# Fodmaps/SCD Diet- Still Constipated!



## ibsad (Nov 25, 2013)

Hey guys.

Since January I have been on a very strict diet. I took the principals from both SCD and FODMAPS diet and have figured out what works for me. I went from being in AGONY most of the time with a constant pressure and discomfort left of my bellybutton to being almost entirely pain free! Bloating almost never happens and my pains only come back if I eat a trigger food. It was really bad before I started this diet. The pain was just terrible. I'm glad to feel more normal again.

BUT...my constipation has NOT gotten better. I do "go" every day but the amounts are small. I'm glad my bowels are working enough that I am moving them eveyr day but there is definitely a lot of backup. Then once or twice a month I will go to the bathroom 2-4 times a day and all the stuff that was backed comes out. When that happens I typically lose anywhere from 1-5 lbs in a single day.

My diet consists of poultry or fish, green beans, brown rice (once or twice a week), almonds, berries, pineapple. I do not eat fruit every day but when I do I only eat low fructose kinds. I typically eat Green beans with a bit of butter or olive oil and chicken every single day. I also eat carrots, spinach, beets and kale but usually only eat them once or twice a week. Once in awhile I eat black beans but have not noticed a difference when eating them. I will cut them out again and see if I notice any difference (doubt it). I am fine with this strict of a diet because I am finally getting relief. However I am NOT getting relief from the constipation.

Any help? I want my system to be working properly. I'm sick of being constipated all the time. Yes it's better than the explosive diarhea but it's uncomfortable. Doesn't seem right to have poop stored in my intestines for so long.

I am gluten, dairy, sugar and processed food free.


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## Nojokeibs (Apr 14, 2014)

Stay the course. You're doing well, but you might want to consider being tested for exactly which sugars you actually malabsorb. FODMAP is based on the theory that you might or might not malabsorb certain sugars. For example, some people always malabsorb Fructose in any amount, and others only malabsorb it if they eat it in excess of Dextrose/Glucose. Dedicated FODMAPers change the white sugar in their sugar bowl to Dextrose for that reason. They sprinkle some on all fruits they eat. But if you are one of the unlucky few who always malabsorbs Fructose, then you have to wait for the microbes to do their thing before the food moves forward and out.

For me, my digestion didn't improve until at least 8 months after I changed my diet. Plus, the less fructose you eat, the less you can absorb. Your body simply changes to accommodate what you're eating. That's one of the studies the Monash researchers published, that it's not that one person is more suited to carbs than another, it's that one person eats more carbs, so they can absorb it better. Whether that's "well enough to feel well" is still an open question though, because obviously some people feel rotten while eating carbs, yet are good absorbers.

I have a very slow moving system so I use magnesium citrate to get it going on a regular basis, like once a week. Once another 5-HT4 drug is approved I'll probably go and ask for that so I can stop with the cathartics and supplements though. You can try some ginger supplements and also there are some citrus based ones called Narinjin that seem to help without being causes of diarrhea. Less safe, but you can sometimes find it in "colon cleanser" formulas is bitter aloes. I find it makes me less sick and crampy than bisacodyl, and I don't think it permanently changes your intestinal color like senna does. Though those are the general options, I mean bisacodyl and senna. I'm just not a fan for the stated reasons.

Both of those diets (SCD and FODMAP) modify the biome in your gut and you might want to check out the Human Microbiome Project (google it) for some cool studies on that, not related to the diets but related to health in general. On that subject, is anything in your diet a probiotic? A good probiotic can go a long way toward fixing you up. Look for one that contains L. plantarum, and at least 7 other things. If you're really rich, you can splurge for the VSL#3 formula, or you can just find something similar for less. Some kefirs have similar contents.


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