[Guest]

Hi, I'm new but have been reading for a while. Thank you all for your stories. This message is to the people who have symptoms like I had: abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and sometimes alternating constipation and diarrhea.In the 1980's I was diagnosed with IBS but no tests were done. Over the last year the abdominal pain and bloating became more frequent. The pain gets gradually worse until it's hard to stand up straight.So I finally broke down and saw a doctor. Last month I had blood work, an ultrasound of the gallbladder and pancreas, a colonoscopy, and an endoscopy. Everything's normal, and no celiac. Diagnosis still IBS.The day after the last test, the endoscopy, I had another abdominal pain episode. I was so frustrated that I finally got up the willpower to radically change my diet and actually stick to it this time. And guess what? For fourteen days straight I have had no pain! Was it really, after all these years, just something I was eating?!I cut out wheat, dairy, eggs, legumes including soy and peanuts, tree nuts, tomatoes, fish, shellfish, cruciferous vegetables, most other vegetables and fruits, and coffee/tea.For a week I ate baked turkey, bacon, plain oatmeal with sugar, plain corn chips and potato chips, lettuce salad with olive oil, grapefruit, oranges, peeled apples, and plain applesauce. That's it. I probably should have cut out corn and citrus, but it looks like I guessed right. And I probably should have asked for a lactose intolerance test but I tested that once before with diet although maybe not for long enough. The second week I started adding things back in. So far plain chicken and porkchops, peaches and blueberrries, asparagus, squash, yams, and brown rice. This is going to take forever! And no, it's not easy to eat at restaurants, at least not yet. The last time I had to eat out I had plain lettuce salad with olive oil, and applesauce.I just wanted to share my preliminary results and give people some hope. If I continue to stay okay, and if I find out some particular food was the problem, I'll post again and put my story under Living With IBS.I sincerely hope this is of help to someone.Best wishes,-Betternow

 

[badbelly]

Cool! Good for you...congrats. The whole diet thing is fascinating. I was having major problems for several months and started to analyze the food I was eating. After I started educating myself on different "trigger foods" and talking to my wife about it, one day she said, "maybe it's the bread". I had been eating this 12 grain bread for a good 4 - 6 months..almost every day on my sandwhiches at work. Sounded a little crazy, but we gave it a try. Cut out the bread...which was loaded with grains and nuts....and within about a week things got much much better.Sometimes we focus so much on the problem and overanalyze things that we miss the simple stuff. Really look at your diet, and BELIEVE that if you change it appropriately, that can solve many of your issues. Good post from betternow. Good luck.

 

[jools41]

better now its always good to hear that someone is having some luck with this awful illness and i say awful because it is.Im sometimes at a loss at what to eat the oatmeal i have does me no harm so ill stick to that as well as natural yoghurt with some fresh fruit, i dont fry food instead i go for the better option and grill things.Everyone reacts differently to different foods and i guess if you eat something and it agrees then stick to it and vice-versa good luck.

 

[Flutterbye]

I too are having success with a change of diet.Ive cut out a large percentage of fried foods, dont eat as much bread, dont eat as much junk type foods and are feeling better for it.Fell off the wagon last night and had bread and sausages and are paying for it today... *sigh* ( good old aussie tradition of a BBQ.. pppfttt!)Betternow.. Im pleased you are feeling better.. bet you are too

xoxoxoxo