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Fodmap diet

Posted , 32 users are following.

Wilkins
Wilkins

After having IBS for 16 years, I was recently told by my dietitian about a Fodmap diet. I have been very strict and can honestly say I have had no symptoms. I can not believe the difference in my body.

5 likes, 43 replies

43 Replies

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  • stephaney28634
    stephaney28634 Wilkins

    Posted

    Hi, good that you find a duet that helps your Ibs.
    • Wilkins
      Wilkins stephaney28634

      Posted

      Thank you. I just cannot believe that no one has told me about it before. I wonder how many more people could be helped or have been helped by dietary change rather than medication for symptom management. Although in my case, my symptoms were previously poorly managed.
  • kimmyMac
    kimmyMac Wilkins

    Posted

    Hi can I ask what symptoms you had before?

    I've been told to try this but I'm a very fussy eater with no appetite really! Was it easy to stick too? I'm glad that it has helped you!

    • Wilkins
      Wilkins kimmyMac

      Posted

      Hi I can certainly say it needs a lot of planning however I am finding it easy to stick too. I carry my mobile with me, with the list to hand.

      Rice, potatoes, most meats, many salad items are on the low fodmap foods list. I am making all my meals so I know whats in my food.

      Onions or garlic are a no no...which is hard but I have stuck too. Gluten free and lactose free I have found easy to stick to.

      Before FODMAP my daily symptoms were unpredictable bowel habits, girggling, wind, stomachache and cramps, foggy brain, tiredness, joint pain, migraines, stomach acid, and bloating.

      Hope this helps.

  • graham9772
    graham9772 Wilkins

    Posted

    Great news.

    Anyone interested in more details about the FODMAP diet there is a discussion in the restless legs syndrome group called ""restless legs and diet"" which includes sources of information.

    Good Luck

    Graham

  • p3t3r
    p3t3r Wilkins

    Posted

    Make sure you give the Monash University site a good read. There you can see that quantity is a vital part of the diet. Also that you should not stay on a strict diet forever - you should try re-introducing foods into your diet.
  • gillian15107
    gillian15107 Wilkins

    Edited

    I also followed the FOMAP diet, after sending a research paper about it to my GP after finding out about it via internet and asking for a referal to see a specialist dietician on the NHS.  The GP seemed genuinely interested and agreed.  I am veggie so following an even stricter diet was really really difficult especially socially.  Although you have to stick to the diet for 3 months I found it took around 8 - 10 months for my stomach to calm down after cutting out possible irritants - I think my system had just got so irritated it needed that time.  I have gone from nearly colapsing in the street and dry retching every time I bent down (not good when you work in an office and drop a pen!) to feeling fine 80% of the time.  My stomatch is still a bit sensitive but I can lead a pretty normal life.  i would advise others that as well as diet, also look at other potential issues - iron tablets I was taking was making things much worse, as was stress.  And its not always the foods that you think that might be the irritant, so its well worth following the diet 100%
    • search45
      search45 gillian15107

      Posted

      Hi, I appreciate this is 4 months old but I saw that you are a veggie too and suggested followin the FODMAP diet. I guess I would really like to know how you're getting on and if it worked for you. Please feel free to private message me on here or reply in this thread. Many thanks. 
    • gillian15107
      gillian15107 search45

      Edited

      Hi there being veggie and on the Fodmap is very tough to be honest. You can basically eat eggs, quorn and tofu for protein (if the quorn doesn't have onion in it which some ready made stuff does).  Def. go to a dietician for support and guidance.  And you avoid lactose products not dairy altogether so calcium is fine.  I didn't loose any weight so must have found enough to eat!  I found that my system had been so upset that there were foods that I originally had to avoid that I can now eat after my system calmed down.  One of my long-term triggers is onion and garlic so in the long-term my diet as a veggie is quite plain but I feel so much better I have no regrets and am never tempted to eat stuff I shouldn't - it just isn't worth the suffering.

      In the long-term there are some quirks - for example, I can't eat chick peas put can eat baked beans . So once you reintroduce foods give everything a go. And if you can't eat it after a few months try again in 6-12 months, this has worked well for me.

       

    • search45
      search45 gillian15107

      Posted

      Thanks so much for getting back to me. I'm glad that you're well on your new diet. I was afraid that you would say that garlic and onion are your long term avoidance foods as so many others have said so too. These are both foods I love but will have to see how I get on once I can get the support of a dietitian. Out of interest, did you go to a dietitian on the NHS? 
  • Missjosefina
    Missjosefina Wilkins

    Edited

    I agree, the FODMAP food selection has made a massive difference to my symptoms as well.

    However, I'm finding it very difficult to eat socially... Because even salads have hidden ingredients, like in the dressing. But I've told my fella that if he wants to enjoy a healthy active girlfriend, then we can't keep eating out 😄

    • p3t3r
      p3t3r Missjosefina

      Posted

      Try to work out what are the really bad triggers and avoid those if possible. For me garlic, cream, honey and cherries seem particularly bad. For garlic I use infused oil*; for cream I use Greek Yoghurt (they remove most of the lactose in the process of making it); I've tried Maple Syrup instead of Honey and that seems OK. Can't replace cherries, so I just eat more raspberries and strawberries.

      * In another volte face for normal dietary advice - water bad, oil good. That is to say that the bad sugars dissolve in water but not in oil, which is why you can have garlic infused oil, but shouldn't put it in soup, even if you take the cloves out later.

    • graham9772
      graham9772 Missjosefina

      Edited

      Its a balance of miseries.   The FODMAP diet is restrictive but how bad are your symptoms?   In my case I can miss a whole night's sleep and sometimes two nights.   This is a high cost for saying yes to a delicious French onion soup or a piece of toast. Two nights sleep equals two days wrecked.    Many places offer gluten free bread which I allow myself two slices per day.   If I am eating out I can usually get bacon and eggs almost anywhere.   Or steak, potatoes, pumpkin and carrots.  Or fish cooked without flour and salad with no dressing etc.    Its rare that I can't find food and when I can't I eat a banana which I happen to have in my bag.   Decaf coffee is available almost everywhere and I am lucky that I can have one cup a day with ordinary milk rather than lactose free milk.

      The FODMAP diet is not meant to be healthy.   The idea is that after 6 to 10 weeks on the diet your symptoms should be gone.  Then you start to worry about healthy.   You re-introduce various foods into your diet to see what happens.  For example have a little milk.   No reaction? then have a bit more until you prove that you can tolerate lactose.    Then move on to the next sugar.   Perhaps try an apple and see what happens.    This phase really needs to be done with the help and advice of a dietician so you can do it most efficiently.   I haven't found a good dietician to help me yet and my attempts to reintroduce foods have been unsuccessful.   This is apparently not normal.

      I think that if your lucky you find that only one type of sugar is causing your problems.   If you are less lucky you find that you can tolerate some quantity of the sugars so you have to track how much you eat.   If your unlucky you have to avoid the FODMAPS altogether  and then you really need advice from an expert to make your diet healthy.

      So following a FODMAP diet is not easy but you can live with it.   Its up to you to decide if its worse than the symptoms you are suffering.   For me the FODMAP diet is definately worthwhile because the symptoms were going to kill me and certainly ruining my life.   If you can tolerate the symptoms you have then perhaps the inconvience of the FODMAP diet is not worth enduring.

      Even if your current symptoms are not very bad perhaps its worth trying to FODMAP really stricly for 10 weeks and see what it feels like to have no symptoms.   You might decide that life is so much better you will work on keeping healthy on the foods that dont upset you.   Unfortunately there is a 30% chance that the FODMAP diet wont help you.

      Good Luck

      Graham

    • Missjosefina
      Missjosefina graham9772

      Edited

      Very well said, Graham! I'd take stuggling to socialise with family and friends in a restaurant over struggling to socialise because the loo is my best friend 😄
    • graham9772
      graham9772 Missjosefina

      Edited

      Hi

      I have found that one problem is that my friends try very hard to accomodate me.  I feel like I'm imposing on them.   A couple of weeks ago I visited friends for a week.   My hosts went to great trouble to provide FODMAP friendly food three meals a day with something different every meal.  They went to more trouble than I go to myself!   I think you will find your friends will be just as supportive when they understand.   Of course sometimes you might be stuck with just a piece of steak or bacon and eggs while they get something exotic but, so long as they dont feel embarrassed eating in front of you, all will be well.  I just mumble something about a strange diet the doctor has me on and look cheerful as I order.

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