My IBS has been severe for almost 15 years. I have been on Heather's diet for 3.5 years. My 'A' symptoms are much better on acacia and the safe foods. However, I have debilitating gas and bloating. Much of the year it is hard to do anything or plan on leaving the house at all. At work and at other engagements I spend the whole time trying not to fart, wincing from bloating pain and trying to not look pregnant. I own maternity clothes so I will have something that fits when I have to dress in evenings. For long spells my gas will be absolutely unbelievably smelly too. I have tried various elimination diets without results. I take a probiotic. I drink fennel tea. I eat safely. I exercise everyday. I take 2T of acacia a day. Despite this the gas doesn't go away. Mainly my theory on IBS has been, despite how depressing this is, that it is uncurable. If you really have IBS that means you are normal physically but nothing works as it should and reactions happen without reason. We can decrease reactions by treating our gut like a spoiled child, essentially walking on eggshells, but all in all it will do as it pleases. This to me is plain IBS. But when you add gluten intolerance or fructose intolerance into it you may have these in addition and get benefit by avoiding the gluten or fructose. But really how much can we expect to improve basic IBS? If I have no extra intolerances what can I do to start to lead a normal life? If I have eaten safely for 3 1/2 years why is my IBS so bad? I am just so sick of the gas! If I go to the GI doc he tells me I am doing everything right and hopefully some medication will come out eventually to help me. There has been a lot of talk here about FI causing a person's gas. Part of me wishes this were true and by avoiding fructose I would have no gas, but the fruits I eat mostly are bananas and pineapple. Another mystery is why I improved so much when first on the diet and not even doing it quite right. The first summer and then the second summer my symptoms were light. At all other times they were bad- so how could I have some extra food issue? All the diet journals I have kept have not lead to any discoveries either. I am getting a stool test, food allergy tests and ph test in the next few weeks. It is all I can think of. Any comments would be appreciated. Bloating is a mystery but since some people here are pretty much cured by doing what I do I don't quite get it!
-------------------- 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!
Posts
plain IBS versus specific problems -long
I have tried various elimination diets without results. I take a probiotic. I drink fennel tea. I eat safely. I exercise everyday. I take 2T of acacia a day. Despite this the gas doesn't go away. 
