# Restricted eating because of IBS-like symptoms



## Kleisk (Dec 9, 2014)

Greetings all,

I am a 23 year old male, currently undiagnosed but I suspect IBS. I have long stretches of time when my symptoms aren't as noticeable. Prior to this year, it had been 3-4 years since I had similar symptoms.

Basically, certain foods give me loose stools and it causes me anxiety. I also have cramping, and sometimes feel like I haven't gone fully. Or if I do feel complete at first, I come back in a few hours to evacuate what I think of as the remainder.

On more severe occasions, I have urgency or diarrhea. Sometimes the urgency is accompanied by smaller, loose stools - even less often, the urgency is liquid. The frequency isn't typically high though.

Several weeks ago, I ate a large meal on a rather empty stomach. I also drank a lot of root beer at the time as well. After a couple of hours went by, I had a sudden urge to go to the bathroom, and it was pretty liquidy. This happened over the course of the next 2 hours or so, but eventually stopped. I've had pretty solid movements since then, though.

But it's really affecting what I eat. I'm afraid to eat anything outside of bread, cheese, crackers, pasta/spaghetti, things like that. I've lost weight simply because I don't eat as much because I'm afraid to try something that might mess up my stomach again. Sometimes I eat chicken, but I get urgency if I've eaten like a grilled chicken sub sandwich or something. So maybe it's just the amount of meat?

So I have a few questions:

Can eating a large meal on an empty stomach cause diarrhea?

Can drinking a lot of cold liquids during a meal cause diarrhea?

Can eating a lot of meat (even if it's lean like grilled chicken) cause diarrhea?

What can I do to stop worrying about what I eat?


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## alexolx123 (Dec 6, 2014)

for me it depends a lot of what I eat but mostly the way its cooked

for example I dont have a problem with chicken or large meals when its from foods I can eat and cooked the way it should be cooked for me..so sometimes I eat chicken when I eat out but I do have to make sure its grilled and no oil/olive oil/sauce/spice is used on it..just salt

about your specific words, beer can be a trigger or me if i drink more than one or two so I just avoid it to make sure..as well as all alcool. but unfortantly those are not the only things I cant eat. but by watching what I eat I can be pain and D free


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

> Can eating a large meal on an empty stomach cause diarrhea?


Yes it can. Our guts have a tendency to over respond. So skipping meals or going a long time in between meals is an IBS no-no.



> Can drinking a lot of cold liquids during a meal cause diarrhea?


I have seen some people post that it does. Some choose to drink water after a meal and they some make sure the water they drink is more like room temprature.



> Can eating a lot of meat (even if it's lean like grilled chicken) cause diarrhea?


Big meals can cause the same response as skipping or going a long time in between meals; an exagerrated gastrocolic reflex. You know the old adage.. "Too much of anything is no good." applies here.



> What can I do to stop worrying about what I eat?


Go to a CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapist) for help.


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