# Anyone have trouble w/eating oatmeal?



## AnnieP

Hi, can oatmeal irritate IBS-D? 

I thought it was good for it and I was eating it for weeks...and sick for weeks. Well, I ran out of the oatmeal this week...and those three days of not eating it for breakfast I had NO IBS those days at all...and I ate Quiche Lorraine one of those days and even a fish dinner last night - BUT no cramps, no gas, no diarrhea - nothing. 

Now, I ate some oatmeal for breakfast today - and low and behold an hour later and even now - bloating and cramping again {indicative diarrhea is on its way } I am now seeing a possible connection? BUT OATMEAL?????? WOW...

I will lay off it for a week and see how I do...Hmmm... Anyone else get IBS-D attacks FROM eating oatmeal of all things? WOW...I never thought it could do that...and maybe it is not - but it sure seems like it is the culprit. 

How could it do this...cause diarrhea...it is a fiber, no? Supposed to block one up? TY. Annie


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## norbert46

Annie, I have sucessfully stopped most all of my IBS/D symptoms and anxiety with Mike's tapeprogram but oatmeal always has and still does go right thru me. No problem, I just only eat oatmeal when I'm not going anywhere or doing anything special!







Norb


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## Kathleen M.

ANY FOOD can trigger IBS symptoms EVEN WHEN IT MAKES NO SENSE.Oatmeal and oatbran were recommended for a friend of mine when she had brain surgery (she tends to be constipated and straining was going to be a no-no for several weeks) and a bowl of oatbran every morning keep her stool soft...so it could be loosening you up.K.


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## Tummy Trouble TB

Do you have milk with your oatmeal? I know some people eat it that way, and if you do, the milk might be causing your troubles.


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## maumie

Hi, I've eaten oatmeal at least twice a day for many years now and it has never caused the D in me. But, as we all know, everyone is different so it may be affecting you adversely. What kind of oatmeal are you eating? If it's the packaged kind, it could and probably does have additivies including sugar. I know that preservatives and sugar do terrible things to my colon. The ONLY kind I eat is the old-fashioned oatmeal that comes in the cylindrical container. Nothing in the container except oatmeal. As previously mentioned, the milk may be the culprit as well. I know I can't have too much in my cereal. I hope this helps you. There is nothing worse than getting a case of the D in the morning when you have plans or a job to deal with. Take care.


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## mich2002

Annie, I would eat instant oats and considered this one of my 'safe' foods when I had a D attack would eat it to soothe - NOT!! have been cutting out all dif foods to test reactions and havent eaten oats for a while also went onto calcium am on my second week of no D and 'normal' stools so decided as should be eating more for breakfast had some oats and had bloating and gas the whole day! so maybe oats aren't as safe as we thought??


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## pdb

Oatmeal definitely doesn't agree with me either!


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## mamamia

Dear friends:This is so timely!!! I have always eaten oatmeal but lately it's been giving me trouble and yesterday I couldn't make it to the pot.Thank goodness I found out that this can happen. I always loved oatmeal but the H--L with it now!!!This BB is a lifeline.love and light to all, mama-


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## Windaloo

I used to eat Quaker rolled oats with milk, then decided to leave milk and used water instead.The oats although have no gluten have insoluble fibre, thats why they cause a problem.They do have GLUTEN but the form does not have GLIADIN which is unsafe for coeliacs, so they can have OATS. however in IBS D its the insol fibre that causes the probs.


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## hyacynth26

Oatmeal is a no for me as well.


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## Auroraheart

Really? I have a bowl of the Quaker instant oatmeal stuff every morning and I found it helped my IBS D.







Just another example of how we are all different I guess.


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## DoreneW

Well, until now I had guessed everything else BUT the instant oatmeal I eat almost every morning! I am having terrible Dia, gas and bloat today and was about to eat a bowl when my husband said, are you sure you should eat that? I said, of course! Then he googled the question and Thank God, found your forum! Ixnay on the oatmeal-ay! So what CAN I eat???


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## DoreneW

Well, until now I had guessed everything else BUT the instant oatmeal I eat almost every morning! I am having terrible Dia, gas and bloat today and was about to eat a bowl when my husband said, are you sure you should eat that? I said, of course! Then he googled the question and Thank God, found your forum! Ixnay on the oatmeal-ay! So what CAN I eat???


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## legbuh

Tummy Troubles said:


> Do you have milk with your oatmeal? I know some people eat it that way, and if you do, the milk might be causing your troubles.


Best reply yet. What else do you put in your oatmeal that you may not think of that could be a trigger? Fruit, milk, sugar, nutrasweet, etc.. any and everything should me mentioned.

Haha.. just noticed the original date.


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## Lorelei56

I love oatmeal so I have tried all kinds-instant, regular, steel cut, etc. Made sure no other ingredients were in it, just oatmeal, and it made me very ill. Too bad, I always thought it was innocuous, but not so.


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## Colt

I eat oatmeal every morning and it has no affect, positive or negative on me. I started eating oatmeal AFTER I had IBS, because I was suddenly starving every morning. This from a guy who had never eaten breakfast in his life.

What a bizarre disease we have.


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## PD85

Here's another IBS conundrum, my experiences with oatmeal:

For me, if I am having IBS issues, oatmeal makes it WORSE. the fiber goes right through me, and contributes to excess gas, etc...

BUT, if I am not having IBS issues, and my gut is calm, oatmeal makes it BETTER. it even slows me down, probably by absorbing water in the intestinal tract.

so just depending on how I'm doing that day changes whether I can have oatmeal or not!


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## AIRPLANE

Same here. When the D is more active, oatmeal definitely makes it worse. If things are moving slower, oatmeal is OK and might even help.


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## Trudyg

I try to think in terms of fiber. Soluble or insoluble, choose the soluble. If oatmeal bothers you, try sourdough bread toast. Eggs get me, too, but sometimes okay if hard boiled. Strange thing we're dealing with.


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## Colt

Trudyg said:


> I try to think in terms of fiber. Soluble or insoluble, choose the soluble. If oatmeal bothers you, try sourdough bread toast. Eggs get me, too, but sometimes okay if hard boiled. Strange thing we're dealing with.


Strange indeed....I have never been able to make a direct connection between certain foods and harshness of symptoms. Since my issue never cedes, I am always in some degree of discomfort, so I cannot attribute certain foods to a flare up, because I don't have flare-ups per se.

I do know that since I "gave in" to this disease and take loperamide as often and as much as I want, that mentally I feel so much better. So, if I decide I want to have a little bit of chili or a beer, I simply belly up to the med cabinet first and then go for it.


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## mikeolee

YES!

After years of thinking my diarrhea was caused by excessive exercise, I now know it is an oat intolerance.

As I used to eat power bars (containing oats) when I partook in extensive exercise such as 60+ mile bike rides or long distance hiking/running. This made me associate these activities with the diarrhea. However, after a week long hiking trip in the Rockies eating oatmeal every morning, I put one and one together. Five years later, the only time I get diarrhea is when I accidentally consume something made from oats.

- oats in pizza crust

- oats in vegan burgers

- oats in beer! (oatmeal stout for instance)

Must be the specific protein in oats. I can eat all the other grains and fiber I want, but not anything containing oats.


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## SMCas

Hi,
It was suggested I switched from soya milk to oat "milk", so I did, but the diarrhoea returned, so I am going to switch back.


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## jza

I eat oatmeal every morning. I switched from regular to gluten free oatmeal though and noticed an improvement in my symptoms though. When I would eat regular oatmeal, I would bloat up very badly.


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## patcee14

I eat old fashioned oatmeal almost every morning and it is one thing, along with brown rice and beans, that does not cause IBS-D symptoms for me. Beans are supposed to be really bad for IBS, but the large amount of fiber seems to help me have firmer bowel movements. However, I cannot eat many green leafies without bloating, gas and diarrhea. Also, green salads without other food give me symptoms, but cabbage slaw doesn't, even though cooked cabbage does! I think every food can affect people in different ways. I am following a whole foods, plant-based diet and will not give up the healthy vegetables we need like greens and salads. If I have trouble, I deal with it. I have diarrhea from my heart medicine, but still take it. I think I must not have the bad symptoms of a lot of people because when I have diarrhea, it is like once or twice. I have known people who say they have multiple incidents throughout the day. However, being on a plant-based diet seems to have alleviated a lot of my problems. Fiber is said to be bad for IBS, but it helps for me.


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## Akn1965

I have taken oatmeal for 4 days now I don't know wheather it is good for me or not. But it doesn't aggravate my symptoms.
Thanks.


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## Citizen33

Wow, just goes to show that everyone is different. Oatmeal (with water) has always been one of my safest foods, along with apples and plain yogurt. At my worst, I would live off those three foods. The oatmeal and apple slow down my gut and the yogurt gives me protein and probiotics.

I'm curious to try the gluten-free oatmeal.


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## Citizen33

Just did some research on gluten-free oatmeal. Oats do not contain gluten. The gluten comes from contaminates in the oatmeal processing. Could explain the variation in our experiences.


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## Akn1965

PD85 said:


> Here's another IBS conundrum, my experiences with oatmeal:
> 
> For me, if I am having IBS issues, oatmeal makes it WORSE. the fiber goes right through me, and contributes to excess gas, etc...
> 
> BUT, if I am not having IBS issues, and my gut is calm, oatmeal makes it BETTER. it even slows me down, probably by absorbing water in the intestinal tract.
> 
> so just depending on how I'm doing that day changes whether I can have oatmeal or not!


Pd85,
Oats contain fibre.I.e soluble or insoluble if insoluble fiber is more it can't help with diarrhea.
Thanks.


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