elimination diet - how long?
#171321 - 04/19/05 07:40 AM
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zebras
Reged: 04/15/05
Posts: 31
Loc: Vermont
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We have recently taken our 10-year-old off dairy, and will try eliminating other foods if there is no change. How long does a food need to be eliminated to see an improvement in symptoms?
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It depends with IBS. For an exclusion diet, it shoule be totally cut out of the diet for between 3 weeks to 3 months.
Btw, for a proper exclusion diet, you should cut out ALL possible triggers at once and then re-introduce them one by one. Otherwise, benefits from cutting out, say, dairy could be masked by still eating another major trigger.
For IBS, you need to eliminate ALL the triggers to have a chance of stabilising. Not doing so will only slow the process down.
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So should we eliminate everything on Heather's list of trigger foods? What about wheat? That seems to be a problem for a lot of people, but it's not on the list.
This is so overwhelming. I could do it myself, but making my kid do it seems horrible. I'm worried about him going on such a restricted diet; how will he ever get enough calories, or calcium? He is a skinny little beanpole with no fat to live off.
Isn't there an easier way? I love him so much and eliminating all those foods at once seems like torture. I can hardly imagine what he would eat. I just wish this was happening to me instead of him. It's so hard watching him suffer.
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Wheat isn't an IBS trigger...it's only a trigger for those people with a wheat or gluten intolerance on top of IBS.
Eliminating all the triggers isn't actually that much of a big deal and it's more a case of what you miss, not not having enough food to eat. There's pasta, rice, potatoes, flour, sugar, chicken, turkey, fish and all the SF veggies before you even reintroduce IF. You can make ALOT of dishes and snacks with the safe foods. Have a trawl through the recipe index. And you can introduce soy gradually to replace milk - kids love the flavoured "milks" - and most soy milks are fortified with calcium so they're just as good for that as dairy milk.
The diet really is worth it. 
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If you haven't already done so, I would really recommend you get "The First Year - IBS". It lays out everything in a step by step fashion and you might find it easier to put your son on the diet if you follow those steps. All the information in on the Website and the Message Boards are invaluable, but the book made it seem less overwhelming for me.
You ask "Isn't there an easier way?". But I read your earlier posts and it sounds like you've tried everything else you can think of.
Good luck. I wish you the best whatever you decide.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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It may seem overwhelming at first, but it's really not that bad. My son was always a very picky eater and when we eliminated certain foods, there wasn't a lot left that he cared for. He lost about 5-8 pounds which is not bad considering the drastic change in diet. But we make substitutions and he'd rather do without his favorites than risk an attack. He's finally caught up on his school work that he missed while he was so sick and wants to stay well. I promised him that I would eat the same diet that he does to show my support. Hubby isn't as compromising but as his mom, it's in my heart to do all I can for him. Besides, I feel that I'm becoming healthier as a result. This made me realize what poor eating habits I had before.
Hang in there and good luck!
CK
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might be intolerant of something on the "safe" list like potatoes, squash, bananas, or mushrooms? The obvious triggers are easy to avoid. But it's the foods that are on the "safe" list that get me into trouble or at least keep me confused because I eat them assuming they are safe. But what if they aren't for me??
What if I can't really handle potatoes or squash or bananas, etc. I don't know how to eliminate even more than I already do.  No Gluten, plus all the trigger or "iffy" foods like broccolli and asparagus, tomatatoes, citrus, etc. My diet has become very limited. What if it's the corn cereal I'm eating, or the Potato Krisps, or the Squash soup?
How do I eliminate any possible trigger to figure things out without losing weight and getting into anorexia again?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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--------------------
~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Oh hon!
#171870 - 04/20/05 11:53 AM
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Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
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I don't think a regular exclusion diet would work for you b/c of that very reason. HOWEVER, you do have to remember to reinroduce stuff!
It could help the 10 year old as he doesn't even know which IBS triggers he's sensitive to.
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There is no way around an elimination diet. If you don't do it, he will continue to be sick ... assuming he has IBS. But rather than dwelling on what he can't have, why not think of what he can have and then it won't be so foreboding.
To help him gain weight, give him small meals often. IBS-safe treats with sugar will also help him gain weight. For example, bake up a batch of Heather's banana bread. You can substitute apple instead of banana, which also tastes good!
Don't worry about hurting him by removing the trigger foods. You won't hurt him. You will be doing the kindest thing possible because he will feel better. I'm 47 now, but I already had IBS at his age and I was often sick. How wonderful it would have been if my parents had realized what I had then and they had removed the trigger foods from my diet so I could have felt well as I grew up. Alas, it took me 45 years of a great deal of suffering to find out I had IBS and how to deal with it.
Your son should be able to tolerate wheat in a soluble form -- white bread or French bread. It's best to bake your own without the trigger foods. But if you don't have time, buy the bread at a good bakery -- Jewish bakeries that follow the dietary laws produce bread that is "parve," which means it will not contain any milk products that trigger IBS attacks.
Yes, some people seem to have problems with wheat even if it is in a soluble form. I have some problems with it, but I still consume it. I'm not sure whether the wheat problem is connected to the IBS or some other problem.
Belinda
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