# not eating during an ibs attack



## 17663 (Jul 11, 2006)

hey guys i was just wonderng if any of you guys stopped guys stopped eating when you had an ibs attack coz i do and i just wondered if that was normal. i also feel sick alot with it does any one else get the same. i just wish there was a cure for this and im sure all of you lot feel the same too.


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## KittyKat12 (Jul 16, 2006)

I tend to adjust my eating schedule around due to the IBS. If I am going to be in the office in the afternoon, I will usually skip lunch since I know food can cause flare ups for me (and then eat when I get home). I try not to stop eating when I have an attack, just limit what it is.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It is pretty common thing to do, however sometimes not eating for a while sets you up for more symptoms when you finally do eat again.And, depending on how bad you starve yourself and for how long it isn't always a good long term stategy because your body does need food regularly for good overall health.One of the problems short term is that when you get very very empty and then eat again you also tend to eat more than you should. This sets you up badly in two ways because of the gastrocolic reflex. This is the gut getting moving after you eat to make room for the new food coming in. Larger meals and eating after a long period of not eating both tend to cause a larger gastrocolic reflex which can cause cramping and diarrhea, which then tends to make you skip eating for a long time again and it can be a vicious cycle.Some people do much better with several small meals a day rather than starving themselves all day long.Often treating this sort of thing involves antispasmodics, either prescription or pepperming OTC taken 20-30 minutes before meals to reduce the gastrocolic reflex. Some people can do this with small amounts of Imodium. Once the reflex has gotten going taking medication may do no good because by the time the meds kick in, it is all over, and they don't last long enough (unless a time released version) to get you through the next meal.K.


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## 22597 (Jul 12, 2006)

Hi, zoey123. I understand how you feel because I am always tempted to skip lunch, as afternoons are the worst time for my IBS. However, as Kathleen says, it is not really healthy to just stop eating. I agree that small meals throughout the day are a good idea, and if your attacks are really bad you should ask your doctor about an anti-spasmodic prescription. I've been taking an anti-spasmodic at lunch-time and it does help calm down my system a lot so that I can actually eat something and my intestines won't start WWIII.You may also have to limit your diet for a while until your digestive system has a chance to stabilize. Try to stick to soluble fibers (oatmeal, bananas, white rice, toast, applesauce, etc.) and avoid eating raw fruits and veggies and obvious triggers like fast food.I hope you achieve some stability soon!


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## 20358 (Nov 14, 2005)

I eat 4 small meals a day. Sometimes I have a large dinner and depending what I ate, I could end up with D. When I have D and the Immodium isn't working as fast as I'd like it to, I just limit what I eat and how much I eat. You should always eat something though. Peanut Butter & Jelly is a safety food for me. So if the D is bad enough I'll eat that twice a day. The peanut butter has protein and it's filling.


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## 15267 (Feb 19, 2006)

I really don't eat anything during the day until like 5:00-5:15 in the afternoon, I do however eat crackers, this seems to tame my stomach down a little bit, I agree that if you don't eat and when you do it can be worse


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