# Regularly Eating 'Avoidable' Foods



## Unable To Accept (Jan 1, 2013)

I'm 16 and I was diagnosed with IBS in August. Over the past 4 months, I have been looking at countless forums in order to somehow manage to understand this better and possibly learn to start coping with it - no luck so far...

Before becoming aware of other people suffering, I always thought I had it bad yet compared to some I don't. I always knew something was wrong but I don't think I ever thought it could be IBS - or that so many others suffered from it - I guess I just thought I was unlucky. I'm currently taking Mebeverine to try and ease my symptoms which are often triggered by emotion more than anything else. I suppose for that they have helped, however, day-to-day, I feel just as I always have. My big problem now though, is that without them I feel 10 times worse even though I probably coped two-three years without even being aware of my condition.

I have always had a life planned out which included certain things I feel I can no longer to with IBS; for example before I used to drink alcohol and suffer no side effects other than a hangover, now I get symptoms regularly the morning after. How can I cope with this when I'm at uni? Many people say their IBS was triggered by a major infection or sickness; I don't believe mine was. I can't trace back to a specific date when I remember this starting, but I think it started in small doses when I was 8 and gradually got worse and more unbearable as the years have continued.

I'm starting to feel like I'm at a dead end now with no where to go. I guess I always thought it would go away with time, however now I know I have IBS which is incurable, I don't see the bright future I had always imagined. I've been looking for ways to control my IBS better and have stumbled across many websites which have advised me to eat certain 'good' food and avoid certain 'trigger' foods. My issue with this though is that I'm 16; I've barely even began to live my life, why should I be forced into giving up things I've been eating since I was a kid. I love chocolate and coffee and everything else I've been advised not to eat, but why should I be the one to give into the IBS? Why should I be the one to let it win? It's my life and I want to be in control not some stupid condition which is taking over me!

About 4 years ago I used to drink coffee everyday and decided to give it up after getting headaches, getting stressed as well as trying to become healthier. It was easy to give up yet after that when I would get the odd cup of coffee I would experience terrible headaches and mild IBS symptoms, which have been getting worse as I've got older. I eat chocolate nearly everyday of my life and I don't think I get any side effects from this - or if I do it's the odd occasion - and yet when I drink coffee or alcohol, I end up suffering. I often wonder if I hadn't given coffee up, would I be able to cope with drinking it? I know I can't drink alcohol everyday to get my body used to it, but with other things I could...

So I guess what I'm asking is, is it possible that instead of avoiding foods/drinks that trigger IBS, could I in fact regularly consume them in order for my body to adapt and therefore no longer fight back but to accept?


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

You don't have to control it with diet. Diet is not the only control mechanism out there.

If you want to control it with supplements, medication, mind/body work and all that you can do all those other things and just eat whatever you want.

I don't think there is much evidence that exposing yourself to foods that trigger your symptoms (if any particular food triggers you and it doesn't for a lot of people, but sounds like some bother you) somehow causes you to become tolerant of them.

But dietary control is one choice. If you don't want to do that choice there are others. Some people don't mind the symptoms that much so would rather eat what they want and poop a bit more than other people. But some people can't tolerate any symptoms at all.

Depends on what bothers you.

I've got plenty of friends who have had celiac disease from childhood so there are many foods they can never eat (no bread, no cake, no cookies unless they were specially backed with rice flour or some other substitute that often is never as good) because it causes a lot of damage when you eat what you shouldn't where IBS just makes you miserable if you eat what you shouldn't.

So it isn't just you. I know at 16 it feels like somehow you have been selected for a terrible curse and no one else on the planet ever has to put up with stuff (it really is how it is for 16 and if it wasn't IBS it would be your hair color, your nose shape or some other thing that is your burden to bear and no one else is suffering like you are...really, we all had something at 16 that was ruining our life forever and ever, and it really does get better as you grow into your adult self).

Fortunately life moves on and you find that most of what you think is terrible and will destroy everything isn't so bad and eventually you find out pretty much everyone else has some cross to bear and they thought their stuff was the worst anyone could have.

Over time I'm sure you will find what helps you ease your symptoms. It doesn't have to be diet.

And for what it is worth, I have a lot of other health issues. Ones that made me do a lot of things my friends didn't do. Like eat healthy, get enough sleep, not drink heavily, etc. Now I'm actually kind of glad as in middle age I am in a lot better shape for having been forced to take care of myself and a lot of my hard living friends have a lot more problem and look a lot older than I do.


----------



## LauLau26 (Nov 3, 2012)

Looking on the internet about trigger foods and good foods won't really help. You need to monitor what sets you off. Not what's set other people off on the internet. Triggers are different for everyone with ibs. I'm not too sure if eating trigger foods regularly would help and somehow make you able to eat them again without the nasty aftermath. But if you want to give it a try, just stay near a bathroom. As for uni, I'm at college atm and my tutors have been very understanding, it doesn't hurt to tell them, and when you need to get up and leave for the bathroom, just tell them where you're going, come back. And they should be okay with it. I've very rarely missed days at college due to my stomach anyway, and I'm the same as you, diagnosed in august. Hope you find the answers you want.


----------



## DevilOnMyBack (Aug 30, 2012)

Hey bud,

Im 16, been living with IBS since I was 14 and ontop of the pain, I suffer from the most embarrassing symptom of IBS which is FBO. I suffered it from near the start of high school which is one of the worst times it could of happened for many reasons. Anyways I found control through diet and trigger foods, and I understand there are other methods, and some things work/some things dont for different people but the fact that you are too stubborn to even want to try avoiding certain foods, even foods as bad as coffee and chocolate which is commonly a couple of the worst trigger foods on a persons list of triggers. I avoid lots of food, got over the craving and now its not a problem to say no to a food. I have no desire to eat shitty food anyway. Yes there is some foods I miss but I have no desire to go back to that terrible life I was living before.

You have to ask yourself if your desire is to eat trigger foods and suffer or not eat certain foods and live a more manageable life. Do some research on the Ego, SuperEgo and Id and learn about it. You'll see why I told you to search that.

Cant believe you'd rather suffer and eat than reduce suffering and eat a diet better suited for you.


----------

