Could the IBS diet be working a little TOO well? Diet advice please
#347683 - 06/30/09 04:45 AM
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Hiya. Usually, my ibs is most the D variety. Whenever I have a flareup, I adhere strictly to the diet recommendations. Eat very plainly, take my fiber, and even some probiotics for good measure.
Then after about a week or so, I notice that things actually start to, well, slow down quite a bit. I guess that makes me IBS-A. I may have a movement once a day, but it always seems kind of small and dried out. This continues pretty much until I mess up and have another flare up from eating something stupid ( which i've tried to avoid lately ).
The last 2 days, I didn't go and it got so bad I wound up having to take some Phillips. This will sound gross, but I had a huge "plug" locked up inside of me. it was disturbing.
Here's an example of what I may eat on a daily basis, after getting stable:
Breakfast:
1 pill capsule of metamucil with a tall glass of water
A bowl of "crispix" knock off generic store brand cereal
morning snack:
soy yogurt with fruit ( either strawberry, raspberry, blueberry )
lunch:
1 capsule metamucil w/ tall glass of water
turkey on white flour wrap or sourdough, with lettuce & tomatoe, and mustard
plain pita chips
afternoon snack:
banana or hummus w/ crackers
dinner :
1 capsule metamucil w/ tall glass of water
turkey burger from a recipe i got here w/ lettuce & tomato
Throughout the day I make sure I get lots of water. And obviously taking a lot of soluable fiber.
I do get quite a bit of exercise too. I walk a few minutes in the morning, a few after lunch, and then before dinner i take a very long ( close to an hour ) more intense walk.
My hunch is maybe I'm not getting enough insoluable fiber? Or too much SF and thats binding me up?
Thoughts?
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Well you don't seem to be eating just a whole lot. But on the other hand, I don't either.
I think you could stand for some more IF, but introduce it slowly.
You have a good diet going on here. So you must be 'A' like you said.
How about trying to add some more fruit earlier in the day. That usually helps me have a BM. I eat a cup of berries with my breakfast every morning. oatmeal seems to do me well too.
Maybe try adding some IF at every meal and not just a few meals.
If I eat a banana, I'll eat a cup of grapes to go along with it. Or maybe a V8 after my afternoon snack of applesauce or carrots.
You will need to find the balance of IF and SF that works for you, obviously.
The hardest meal for me is lunch, in my opinion. If I eat IF at lunch, I tend to have a bad afternoon, but not all the time, just sometimes.
Are you taking any multivitamins or calcium supplements? You might not be getting enough nutrients that your body needs. I take a One-A-Day Maximum. They don't bother my IBS, but some can't handle multivitamins. You might need to experiment with them. They make me feel better!
I hope that helps.
HUGS
Kappy
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IBS-C, Gas, Bloating, HURTING!
I'm married and it's so wonderful!
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I have this same problem. But I am extremely sensitive to IF, but I have been trying to work in VERY small amounts. It's difficult, though, due to the fear of having an attack.
I've also gone back to taking the Acacia fiber religiously and that has helped. I still tend to be C until I have a D flare, but it's improving. I have to increase my dose very slowly - 1/4 tsp. a week - because any more than that and I get horrible gas and bloating (which is what caused me to stop taking it previously). Now I'm up to 2 tsp. a day and am seeing progress. I have fewer attacks, and when I do I recover from them more quickly. Also, during my C periods it's a little more formed rather than "rabbit pellets".
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IBS-A and GERD since 1983
Low FODMAP since 2012
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Does anybody else have anything they can add to this?
I recently had to use some phillips to clear out, but it turned out to bite me. The empty gut left me wide open to a flare up a couple days later cause of some stress. Now I'm back to square one. Now my guts are completely empty and hurting.
I'd like to know what I can do starting today, so I dont wind up in this viscious cycle of flare up - > emptying - > slowing back down to constipation - > having to use something -> another flare up.
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Hi there,
Well the metamucil may be causing a flareup. Some folks are okay with it but some flare up due to the IF content. I would recommend switching to acacia. And everything is 10% off in the store right now.
YOu may be IBS-A, but you may also not be eating enough IF. Just make sure you eat the IF safely (soluble fiber first, in it's most digestible form, etc). Laxatives can tend to trigger IBS symptoms. I would eat only SF foods for a couple days. This will allow the enteric nerves to settle down and bit. Then you can safely add the IF and protein back in. Of course drink plenty of water (maybe more than you are used to).
Remember that SF does not cause constipation. So this is your best bet.
I hope this helps!
Erin
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Erin Dudley, MS, CN
Certified Nutritionist
Heather's Tummy Care / Heather & Company for IBS, LLC
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Blah. Seems like a lot of people get stuck in a rut of eating boring food on boring bread with only cold veggies like a little lettuce and tomato and all SF fruits and cereals and stuff. I would add a lot of cooked veggies, especially those with good amount of water content. When you lean towards C once in a while a lot of fruits and veggies can be a good thing. If you get bloaty/gas change your fiber type first.
A Philips/magnesium product once in a while is IMO a safe choice for a laxative- but only very occassionally.
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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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