, IBS is not caused by parasites or candida.
Those are not IBS,they are different conditions and Candida overgrowth has never been proven in 20 years since it was first hypothesied. While IBS research However has progressively gotten much better over the last twenty years and especially in the last five.
Sugar just causes more fermentation and hence more gas, but then you need to know how the colon actually works and doesn't work in IBS. There is altered muslce movements and altered gas transit.
also candida in the gut helps fight bacterial infections.
The gut responds to emotional states for good and bad and both the gut and brain are oerational in IBS to cause the symptoms. There are nuerutransmitters they know are related to IBS dysfuntioning.
The gut can trigger reactions in the brain and the brain can trigger reactions in the gut.
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My website on IBS is www.ibshealth.com
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Well, gosh! Isn't it funny that this is the most normal I've felt in many, many months?
I dunno shawneric, I just don't think science and research can cover every little facet of anything. Perhaps candida overgrowth and parasites affect the functionality/motility/neurotransmitters/muscles of the GI tract.. of the brain.. of the whole body.
None of the cavalier "IBS" methods were working for me so I gave alternative methods a fair chance. And I'm feeling better than ever since this "IBS" started.
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Good to hear from you Dana. I ditto your post. Nothing has worked for me except Alternative methods. Science is pretty much useless to me since science does not occupy MY body. By the way, Happy New Year.
Check with Frygirl and come to our Ning site and chat where we talk about Alternative care for IBS.
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