# transit time of digestion/identifying what made me sick



## Gaseous One (Jan 16, 2013)

Hi,

I was diagnosed, correctly, with IBS over fifteen years ago. Gradually I found my trigger foods (and emotional stressors) and mainly managed it well. Typcially I'd get messed up after consuming either too large a meal, too greasy a meal, tomato sauce, or acidic wine (mainly white). My attacks rarely lasted more than a day or two, and when I was asymptomatic (years at a time) I could even violate those rules without ill efect.

Then, about three months ago, I started having attacks pretty much nonstop. By attacks I mean huge gas and bloating in lower GI tract, and very slight constipation. These were different than my typical attacks which were diarhea and a lot fo upper GI tract gas. So I've been avoiding the usual triggers and not getting out of it. I treid Bifantis and that actually made me worse. Something that works wonders for me is shiatsu and acupuncture, the effects odn't last. I'm not preprared to go foodmap foor the time being, because my symptoms are not that severe and I know I won't stick to it--plus usual trigger foods don't bother me, i.e. caffeine and quite a few others.

So I'm trying to figure out what's messing me up other than the obvious trigger foods which I am avoiding. I'm better or worse day to day and I think it's diet, though sometimes it's emtional--I tend to hold tension in my gut, and when my gut's tight, I have IBS (or the other way around perhaps?)

So here's the question: How can I identify what messed me up based on transit time?

I realize transit time is different for different people. I just consulted a medical text which shows food leaves the stomach after 3 hrs; reaches the small intestine after 6 hours; and reaches the midpoint of the large intestine after 20 hours. I'm feeling my discomfort and bloating and gas in the intestines, not stomach (I can feel the difference) so is it fair to say that when I feel the lower GI tract bloating come on, it's probably something I ate about 20 hours prior?

Would appreciate any light anyone can shed on this question. Also, does IBS change like this over the years? This is not the same IBS I had years ago. But I was just scoped and there's nothing wrong; also pelvic and abdominal ultrasound are clear.

Thanks


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

There is one problem with transit time.

What about the trigger food is setting off the system.

Is it increasing the immediate response of the gut to get more active (high fat foods make the gut more active than lean foods). This tends to be from during the meal to when the meal ends.

Is it a gas causing food and you may get a lot of gas produced that first hour or two after it hits the colon. It may take awhile for the gas to work through, but it doesn't move at the same rate as the stool, either. I don't think the most gas is produced at the mid point of the colon. After all you see a huge amount of gas produced when the stuff being tested in a hydrogen breath test first hits the colon, they don't test 20 hours after ingestion. And makes sense as at the start of the colon you have the most bacteria food and bacteria begin to act on food quickly, they don't have a leisurely meal. As soon as food shows up they start chowing down and multiplying rapidly to eat up all the food they can find.

Is the food an osmotic so you will mostly see problems as it exits (loose to watery stool that may go through faster than usual).

Some people do find IBS changes over time, but there is no predictable progression of symptoms.


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## Caterina (Jan 25, 2013)

I see Kathleen's point completely because when I've eaten trigger foods, I can be in the toilet within three hours and pieces of the offending item have shown up in my motions so it makes sense that the transit time is faster than normal. However, there are trigger foods that don't have such an immediate effect and I would have diarrhea the next morning and I agree that this is where the difficulty lies .

I would also appreciate some advice on identifying the what has caused it in terms of time or some other method.

In saying that, I've found recently that I'm eating things that are not trigger foods for me but I still can't digest them because at the moment I'm living in a hot country - India- so I'm starting from scratch in trying to find solutions.


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## Gaseous One (Jan 16, 2013)

Thanks Kathleen, for the info.

It makes sense different foods cause varying reactions vis a vis time. When I drink the wrong wine (or any wine when I'm symptomatic) the reaction occurs within a few hours and I can feel the acidity in my stomach going bonkers. But when it's food it's different. It seems to hit lower down, and there's always the same congested, hard-to-the-touch, places in my lower belly, which feel like my intestine in spasm.

I asked this question because after many weeks of being careful I was finally coming out of a long bout of attacks. Then yesterday at about 4 pm I got one again. I ate nothing even remotely suspect that day, and nothing emotionally upsetting occured. However, the previous evening, I was a bad girl, and hate a burger, fries and beer (because I thought I was better and wanted to celebrate--classic!)

I got sick about 22 hours after the burger/fries/beer. Do you think I can fairly assume they were the culprit? Because on the day I actually got sick, I ate nothing but the same "safe" things I was eating for weeks that didn't make me sick.

Here's another question: if certain foods and emotional tension and possibly muscular/neural tension are the causes of my attacks, is there any ppoint to taking various herbal or nutritional supplements? I ask because there are so many out there ... My little attempt with Bifantis made me even worse. Suggestions? I know about peppermint oil, tumeric, digestive enzymes, pomegrante capsules .. .

How about Ibergast?

And finally, any one book, that is particularly good at explaining IBS and the digestive process in general?

Thanks


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## Janina (Feb 26, 2013)

I just read the book by Kate Scarlata, The Idiot's Guide to IBS, I think was the title. (had to return it to the library). Excellent book and her blog has additional information, updated regularly.


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