Identifying Trigger Foods/IBS Diet

Sandycheeks

Sandycheeks

Sandycheeks

Associate
Joined
30 Oct 2013
Posts
1,793
**Not a medical thread as such but mods feel free to remove if boundaries have been crossed**

Following 20 years of IBS I have just been instructed by my doctor to try and eat a less varied diet and slowly introduce other foods in an attempt to identify possible trigger foods so I can avoid them later.

Anyone have any experience of this and able to suggest a good plan of action?

I am going to get fed up pretty quickly if I have to eat only chicken and boiled rice for a fortnight.

I actually didn't think my diet was that varied tbh but my doctor tells me it is and as such I need a less varied diet as a starting point.
 
Unfortunately there's no easy way, which is why I haven't dine it. Would love to find out what makes the top of my mouth fill like someone's poured acid onto it. Something's like avocado are pretty common, but some pizzas are by far the worse.

IBS most common triggers are


According to web
•Dairy
•Wheat
•Sugar
•Fructose
•Insoluble fibre

According to nhs
•alcohol
•fizzy drinks
•chocolate
•drinks that contain caffeine – such as tea, coffee or cola
•processed snacks – such as crisps and biscuits
•fatty or fried food


So cut all of them out first, in fact you're probably better of eating meat and veg and if you can't cope then white rice would be good, try that for a few weeks and see what happens.
If you have no idea what your triggers are then it's a slow old process. And you want to start with as little in your diet as possible. But then you'll likely have side effects from changing your diet and if you go low carbs, or low DF etc that'll have changes instead.

And track everything, use my fitnesspal and make a note how you are everyday. If your bad then see what you've eaten and try and find a correlation. Remember to look through the ingredient list if you buy anything pre made
 
Last edited:
Sandycheeks said:
Nope.
She asked for a poo sample and didn't give me a sample container - I thought about taking a dump in a chip carton and handing it to her but decided to ask at reception instead.
Click to expand...

She was waiting for it to be deposited through her letterbox ;)
 
Glaucus said:
*snip*

And track everything, use my fitnesspal and make a note how you are everyday. If your bad then see what you've eaten and try and fund a correlation. Remember to look threw the food list if you buy anything pre made
Click to expand...

Dr originally asked for a food diary, which I have been keeping on Myfitnesspal as it's very convenient.
I handed her 4 weeks worth of food diary yesterday and she said " that's good but it's not much use as you haven't tracked your bowel movements".
I then informed her that she had not asked me to track bowel movements.
Grrrrr.
 
It sounds like the Dr is describing the FODMAP diet, you should ask to be referred to a dietitian so they can walk you through the procedure.

Unfortunately for me, I've had to cut out Gluten. Gluten free food is so expensive, and generally not as nice. Hard life.
 
Were you not referred to a dietician as a follow-up? I have IBD and thought I was gluten intolerant as well or as a result but they did a blood test which said I wasn't. I really haven't figured out exactly what irritates me, however, I have learnt over time "preferred" foods. It's very frustrating, but unfortunately, a "boring" diet is sometimes the only way to keep trouble away.
 
Sui said:
It sounds like the Dr is describing the FODMAP diet, you should ask to be referred to a dietitian so they can walk you through the procedure.

Unfortunately for me, I've had to cut out Gluten. Gluten free food is so expensive, and generally not as nice. Hard life.
Click to expand...

Why not just not eat such food, cheaper and nicer.
 
I had IBS as a teen.

At the time, after cutting various things out of my diet, it turned out to be oranges for me.

Stopped eating them and all was well, began eating them 5 years later and the IBS did not come back.
 
Last edited:
You can get tested for allergies which apparently is a very common cause for people being misdiagnosed with IBS, or in other words IBS is diagnosed but misses the issue that triggers IBS, i.e. specific food allergy rather than general food groups such as gluten etc.

A friend of mine was getting terrible swollen stomach, bad acne and other symptoms - she got tested and turns out she's allergic to quite a few specific things (for her it was wine, tea, milk, gluten and a few other specifics). She's now cut out alcohol and processed food (was a good excuse to do so) and has small amounts of tea, milk and foods with gluten and she is miles better with very few symptoms.

I have IBS and after having gastro last week it flared up at the weekend and I've only just now started to introduce food (first meal of plain rice and plain chicken). You have my complete sympathy as I’ve been crying in pain from it at times as it just feels like something is trying to burst out of my stomach, a la alien. I’ve had the doctor out before that had to give me an injection in my stomach to try and settle the pain as I was nearly passing out.

I couldn't find many specifics that trigger it for me but to try and identify what did I didn't eat for 2 days (just drank still water) and then introduced plain rice and chicken for a few days and then one thing per day after that until something triggered the IBS off. It can be a bit hit and miss but for me I know for definite that cured meats, chorizo, anything with too much smoked paprika (hence chorizo I’m guessing), curry spice (strangely not chilli) and a few other things that I’m not so sure on all set it off.
 
I was diagnosed recently with IBS and at least one thing I find triggers it are apples. Think this is due to the skin being difficult to digest?
Wholemeal also causes issues, as do certain brands of Paracetamol!
Strangely coffee and caffeine seem to have no effect on me, but possibly some drinks like cider, that have sulphites in them.

Interesting that a few here mention rice as good. My fall back too for a light meal are the microwave bags of rice, mixed with a tin of tuna.
 
*Update*
Been eating a rather bland diet for the last few days:
07:30 = Porridge with Milk
10:00 = Banana
13:00 = Chicken or Ham on 4 rounds of Wholemeal & mint club.
18:00 = ~150g roast chicken breast with 50g (dry weight) wholegrain basmati rice & 60g lemon swiss roll
21:30 + 6 melba thins with organic peanut butter only if been to the gym.

Can't really say that I feel any different though, going to swap out the rice for pasta next.
 
You should kind of know yourself that certain foods are triggers just through experience.

I have crohns so it's a little different but tend to avoid overly spicy food and very rich food.

Food covered in creamy sauces is usually a massive no, no.
 
Sandycheeks said:
*Update*
Been eating a rather bland diet for the last few days:
07:30 = Porridge with Milk
10:00 = Banana
13:00 = Chicken or Ham on 4 rounds of Wholemeal & mint club.
18:00 = ~150g roast chicken breast with 50g (dry weight) wholegrain basmati rice & 60g lemon swiss roll
21:30 + 6 melba thins with organic peanut butter only if been to the gym.

Can't really say that I feel any different though, going to swap out the rice for pasta next.
Click to expand...

Being honest, your list does not strike me as a less varied diet, perhaps compared to what it was but if you have made changes and find no improvement, then I would personally opt to strip it right back.

I’m no dietitian but personally I would lose the ham (processed meat), club and swiss roll (massively processed and no nutritional benefit at all). You also have a huge amount of wholemeal in your diet so I would drop them as if you have a gluten intolerance then that would really set you back.

All this of course depends how much you really want to identify what causes the problems but having had this for a while I bit the bullet and did something like this:

Drink – still water only (avoid sugar-based drinks, tea and coffee)
Food – white rice and roast chicken

I did this for 2 weeks (yes it was utterly boring but IBS symptoms did go) and after a few days (personally I would give it at least 4 to 7 days or until you’ve had a few days free of IBS symptoms) if you don’t get relief then possibly swap the rice for something else such as lentils or even cauliflower rice (incredibly easy to make).

Thereafter you could introduce porridge (not the ready packet stuff) and with water. See how you go with that for a couple of days and then introduce one thing every other day. Writing down what you ate and what time you ate it could identify if IBS is linked to eating at a particular time of day.

After a few days (if all is well) then introduce a piece of fruit every other day. Perhaps a herbal or green tea (unsweetened) but whatever you introduce you need to give it a good day or two (per food) and personally I wouldn’t introduce more than one thing at a time otherwise you won’t know what triggered the IBS.

I suspected I had a gluten and dairy intolerance but actually for me it was eating fruit or drinking wine after 8pm gave me excess stomach acid and drinking any caffeine after 6pm along with foods like chorizo and most processed meats.

Edited to add: I was tempted to cheat by speeding up the process but at the end of the day, the thought of having to start again to identify triggers kept me going.
 
Last edited:
Ditch sugar, gluten onions and apples and see where you go. Or follow a fodmap plan and re introduce foods. Eat real whole foods not bread, mint clubs and swiss rolls.

I've got UC and am on a few Facebook groups crohn's and colitis and it amazes me one day people will be exhausted and passing blood then the next day eating pizzas and drinking coke. Mention looking after yourself and eating right and they all go bat **** mental.
 
maccapacca said:
Ditch sugar, gluten onions and apples and see where you go. Or follow a fodmap plan and re introduce foods. Eat real whole foods not bread, mint clubs and swiss rolls.

I've got UC and am on a few Facebook groups crohn's and colitis and it amazes me one day people will be exhausted and passing blood then the next day eating pizzas and drinking coke. Mention looking after yourself and eating right and they all go bat **** mental.
Click to expand...

Guilty as charged sir.

Although I still haven't found any trigger foods. Although when I spent a while on the road eating maccys I had fewer side effects. Dr said thats because theres nothing in Maccys for your system to try hard to digest.

I also have the issue of diabetes because of the steroids. 27.4 today and the Drs wont give me anything. Previously they prescribed Gliclazide but not the second time. On the plus side I've lost a stone in a month. I've had to cut out pepsi etc (well I'll still have a little bit) But I know when I've over done the sugar as I'm up all night peeing every hour and half.

Asacol no longer enough and after rebounding off the steroids I'm now on my 3rd week of azathioprine
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom