Irritable bowel syndrome

Sapsorrow

Hiya, i'm just wondering as an IBS sufferer what foods trigger other peoples reactions? What foods/diets do you find helpfull or particularly bad?

For me the foods that always trigger off the cramps are chili, grapes, quinoa, avacados, bananas and pretty much any raw or cold or processed foods (white bread esp). On the flipside I find the most reliable foods are stews and soups and all the root veg and orange/yellow veg like pumkins, squash, sweet potato etc.. and that avoiding wheat helps.

Does anyone have any remedial tips? I find that a hot water bottle clears up the pain from the cramps within minutes. Certain yoga positions that involve twisting the spine whislt lifting the spine up help a lot too. I also avoid tight clothes tights are the worst and jeans aren't any better.

MJOR

tight clothes definately don't help.... i find mushrooms make me a bit crampy although i love them... sweetcorn can be hit and miss too...

Peppermint oil helps and when you are feeling constipated Holland and barrett do excellent aloe vera and liquorice tablets which are totally natural and work gentlylots of water helps too i think

mrsberries

Hey, fellow IBS sufferer. Have had it for ten years but still trying to figure out how to deal with it as there is nothing solid out there in terms of remedies.

Apples, pears, broccoli, white bread, quinoa/bulgar wheat (only discovered these recently and was hoping they would be a great healthy lunch alternative) and STRESS!!!!! Also find if im out at an occasion (wedding, work do) with a few courses, im in bits within an hour. Not sure if its the quantity of the food or bread rolls..... the older I get the worse it seems to get.

What does work for me is....

*stayin off wheat completely. did this a few years ago and kept off it for 11 weeks. managed to be cramp free for about a year.

*colonics. have had one and it worked great. think I will do it again.

* taking something like senokot to clean myself out helps with wind/cramps if im feeling bloated and constipated. Im not too sure how healthy this is to do, but it works better for me than All Bran or Pysllium husks- but i have tried them all!

*pepermint tea. my fav is the one from Pukka - its more expensive than the to others but its delish!

Sapsorrow

Wow another person with the quinoa one! That's really interesting, the worst attack I ever had by a long shot was after eating quinoa, I could barely breath due to the pain for about 5 or 6 hours. I almost went to A&E in the middle of the night over it! Took me days to recover fully and get my strength back I was so wrecked!

I'm a vegan and so eat a massive amount of fibre all the time, I think for this reason I've never had constipation (in my whole life infact I think)loose stools is more my problem.

Out of interest has anyone noticed how meat and/or dairy affects them as I wouldn't know about that end of the food pyramid!?

Sapsorrow

Just looking up the amine content of foods; foods with high contents are bananas, avacados and grapes ( my three worst nightmares), chocolate/cocoa and mushrooms which as far as I know are usual IBS symptom culprits. Quinoa is also a source when soaked, fermented or cooked. Anyone think there's any significance to this, maybe in relation to leaky gut syndrome and amine content triggering reactions in some of us?

neuro-praxis

The stuff that affects me:

• Very large meals
• Large amounts of junk food or fried foods
• White bread, especially baguettes
• Cream

That's it really, although if my gut is in a bad mood, all foods will cause a problem. I have never found anything to help, except avoiding the above, which is not fool-proof. Colofac (available on prescription) is helpful, but I rarely take it as I hate to be on prescription drugs on a regular basis. I carry Immodium for those occasional emergencies. Colpermin (peppermint oil tablets) I find utterly useless, but then my main symptom is not abdominal cramping!

misemp

I have had IBS for about 15 years but it has been at its worst for the past 3 years. I found that nothing the dietician or doctors told me worked. So I tried elimination diets myself. I've noticed that if I cut out all carbohydrates it definitely eases my bloating and the pain. I've stopped eating rice, potatoes, bread and pasta. I avoid the most acidic of fruit and eat berries or grapes. Veg wise I eat nearly everything and don't have a problem there. The other day I had rice and have been in pain and bloated ever since. I've read up a lot on the issue and the 'caveman' diet seems to work for me and a lot of other people. Stress is a big factor but having IBS causes stress therefore, its a vicious cycle. Stay away from All-Bran or Weetabix or any cereal like that. They wont help and if your in a bad way, try colpermine from the chemist. It takes a day or two to help but with peppermint tea it does work. Hope this helps you.

fall

I take a course of the probiotics from the health food shop every couple of months and also do days of no carbs. It was trying out the 17 day diet which is very clean eating, no processed food etc. that I found this worked for me. I dropped ten pounds and my tummy deflated for the first time in years. I know two other people who have sines tried the probiotics and found them effective. If I eat crap food for a couple of days I can literally feel the gas bubbles building and my the bloating begins. It's like the bad bacteria out balances the good bacteria in my gut if I eat too much processed food.

Magenta

For me, it's:

-Chocolate
-Grapes
-Apples
-Dried fruits, oh God RAISINS are the worst

The past week I have given up wheat and have not had any fruit, only veg. I feel great.