# Started Low FODMAP diet and got constipated



## Steve123c

Hello friends,

Posing first time here. Had been bloated with severe abdominal cramps for last few months. Same story like most people here - ER visits, CT scans, MRI, bloodwork didn't produce any results. GI diagnosed me with IBS and got me on Bentyl with very little relief. Last few months very really miserable for me but I was lucky enough to learn about FODMAPs. I started couple weeks ago and felt better after few days of diet. My bloating is greatly reduced, I'm not hearing my intestines growl all night anymore. I'm still in illumination phase and eating only low FODMAP items now. I'm eating oatmeal in the morning, bananas, carrots, zukkini, potatoes and few other allowable things. I'm thinking I should be getting enough fiber. While my overall condition improved I'm getting really constipated and have to use laxatives almost daily. Is there anything I can add to the diet that is not high in FODMAP but would relieve constipation?


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## Kathleen M.

Try drinking more water, and brown rice might add some more fiber if that is what you think you need.

Fodmaps tend to loosen stools as well as cause gas.

One other thought if you are willing to take magnesium supplements, magnesium oxide is a pretty mild osmotic laxative and most people don't get enough from their diet anyway. 400 mgs a day is the USRDA minimum for a lot of people so usually is pretty safe, and that may keep things wet enough to move without adding in any of the bad carbs that can play that role in the diet.


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## Goldfinch

I have IBS-D and I've been on a low fodmaps diet for several months. For fiber, besides steel cut oats, I try to eat a lot spinach and chard (both on the leafy greens okay list), yams, green beans, berries and legumes, such as dried beans. Beans are not on the low fodmaps list of preferred foods, so you should be careful with them until you know they are okay for you, but I have found I do well with them. Brown rice is a great idea. Since it's spring there's rhubarb available and I think that's high in fibre. I cook it down with strawberries and sugar and it's like eating rhubarb strawberry pie--well, without the pie crust of course.


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## Shaylu

Steve, add a tablespoon or two of ground up linseeds/ flaxseeds to your oats. This will get things moving. Drinks lots of liquid after too.
Good luck.


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## Steve123c

Thanks all for good ideas! I'm drinking lots of water, eating soups for lunch. I'll try to drink even more. For last few months I used to add ground flaxseed pretty much everywhere but stopped using in once went on FODMAP diet since it is not on the approved list. What is general consensus here about flaxseed, is it safe for us IBS-C types? I'll add brown rice to my diet as well, just went to grocery store and got a 2 lb bag of "Uncle ben's" brown rice, 2 gm of fiber per serving. Are there any better brands? I have "Natural Calm" magnesium supplement that I tried couple times before going on the diet. It somewhat worked but I started feeling burning sensation in my intestines and stopped using it, I'll give it another try. Does anyone have any experience with "Natural Calm"?

Goldfinch,

Please share your rhubarb strawberry pie reciepie, I'm sure many people on this forum will enjoy it.


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