Wow, no one has replied yet. Sorry, I don't know much about elimination diets because I never did it, but by me replying it will put you back to the top of the list of topics. I used to do Fibercon and other fiber supplements until another board member posted about this Sprouted Grain Bread made by Food For Life. I am living an IBS free life now from eating two slices per day. If you browse around the board you will see topics about the bread, it is helping a lot of people but some it's not helping. I think that it's helping more people than not. The bread companies web address is www.food-for-life.com. On there you can find a retailer in your area. The bread by name is Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread. I can't believe the difference it has made. There is no flour in it, just grains. I would give it a try, it's only bread - much better than drinking supplements and taking pills.
Getting married, need advice on elimination diet!
G
Hello everyone.I recently started reading this BB since I am currently having the worst IBS flare-up I have had in years. I have found some very helpful advice, but there are a few things I have questions about that I was hoping you could help me with. I have stressed myself out lately because I am getting married soon and have a large deadline at work the day before I have to leave to get married. The last few weeks I have gotten increasingly worse with D and abdominal pain, often in the morning when I wake up and after I eat. This has caused me to become stressed out about eating because I know I need to eat but it hurts so then I don't want to. I came across a post by Mick about an elimination diet and thought I would try that, but there are a few things I have questions about. He recommends having on tablespoon of carob powder before all three meals by mixing it with maple syrup or honey to taste. However, I had read other places that sugar is often a trigger, so I mixed it with applesauce this morning instead, and it was really horrible, I couldn't eat it. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to make this stuff palatable that won't aggravate my IBS? Also, he recommends having miller's bran in hot oatmeal in the morning, but it was unclear to me how much bran should be used with how much oatmeal. Also, I have taken Fibercon at bedtime the last two nights, and that seems to have stopped the D, so would it be overkill to have the miller's bran? Or should I eat the bran and not take the Fibercon? Finally, I have noticed that I feel weak and tired a lot. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I am not eating enough so I am not getting enough nutrients. Has anyone else had this problem and how did you deal with it? Also, have any of you had positive results with carob, miller's bran, or Fibercon?Also, are there any books people would recommend that would help me figure out what I can eat when I am having a severe bout like this and move forward? It seems like the books I have seen just say what stuff to avoid but not step by step how to start out on a core diet and proceed from there. And I want to know what would help me when I am feeling unwell and in a panic because I know it is a vicious cycle. I just feel like I am navigating uncharted waters without any guidance. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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A book on elimination diets for IBS is "No More IBS" by Maryon Stewart and Dr Alan Stewart (Random House). This is an English book.It didn't cure my IBS, but I am a lot more comfortable these days. Keep in mind that what is good for one person could be hell for you!. For example, rice is supposed to be a well tolerated food by most people. I however find it gives me really bad bloating and it is not worth the trouble. Their elimination diets suggest you cut out potatoes and corn, citrus, dairy products, yeast, oats, barley and rye and wheat and introduce one food per week in order to work out which foods aggravate your symptoms. They also tell you to avoid chocolate, soft drinks and alcohol for the first two weeks.For d they reccomend no coffee but tea is OK.This diet is so restrictive that I could not complete it. As a vegeterian it left me hardly anything to eat, especially as I couldn't eat rice. There is other good information in the book. I'm personally a c type so i don't know about the other treatments you suggested.Have you tried calcium for the d? Also, you need to keep your stress levels down - try some chamomile tea for relaxation. You get used to the taste pretty quick. Before I got married I was stressing, but then i decided that it wasn't worth it and that things were going to work out fine whatever happened and I cruised along nicely. Remember it's your day and all that matters is whether you're happy - not whether the tablecloths at the reception are matching, or whether the bridesmaids have identical shoes on!Good luck!
I tried the carob powder w/ applesauce and the taste was okay but everytime I ate it, I felt lightheaded. When is your wedding?You sound like you're doing everything I did before our cruise in July. I got worse because of the anxiety of worrying about the trip, worrying about what remedies will give me a quick fix, etc. All of this (in my opinion) made me worse and I had more episodes of "D" than ever! I was trying flax seed, caltrate, l-glutamine and I already take probiotics and Vit. B complex. Well I stopped the caltrate and flax seed and got better. I also told myself I was going to stop stressing over the trip and just deal w/ whatever. Well I was fine the whole week leading up to the trip and during the trip (w/ the exception of one "D" episode at Disney World). My advice is if your wedding is too close don't try very many new remedies right now. Try to stick to safe foods and less sugar, chocolate, etc. Be positive and try to relax more. Believe me you may seem stressed now but when the actual "Day" comes you will be fine!!! Good Luck..and for peace of mind, take a couple Immodium a few hrs before the wedding.
G
Thanks for your encouragement. My wedding is September 30th, so it is getting close but I still have some time to deal with this. My symptoms have really flared up over the last month or so, but they seem to have gotten worse once I decided they were an actual problem that I needed to solve, so it probably is my anxiety which is causing a lot of my symptoms.That being the case, how do I learn to calm myself down? I had read a little bit about biofeedback and hypnotherapy- has anyone tried these and did they help? Are there any good books about relaxation techniques/meditation that anyone could recommend? Thanks.
I have "Breaking the Bonds of Irritable Bowel Syndrome" and it is very easy to read and understand. Talks about ways to deal with IBS and to stop letting it run our lives. It helps you look at your symptoms in a whole new light and learn that we have no control over it and just go on living. The more we let it rule our lives the harder it will be. I bought it from Amazon.
G
I read that book and found it to be helpful as far as psychological causes go, but right now the thing I am having the hardest time with is the fact that I don't know what I can and can't eat. I have been eating nothing but bananas, applesauce, rice, and oatmeal (plus Fibercon, acidophilus, and calcium citrate) for a few days now, and I am still getting D and still in pain. I have been trying not to worry about it, but it is hard. I don't know if I should start taking meds like Librax which my general doctor gave me and go to a gastroenterologist or not. I just feel like they couldn't really help me. Any advice?
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Hi TouchyTummy:I answered you on another thread before seeing this one. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!
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All those preparations and the big changes in your life can be stressful, even though it's good stress.I've done Mike001's hypnotherapy tapes and they are wonderful. They are gut-specific for IBS patients, and not only do they help the IBS, but they also cut down on the stress. I would really recommend trying them. If you want more info on them, click the blue box at the upper left hand side of the screen that says, "IBS Audio 100 Program" and that will take you to Mike Mahoney's site where you can get info and an order form. You can also check out Eric's site at http://www.ibshealth.com . He's also got info on hypnotherapy (he designed Mike's site), along with a tremendous amount of information on IBS.We do have two hypnotherapy chats on Sundays for people who are interested or have done Mike's tapes or any other hypnotherapyst work. One is at 12 noon EST, and the other is at 7:30 pm EST. Eric, who moderates it, is talking about starting at 7:00 pm, so if you decide to join us make sure you ask one of us what time the evening chat is starting.Good luck, and try to relax.
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JeanG
Congrats T. Tummy! With all the excitement and anxiety (good and bad) that a wedding brings even an un-ibs person would be stressing out. But take someone with ibs and it can really do a number on you. I would suggest taking librax like your doctor recommended. I take it and find that it sort of takes the edge off of stressful situations. I hope you have a beautiful wedding day with lots of GOOD memories.
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