# IBS flare-up - how will I know if caused by reintroducing fodmap?



## grumpytum (Sep 12, 2014)

Hello I'm new to this forum and have searched but couldn't find the answer I needed so thought I'd put this out there and see if anyone else has similar experience or knowledge that may help please.

I have had long-term digestive issues some to do with upper GI and some do with the other end. Anyway I started on the FODMAP elimination diet a couple of months ago. Three weeks ago I carried out my first food challenge (Manitol - mushrooms). I had a moderate reaction and then a couple of days later halved the amount eaten & had a mild reaction. A week later I challenged sorbitol/apricots 3 times on the Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Again I had mild reactions but nothing too dramatic. Two days later (Sunday night) I was awaked by severe stomach cramps. This carried on for several days. I ended up getting some gastro-soothe for the cramping & having to take laxsol (stool softener) and today at a week later I'm still experiencing mild discomfort but getting back to where I was before the challenge.

What I want to know is could this reaction & almost week long flare-up of symptoms be caused by the 2 food challenges or was it too long after the event to be able to attribute it to that? Can reactions happen 3 days or more after a challenge and do they stop quickly (provided you still not eating the offending food) or can they persist for days?


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## ludovic (Sep 18, 2014)

I haven't done FODMAP. As an IBS-D sufferer I guess I'm lucky that my intolerances normally rush themselves out of my system in the form of diarrhoea, before they go into a second or third day.

But I would say that apricots and sorbitol are very dangerous foods for me. I try to stay firmly away from both if I can. If not, loperamide/imodium is never far away!


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## grumpytum (Sep 12, 2014)

thanks for your reply ludovic. I do sometimes get diarrhoea after eating but haven't been able to work out which foods cause it. For example I stopped eating a favourite (when eating out) breakfast of mine, Eggs Benedict with salmon & a flat-white as I would have an urgent & explosive need to go 10 minutes or so after consumption. I still don't know if it was one particular component or the whole combo that caused it. I also get diarrhoea if I take cough medicines that have the artificial sweetener.

I wasn't surprised when I had an urge to go after eating the mushrooms but it was the whole flare up of stomach pains (incl in the night) and constipation a couple of days after the apricot challenge that threw me.


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## ludovic (Sep 18, 2014)

The eggs and salmon sound like it's a case of too much protein all at once. I always feel miffed if I get D because of too much protein. At least if the D was caused by something sweet then I know that I had fun eating it. I generally have protein out of a sense that I am doing my body a favour.


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## grumpytum (Sep 12, 2014)

ludovic said:


> The eggs and salmon sound like it's a case of too much protein all at once. I always feel miffed if I get D because of too much protein. At least if the D was caused by something sweet then I know that I had fun eating it. I generally have protein out of a sense that I am doing my body a favour.


Yep it could be too much protein or possibly too much fat, esp with the egg & hollandaise sauce added, as I no longer have a gall-bladder. The weird thing is my stomach (though not my weight or over-all health) seems happier if I eat fattier less nutritional stodge. My IBS doesn't flare up from bad fatty foods (e.g. fish & chips) but struggles with the "good" fats like those in salmon, egg, avocado, coconut etc. Wheat & Dairy may be an issue too but I haven't reintroduced them yet (still doing FODMAP) so will have to wait and see.


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## ludovic (Sep 18, 2014)

Oh I'd missed that you were gallbladder-free. Good luck with all that you're doing. It seems as though you're going about things in a very sensible way, with the FODMAP diet.


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## grumpytum (Sep 12, 2014)

ludovic said:


> Oh I'd missed that you were gallbladder-free. Good luck with all that you're doing. It seems as though you're going about things in a very sensible way, with the FODMAP diet.


I may not have mentioned the lack of gallbladder at the beginning of this topic but yep between that, having issues with reflux (have had surgery for that twice incl in April of this year) and IBS plus probable food intolerances it is hard to know what to attribute to what. It sometimes seems that no matter what I eat/drink something flares up, whether it be digestive issues, skin itching, hayfever/sinus problems or something else. I do hope I at least work out some of my IBS triggers from continuing with FODMAP anyway.


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## ludovic (Sep 18, 2014)

I'm sure you will!


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