# New diet for IBS-C that seems to be working



## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hello, I decided to write a post about my new diet which is looking more promising than anything I have ever done to date. Just want to share it with the others and chart my progress.MY BACKGROUNDI've suffered from IBS-C (sometimes alternating to D) since childhood (now 34) but a few yrs ago it started getting progressively worse and crippling for me







- BMs normally not very regular, several per week (I know there are people worse off than me though, sorry) - Really bad bloating and pain that doubles me over during an attack (when I had an office job, I had to resort to lie down on the floor of disabled toilets to get my tummy to relax). In the last 2 years, I have had to cancel many evening engagements due to pain. Several times a week sometimes. - IBS attacks started to last for 3 days in a row, typically starting after lunch and then I don't have any BMs for 4-5 days. It got bad - I got to a point when I felt surprised that not everyone leads their life like that. I've been on several meds incl Colpermin (peppermint tablets), Motilium (domperidone), and Colofac (Mebeverine - an antispasmodic), eventually they stopped working. I've taken some probiotics with some improvement but ultimately I don't like taking pills. My best dietary success prior to the current diet has been taking a good probiotic with milk thistle tincture. I ate everything, but was regular and pain-free for a month! But although this seemed to have helped with IBS-C, it gave me awful spots (apparently milk thistle mimics hormone estrogen) so I had to stop this.NEW APPROACH THAT I AM TRYING AND WHICH SEEMS TO BE WORKINGI have now kept a food diary for over 20 weeks and last week, started a really strict exclusion diet: - No dairy, wheat / gluten, rice, cabbage-type veg (broccoli, cauliflower), no beans, no sweet things incl chocolate, no uncooked apples or pears (ok cooked). - Steam / boil as much as possible- 5 meals a day and make sure don't go hungry- Porridge with rice milk for breakfast starts my day really well- Eating lots of things like avocado, oily fish, baked sweet potato, steamed carrots, quinoa, cooked buckwheat, etc- No supplements of any kind whatsoeverThe idea is that I slowly introduce foods back and see if I have any food sensitivities.WITHIN 2 days of starting, I had regular good BMs and practically no wind - definitely no pain!Then 3 days ago I ate some wheat-free pasta with seafood and leeks and got a serious attack. This food did not disagree with my diet so I was surprised. Initially I blamed the leeks as they are very high in fibre. But right that day, I was also looking into some eating advice from Sherry Brescia and how she advises to separate out the carbs and protein. I looked on my many weeks of food diary notes and think I am onto something - it appears that things are worse for me when carbs and proteins are combined together.Will now try to do my exclusion diet but following the tips to separate out carbs and proteins and let you know how I get on. Feeling tentatively optimistic for the first time in.. years, maybe...Best wishes and thanks for reading







Kes


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## mlynn21191 (Aug 2, 2009)

Hi. Thank you for sharing this. Would you mind posting some entries from your diet journal? I'm thinking of trying this diet too and would like to get a feel for what I should be eating. Thank you.


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## CJF (Aug 25, 2009)

Hi KesI agree with you. I've been on a new, simliar, diet for 3 weeks now and agree that I've felt good for the first time in ages. I was getting really frustrated with my symptoms, particularly the gas and have been recommended to reduce or avoid foods in the following categories:Broccoli, Cabbage, Beans, pulses, Corn, Soy, Prunes, Carbonated drinks Starch - baked beans, bread, pasta, pastries, other wheat products, potatoes Apples, Pears, Mangoes, Watermelon, Paw paw, Honey Onions, Leeks, Shallots, Asparagus, Artichokes, Green beans Plums, Peaches, Pears, Nectarines, Gum Dairy milk, Ice cream, Cream, Soft cheeseIt's difficult to stick to and I've had to find alternatives, but I have really noticed a difference so far. I did change the laxative I was taking which will have had an impact (I take a probiotic and Normacol) but am trying to find the right balance at the moment. I'm not always "good" and do treat myself every now and again, especially when I'm out for dinner, but already reducing the amount of broccoli, corn, milk, apples and pears I eat makes a difference even if I'm not avoiding them altogether. I've not really eaten wheat for 5 months now and would highly recommend that to reduce gas and bloating.CJF


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hello everyone,Thank you for your replies. Here is an update from me! I am really excited. I have been on the exclusion diet for 5 weeks now and I only had pain once - see below - which was a groundbreaking moment. I have also noticed that I have MUCH less gas, and it is not evil-smelling at all. Constipation has improved dramatically. I have had days when I would have a very good BM every day for the whole week. But even if I am a bit constipated, I go almost every day now. This is amazing. (sorry for the graphic detail but it's the kind of forum we are on!!!)







I think I have finally found the reason for my problems - it seems to be starchy foods like pasta, rice, and potatoes. I first had this eureka moment when, having excluded all wheat and dairy, I tried a pasta substitute (rice and corn-based) and within 3 hours, I was in agony again. It was really surprising - I did not suspect pasta at all - first thought, maybe it was some the seafood that went with it? Then I noticed that I would eat a baked potato (normal, not a sweet potato) and have cutting pains in my stomach 2 hours later. THen I noticed I would eat rice and feel almost the same, or at least bloated on most occasions. I then went over my months worth of notes and guess what? In about 50% of cases, I would eat a lot of pasta, and I will be in pain for 3 days afterwards!The correlation is not so obvious so I missed it when there were other factors at play - if you eat lots and lots of nice and rich things, anything can be suspected, and pasta on its own seems quite benign. But a really bland diet like mine really helped narrow down the culprits, so here we are. I am seeing my nutritionist in early Sept to see if she can see anything else in my diet, or get a confirmation that I have foung the cause, but I think this is very significant. mlynn21191, I started off my diet as follows:Breakfast: Ginger tea first thing in the morning. Porridge + rice milk (it seems ok for me), blueberries, peppermint teaSnack 11am: Baked sweet potato, peppermint teaLunch: Home cooked veg soup (root veg, carrots, onions, garlic, etc). Later - Smoked mackerel and boiled quinoaSnack pm: Poached pear, fennel teaDinner: Pan-fried turkey with a little oil, steamed carrots and asparagus, quinoaAnotehr day:Breakfast: Ginger tea first thing in the morning. Porridge + rice milk, blueberries, apricot, peppermint teaSnack 11am: Avocado, rice cakes, peppermint teaLunch: Chicken, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, spring onion salad. Wheat-free bread with poppy and sunflower seedSnack pm: Oatcakes, fennel teaDinner: Pan-fried salmon, roast potatoes, steamed french beans, carrots and cauflflower. <bloated about 3 hours after dinner. Blame potatoes>Another day:Breakfast: Ginger tea first thing in the morning. Porridge + rice milk, blueberries, peppermint tea <this is my standard breakfast now>Snack 11am: Melon, papaya, camomile teaLunch: Homemade Chicken and veg soup , baked sweet potatoSnack pm: Avocado, peppermint teaDinner: Pan-fried chicken, vegetable and tomato stew (ratatouille) A WORD OF WARNING! I have had days when I nearly blacked out due to (most certainly) low blood sugar levels. I eat nothing sweet at the moment - no puddings whatsoever for 5 weeks, only complex carbs, oats etc. After my very low energy spells, as soon as I ate some fruit I was ok again within 5-10 mins, so I know it must be blood sugar. I have never had this before and it was really scary for the first time. Eating fruit in the morning prevents this now. But if you are sensitive to fruit, pick yours with care. CHeck out the advice that SHerry Brescia gives on eating fruit safely - I am following this just in case at the moment. I am now feeling encouraged enough to consider introducing other foods back in - particularly dairy. The other thing I still want to try is a diet Sherry Brescia-style, where carbs and proteins are eaten separately. I have sort of been trying to do it already, but when you have so few things that you eat, it's difficult to combine foods interestingly like she suggests (chicken with salad or salad with chicken? mmmm yummy!). I do wonder what would happen, too, if I just eat rice and veg - right now I am so enjoying being pain-free that I don't want to risk my system yet again. But I will have to try it soon just to be sure. Til the next update, Take care, Kes


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## Patman75 (Mar 9, 2008)

Good job Kes1. Looks like you have a good game plan. My advice would be to try to add a few more healthy fats to your diet and see how you do. I saw avacodo, that is good. Olive oil, coconut oil, healthy nuts. Butter is 99% fat so you should be able to have that, I can't do dairy but have no problems with butter. The fats will help keep your blood sugar levels more stable.NO veggie oil or margarine!!Keep it up!!


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks Patman - I will try butter a bit more - had a little yesterday and it was fine... had some almonds too, although need to be careful with nuts due to a walnut / peanut allergy.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

If you can do sesame I sometimes like just a few drops (it has a lot of flavor) of the oil as a dressing for things. It can give a bit of variety to the butter. I don't know if it cross-reacts with nut allergies, but I haven't heard that it does.


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi everyoneI have now been pain-free for over 6 weeks and have quite regular BMs although still get a bit too much gas - but might just be very sensitive and watch for it constantly so will not worry about this too much. Everyone says that I look much healthier than a couple of months before my exclusion diet. I have lost A LOT of weight - I am naturally very skinny so it is weight that I absolutely do not need to lose - my doctor will actually be unhappy with me. I had to invest in smaller size trousers today - but never mind, I still have tons of energy. I look thinner also because I am no longer bloated looking like I am 6 months prepgant. I think that accounts for losing about 2 inches off my waist. Saw my nutrutionist today and she is thrilled at my progress - considering back in May I was in utter deep dark despair, this is a turnaround. She still thinks I am wheat-sensitive and might also be sensitive to corn-based products (hence my bad IBS attacks over both "normal" wheat pasta and substitute corn-based pasta). I remain unconvinced but wheat is one main thing missing from my diet now, so maybe she is right. A little dairy seems fine. MY nutritionist intends to deal with my problems holistically, i.e look at all aspects of my health not just IBS-C, and treat it all naturally through the right sort of foods - or more of the right sort, in my case. I don't eat junk and I cook all our meals. I have taken to eating carbs and proteins separately and intend to stick to that for now. But it's good to eat rice again and this will help me keep my weight at least steady.Folks, if you have not tried a strict exclusion diet for your own IBS troubles then, from my own experience so far, I would really recommend it. The trouble is, it takes discipline and self-restraint whilst you are on it. You have to vary one thing at a time, otherwise it's a waste of time and inconclusive. It has been hard at times, but it is paying off. Will update in a few weeks time. Best, Kes


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi everyone, Well after weeks and weeks of no pain I had my first bad attack of IBS 3 days ago - it lasted for 2 days solid, but I am better now. The cause - 3 days ago was the first time I ate a sandwich with 2 slices of wholemeal bread, and also a slice of cake I baked earlier. So... wheat - is that my problem?!!I am pretty happy I am getting somewhere.But this does not explain why I was in pain after wheat-free corn-based pasta - my nutritionist thinks that corn is also a problem. We'll see. ================Devastated about the cake! It still sits in the kitchen and my hubby is slowly demolishing it all by himself. A gorgeous blueberry, almond and vanilla sponge. Oooohhhhhh!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Some people have problems with starches and I think wheat and corn are higher in resistant starch than something rice or quinoa based. So it may not be an allergy or immune response to the proteins, but with too much resistant starch you get more gas than you can tolerate. There may be a small amount you can handle but too much in too short a period of time may not be OK.If it is an allergy or immune response to the protein you would then have to be a lot more careful. When you feel up to it, and if you want to test, you can try 1/2 a slice of bread in a day or a small side portion of pasta.


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## sandi 9456 (Sep 19, 2009)

please help me I am a 53 year old female with IBS CI am new to this and am in so much pain I feel like ending my life at times the pain varies from a light dull ache (which is nothing at all really just annoying) to full blown birthgiving pain as in push that baby out.....I know this is not an ideal description of the level of pain but it is the only likeness I can associate with as am a mother of 3 kids I am awaiting an appiontment from a dietition/nutralist? ( I live in england) as have only been diagnosed after a colonoscopie 3 weeks ago my doctor has told me to write everything I eat down and what effects it has on my pains and over the last 2 and 1/2 weeks the only things I can eat are chinese food from a takeaway or eat out at a harvester pub which is good in one way as I like both those foods but is very expensive and would get pretty bored eating them every dayI have removed butters and low fat spreads from my diet and cheese and have stopped drinking coffee but from what I have eaten at home so far theres not a lot I can eat it seems and I am now getting to the piont where I dont want to eat as its going to hurt if that makes senseI am not in general a fussy eater but did suffer froma form of an eating disorder in my early years where I could eat nad eat for 2 or more days in a row and then not eat anything for 2 or 3 days after but never ever made myself sick/vomit


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

KathleenThanks for your sound advice yet again - I will try small amounts of bread / pasta / corn soon...


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

SandiYou poor soul - I so feel for you - I was thinking of you and your post last night. The good news is that - I am sure - lots of things can be done to help you. You are doing the right thing by seeing a nutritionist, but an appt which is 3 weeks away can seem like an eternity when you are in so much pain and despair. Believe me I have been there with so much pain over 2 years that I wanted to "check out of this life" as well. I know what you mean about not wanting to eat as it was going to hurt. Trust me, you can regain your trust in foods when you find out the causes! So for all it's worth here are my thoughts:- Be mindful that pain could come from nasty bacteria in your gut or parasites. There is a lady on this site "eternalpain" - she has been in constant pain for months - and has been diagnosed with having H.pylori or something like that, which is a bad bacteria. If your pain is intermittent and is associated with food then maybe you are OK but only your doctors can eliminate this completely.- Writing down things you eat is the right thing to do but from my own experience, it is nigh to impossible to analyse it if you are eating LOTS of different things. I took down notes for months and this only highlighted my suffering but gave me no real breakthrough, until I went on a really limited diet (Exclusion diet) that I could control, establish a safe list of foods, and then introduce things back in one at a time, one food per every 2-3 days - not faster. Only when I stumbled across a food just recently re-introduced that gave me immediate pain, did I look back over my old notes and see a pattern.Do you have a good food diary? You need to track not only your foods but also your symptoms after every meal + your BMs (bowel movements) all the time, plus any other meds, water, etc that you take. If you like I can send you a template that my nutritionist got me to use?- I think a FOOD EXCLUSION diet is a must for someone like you in so much suffering. If you are interested I can tell you what foods my nutritionist recommended as being reasonably safe to eat (the least likely for people to respond to). This is not 100% guaranteed to work for all, but it's a start. It's things like - porridge with water / rice milk for breakfast, stewed fruit, baked sweet potatoes, avocadoes, steamed veg like carrots and apraragus (no beans / broccoli at first as this can cause gas), veg soup (no milk), turkey/chicken/salmon cooked in foil with herbs, and a few other things. I know this sounds bland but if you are so desperate for a cure, and feeling so down, it is really really really worth trying this approach. You must not eat any wheat/gluten or dairy for several weeks as these are the leading causes of problems. - Did your "safe" Harvester / chinese meals have any dairy in them - milk/cheese? probably not - can dairy be your problem?- Also bean in mind sometimes it is not what you eat, but how you combine foods and what quantities you eat them in what is the problem. But you can get onto that after your exclusion diet trial. - Do you cook yourself? Eating out as you said is expensive, but also you cannot control what stuff really goes into restaurant food. Also a restaurant meal is likely to have so many things thrown in that you will struggle to find what caused a problem, if you have an IBS attack afterwards. Does this help? Let me know if I can help further, happy to chat here or offline. CheersKes


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi everyoneHere is another quick update from me. I am doing well with not eating any wheat, have no pain, have had no bloatedness that feels abnormal, have regular normal looking BMs... bliss! Right now I eat almost everything again, although steer clear of rich foods and go extremely easy on wheat. And since I cook everything from fresh (apart from some occasional shop-bought sauce) I know we eat very little in the way of artificial additives. Started to reintroduce a little bit of wheat into my diet recently - 1/4 slice of bread per day. Am still OK with that. I will be tested for coeliac next week just to eliminate that. So far I think my problem with IBS-C and extreme bloatedness and severe pain has been wheat sensitivity. The bad news - after stopping wheat and all cakes to sort out my IBS-C - I am painfully underweight at the moment - my BMI has gone down to 17.5, I used to be borderline normal but pretty thin at 18.7. Now I urgently need to gain about 3-4 kg. My periods have stopped this month - that's the first time in my life this happened and it's a disaster as I have been trying to get pregnant. It's a very unsettling thing to occur to a young woman. However there's also been a lot of very bad work stress in my life last month, so this did not help. I am not sure I am still losing weight - I feel fantastic and am full of energy, so I don't think I am actually sick or anything - but I sure do look too skinny. I'm going to my doctor next week to double check, but it should be a case of starting to eat richer foods, more cheese, cream and wheat-free cakes (been cooking flapjacks).Take careKes


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## Rubin10 (Aug 26, 2007)

Kes1,You are an extraordinary individual with so much self control, intelligence and so compassionate with other people.Thank you.I eat bread with a very small content of wheat. The brand is IZIEKEL . It 's a sprouted version with the combination of spelt, barley, beans but I think I have to try NO wheat bread.I've been with IBS-c last 8 years. It's pain. Almost permanent.Best health, Rubin 10


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Rubin, wow thanks, no-one has ever called me that before, but honestly I don't deserve such praise. You might have found me different in real life. But thank you very much anyway! With wheat - I would really recommend you try and avoid it for 2 weeks. Even a small amount, if you are sensitive, seems to cause trouble. I am also the same with rye, gives me very smelly wind - totally anti-social and nasty. Let me know how you go without wheat completely - remember of course there are things like sauces etc that might have wheat, so really read the labels.I have been experimenting this week with wheat - as I needed to be tested for coeliac disease yesterday, so I started eating wheat a little a week in advance. Straight away my BMs changed. I actually started having "D" like stools, and the more wheat I ate the worse these BMs became, today was the worst and I have bloating and nasty smelly wind again. I feel I am 1 step away from an IBS attack at the moment. Since I had my blood test yesteday I don't need to eat any bread now so hopefully all will be back to normal. If anything this is going to be yet another test for my wheat intolerance. I hope I am not coeliac, but now need to get those results back to truly know. Take care allKes


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## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

How do you make your flapjacks?


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## dyannie (Nov 7, 2009)

Hi,I am new to the forum, but I have done a lot of reading on IBS. I've been dealing with IBS-C for about 11 months now, ever since I got married.I recently came across a couple articles that I found pretty interesting. I wanted to share them because they makes recommendations very similar to the diet that you are trying. This jumped out in my head when you said you had trouble after a meal with leeks, which contain fructans (chains of fructose molecules). http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/inter...rettArticle.pdfhttp://sacfs.asn.au/download/SueShepherd_sarticle.pdfI've only started eating this way the past few days (well, I'm nearly certain I don't have trouble with lactose so I include some dairy). I'm noticing slight results, but it is too soon to tell. Anyway, look over the articles if you wish - maybe you will find the missing pieces and get some relief!I am interested to hear your thoughts. I hope you are doing well lately!


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi Janet, The flapjack recipe I like most at present is this one, with ginger:http://www.scotlandforvisitors.com/gingerflaps.phpI love ginger so this works well for me, but you can easily omit it. I've seen flapjack recipes where other added bits are used, e.g. chocolate, cranberries, etc, or just oats and sugar..Enjoy!Kes


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## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

Thanks Kes didn't realise you were from the UK. Me too - Teesside originally from Newcastle.


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi DyannieThanks for the articles - interesting! Are you also combining foods in your diet - not mixing proteins and carbs together? That was one of the foundations of Sherry Brescia's diet. It helps many people, my own nutritionist confirmed that this makes food easier to digest for some of us. I've now read the articles - it's interesting in that at least in one study described they pre-selected people with a known suspected malapsorption problem with fructose (based on the breath test) to take part in the study. It would have been even more interesting, I think, to trial this diet on a full range of IBS sufferers to see the results. Maybe it's an oversimplification, but if one is already showing a problem with fructose, limiting fructose in one's diet is almost certain to produce a good result...?This summer, my own exclusion diet did certainly start with eliminitating all those foods listed - e.g. apples, dried fruits, melon, onions, garlic, leeks, legumes, cabbages, and many many more... so I guess I have tried that, and certainly found I had very little or none in the way of gas and bloating. That was AWESOME!!! So it works - but does this necessarily imply an issue with fructose? Not sure - I can now eat apples etc and be fine. But one has to experiment to know one's limits. The pattern does not fit 100% for me, however it could be the quantities... difficult to tell...I've never had the hydrogen breath test, have you?Just wondering also what your own symptoms are, and are you making progress with your new diet? Stay strong and focussed on this diet - I believe it does work with a bit of perseverance, and you should be able to identify some triggers. My husband cannot believe the difference this has made to my health. You are saying that your problems started after you got married - can stress have been a contributor?Let me know how it goes...BestKes


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## aconnor (Nov 17, 2009)

Kes 1I'm so grateful to have found this forum. I have dealt with IBS for about 6 years now. In the beginning it was IBS-D but now it is IBS-C. I'm only 26 and other than IBS I'm very healthy. I have tried high fiber diets and fiber supplements but nothing seems to work. I was recently perscribed AMITIZA. Have you ever tried this? I will start it tonight and let you know how it goes. I have considered diets and watching what I eat but literally have no idea where to start! Do you have a link to the carb and protein separation diet? I really have to commend you on your dedication and commitment to this forum. It makes me feel I'm not alone in this and that others truly know how a persons quality of life can be affected by this. Thank you so much!


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi AconnorThank you so much for your kind words. I've not tried AMITIZA - here in the UK I am not sure they prescribe it. But absolutely, try that - and let us know!I can send you the free 4-day diet plan I have obtained from Sherry Brescia direct to your email address, would you like that? If so leave your email here pls and I will reply to you direct. It seemed to help me when I started my exclusion diet, but I have now abandoned the separation and seem to be reasonably ok having removed wheat. Certainly no pain... oohhh so good......!Having said that I am not as regular as I used to be on the initial diet and have more flatulence now. Not sure if this is serious enough though to warranty further diet tracking. Maybe it's fructose or dairy.Take careKes


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## CJF (Aug 25, 2009)

HiI haven't been on this forum for a while and came on especially today to post the same article about the glucose. As I said in one of my previous posts, I tried an exclusion diet on the recommendation of a gastroenterologist and found it really worked. I generally have IBS-C, gas and bloating unless I'm stressed and then experience IBS-D. My doctor gave me this article today, just out of interest, and it completely supports the diet advice I was given.http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/inter...rettArticle.pdfI keep falling off the wagon. When I'm feeling really well I tell myself that I should be able to handle some of the things I really miss - diet coke, icecream and cookies! - then I overdo it, have extreme bloating and gas and have to clear out completely. I'm now motivated again to go back on the diet and just accept that this is what I have to do to feel well. I'm impressed, Kes, that you've managed to introduce lots of foods, I haven't touched apples and pears for months.CJF


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## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

CJFWas interested to read that you don't touch apples or pears - I find that apples seem to give me fibre but when I eat them I also find that it reduces my bloating - but - strangely enough the last few weeks on a morning I've been finding that I'm very bloated and am until I eat the apple at lunch time - so having sat and thought this out I'm wondering if the apples are not contributing to the bloating - if you understand what I'm saying - Catch 22 situation. Do they only reduce the bloating for a short time.I know that apple juice helps the bloating if I drink that and I've been trying apple cider vinegar with honey and that helps the constipation.Can you understand what I'm saying with regard to eating apples ? Why don't you touch apples - I don't get pain - well not very often. And to be honest I'm not really a pear lover. If I'm honest I'm not really into fruit but feel I have to eat some for the fibre etc.


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## CJF (Aug 25, 2009)

Hi JanetmttI think it is about finding what works for you, but knowing some of the common triggers or understanding the reasons why certain foods might not suit you really helps.I find that raw apples are one of the few foods that my tummy reacts to pretty instantly. I don't get bloating from them, just bad cramps. I haven't tried cooked apples yet, but I've read on this forum that they are meant to be better. I swapped from apples to pears (I try to vary my diet but if I find foods I really like I get into the habit of eating them very regularly!) and the cramps disappeared. But I went to the gastro because of the amount of wind, bloating and constipation I was getting and discovered that pears are up there with apples as fruit that is difficult to digest. There are obviously other foods which I think were contributing to my symptoms.As I said I think it's trial and error for each individual.Good luckCJF


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## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

I find some days I can eat something and be fine, the next time it can bloat me - just confuses you when you think you've "reasoned" it out.


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## sally-p (Nov 1, 2001)

HI Kes: I have had IBS-C for 25 years. I am desperately looking for something to stop this instanity. The older I get, the worse it becomes. Do you think this plan could help me.


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Sally, HiIt's worth a try - like with so many things, it works for some but not others. I am sure you have tried everything under the sun by now, 25 years of what you rightly call insanity is a LONG time to deal with this stuff. I still think - personally - diet is probably the best way to go, but oh gosh is it hard to be disciplined - or is it HARD!!!I know you sent me a message directly asking for the plan - as I cannot reply through this forum attaching files, if you leave me your email address, I will send you the PDF document with the 4 day plan. I will send it to you "outside" this forum via my normal email address. Look forward to hearing from youKes


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## Lookin'foraLife (Jan 2, 2009)

Hi Kes, Your diet is nearly identical to mine! I would not be able to function without it. Only real difference is I cannot tolerate any animal protiens at all besides sol and amnon fish. I can also tolerate some wafers, even slighly chocolate coated. Stay away from all pasta! IT'S SIMPLY VERY HEAVY ON THE SYSTEM AND THEREFORE DIFFICULT TO DIGEST!


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi Lookin'foraLife - thanks for the tip re pasta!I now wonder if I am coeliac! I am low on certain nutrients (calcium, vit D and iron) despite what always used to be a very varied diet. I have been low on iron for years but always thought it was because of my heavy periods. Now I think I have malabsorption (noticed recently, floating stools..). And of course I have never been able to gain weight properly in my life, and now am uber-skinny - not the way I like to be - and my periods even stopped last month, luckily restarted again. Despite 2 requests to have a blood test for coeliac since May 09, every time the bloomin' NHS nurses manage to forget to test me for coeliac, they do other tests but nothing re coealic is reported on results.Been to my GP last night, he agreed a test for coeliac is a priority, so hopefully I will get one done shortly once he checks it's definitely not been done already. Arghhhhhhhhhh!Kes


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Floating vs sinking stools really gives you a read on the gas content, not the fat content, so is not a good indicator symptom for malabsoption.However if you are running low on several nutrients I do agree that getting the test for celiac should be a priority.


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## sally-p (Nov 1, 2001)

I have forgotten how to send a personal message, if you send me one with your email address I can respond. ure do need the help.


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## meboubou (Dec 14, 2009)

I read through the posts.. and now I wonder.. do any of you live in a none western country? Like.. China for example? I started a food diary yesterday, but it's quite a pain in the butt to be picky about fruit and veggies that are not seasonal (I'm sorry, picky is not the word, but that's the only way to put it in my situation..) Same goes for about any product... I can get fresh fish and chicken, but fish can be a bit tricky to buy since half the time theres at least one dead fish in the aquarium and I'm not sure how well everything is cleaned out... and how long a dead fish stays in the tank... last thing I need after IBS is food poisoning. Forget about any other meat unless the animal was killed that morning and that I bought the meat in the following hours... Everything is seasonal and 'localy' grown... so fruits right now are oranges, pomelos and bannanas... any other fruit is imported and on a students budget, it just doesn't make it in my shopping cart... Rice milk is out of the question, it's impossible to get, soy milk I can get fresh anywhere but now I'm learning it probaly isn't going to stay on my list... Veggies well.. same as fruits, choice is limited. So any-one living in a place where they can't choose freely? Any ideas on how to make it arrive without the pains and the constipation? And keeping a healthy diet without having low blood sugar/lack any nutriments my body needs? All of this is worrying me quite a bit.. I'm just not sure how to make ends meet with IBS and living in China...


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## dawng (Dec 17, 2009)

Thanks so much for all the valuable info. I'm very new to this --I'm still battling with whether Fiber supplements are helping or making my symptoms worse. What has been your experience? Dawng


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

MeboubouNo easy answer for you there, unfortunately, you being on a tight budget. But thinking about rice milk, that you are unable to get it, perhaps it is possible for you to make your own. After all it is just water that runs off the rice, maybe it is partially cooked or something. Have a look on the internet. The same applies to oat milk, if you can tolerate oats, maybe you are able to make your own oat milk. Oats and rice should not be expensive things, I am hoping, for your tight budget. Best of luckKes


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

DawngThanks for your reply. I've not tried any fibre supplements myself. Maybe someone else who reads this post has, and is able to answer you?Alternatively, check our the dietary section of this forum, and you can ask them a question about fibre supplements. I would imagine you have a high chance of getting an answer there. Kes


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## Poo Pea Original (Nov 27, 2009)

hey everyone,ive had a read of this thread and i have the exact same symtoms. i am starting an elimination diet tomorrow and i want to stick to it 100%, how does it work, do you start with say 5 foods and add a food each week? how do u do it. also the list below is what my research tells me is ok to eat, have i missed anything, can i add something or is there something i should removeFoods to Try•	Chicken•	Carrots•	Basmati rice•	Bananas•	Mushrooms•	Avocado•	Peppermint tea•	Turkey•	Ginger •	Celery •	Rice milk•	Cooked apple•	Sweet potatoes•	Olive oil Thank you so much, i am in so much pain and sick all the time. i need to do this and could do with all the help i can get. i find all to often they say what not to eat and im left wondering what i should eat.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Poopea, here some info on elimination diets for you:http://www.everydiet.org/diet/elimination-diet


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## KimEatandBe (Mar 11, 2010)

Hi there. Thanks for sharing the great information. I too have found a diet that works for me. Not only have I felt very few IBS pain attacks, but I also feel like I have a flatter stomach (something I hadn't felt in a REALLY long time). I am writing about my daily diet w/ pictures and recipes on http://www.eatandbe.com. People might get good ideas on how or what to eat on a daily basis, as I update it daily and let you know if I have any problems due to my IBS. Thanks for sharing your diet ideas!


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi Poopea, I would probably suggest, from your list, hold off on mushrooms. They have harder-to-digest protein, from what I remember. But otherwise your list looks good to me. A very similar list worked for me last year. You might also want to peel the apples to start off with.Oh and try Fennel tea if you can find it. It really does relax the gut. And add oat milk / oats after a while, but not straight away. How it worked for me - I started with about the same list of foods, and stuck with it for a couple of weeks. Then slowly added other things back on. That's how I found out about wheat and rye / simliar grains being my problem. I've now been pain-free since late November. IT CAN BE DONE!!! Let us know how you get on, Kes


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi KimYou've an interesting blog - thanks for sharing! Well done on finding a diet that works so well for you. I too found I had a much flatter stomach when I initially did my exclusion diet. Isn't it great!!!Unfortunately I am not quite so disciplined now anymore so am more bloated, and also, having lost so much weight (plus even more recently a month ago following horrible emergency surgery for an ectopic pregrancy - the scariest time of my life!) I now need to gain weight asap. So I've been eating for Britain to get more calories and some kilos back on. In some way my strict IBS diet went on the backburner, but what is surprising and positive - I've not had an IBS attacks as the result of being a bit less strict. I hope this means I've healed myself a bit over the last 8 months. I noticed you said cabbage makes one bloated. That is true, however I also found that cabbage seems to get me "going" every day. So it's a trade off between a bit of bloating and being more regular, and the second one wins for me at present. I'll visit your blog in future CheersKes


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## Sophie2009 (Feb 16, 2010)

Kes,your story sounds interesting and similar to mine.I've been staying well clear of wheat, gluten, and dairy for the past 10 months. Recently after a bad flare up I've started eliminating soya, carbonated drinks, alcohol, too much fructose etc from my diet. Your exclusion diet sounds really interesting and I will definately try it as it seems that almost every food/drink at the moment is causing me chronic pain.I've had IBS like symptoms for the past 10months. Due to the recent flare-up I'm finally being taken seriously by doctors and am under-going more tests.I hope I can end my pain like you did yours,thanks for the inspirational thread, it was a very interesting read,Sophie.


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## Poo Pea Original (Nov 27, 2009)

Hey Kes and BQ,Thanks for the advice and suggestions. I am really scared about this elimination diet... started today. I think more scared that it wont work. I am in so much pain. I alternate between C and D. At the moment i am on a very bad run of C and its agony. I havent seen friends in months now. Im starting to feel depressed and lonley.I got off to a bad start today, i havent eaten much cause of the pain, but what i have eaten is off the list (removing mushrooms). Im also keeping an indepth diary.Well, on to day two tomorrow and fingers crossed its a better day.Also how does one cook apple and pear? Is it just in the frying pan with olive oil?Thank you so much, things are pretty low for me at the moment. But i really am going to stick to this diet.


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi PoopeaThinking of you - keep strong! You've nothing to lose but your pain so give it your best shot. I so know how you feel, I also avoided social contact when things got bad, and my husband even started suggesting I sabotage his friends on purpose. Imagine how bad that made me feel on top of the pain... but we are over that now...!Re apples and pears - I just microwaved them to be honest! Actually only ever tried doing this to apples, never got round to pears. M-wave for a few minutes until soft and the juice runs out, then wait to cool before eating. My dietician suggested sprinkling cinnamon on an apple thus cooked at a later phase in the exclusion diet, for an even better taste. However I quite liked the plain microwaved apples. Or you could cook them in the oven, I guess - more faff of course and energy consumption Or you could hunt online for a recipe of "poached apples / pears" too.Happy to respond to your msges if you send me a direct one too. Best of luck with the diet!


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## Fiona 123 (Jan 17, 2010)

HiKim - read your blog with interest. Its great. Many thanks for sharing.Poo pea - how are you doing on the diet?.. Kes - I have emailed you thanks..Fiona


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## Youngs (Mar 17, 2010)

I have only been on this site for 1/2 a day and have been reading all your notes.I have IBS-C Severe and am thin already, except for the days which I look 8 months pregnant which is many days a week!I had a kidney stone last year and in the ER the doctor who looked for the stone noted "Patient's GI similar to that of Chrones Disease".So that should tell you how awful my gut looked while looking for the stone. IT STAYS THAT WAY. Chrones was ruled out. Praise God.But I have suffered from this for 5 years and the past 2 have just really been bad.Is there an Exclusion Diet published anywhere? Or is this just what you have learned?I would love anything you have!I have an appointment for allergy testing in two weeks and then will be referred to a RN - but you know as well as I do, unless they really know what an IBS-C suffers from it could be a waste of time and money.Thank you for posting all of your information.


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## Kes1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi YoungsPoor you, it sounds like you are really suffering.... :-(First of all, can I just say I think anyone, and especially someone with such a severe condition like you have, should be undergoing a diet change only with some form of medical supervision or support. You are saying you are already thin, and I worry any form of exclusion diet could do further damage by you becoming undernourished. Please take care with that and get some support. Family doctors can be unsympathetic, but some are better than others. Now, allergy testing. I suffer from allergies myself. Some of mine have been diagnosed through formal testing, and some not (I suspect sulphites at the moment, which is a real pain as sulphur is in so many foods. If it is really sulphites for me, then I cannot do any exclusions, I will need to deal with it some other way, not sure how though). BUT allergy testing does work. I've been able to reduce the amount of eczema I have through knowing walnuts and peanuts is a problem. And I deal with my dust allergy better, too.Now for intolerances. There are allergies, and there are intolerances. The wheat problem I have is an intolerance which causes me digestive problems - my walnut -peanut allergy has no bearing on my IBC-C. What I've learnt over the past half a year is that intolerances can be diagnosed through medical testing, too, without a full blown exclusion diet I've been on. With your weight and other complications, maybe that is a safer option. A colleague of mine turned her life around by going to YorkTest (google them online). They diagnosed 5 independent food intolerances she had (wheat, egg white, haselnuts and some others). She dropped these immediately and regained her sanity and digestive health within days. Previously she was in agony and in despair for months after a sudden onset. In many ways I wish I'd done the York test and saved myself the weight loss and difficulty managing an exclusion diet for weeks.If you are still interested in an exclusion diet, then I can tell you that I did not have a great deal of close guidance. I was started off on a list of foods that were safest FOR ME to eat (as my nutritionist told me) and worked with this list of foods for about 10 days or until I felt that I was stable and could see how my body was reacting.Then I gradually added back things which I felt were missing the most, one at a time. Ideally one food should be added back every three days or so - this is what my colleague post YorkTest told me. That's not how I did it, 3 days per food requires an incredible amount of self control which I do not possess. But that would have made for a much cleaner more scientific test under this particular approach, in my view. I also did an experiment where I did a full diet, but for 2 weeks I alternated "no wheat", then "no diary", and compared the results. This is because wheat and dairy are the two highest most intolerated foods, so my nutritionist told me. I was able to see that I was OK on a "no wheat" diet, but "no dairy" was not so good as I ate bread and got bloated immediately and was in pain and IBC-C kicked in. So could I just suggest again, get some medical advice on your diet if you are doing exclusion, but in your situation, possibly look at a wide food intolerances test instead. And do look at allergy testing, although it does not catch all potential culprits as I found, and in my view does not necessarily explain digestion issues (skin complaints, breathing problems, serious allergy responses, yes). Hope this helps,Kes


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