I don't understand.....it's so hit or miss for me!
#322376 - 01/15/08 08:27 AM
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avgirltx
Reged: 03/03/07
Posts: 4
Loc: Texas
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I was diagnosed with IBS back in May 2007. I lost 35 lbs, because I also had a Hiatal Hernia and Gastritis. At the beginning, I tried cutting things out of my diet, some I still stay away from (red meat, dairy, oranges, raw veggies/fruits). However, Alcohol does not bother me at all. In fact, I find that when and if I do consume alcohol, I have zero issues when I eat.
I had been sick for 3 days straight with IBS-D, eating only 1 meal a day, which consisted of a can of soup (no red meat, no pasta). On Day 4, in the evening I accompanied a family member to BJ's Brewery and downed 4 glasses of beer, 5 chicken wings, 3 slices of deep dish pizza with everything on it...........and I was fine. NO ISSUES.
Another time I had some beers, some cheese ball, chips, a hamburger.....not so much as a twinge.
The worst happened the night of my company Xmas party.....I had some appetizers (grilled veggies), with water and was sitting down to dinner, had maybe 5 bites of the grilled chicken when cramping set in.......I had to leave, mid dinner and I had like instant "D".
I can honestly say that if I consume alcohol before or with a meal, I have no "D" issues.
This last week I lost 8 lbs in 6 days........every day I had "D".
Back in June, I went to a therapist to help me, cause I was just so frustrated that no matter what I ate, I couldn't control it. He gave me some relaxation cds.
Another observation is when I am with family (I am single), I have almost no symptoms. Restaurants....they have to be close to my home, or I try to add a glass of wine to my meal. Most recently, I got cramping and bloating in the parking lot of the restaurant I had JUST finished eating at.
The Fennel tea, just came in today. I hope it helps with the constant burping I have (been about 2 weeks of this). If I drink Gatorade or eat XYZ, I am constantly burping.....from the moment I sit up in bed in the morning.
Sorry, but I needed to vent and fish for ideas or thoughts on my symptoms.
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I am in the same boat for the random symptoms – there have been soooo many times that I've eaten pizza, fast food burgers, chicken wings, steak, alcohol, and so many other "forbidden" foods and have had NO problem whatsoever. It's so frustrating because I've cut all of these foods out of my diet and I'm still averaging an attack once every 10 days or so. I'm feeling better in between those attacks, but still.
I'm not sure about the alcohol thing. I seemed to be able to tolerate most alcohol just fine (with the exception of red wine and certain white wines). I snuck in a few drinks over the Christmas holidays with no ill effects.
This diet isn't a one-size-fits-all – you may need to so some experimenting to see what works for you. Keeping a food/symptom journal will help with this (this is something I need to do myself!)
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IBS-A since age 12, and fructose sensitive; with the exception of my pregnancy, have been following Heather's diet since Nov. 19, 2007.
Taking 12g of Acacia per day. Relatively stable since March 2008!
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I drink alcohol and it is fine with me, EXCEPT beer. I love beer too, but just doesn't work for me. I also allow myself one soft drink a day. However, I will say this, if my stomach feels touchy AT ALL I do not drink alcohol or the soft drink. People will probably tell me that those are my problem for my 'touchy' days, but I can usually pinpoint what I eat to make it uneasy. Some days or even a couple of days, even if I don't have a soft drink or alcohol, it will act up, and that is when it is frustrating. I seriously think IBS has a mind of its own. When it wants to act up, it will...no matter what for me. I also don't drink alcohol or the soft drink on an empty stomach. I try to eat a little something before that first drink!
I love to be social, and most of the time, even if my stomach hurts some before I go someplace, once I get around my friends it usually eases. I do carry chewable Gas-X around. Gas is a major problem for me!
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This is only my opinion but it sounds as if you're not giving yourself a chance to get stable. As long as you continue "cheating" you're not getting stable. You should really try to eat as safely as possible all the time. I found that in the beginning when I would "cheat" when I was feeling better and then go back to eating right, attacks WOULD come out of the blue. You need to regulate your system! As far as the alcohol goes, I'm not sure because I rarely drink. Are you taking the Acacia? If not, you should definetely try it out. Also, when you get a D attack - try and stick to the "what to eat when you can't eat anything diet" to get back on track, things like rice, noodles, etc.
Good luck, I know this sucks, I'd much rather be eating steaks, fried chicken, burgers, etc but we just can't anymore.... 
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I agree with Jhuggs, you've got to get your system stable otherwise you'll never be able to figure out what foods are bothering you. Also keep in mind that an attack Tuesday morning may not be a result of something you ate on Monday, it could be something you ate on Saturday or Sunday... I feel if you were to stick to Heather's diet for at least a few weeks then gradually (just one at a time) add other foods back in, you'll have a better chance of identifying your own triggers. I have been following Heather's diet for 4 or 5 weeks now and I am still not at a point where I want to add any unsafe foods - but I may try something soon. I've been doing pretty good and am identify some problem foods (carrots cooked or raw, I'm fine with apples as long as I remove the peel, acacia fiber gives me horrible gas, pain and bloating, peppermint tea works great for D, but causes gas so I have to follow up with fennel tea, bananas give me horrible gas, C, pain and bloating )Following is my typical diet (it may sound very boring, but it sure beats the alternative):
Breakfast: oatmeal with dry fresh white toast or egg beaters and turkey bacon with fresh white bread
Snack: a few bites of fresh white bread, Mott's "no sugar added" applesauce
Lunch: baked potato or no yolk egg noodles (I've started putting soy butter on my noodles) with grilled chicken breast or white rice with tuna (packed in water not oil).
snack: a few bites of fresh white bread, Mott's "no sugar added" applesauce
Dinner: baked potato or no yolk egg noodles with grilled chicken breast or grilled salmon
I also drink fennel tea all day long and I'm taking a probiotic as well as listening to the hynotherapy. I used to have up to 8 URGENT BM per day (typically in a 2 hour period) 3 to 5 days per week (BM always formed, but sometimes slightly loose), I now have some days of no BMs but for the most part I have 1 BM every day. For some reason I'm not sure (maybe because I had been traveling) but when I returned home after a 1 week business trip, I had only 1 very small BM during the first 3 days home so yesterday I had 5 BM (making up for lost time I guess) However, these were not my "old normal" urgent BMs, each of them required some straining (which is much better than the "Oh my, am I going to make it in time" that I used to have).
I refuse to add any unsafe foods to my diet until I've had at least 1 full month of no irregular BMs. As for the gas, I just seem to produce tons no matter what I eat - however some foods definitely make it worse (so I avoid those). The fennel tea and gastrizyme really help with the gas, bloating and pain.
Good luck to you!
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Jeanette IBS-D, then switched to IBS-A, now stable with Udo's Choice Super Bifido Plus Probiotic
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