What am I doing wrong?
#308102 - 05/29/07 05:39 PM
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blackrvn5
Reged: 04/02/07
Posts: 268
Loc: Virginia
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So I've been doing the diet since early March and so far I've only had a few good days. Reading the other posts, I know it can take a year to stabilize, but should I be starting to feel a little better? I take Nexium every morning along with Nulev and then another nulev at night with a probiotic and a capful of Miralax. As far as food goes...
Breakfast: bowl of cream of rice cereal with cinamon
Snack: Mixed berry muffin
Lunch: bagel with low-fat PB or Turkey sandwich and applesauce or fruit
Snack: muffin or cinnamon toast
Dinner: chicken or turkey with pasta, potato, and/or bread.
Snack: rice krispies in Rice milk.
There are variations to dinner and I usually feel bad first thing in the morning and after dinner. What do I need to do differently?
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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I wish I could help you, I am doing about the same and not seeing more than a couple of good days in a row and then back to feeling like #*!!. I have also been experiencing joint pain and fatigue lately, not sure if it is connected.
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Have you tried the BTC diet? Have you tried Acacia or hypno? There are a lot of things you can try out.
I'm curious, what are the ingredients in the muffins you eat?
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***********************
If you're not dead, you've still got time.
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I've done the BTC diet right at the beginning and then again a few weeks ago. The Acacia I also tried but my doctor took me off, I was getting so much nausea, diarrea, and pain. I was only doing 1/4 tsp. twice a day. The hypno I'm thinking will be next. I wanted to wait until the school year was over. My gyno switched my birth control to NuvaRing today and wants me to do it non-stop to get rid of the periods. She also is having me try Prozac to see if it helps with the PDD, though with the periods stopping, not sure what it will do. At least the hope is for the periods to stop. The muffins I'm eating is one of the blueberry muffin recipes for the index. I just add blackberries and marionberries to it-Flour, sugar, eggwhites, soy margarine, rice milk, vanilla, and baking powder. I'm trying to get the berries in daily for the anti-oxidants. My mom has macular degeneration so I'm supposed be preventative now.
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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I am also drinking both the fennel and pepperiment teas all day long at school and then water for dinner and back to tea before bed.
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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Since you're taking Miralax I assume your main complaint is constipation. It looks to me like you're getting very, very little Insoluble Fiber - basically only what's in your muffins and your lunch fruit assuming it's not an SF fruit. All IBSers need Soluble Fiber to smooth out the gut but we all also need IF to stay healthy. And IBSers with C really, really, really need IF to get things moving. (You also may not be getting enough fat depending on how you're preparing your sandwich and your evening meal.)
Here are a couple of things you might read for some pointers:
Five Constipation Frustrations (Part 1)
Five Constipaton Frustrations (Part 2)
An interesting daily menu from someone with IBS-C
HTH.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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If you're an IBS-A, I'm not sure why your doctor has given you Miralax, siince it's usually reserved for people who are very C.
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For me, eliminating my periods REALLY helped. I've taken the BC pill continuously for two years. No hormonal fluctuations, and no IBS flares. DH doesn't realize how lucky he is to have a wife that doesn't have periods OR PMS!!! 
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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I agree with Sand. You need to add more IF!! Try bean dips, brown rice, smoothies, sauces made from pureed veggies, etc.
Also, what are your portion sizes like? I try to limit each meal/snack to about 1.5 cups of food. Doesn't sound like much, but eating small meals more often has really helped my C.
Do you exercise every day? Have you tried Natural Calm for C?
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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I figured I'm not getting enough IF during the day. Usually try to have a veggie with dinner...corn, beans, carrots. Though I guess the carrots are SF? Much more gassy at night after dinner. I've tried to increase the exercise. Getting on the treadmill about 3 times a week. Just so tired still. I used to have smoothies before I got bad last year. Should I try that again in the afternoon? Also, I'm not sure on the IBS-A. Basically I used to go about a week with very little BM and lots of gas and then have a day of D and vomiting with severe pain which would wipe me out for a couple of days. It was this endless cycle.I'm not having the attacks anymore and the daily nausea I've had over the past 9 months has mostly gone away. It just gets bad with the PMS. I have daily BM now, but I get pain with it which goes away after a few hours and then a dull ache on and off through the day. The evenings is when the gas and pain come back again. I would just love to have normalcy.
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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Hsve you tried the fennel tea for the gas? Make sure the tea you use has a high volitile oil content like Heather's.
You need to slowly and safely incorporate IF with every meal. For example make sure the fruit smoothie has a banana in it, and add one fruit, maybe two to see how you handle it. For lunch, incorporate some kind of IF vegetable with a SF base. Have a few pieces of pineapple or cantaloupe after your regular breakfast.
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I usually start the day with peppermint tea and then end it with the fennel. I'll try the melon and that after breakfast and with lunch. My hubby just picked up a melon last night. Thanks for all the advice!
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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Youre eating too much wheat, thats your basic problem. Bread contains wheat, pasta and rice krispies too. Knock the wheat completely on the head for 6 weeks. If you stick to this I guarentee things will improve drastically. If you find it tough to give up bread then you defo know that wheat is the source of your problems because the very thing that causes our digestive problems is the thing we crave the most. Wheat can really mess up your digestive tract so much so that it causes difficulties for other foods you eat. Food that shouldnt give you problems but does all because of the wheat. As a result you may eliminate a food from your diet that is perfectly fine only becasue wheat has messed up your digestion that previously inocuos food is now troublesome. Seriously knock the wheat on the head for 6 weeks and see what happens.
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Those foods you're telling her to cut out are her SF base which is the basis of the EFI diet. They are safe unless she has a problem with wheat and a doctor can do an allergy, and celiac test for that.
Please read the information on the website, not just the message boards so you can understand the diet as a whole.
Diet Guidelines .
Edited by Gracie (06/02/07 08:20 AM)
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It is highly unlikely that wheat is a problem unless you suffer from celiac's disease.
There is a lot of misinformation about wheat and gluten frequently given by misguided and uneducated nutritionists at HFS.
The gold standard for diagnosis is the small intestinal biopsy, done during a procedure called endoscopy. Blood tests that indicate higher than normal levels of specific antibodies are also used to support the diagnosis, but positive antibodies are not required to make the diagnosis.
Unless you are diagnosised with celiac's disease by a physician there is no need to remove wheat from your diet as it is an excellent source of SF and resistant starch.
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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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No I don't have Celiac's. I was given the blood test back in December and had a colonoscopy and upper endoscope earlier this year.
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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Are peanuts ok for an IF snack? I'm not a lover of any other nut and love peanuts.
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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are the muffins homemade, LF and dairy free? Do the rice krispies or toast have HFCS?
Also if you are C, since you are on miralax I suppose so, you should have some IF in there and you have none. IMO IF is a must for C but within a buffer of SF. 
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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 would avoid them until you are more stable. They are iffy. I eat them but find them tough on my system and it is hard to have enough calories to make up for the high fat. Just wait a while.
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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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Is it possible you have candida overgrowth?
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Yeah, the muffins are homemade. Everything is nowdays. Good thing I love to bake. Actually, I don't think I'm getting much fat in my diet at all. I sometimes use a Vegan Butter on the toast and potatoes. Depending on how I am feeling. If not so well, I use the cinnamon by itself and only S&P on my potatoes.
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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It's when the bad bacteria over grows, or crowds out the good bacteria in your gut. People usually take probiotics for that.
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Ok, my doctor has me on a probiotic now. He had talked about if it didn't help trying an antibiotic in case I have too much bacteria. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to most antibiotics, so I'm really hoping the probiotic works.
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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I think the antibiotic is not a good idea since antibiotics are usually the culprits that destroy all the bacteria (good and bad) in your gut, and promotes candida overgrowth.
Probiotics usally take a good 90 days to start seeing a difference so don't give up on them too quickly.
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I find that I cannot eat pasta at night (though I can't seem to stop eating it and making myself sick!!). Although pasta is a safe food - it totally binds me up. I find a lifesaver is white rice - if I can limit my portion to one cup. I find my best, safe meal is grilled chicken breast, 1 cup of white rice and a cup of steamed veggie with a little olive oil and lemon. And I also stop eating 2-3 hours before bedtime. You should try something like that for a dinner alternative.
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Here's a link that gives more info on candida. Do you have many of the candida symptoms listed? You may need to adjust your diet as well to starve the fungus...
http://www.customprobiotics.com/candida.htm
Good luck!
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Even though you dont have celiacs disease it doesnt mean that wheat and gluten dont cause you problems.My suggestion is cut out the wheat and anything that contains gluten. If it doesnt work it doesnt work and then you can be sure that you've eliminated one variable. But if it does work...........I reckon its worth the try. I mean thats just my suggestion. I dont want to tell you you gotta do this or that or blindly obey a diet laid out by somebody you dont know. The evidence does back up the wheat and gluten theory though, I mean, try this little experiment to see what happens when you put bread inside your body: Take a slice of white bread and place it in a bowl of water. Very quickly the bread expands to a size a fair bit bigger than that of the original slice. This is what happens when its inside your stomach, it expands and and causes bloating. If you need any information on what to substitute for wheat based foods or if you wanna ask me any questions give me a shout.
Good luck
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Correction
#308601 - 06/05/07 01:14 PM
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Syl
Reged: 03/13/05
Posts: 5499
Loc: SK, CANADA
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Quote:
The evidence does back up the wheat and gluten theory though, I mean, try this little experiment to see what happens when you put bread inside your body: Take a slice of white bread and place it in a bowl of water. Very quickly the bread expands to a size a fair bit bigger than that of the original slice. This is what happens when its inside your stomach, it expands and and causes bloating.
This statement is incorrect. This is simply the absorption of water by the bread. Many carbohydrates including IF from grains and fruits absorb water and swell when placed in water.
The absorption of water by bread has nothing to do with bloating.
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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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Getting back to the bread...What makes bread rise? Maybe fungus is causing you to have problems with your gut. I know when I eat bread, or anything with yeast for that matter, I get tummy pains and bloating. Grains and peanuts are known to be commonly contaminated with mycotoxins (fungal poisons). If you are eating grains, peanuts or corn products(a grain)you are probably also ingesting fungi. Yeast makes bread rise, so it could be possible fungi or yeast overgrowth could be doing the same to you. Add antibiotics (fungal poisons)into the mix, and you could surely have fungal issues.
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You are right in trying to eliminate things to see how you feel. You can't rule anything out until you have tried them all. I was tested Celiac positive then negative and I have done several gluten free elimination tests. However gluten in itself is not bad for IBS. It seems to be the in thing to say gluten is bad- it sounds bad doesn't it? A lot of people I know who have little knowledge of the matter will buy GF stuff because they think it is healthy and it irks me like crazy! But wheat can be trouble if it is IF wheat and eaten in the wrong way. Otherwise if you aren't specifically GI then gluten is fine for IBS.
About bread- it is good that it is soluble in water. It doesn't bloat up in the stomach and cause bloating like dry rice in a box getting wet and ripping open the sides! That is not how it works. The mushy mass that bread and other SF foods make in the tract is easy on the digestion. Think of noodle soup with saltines and celery in it. The noodles, saltines and broth gently glide through the gut and the celery would just hitch a ride with it. I am talking of course about what IF and SF does in the digestive tract.
Back to bloating. It is not simply your stomach too full of food or expanded food! It is caused by spasms and contractions and missplaced gas- gas grouping together and making well sort of balloon animals of your tract. Pouring several cups of raw rice in your gut and a gallon of water may make some discomfort and be dangerous but a couple pieces of bread and a glass of water does not cause bloating.
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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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Like I said, knock the wheat on the head for 6 weeks and see what happens. If it doesnt work, well then you know for a fact that you have no problems with wheat and gluten. But if you find that your symptoms(including bloating)go away........well then I think its worth a try.
Good luck
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