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First Post. IBS sufferer and also anorexic
      #372239 - 07/24/15 02:57 AM
house21

Reged: 07/24/15
Posts: 10


Hello,
I have been reading many posts on this forum for over a month now and have finally plucked up the courage to join.
I am suffering badly from IBS and have been for over a year now but only just found out what it was.
I suffer a lot with D but i am known to have C to. I just basically suffer so badly with every single symptom of IBS. Never feeling stable or like i am 'complete' etc etc.

I also suffer from anorexia and have done for about 10 years with my weight going up and down but never fully health in that 10 year period.
Although i have had the eating disorder for 10 years, my IBS has only been present for the last 1 year and and bit (possibly 2 years really).

It is soooooo difficult now as now I'm wanting to recover and eat what i want to gain when i want....it seems i can't due to the crippling IBS that totally ruins my life (more than the anorexia id say at the moment!)
My diet is so limited and it seems like even the list of safe foods cause me trouble and i never know how I'm going to react from one day to the next. I never know what my stomach and bowels are going to do each day and it is horrible!

I have tried all of the SF supplements and to be honest they didn't really get me to a comfortable place. They left me either bloated and bunged up or caused D swell and they also made me INCREDIBLY full and when i have anorexia and need to eat more, this is not a good thing!

I am only 23 and it feels like my life is ruined forever. I hate this IBS more than words can say.

I would really appreciate any help or advice or diet plans etc from anyone at all. Id do anything to not have this trouble.
I just don't know how to eat anymore and thats down to both anorexia and IBS. I don't know what, how, when to eat.

If anyone can relate to having anorexia as well as IBS that would be great to hear any help.
I mean is my weight hindering the IBS? Does anorexia cause it or does it make it worse now?

Sorry for the long post. Im just at breaking point!

Thank you. xxx

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Re: First Post. IBS sufferer and also anorexic new
      #372242 - 07/24/15 02:43 PM
sgcray

Reged: 01/22/14
Posts: 367
Loc: AZ, USA

Hey, hello back;),
After reading your post, I have some questions to help understand better. Did you go through tests to determine your IBS diagnosis? What medication(s) are being prescribed and which fiber supplements have you taken in the past/now? Have you read The First Year: IBS..a book written by Heather Van Vorous on this site? I started out with a more mild form of ibs in my early 20s and as stressors grew, so did the ibs and then became alternating and then more on the diarrhea side now. I would like to help. It's important and helps anxiety when you know the whys, how and what we eat and best if you read about it first in the book or at least have in your possession for reference to start. We are to eat frequent, small and slowly our meals. Like 5-6 (if needed @ 6 to gain weight). We eat at the beginning of our meals for instance white wheat, and white rice that are more soluble fiber and lower in insoluble fibers to not stimulate spasming at start of meal on an empty stomach, the fats mainly last..good more unsaturated fats that aren't so inflammatory. No dairy or red meats. Their are many things possible on this EFI (Eating For IBS) diet and menus in the above book and recipes in the recipe book that are for IBS. Some people just do the rice and other ok grains if gluten free. If you know for sure certain foods bother, don't do them until stable and might find you are able to add back to diet in smaller amounts/day permanently. Some people's colons are sensitive to stimulation by insoluble fiber like especially peel and seeds as well as emotions and lack of sleep and some supplements/or meds side effects, even hormone fluctuations. It's important to try and stay positive, because although things are hard or confusing, you'll find a happy balance for yourself. Please know you're going to be better, ok? Everyone's GI tracks react a little differently. The smaller meals would probably do well for anorexia. I was down to 99 lbs./5'6 at one point, not knowing what to eat after having worsening ibs with nausea and GERD (reflux) and anxiety when at worst point. So although not anorexic, started looking like it. Glad I gained to a healthy weight and not hypoglycemic every time I had loose bowels. Blood sugar going up and down made me really anxious with the resulting acid refluxing especially, then getting upset really easily too, which didn't help ibs at all, cycling. Things are so much better now, so see...trial and error changing my lifestyle..less trial and error with the guide book. Did Doctor (GI?) say anything about how to eat? There's much more info in the book. See my signature line below, more info: XXX as well.

Edited by sgcray (08/08/15 03:45 PM)

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Re: First Post. IBS sufferer and also anorexic new
      #372243 - 07/25/15 02:33 AM
house21

Reged: 07/24/15
Posts: 10


Hi.
Thank you for replying.
Yes i have been told that its IBS by doctors. I am currently seeing a dietician and to be honest she doesn't seem to be very helpful. All she has suggested so far is eating low finer but did not seem to be familiar with the high SF to help things.

Yes i have tried all of the SFS that Heather has suggested including her own and they just seem to make me feel extremely full and sometimes even bung me up too much and not help.

I do have both of Heathers books and i have read them inside out having SF base meals. But sometimes even those done seem to help. For example the other day i had a meal of peeled boiled potatoes (SF), boiled carrots and chicken breast. I thought this would be a safe meal but it left me bloated, full of trapped gas and loose bowels the following morning.

Some days i seem to be ok but then others I'm not and its hard to know why as i can have eaten the same.

I struggle to eat 6 times a day as i feel SO SO full from the meals i have. i have 3 meals a day and usually and evening snack.

I would love an example of a base line diet plan i could use.
I have read Heathers from her books but a lot of her ingredients is very specialised (i live in UK) and i don't always have the time to prepare such lavish dishes.
I don't seem to be tolerating many veg or fruits which makes me feel every unhealthy. I maybe have 3 of the '5 a day' on a good day.

You see, as well as having the IBS i also have the difficulty of the anorexia to deal with which makes diet twice as hard. Im battling with myself over 'if its healthy enough'.

Does being at a low weight effect ibs?
I just can't recover when i can't let myself eat more and more of what i want. Its feeing the anorexia. But i can't live with this damn IBS!!!
x



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Re: First Post. IBS sufferer and also anorexic new
      #372244 - 07/25/15 02:57 PM
sgcray

Reged: 01/22/14
Posts: 367
Loc: AZ, USA

Thank you;You're sweet,

Does being at a low weight cause ibs? I can appreciate the double wammy...
Feeling anxious about eating due to anorexia might be an influence on colon contractions. That's why I'm wondering if anyone prescribed anything. The pain causes me to be anxious, which can make ibs worse for sure. There is the hypnosis CD pack offered here. Serotonin levels get out of whack and affect ibs which are helped by proper sleep.

If your body is use to eating very little at a time, your stomach might not be use to more food volume. Soluble fiber fills you up quicker..You can spread that same amount of acacia fiber throughout the day before you eat, instead of twice/day. It is a slower fermenting prebiotic preferred by good bifidus in the colon. Methylcellulose is not fermentable, but will not feed/increase bifidus.

Reduce the gas irritation by taking simethicone before the colon gets more irritated and washes itself out. More importantly help PREVENT/reduce excess gas with enteric coated peppermint caps and/or peppermint tea (if doesn't irritate upper gi track). You know in the recipe book about what to eat when everything seems to bother you? I would do the white rice, chicken or fish at least. I found that the colon resumes calmness after about 1-2 days.

I mainly use The First Year: IBS book and make at home the "For Those Who Hate To Cook" meals the way you would get them if you ate out and modify if I have to or do a different protein or veg./fruit. I eat 1/2 the baked potato chips and de-seed the tomato slices for instance and no onion, but that's me. Potatoes can cause more gas compared to white wheat bread.

Gas is natural, but you know too much is when it irritates. Soluble fiber in food is good for filling softly the colon to reduce spasming, but too much can ferment too much, especially if you don't drink enough water that it relies on to weight it through. I drink at least 6 of 8 oz./day of water. Some folks that are constipated need more. Took a while to word this, don't want to confuse.

Edited by sgcray (07/25/15 04:50 PM)

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Re: First Post. IBS sufferer and also anorexic new
      #372245 - 07/25/15 07:02 PM
sgcray

Reged: 01/22/14
Posts: 367
Loc: AZ, USA

If you hadn't found this one searching our posts."IBS from Anorexia?":
http://www.helpforibs.com/messageboards/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=diet&Number=263617&Forum=All_Forums&Words=ibs%20from%20anorexia&Match=And&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=263582&Search=true#Post263617
Find info doing a Google search too.

Edited by sgcray (07/25/15 07:34 PM)

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Re: First Post. IBS sufferer and also anorexic new
      #372247 - 07/26/15 04:23 AM
house21

Reged: 07/24/15
Posts: 10


Thanks again for your advice.

You don't have any ideas for meals i could make that wouldn't make me so full but provide enough calories?
I struggle with the fullness so much as like you say, my stomach is probably smaller due to the anorexia and i get so full. I feel like i can't eat often as I'm so full therefore i seem to be having 3 meals a day.
I feel that maybe if i eat 5 or 6 times a day then it may help but i just can't seem to face it as i get so full from the soluble fiber base.

Some meal plan or further guidence would be of use.
Thanks again.


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Re: First Post. IBS sufferer and also anorexic new
      #372248 - 07/26/15 01:11 PM
sgcray

Reged: 01/22/14
Posts: 367
Loc: AZ, USA

Quote:

Thanks again for your advice.

You don't have any ideas for meals i could make that wouldn't make me so full but provide enough calories?
I struggle with the fullness so much as like you say, my stomach is probably smaller due to the anorexia and i get so full. I feel like i can't eat often as I'm so full therefore i seem to be having 3 meals a day.
I feel that maybe if i eat 5 or 6 times a day then it may help but i just can't seem to face it as i get so full from the soluble fiber base.

Some meal plan or further guidence would be of use.
Thanks again.




Hi, thanks ....
I would think the calories in the book's meals I mentioned in my previous post would suffice, but dividing the larger lunches and dinners and not the smaller snacks or breakfasts to make not so filling at a time and with the DIVIDED soluble fiber before each. White rice provides alot of calories and doesn't stuff me up;It doesn't have much fiber..notice the rice box label fiber content. Drink an alternative milk drink with some protein in it already and 20-25% fat content instead of some of your water. The recipe book has plenty of drink ideas for extra calories too. With my night time fiber I've taken a T of brown rice syrup (which is easier on insulin) with my probio.

Still wondering if you have been prescribed medication for ibs like an anti-spasmotic or something else?? Sometimes you have to search reviews on meds and how they've helped people with your form of ibs, also their side effects that can help and request them from your doctor.

One of my days food blogs, otherwise too much too type..Everyone's different though, but here goes...

Soluble fiber right before each:

1C Crispex (rice/cornmeal) cereal with protein included flax milk 1/2 sm banana or also 1/4C papaya with that banana

white wheat or spelt bread with a smidgen of peanut butter

1 1/2C white basmati rice with lemon juice with canned chicken/turkey breast or maybe fish (drained canned salmon), 1/4C melon or other fruit, 2 heaping teaspoons per ea container of smooth green beans and smooth squash (easier than self- pureeing) with salt and flax or hemp oil and if room a sm cookie.

1/2C canned no peel potatoes with very low to nonfat mayo and sm amt chives

1 1/2C white jasmine rice with soy sauce, one of the above proteins, nori salad at end of meal with (peeled/de-seeded cucumber and 4 shreds of carrot, little chives, lemon jc and flax oil), a sm cookie and 4oz pomegranite/blueberry juice. Dinner is usually a lighter meal because it's later in the day.

I don't feel too full like this even with upper gi track problems.
You don't have to use as much rice if too filling. Chew everything well to help move through better.

I utilize Heather's meal plans examples as an ideas spring board;You'll figure your own tweeks.


Edited by sgcray (07/30/15 12:34 PM)

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Re: First Post. IBS sufferer and also anorexic new
      #372251 - 07/27/15 06:20 AM
house21

Reged: 07/24/15
Posts: 10


Many thanks.x

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