Low Fibre Diet Advice Needed
Posted , 2 users are following.
Hello All
Really hoping some of you out there can give me some advice regarding being on a low fibre / residue diet and bowel movements.
I have been suffering with digestive problems for almost 3 years now. The main symptoms are bloating, burping, random sharp chest and abdominal pains and diarrhoea on a daily basis. At my worst my symptoms get so bad that I also get dizziness and feeling faint, increased heart rate, and lots of nausea. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, CFS/ME, Gastritis, IBS and Anxiety. The diagnosis of IBS is now under investigation again as a faecal calprotectin test revealed very high inflammatory marker results, indicating I might be suffering with an IBD. I have already had a colonoscopy with biopsies taken, results of which should be available in a week or so, but the colonoscopist said that my colon, rectum and terminal ileum looked healthy, no visible signs of inflammation, no polyps, the only thing found were hemorrhoids. Obviously there could be microscopic signs of inflammation which the biopsies will confirm. I'm due a small bowel MRI in the near future, date to be confirmed.
Anyway, I've been getting so fed up with feeling ill for so long, I thought I'd try an elimination diet, so as of Saturday I went on my rice diet, which involved gluten free rice krispies for breakfast (gluten seems troublesome for me), plain boiled rice and chicken for lunch and plain boiled rice and lean minced beef for dinner. The next day I couldn't believe how much better I felt, so did this again on Sunday and still the results are amazing, I feel so much better. I introduced potatoes on Monday, and found that yesterday I felt bad again, so I went back on the rice, but this time I introduced some green beans and ditched the potatoes. I don't feel as bad as I did yesterday, but not as good as I felt Sunday and Monday. This is making me wonder if vegetables are a trigger for my digestive problems. I've already discovered I'm unable to eat fruit for the same reason.
My concern now is that since Saturday, which is when I had my last bowel movement, I have only passed stools once yesterday, and it wasn't a large amount either. I know that going on a low fibre, low residue diet, which is effectively what I am on now, can mean less frequent bowel movements and less stool bulk, but I'm worried that I might be, or becomming constipated. As you can see I have a very restrictive diet, but I do drink loads of water, well in excess of 2 litres a day.
Are any of you on a low fibre / residue diet that find it hard to have bowel movements? If so, are there any remedies or techniques that you could tell me about to keep things moving along? Due to the Fibromyalgia and CFS/ME I find it hard to be active, so exercise is limited, and I don't really want to start upping my fibre intake as I'm sick and tired of feeling so ill all the time. I was just hoping some of you might be able to give me some pointers just to help my bowel movements get going again. I'd be ever so grateful if any of you can help me out.
Many thanks in advance.
1 like, 2 replies
dambudzo paul75665
Posted
are you getting any help / advice from a dietitian?
because it is all very well suggesting white bread, clear soups etc but you really need someone who can ensure that you are getting enough of the right nutrients.
and it might be that it's not a problem if your bowels don't open daily. different people have different 'normal'. so when you get the results of your colonoscopy that could be an opportunity to ask about that.
good luck.
paul75665 dambudzo
Posted
I have already seen a dietitian and tried various thing with my diet, low FODMAP, probiotics, etc, but my symptoms are totally random, and until the underlying cause of my symptoms is discovered she decided that I should stick to the foods I can tolerate the best, which seem to be low residue, low fibre foods, and go back once they find out what is causing my digestive issues. I can eat the same foods, at the same times everyday, and my symptoms can occur randomly, there seems to be no correlation between what I eat, when I eat it, and when my symptoms occur. It's almost like the action of eating and digesting food causes my symptoms, rather than what I eat.
My doctor arranges regular, full blood count tests done to keep an eye on my levels as a precaution. The last blood tests done a few weeks ago all came back normal, all cell and electrolyte levels were fine.