1 year on the diet and no solution
#308660 - 06/06/07 11:08 AM
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I have now been strictly on Heather's diet for just under a year, have a seen slight improvement (mainly in elimination of severe cramping), but still have diarrhea most days of the week. I'm almost completely limited to soluble fiber foods, and I've kept a very detailed food log that has given me little help in identifying any problematic foods. I am dying for any insight into the causes, so if anybody can find problems in the foods below, please let me know!!! My daily food and med regime is as follows:
Meds/Supplements:
25g (10 tsp) of Heather's Acacia Fiber, split between breakfast and dinner
4 Lomotil (Antidiarrheal) in morning
3 Peppermint Capsules, 1 with each meal
1 Centrum Multivitamin with dinner
1200g of Calcium, 600g with Breakfast and Dinner
3000mg L-Glutamine, 1,000mg with each meal
3g Spirulina, 1.5g with Breakfast and Dinner
Food:
Breakfast - White Rice or Cream of White Rice, 1 Banana (w/Cinnamon, Sugar, Honey, or Ginger)
Lunch - Chicken (w/Honey and Lemon Pepper), White Rice, Potatoes (w/Salt)
Dinner - Chicken (w/Honey and Lemon Pepper), White Rice, Potatoes (w/Salt)
Snacks (many times between meals) - Sourdough Bread (yeast not listed on ingredients list), Rice Cakes, Rice Chex, Applesauce w/Carob Powder
That is the basis of my diet every day. I've tried putting in boiled carrots and boiled peas (with Beano) on and off, then retracting them when the diarrhea worsens, unsure if they are the cause. I'll sometimes eat salmon in place of the chicken, which seems to work sometimes, and at other times I am unsure whether it causes trouble. I also eat yams in place of potatoes sometimes, and turkey in place of chicken, both of which seem ok. Soy seems to be ok sometimes, and definitely NOT at other times, even when taken with Beano. I've tried Instant Oatmeal with mixed results. Even Rice Milk seems to cause diarrhea, and I suspect it is the fat from the Safflower Oil! Basically, the diet seems to work at times and not at others. One thing is for sure: fats are NO GOOD for my stomach.
I have had most tests out there relevant to my diarrhea: blood tests, stool tests, food allergy tests, colonoscopy, endoscopy, small bowel follow through, and even had the camera endoscopy just recently, all showing nothing except a slight inflammation of the stomach (which nobody provided an answer for, could this mean anything?). I tried a Gluten-Free diet for about 2 weeks that didn't seem to improve anything (is that long enough to see a difference?).
Except for the chronic diarrhea, I seem to be damn healthy. I eat A LOT of food every day, all day, constantly snacking, and have wondered if that makes things worse or if it helps. I oftentimes feel weak and somewhat spaced out if I don't eat soon after I start feeling hungry, but eating usually ends that quickly. I've also tried the Hypnotherapy tapes to completion with no improvement whatsoever.
Any advice would be MUCH appreciated! I am starting to believe that this diet is not the answer, although it does seem to be headed in the right direction for me. Thanks for reading my super long post!
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Dash
IBS-D(Tenacious D)
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A year on the diet with limited success must be very frustrating for you! I'm getting stable (3 time around) and it has taken the last 16 months.
Question - you said you tried the hypno - just once? Or more than one time? I found I had some success the first time through, then I sort of relapsed. I did it a second time and I'm 100% better than before, but still not 100%. I still have days.... If you haven't tried the hypno more than once, I recommend you try it again, speaking from experience.
As for your diet, that's a hard one... You seem very limited with what you are eating. I would be BORED! Check the board for other recipes to add some variety to your safe diet. When I'm having a bad spell I stick with rice pudding - Heather's recipes are great - sour dough bread or Italian bread, roasted turkey or chicken, crabs legs, white rice, pasta noodles, potatoes, yams, bananas, banana bread - again Heather's recipe - and I snack on pretzels, graham crackers, saltines, baked Lays or fat free Pringles. I drink lots of peppermint tea, water and juice. (I'm okay with HFCS)
I don't know what else I can suggest to help you, but I wish you the best!!
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Cassandra
Live like there's no tomorrow. Love like you've never loved before.
IBS A 20+ years, Chronic Migraines, Chiari Malformation (decompressed June 22, 2010), Brachial Neuritis, and ??? the list just keeps growing, but I'm still shiny side up! 
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You eat honey with each of your meals. Try removing it and the applesauce for a week and see what happens.
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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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It took me over a year to stabilize, so I wouldn't say it's unusual, but even so. I think at this point you should start looking at non-diet triggers (and solutions). I know that, personally, I'd be a complete wreck IBS-wise without my antidepressants... they're just as important to my stability, if not even a little more important, than the diet itself. If you have any kind of stress or anxiety, especially, this might be something to consider.
Also, why are you taking glutamine? And I know spirulina is one of those generally beneficial things, but could that be bothering you? I'd try cutting those 2 things out, unless you've tried that already.
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I will try eliminating Applesauce and Honey. Does that mean I should also cut out bananas and all other fruits? And what else, is table sugar ok? Could you explain how fructose sensitivity ties in with IBS? Do people who have it generally have diarrhea instead of constipation? Thanks.
Somewhere on this site I came across a post that suggested L-Glutamine for repairing intestinal lining I think, and it's also an amino acid for muscle building, which is bonus enough for me to use it just for that purpose!
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Dash
IBS-D(Tenacious D)
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For one week try removing all fruits, except banana, and continue to use white and brown sugar. Of course you want to stay away from store made sauces, confectionaries, etc.
Excess fructose acts like an osmotic laxative. It draws water into the bowel producing D. In addition when the fructose reaches the large bowel it is food for colonic bacteria. They convert it to energy, gas and other products. Some gases and the other products can act as GI stimulants or depressants producing C or D.
The amount of excess fructose than an individual can tolerate varies from person to person. Some people can handle more than 50 grams while others cannot handle 1 gram (about 1/5 of a tsp). I cannot handle 1 gram. You may be different. If you find removing high fructose foods works then you can experiment to determine how much you can handle. If it does not make a difference you move on and try something else
Here are two message ( message 1 and message 2) that I posted in a thread about l-glutamine
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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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I'm one of those who use L-Glutamine with success. People generally don't need it because our bodies produce it naturally. Did you talk to your doc before you started using it? I only take 500mg once per day.
I agree that you may want to try the hypno a second or, or even a third time, if you haven't already.
As for the stomach inflammation, that could very well be something. It could be a reaction to all the D and other symptoms you're having, or it could be a symptom itself. Inflammation (anywhere) is not a symptom of IBS. I'd find a doc who will go over this with you.
Have you tried good old Imodium for the diarrhea?
You're multivitamin may be causing problems for you. You can try switching to something more gentle.
Banana is generally a safe food. Though I have heard from some people that they aren't able to eat them because they cause symptoms.
Whatever you try adding/eliminating/substituting, do it one at a time and allow enough time to see results. If you cut several things, or add several things at once, you won't know how each effected you.
Have you tried any other alternative therapies like acupuncture, acupressure, etc?
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***********************
If you're not dead, you've still got time.
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You mention food allergy tests. Can you be more specific? Because if you have been tested for GI was it negative and then you tried being GF? Well I would try gluten free again and also doing tests. Definitely get all the food allergy tests, especially fructose. It is a definite suspicion to your continued symptoms. Otherwise my very first thought was stool test but you said you have done that. I know I would suspect something along that line with such continuous D. I am firmly convinced that Heather's diet works wonders for IBS-D folks that do not have some other condition.
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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 a tough one. It does sound like maybe something else is going on besides IBS but then again you had the tests and they were normal. At first maybe I thought Chrohn's but it wasn't detected so??? Have you lost a lot of weight from this? I was diagnosed with microscopic colitis after about 12 years of IBS. My current GI says that when I had a colonoscopy about 7 years ago, they did not look at the cells through a microscope, just the naked eye during the procedure, so it's possible I had the colitis back then too. Did your doc biopsy anything from your large intestine? (They need to do that to diagnose microscopic colitis.)
On the other hand, my symptoms are more typical of IBS so my doc thinks (and I agree wholeheartedly) that the IBS is my real problem and it just so happens that I have the m. colitis too. In my personal opinion which has no medical basis whatsoever, I think my insides were so messed up at the time of my colonoscopy, that the inflammation may have been a result of all the d and IBS. I often wonder if I took the test now would it be gone (I am stable).
I also had the endoscopy b/c I was having nausea (not really heartburn) frequently and he found that I too had inflammation in my stomach which he characterized as "gastritis." I was put on Nexium which did help a bit but not with my d. Funny, since I have found this site, I stopped all meds...Nexium, Librax (maybe you should ask your doc about that...do a search), Asacol (for colitis), and even immodium....HOWEVER,
That brings me to my next paragraph. Like Atomic Rose, I feel as if the AD I am taking has made a huge positive impact on my IBS (Lexapro 10mg). When I started it, I was definitely on the road to stability though (unlike you, my d had subsided quite a bit and I was more IBS-A). The lexapro made me more on the C side. I'm sure some of it is physical but I do know that even when C, I could usually spin myself into oblivion when anxious and get d out of the blue. Perhaps you want to go the avenue of some meds. Do you notice a difference in frequency of d based on stress, etc.? (No, certainly not saying that your stress causes it!!!! God knows we hate to hear people suggest that  ...just meaning that maybe you are prone to the d and anxiety may exacerbate it.)
Well, that's all I can think of. I don't know much about the fructose and gluten that others have suggested you check. I would say go through the list of suggestions and keep plugging along until you find some relief. I commend you for your tenacious efforts and patience for so long without much improvement. Good luck. 
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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Your diet seems decent enough. Although gluten free for 2weeks wouldnt be long enough, You'd need to go 6 weeks to clear your system out. You must be very frustrated at this stage and you have my sympathy for that. I know the eating for IBS diet has worked for a lot of other people but it obvioulsy isnt working for you. And I know as a result of this you probably spend a lot of time and energy trying to come up with a solution. I mean anybody in your position would do the same. But im wondering if its become such a big deal in your life that all you do is worry about food, stomach cramps or whatever???
Look your diet seems very tightly controlled, and i beleive you when you say youre damn healthy, but maybe you have things too tightly under control and that maybe you spend too much time looking for answers? Can I ask you a question, do you have somebody to talk to? What I mean by that is do you have somebody who you trust completely who you can be yourself with and who you could tell anything to and all they'll do is just listen?
I maybe off with this but im not sure your problem is a diet related one and maybe youre looking for answers in the wrong places. Im sorry if what im saying is completely off base.
On the physical side of things, I know youre probably sick of reading books or articles or whatever, and i understand that, but my suggestion would be to read "improve your digestion" by patrick holford. Its very short(about 160pages)and his recommendations dont involve ridiculous food combinations or require you to have a degree in the cullinary arts. Its basic common sense stuff. I'd knock the white rice on the head aswell and maybe eat quinoa or brown basmati rice instead.
Hope thats some help
Good luck
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