Newbie - some questions :)
#210831 - 09/03/05 03:32 PM
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carrots
Reged: 09/03/05
Posts: 2
Loc: Australia
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Hi everyone,
Well - I think I may have just answered my question as to what has been going on with my stomach for the past 6.5 months! The only relief I seem to have is when I have a day or two of just rice, potatoes and oatmeal.. and I haven't understood why. But I've read so many posts here saying they are the safest foods for IBS, so perhaps that is what I am suffering from? (Although the doctor couldn't understand why a healthy, active 29 year old would get IBS completely out of the blue, I've never had a stomach problem in my life!)
Anyway - I have a couple of quick questions.
The first 5 months of this I had the symptoms of painful bloating, stomach pains (not excruciating, but VERY uncomfortable) and gassiness. There were no problems with the toilet side of things, so I didn't think it was IBS. Then, the last month I have had D - not bad (like with a tummy bug) but certainly some serious changes!
Is it common for IBS to get worse when it first develops (changing after 5 months?) Over that time, more and more foods became intolerable. Should I be concerned about something else?
Also - seeing as I have already discovered the safe IBS foods myself - I am scared to eat anything else. I have read through the website though, and understand the whole soluble fibre thing. But I was wondering - are tomatoes safe? Also, eggs seemed to be fine for me but now I'm reading that yolks aren't good for most people - is that because of fat content? And finally, pasta - is normal pasta ok or should I be eating rice pasta?
One last question is about stress. There have been major changes stress-wise in my life around the time these symptoms developed. Not bad stress (I have had a very difficult few years and my tummy was fine!!!!) .. but good stress, exciting stress. But stress nonetheless! Could this have been a factor in IBS starting instantly? Has it started from out of nowhere for other people, or does is usually develop very slowly over time? Mine was pretty much instant! If it was stress, does relieving the stress equal complete alleviation of symptoms? Or is it here to stay?
Sorry for all the questions, I am just really interested in getting on top of this - especially as I managed to get through a day of just rice and potatoes (not usually good at that!) and now have no pain and no bloating, so I'm really motivated!
Thanks everyone,
Melanie
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Welcome to the boards Melanie!!! 
This may not be what you want to hear, but it would be most beneficial to you to familiarize yourself with the information on this site, that has already been provided for newbies like yourself. There are a few sticky notes at the top of this page that will help you out and direct you to the proper places. Most if not all of your questions should be answered for you. If you have any specific questions, there's a search option that's also provided... just type in your search criteria and make sure you have selected "all posts" where it asks for a date range.
As always, the people are very generous on the boards here, and if you still have any questions or concerns, feel free to speak up. 
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~ Rachel (IBS-C)
If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!!
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I don't think being healthy, active, and 29 means you can't have IBS. However, you do need to be sure you get tested for all the other conditions that can mimic IBS.
My IBS definitely got worse over time - it went from a minor annoyance to a major problem. Again, however, if your symptoms are changing it's crucial to get a firm diagnosis, backed up by extensive testing. Since IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, your doctor has to actually do the testing to exclude other conditions. So, yes, you should be concerned about your symptoms being something else until those something elses have been ruled out by your doctor.
While you're waiting for a firm diagnosis, though, you can certainly give Heather's approach a try. That way, once you're actually diagnosed with IBS, you'll be ahead of the game.
Your questions about tomatoes, eggs, and pasta really go to the heart of how Heather's diet works. It isn't enough to just know that soluble fiber is good - you have to understand trigger foods (like egg yolks); the importance of eating insoluble fiber (like tomatoes) but doing so carefully (after soluble fiber); and how to read the ingredients on packaged foods like pasta and figure out whether what's in there is okay (wheat pasta is fine as long as it doesn't contain trigger foods, like egg yolks or dairy).
As far as stress goes, I haven't heard of a case where alleviating stress equals the end of IBS. It can certainly means less severe symptoms, less frequent attacks, and so on, but as I understand it, once an IBSer always an IBSer.
The best way for you to get a handle on Heather's approach is to read her books:
"The First Year - IBS" has a full explanation of what IBS is, the tests you should have before being diagnosed with it, and a step by step guide to learning to live with IBS: diet, stress management, medication, exercise, alternative treatments.
"Eating For IBS" is mostly recipes, but it has an excellent summary of Heather's diet.
You may be able to find one or both of these books at your local library. You can also buy them from this Website or from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. In addition, sections of both books are available free on this Website:
Click here to read "The First Year"
Click here to read "Eating For IBS"
HTH.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Hey there and welcome to the boards!!
I think that most of your questions have been answered but I just wanted to add that yes, IBS can come out of nowhere and stay with you for life. There is not enough undestanding of the illness to know why this is (maybe hormonal changes). That part of this affliction can be the most frustrating.
Just make sure that you have undergone ALL of the tests to rule out everything else like thyroid issues, celiac disease, Chron's, Ulcerative Colitis, endometriosis, parasites, bacterial/viral infections etc....
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Dana
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