My History With... IBS?
#357173 - 03/31/10 01:58 AM
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Bilbo
Reged: 07/27/04
Posts: 31
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This post was originally going to be much longer, but I'm cutting straight to the chase here:
Recent Years/The Present
I have not followed any specific diet, including the IBS diet, in the past few years. I have, however, changed my diet based on trial-and-error. The result is that I exclude (never consume) coffee, ice cream, and milk while I limit (consume maybe once a week) cheese, red meat, caffeine, soda, alcohol, and high-fat foods. About a year into being on this trial-and-error diet, a gastroenterologist diagnosed me with IBS.
Where My Questions Come In
I see a lot of talk on this site about a "stabilized" gut. Truth be told, I'm not sure if my gut has ever been fully stable, though there are definitely periods where I report very few symptoms. In this sense, it feels like my symptoms are WORSE than average.
I have also seen a lot of talk about painful episodes. This is where I am uncertain how profound an influence that the immense pressure to hide symptoms has had on me. In fact, my mom reports nearly identical symptoms, but she chooses to eat what she wants and simply pay the consequences. To an extent, in that I do not follow a regimented diet, I do the same. In this sense, I feel that my symptoms are BETTER than average.
With... IBS?
The title of this thread kind of sums up my experiences with... IBS? See, I've been formally diagnosed for five years and have had symptoms for fifteen years...
...but when I go online here and read horror stories of pain... well, I just don't have pain like that. It sounds like a much worse condition than I have. When I see this, it makes me feel like I'm doing something right...
...but when I read stories of a "stabilized" gut, well, I've never had that experience either, and it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong...
Could it be that I'm simply doing it right, but not fully? That I've eliminated most potential pain, but not all?
What I'm getting at - and this is certainly long-winded, I apologize - is I feel like I'm always in a sort of in-between with my symptoms. From what I see here, it's either nothing (stabilized) or severe (attack).
If 0 was stabilized and 100 was an attack, I'd say I fluctuate between 20 and 70 with most of my time spent between 20 and 30. I can't recall a time where I haven't had either abdominal pain or a not-so-pleasant BM, but the last episode that would be above 70 was six years ago during my failed Atkins phase.
What do you all think? Is there room for gray area in IBS? Is it possible for a nearly-stabilized gut to exist? Or is it all or nothing?
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Being stable in not an all or nothing thing. Being stable simply means you can generally get on with your life without IBS symptoms interfering too much. It does not mean you are symptom free - it simply means you are managing your IBS well enough with few enough symptoms that life is more pleasant than before you managed your diet.
Here is a link to a posting that contains more links to postings on being stable. 
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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 appreciate the link, Syl, and have read every reply listed. After reading them, I feel much more comfortable with my IBS diagnosis. For me, I have days without pain and days without bad BM's, but it is rare (and short-lived) to be totally symptom-free.
The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Given that IBS affects 15-20% of all Americans, if all those with IBS had severe symptoms all the time, well, that would be pretty noticeable.
For me, I go about my daily life without much interference. Of course I'm saying this after waking up and running to the bathroom last night, but in general I consider my symptoms to be pretty manageable.
I don't, however, follow any specific diet, and wonder if I should. Again using 0 as symptom free and 100 as severe attack, I am generally between 20-30. My diet is pretty well-rounded, I consume a good amount of fiber (especially soluble), and avoid/limit many trigger foods.
Specifically though, I really don't limit my diet *that* much. If I feel like a cheeseburger, I get one. If I feel like a soda, I drink one. I'm guilty of consuming packaged foods like frozen meals.
To top it all off, my favorite food in the world is buffalo wings. High fat + fried + hot sauce + butter = HUGE trigger. Being completely honest, I do not know if I could live without an order of buffalo wings once a week. Which is why I don't know if I could limit my diet any further.
Which brings the eternal question: stay between 20-30 with a moderate diet or limit my diet further and get between 0-10? I honestly don't know the answer to this...
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Changing your diet to be in line with EFI is entirely up to you and yes it can be hard at times. For me giving up the junk food was easy once I found it led to a dramatic improvement in my symptoms. The trick is to know what your willing to give up to feel that way.
I would suggest a trial period of at least 6 weeks where you stick strictly to the diet. That way at the end of the six weeks you can evaluate how you feel and what your willing to sacrifice to keep feeling that way.
Also perhaps thinking about it as a sacrifice is the wrong way to phrase it. Maybe thinking about it as giving yourself the gift of a healthy stomach is a better way to go.
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Stable IBS D
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Hi there,
I can see where you're struggling and to be honest, the question that you are asking isn't one that anyone else can answer for you. Whether or not you decide to give up something you enjoy in exchange for getting rid of physically feelings you don't enjoy is a balancing act that you have to do on your own.
I think that everyone struggles with staying strict with themselves and not giving in to the things that tempt us, even when we know they are bad for us. I know that I have definitely made conscious decisions to eat something that could very well cause me problems and have decided that, in that individual instance, it's worth it.
Having said that, I think the best thing we can always have is options and that those options should all be very clear. You know what you don't want to change (your diet, etc) but at this point you may not know what the reward could be. I like the idea of getting rid of all the "bad food" for a period of time and seeing how your body reacts and how differently you feel.
If you feel a huge change and it makes you realise that it's worth it to give up buffalo wings and burgers, great. If you don't feel much better and living without those things makes you miserable, you have your answer there too. That way, at least you know what your options are and what you are giving up in both circumstances.
I would also say that fueling your body with the proper nutrition is important to so many other parts of your life than just coping with IBS symptoms and eliminating junk food from your diet is never a bad idea. If you are eating things like wings and burgers and sodas regularly you could be setting yourself up for more, and possibly bigger, problems than IBS. While you might not be willing to cut OUT your favourite foods (understandably), you may want to consider cutting DOWN on these foods and finding healthier alternatives... and if it helps your tummy out, that could just be an extra bonus. 
Good luck!
Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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