# Confused about *low* (not total) FODMAP diet AND reintroduction



## ShubhaBala (Jan 28, 2017)

I've had IBS-D for a couple of decades and have tried everything - so I don't try things anymore. I have mainly focused on having Immodium and just getting emotionally comfortable with who I am and who my body is. I even did a major, major elimination diet a couple of decades ago that involved 2 months of cutting out everything and then slowly reintroducing, cutting out again, and reintroducing a second time, a ton of food groups. Nothing - well rather I should say that a food might cause horrible pain and diarreah the first time, and nothing the second time, so I gave up.

The FODMAP diet is the first time I'm reading something that seems to explain my stomach - inconsistent, something kills me one day and the same food item is totally find a week later. So I want to do it to try to figure out which FODMAPs impact me (I believe gluten will be fine, for example).

But I'm super confused having read the book, websites, and having the app. If I actually want to treat this as an elimination diet to narrow down what some culprits might be then I have two questions:

1 - Why would I have to cut everything out for 2 months first? I thought the whole point of the FODMAP diet is that it's for people who, unlike celiacs disease, are having immediate reactions to food. The food is not creating long-term damage. So wouldn't just a week or two be sufficient?

2 - The way the book by Sue Shepherd lays it out even during the 2 months I am not actually cutting out all high risk foods, just trying to keep them to a minimum. But wouldn't that make the reintroduction not very useful? When I did the elimination diet it was an absolute, 100%, cutting out of the food items. Granted it was super hard and I didn't go out with friends for 2 months, but isn't that the only way to really tell?

I am looking for a dietician to help me with this but am having a hard time finding a FODMAP expert near my work (midtown Manhattan) who takes my insurance! 

Thanks!


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## lareine (May 7, 2017)

Hi,

The elimination phase is 2-6 weeks, see this post: http://fodmapmonash.blogspot.com/2015/06/just-2-6-weeks-it-is-not-diet-for-life_8.html

You can learn more about the low FODMAP Diet here: https://casadesante.com/pages/fodmap-diet-101


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## Helena (Apr 13, 2017)

My dietician said to do elimination phase for 3 weeks. She wrote in her notes for me" Some improvement should occur within the first couple of weeks, however if symptoms persist, continuing the diet for another 3 weeks is recommended. If no improvement is seen after 6 weeks then the diet can be stopped." This is because it can take up to 4 weeks for maximum benefit to occur." Probably for the high fodmaps to get out of your system. I think I have fructose intolerance because in her notes she wrote:" But some people who have fructose intolerance may also need to avoid: Dried fruits in amounts more than a raised tablespoon, and more than 100ml of any fruit juice." This was because I still had trouble and it wasn't until I had cut out the raisins in my porrage that it improved and only eating one piece of fruit at one time. ie. About a 2 hour gap between each piece. High Fructose Corn syrup isn't good either but we don't have it in NZ.

Yes, I think it's better to do the elimination diet rather than reducing food. I think my dietician said that for elderly she wouldn't put them through the elimination diet.


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