So, I just recently discovered that I have IBS. It really explains a lot of my stomach issues over the past 6-8 months. Now that I know what I have and why I’ve been feeling the way I do, I need to know how to tailor my diet so that I have as few flare-ups as possible.
Anyone out there with IBS? Any diet tips?
I know onions is one trigger for me. If I have even one, I’m messed up for 3 days.
This really affects my training as well, as it’s hard to get to the gym and lift when your stomach feels like shit all day long.
My triggers are: Dairy, fructose, broccoli, cucumbers, peppers, red meat.
Do you have any reactions to any protein powder?
Knowing what my triggers are, I just avoid them diligently. The problem is dairy. I have completely eliminated it from my diet. Dairy is the worst evil doer for me, and no matter how careful I am, the smallest amount of dairy on any meal will trigger a hell week of IBS bouts.
Working out first thing in the morning helps me too. My stomach feels good in the morning.
Your case, is it diagnosed as such or you just concluded it is IBS?
[quote]valenciaord wrote:
I have the same problem.
My triggers are: Dairy, fructose, broccoli, cucumbers, peppers, red meat.
Do you have any reactions to any protein powder?
Knowing what my triggers are, I just avoid them diligently. The problem is dairy. I have completely eliminated it from my diet. Dairy is the worst evil doer for me, and no matter how careful I am, the smallest amount of dairy on any meal will trigger a hell week of IBS bouts.
Working out first thing in the morning helps me too. My stomach feels good in the morning.
Your case, is it diagnosed as such or you just concluded it is IBS?[/quote]
The only reaction I get to protein powder is an occassional bout of burps after drinking a shake.
I haven’t officially been diagnosed, but last time I saw the doctor he thought it might be IBS and after doing some reading and really paying attention to my what I ate and how I felt after I ate, it all adds up to IBS. Plus, my wife has IBS and she mentioned I was exhibiting a lot of the same traits she was in regards to food.
It is good then that you do not react badly to protein powders. I have tried so many, but even those that claim to be ‘lactose free’ are a no-no for me. I also have a severe case of lactose intolerance.
Try keeping a journal of foods and your reactions, as well as the times of the day when you have the symptoms.
I would also suggest you get tested for H. Pylori (stomach bacteria), especially if you have been to tropical countries. They can either do a blood test or a breath test (urea) to detect if you have it. That bug is responsible for a lot of stomach and digestive tract discomforts.
I think we spoke about this before. First your description of the burps reminds of acid reflux. I have always had these deep burps after certain things I eat and I was finally told I had acid reflux. The medicene they gave me made me more constipated, so that ended that.
I am still using the enzymes to help with breaking down things. I think Garden for Life has the best enzymes, but they are a bit expensive, so I take NOW Super enzymes. I would also suggest a good probiotic.
That helps with providing the gut with the good and the bad stuff it needs. If the flora in your stomach is not good, it effects your immune system. I have been dealing with this crap for years.
There never seems to be a good answer but to find your triggers and eliminate them. IBS is painful in the colon when it goes into spasm. My particular trigger is raw carrots and I have a latose problem also. Try some Omepozole (sp) for the stomach burping issues, but use first thing in a.m. for prevention, not just when things are at their worst.
Don’t stay on too long though, in otherwords try for two to three months and then go off for a while. You can get at Walmart. This the generic name for Prilosec. I hope this helps.
I think we spoke about this before. First your description of the burps reminds of acid reflux. I have always had these deep burps after certain things I eat and I was finally told I had acid reflux.
The medicene they gave me made me more constipated, so that ended that. I am still using the enzymes to help with breaking down things. I think Garden for Life has the best enzymes, but they are a bit expensive, so I take NOW Super enzymes.
I would also suggest a good probiotic. That helps with providing the gut with the good and the bad stuff it needs. If the flora in your stomach is not good, it effects your immune system.
I have been dealing with this crap for years. There never seems to be a good answer but to find your triggers and eliminate them. IBS is painful in the colon when it goes into spasm. My particular trigger is raw carrots and I have a latose problem also.
Try some Omepozole (sp) for the stomach burping issues, but use first thing in a.m. for prevention, not just when things are at their worst. Don’t stay on too long though, in otherwords try for two to three months and then go off for a while. You can get at Walmart. This the generic name for Prilosec. I hope this helps.
fitnesslady[/quote]
Hey fitnesslady,
Yes, I certainly remember you and our discussions about our bad digestive systems. I actually am taking Omperazole right now. I took it for a few months and did notice an improvement. I think when I stopped taking it is when the issues reapparead, so I’m probably going to start taking it again on a consistent basis.
Hey I am hanging in there. When I think I got one thing resolved another comes to replace it. Going thru meno is pain in the ass. It keeps throwing a curve at me. I have been feeling pretty good after starting Vitamin D and some Progesterone, but then I broke a tooth and have been suffering with headaches from TMJ.
Only chewing on one side. Not fun these headaches. Will have tooth pulled two days before Xmas. Still working out, but I can’t say my workouts have been all that. I have put on ten pounds and I am not liking it at all. Been too easy on myself with eating.
Trying to relax, heal and not stress so much about it. Hopefully I can just maintain thru the holidays now.
Keep with the Omperazole, but read on the caution of not taking too long. Can’t remember where I read about it. Calming the stomach acid is just as bad as too much. I doubled my probiotic the last few months. I also take Gr-8-Dophilus by NOW.
well at the start of the year I was having issues with my stomach, turns out its crohns(they thought it was IBS), you may want too speak too a gastrologist about this. I go through phases where my stomach is horrible however it’s more a mental thing when I’m anxious, stressed. Certain foods do make it worse, I’m generally feeling ‘healthier’ when I’m not using protein powder - I’m not lactose intolerant(i’ve found organic milk which doesn’t upset my stomach, however if I have just normal milk, skim milk etc it affects me pretty badly)…caffeine is another very bad trigger
forgot too add they’re currently treating me with pyralin tablets more information here http://www.appgonline.com.au/drug.asp?drug_id=00098936&t=cmi not sure if they work, being xmas season and all im generally more stressed than usual, feeling sick in the mornings and have diarrhea at times
It’s always a good idea to have the appropriate tests done to make sure it’s IBS, and not something more serious.
As for trigger foods, there’s no way around these, in my experience; they will disrupt your digestion every time and keep it up for days (as you mentioned happens to you). With certain trigger foods, you can remove the specific part that bothers you, i.e. the skin of a cucumber, etc.
Mostly, though, you just need to follow the basic advice: avoid trigger foods like the plague, eat slowly, get PLENTY of sleep and water, and maybe try enzymes/probiotics.
[quote]jtg987 wrote:
forgot too add they’re currently treating me with pyralin tablets more information here http://www.appgonline.com.au/drug.asp?drug_id=00098936&t=cmi not sure if they work, being xmas season and all im generally more stressed than usual, feeling sick in the mornings and have diarrhea at times[/quote]
jtg987 : I was also just recently diagnosed with Crohns. It’s fucking terrible. After about a month of being on these (expensive) antibiotics, which did nothing, they figured it out. So I’m now on probiotics, as well as Asacol to treat the inflammation in my colon. So far so good… just a bit gassy, but everything is staying together now it seems. knocks on wood
I lost about 15lbs since September, and now that things are starting to get under control again, I need to put it back on. Hopefully I can kick this thing into remission, and keep it there for awhile.
Sorry to hear about the IBS man; that’s gotta put a strain on your life.
Care to share with us what your typical diet is like?
About 6mo ago I started to realize how bad my BM’s were and how often (and that it had been going on for 4mo+) and figured that I was lactose intolerant; sucked. But I found ways around it.
Toss out some daily food/meals that you eat and we might be able to help you adjust, find other foods or even see the problem.
It could be something as simple as my problem; or it could be something complex that guys like JB would have to read and chime in on.
[quote]hamerj wrote:
jtg987 wrote:
forgot too add they’re currently treating me with pyralin tablets more information here http://www.appgonline.com.au/drug.asp?drug_id=00098936&t=cmi not sure if they work, being xmas season and all im generally more stressed than usual, feeling sick in the mornings and have diarrhea at times
jtg987 : I was also just recently diagnosed with Crohns. It’s fucking terrible. After about a month of being on these (expensive) antibiotics, which did nothing, they figured it out. So I’m now on probiotics, as well as Asacol to treat the inflammation in my colon. So far so good… just a bit gassy, but everything is staying together now it seems. knocks on wood
I lost about 15lbs since September, and now that things are starting to get under control again, I need to put it back on. Hopefully I can kick this thing into remission, and keep it there for awhile.[/quote]
yeah honestly I’d say it’s affected me severely mentally, some days/weeks it seems a lot better than others but when it’s at it’s worse I generally don’t want too leave my house…being at work is generally terrible cause of my job I don’t really have easy access too a toilet without inconveniencing people, luckily the people at work tolerate it and were willing too work it out once I told them of my diagnosis.
dairy (even w/out lactose), wheat, cruciforous (sp?) vegs, and high amounts of fructose are my major triggers-- i’m still looking for the minor ones. i was diagnosed 3 months ago…
this might have been said before, but ibs can be very person-specific. it will take some time to find them-- i was impatient and it made things harder than they needed to be.
And i can empathize with the about poster. having this fucked my head up completely. the trick is just keeping your cool, because it is eventually controllable.
[quote]CutestPuppy wrote:
Cut grains and a lot of the dairy out of your diet. It helped me a lot with my gut pain. Eat like a caveman![/quote]
I have to agree with the CutestPuppy. I have Crohn’s Disease and have been living with it since 2002. I cut out all dairy products and most of my grains. I just started now re-introducing milk in my diet after 6 years.
When eating vegetables, cook them really well. Don’t eat them raw.
Keep a journal of what you eat. Then, save a column to log your bathroom habits. Not the most fun thing to do, but it helped me identify foods that irritated me.
Next, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to send me a PM. I’d be glad to answer it.