# IBS-D and gluten



## Jacer (Dec 26, 2011)

I have had urgent diarrhea problems for about 25 years, and I'm 35 now. I can't remember exactly when it started, but I was young. A few times a week, I would have painful and urgent diarrhea. Day or night. Sometimes it wasn't a big deal, other times it was debilitating. I always thought I was lactose intolerant, but avoiding milk never really helped. In the last 3 or 4 years, I've added acid reflux / heartburn to my list of ailments but it didn't necessarily occur to me that they were related.

My first breakthrough was when I took TUMS (calcium) to fight the heartburn, and noticed it fixed my IBS temporarily. I stepped up to Prilosec and it was a big help,but not always.

The other problem with Prilosec was I had to take it in violation of the recommended 2-week limit on daily use. I used it for months.

3 months back, I had a bad spell and went hardcore "paleo" as an experiment. My problems evaporated, but I was a freakshow at restaurants. Paleo is where you eat just meat, veggies, and water basically. I've since introduced things back into my diet and every time, without fail - if it had gluten I got sick. My final experiment was chewing down a gluten-free pizza with a bunch of nasty stuff and I didn't have any pain, discomfort,or heartburn

I'm so mad that doctors in the past didn't at least offer it as an option. I used to think gluten intolerance was a disease of rich bored housewives. I didn't believe in it, but i frickin do now! My quality of life has skyrocketed and even people in my family that had to constantly be scrambling for bathrooms have been grateful for the "cure"

TRY AVOIDING GLUTEN - please. It's not hard and it's not a calorie-limiting thing (though I accidentally lost 30 lbs on this journey).


----------



## AnnamarieRN (Jan 25, 2012)

Thanks for your story regarding gluten! I too was diagnosed over 30 years ago with chronic diarrhea and then IBS. Then my now 30 year old son was diagnosed via biopsy with celiac disease. He said his doc told him it was likely one of his parents might have the disease. My husband has had a mysterious autoimmune rash condition that comes and goes and makes him miserable at times. So I thought he should see if gluten was the issue and I committed to being gluten free to help him. Unfortunately, nothing changed with his rash, however my IBS symptoms disappeared. No more diarrhea! No more urgency or worries about not being near a bathroom. My life is totally changed! It did take a good 3 months for me to feel normal because when I cut all gluten from my diet I first became very constipated. I then added daily fiber supplements and a probiotic and pretty soon I was having regular, formed, BMs daily and feeling like a normal person in that pooping wasn't a worry that I carried everyday when I left the house. 
Seriously!!! Try it for 3 months and see what happens.


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

One other thing, gluten may not be the problem for everyone that feels better when they remove wheat from the diet, it may be the FODMAPs in the wheat. Most fruits and some veggies have fodmaps as well and a low fodmap diet helps people even if they don't remove every last molecule of gluten from the diet.

What they substitute for wheat may or may not be problematic if you have FODMAP issues, depends on which grains they use and how Fodmap-filled they are. May also be why some people find gluten free diets do not help as they eat more fodmaps than they can tolerate.


----------



## AnnamarieRN (Jan 25, 2012)

Yes I am learning about FODMAPS but so far I have been able to eat whatever I want that is gluten free and have no issues. Everyone with GI issues should read Wheat Belly and give gluten free a try for a minimum of one month.....preferably 3 months....your life may do a 180 for the better!! The really frustrating thing for me is that I suffered with "IBS" for 30 years and sought the advice of specialists who not once mentioned celiac or wheat sensitivity thus never tested me for these issues. My story is a common one according to Dr. Davis the author of wheat belly who stated in his book that many people with wheat issues are misdiagnosed with IBS.


----------



## AnnamarieRN (Jan 25, 2012)

One more suggestion to those trying a gluten free diet. When I decided to try this it wasn't that big of a challenge because I was not a bread or pasta or cracker eater. I ate those items occasionally. But mentally I felt like I was deprived when I tried being gluten free so I started baking gluten free cookies (I hadn't baked in years) and sampling gluten free breads, pastas crackers etc. the beginning result on my gluten free adventure - weight gain and constipation because gluten free substitutes are high in calories and lack fiber. So beware. I would suggest during the initial gluten free experiment that you do not eat any GF breads, pastas, or other bakery goodies. If you find this experiment is successful for helping your "IBS" symptoms.....then gradually add in a few GF bread substitutes etc. being careful not to go hog wild!!


----------



## AnnamarieRN (Jan 25, 2012)

One more suggestion to those trying a gluten free diet. When I decided to try this it wasn't that big of a challenge because I was not a bread or pasta or cracker eater. I ate those items occasionally. But mentally I felt like I was deprived when I tried being gluten free so I started baking gluten free cookies (I hadn't baked in years) and sampling gluten free breads, pastas crackers etc. the beginning result on my gluten free adventure - weight gain and constipation because gluten free substitutes are high in calories and lack fiber. So beware. I would suggest during the initial gluten free experiment that you do not eat any GF breads, pastas, or other bakery goodies. If you find this experiment is successful for helping your "IBS" symptoms.....then gradually add in a few GF bread substitutes etc. being careful not to go hog wild!!


----------



## Billeed (Jan 22, 2014)

I had IBS for 20 years and when I went Gluten Free last May, my IBS disappeared. I had no IBS-D episodes or symtoms! Definitely try it.


----------



## Colt (May 5, 2011)

Once again......IBS is different than a gluten allergy. Many IBSers are gluten intolerant, but cannot be cured by stopping gluten. If one is cured by stopping gluten, then they had a gluten allergy and not IBS.

Gluten issues can be diagnosed.....IBS cannot be legitimately diagnosed. It is a diagnosis of exclusion,but not a diagnosis per-se.


----------



## quarky (Jun 15, 2011)

Not for everyone. Wheat is actually pretty much top of my list of safe foods. If I need to not have D or gas on a particular day, I'll cut out fruit and veg and just eat white bread and crackers. It's very effective.


----------



## Above0924 (Jan 29, 2014)

I've been reading a lot about gluten and IBS symptoms. Question, I believe my doc ran a "celiac panel" and it came back fine. Should I still try a gluten free diet? Or if they ran that test with no negative results, is trying a gluten free diet a waste?


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

If you are going to eliminate wheat doing that as part of a low fodmap diet (to reduce fermentable starches and other carbs) may make more sense than doing it as a person with Celiac would do.

Some people do feel better when they avoid wheat and other fodmaps because that reduces the gas volume in the colon. Less gas may mean fewer symptoms.

Some gluten free foods can be very gassy so some people don't see much differnce, especially if they eat a lot of gluten free but still highly processed foods or a lot of the gas-causing fruits and veggies. Some of the gums and other flours used to approximate wheat flour can be problematic if it is the fodmaps you are sensitive to.


----------



## Colt (May 5, 2011)

Above0924 said:


> I've been reading a lot about gluten and IBS symptoms. Question, I believe my doc ran a "celiac panel" and it came back fine. Should I still try a gluten free diet? Or if they ran that test with no negative results, is trying a gluten free diet a waste?


Try it anyhow!! What have you got to lose. At the very least you may cut out something you are allergic to. Then it is a matter of slowly reintroducing items until you hit the culprit.


----------

