# My Story - starting FODMAP Diet



## BBea (Jun 5, 2011)

I'm new, and this is my story. I've had IBS for 18 years. I went from "I can eat anything" to almost everything makes me sick. It started with a flood and I was convinced that I picked up a parasite. I went from doctor to doctor for 6 years and finally in 1999, I was tested and diagnosed with Blastocystis Hominis. I took Flagyl about 3 times over a year and a half period. Once the sample was clear, the doctor started working on concrete things like "cholesterol", but I was still sick all the time. I tried "lactose free," but still got sick. I tried Cholestermine, a bile binder, didn't work. Bentyl, no good. Another doctor gave me Librax, which at the time seemed like a life saver. It took the edge off, but no more than the Imodium or various things from the health food store that I took for the first 6 years. My quality of life stinks. When I try to go any where, I am constantly making sure I know where the bathrooms are and I'm thinking about it so much, I miss out on the event. In the beginning, I would try to eat out. It was agony. If there were people with us, it seemed like they were all in slow motion when it came time to leave, causing my bathroom window of opportunity to diminish. Being invited to eat at someone's home, was like an invitation to attend a guillotine party and I was the one getting my head chopped off. I felt like everyone was starring at me waiting to see who could see the first signs of me turning white and frantically running for the bathroom. I have adjusted, by not driving with anyone but my husband. My fun time is line dancing where I can drive alone, no eating involved and if I feel sick, I can leave. On Nov. 1, 2010, I started the gluten-free diet. Immediately I got relief during the night. I can sleep, no putting a pillow on my stomach trying to stop the pain. Neither my doctor nor the gastro doctor had any possible explanation. Then again, they have never made any diet suggestions and only shrug when I tell them about one. With nighttime relief, I began to look for something to try for the daytime. I came across the FODMAP diet (Fermentable Oligo, Di and Mono saccharides and Polyols) on the internet and since I was already doing the gluten-free part of it, I decided to try the rest of it. It made sense to me because I already knew sorbitol was a problem. Also I knew fruit juice of any kind was poison for me. I realized that as I took the advise of the doctor shows on TV telling everyone to eat whole grains, fruits, vetetable and yogurt, I was getting sicker. When I saw onions, peppers and apples were on the bad list on the FODMAP diet, I was encouraged because those were some of the "good" foods I had recently added. I started the diet on May 15. I stopped the Librax and additionally, I am taking 30 billion probiotics, and take calcium without any magnesius. Also eliminated polyethylene glycol from vitamins, etc. wherever possible. I am giving it a good try. I feel that I am getting better, but I don't want to blow my horn too loudly just yet. I've had too many false starts before.


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