IBS

[Guest guest]

hi everyone. i'm new to this site and to the diet. i've been recently

diagnosed with IBS. i've been having acute symptoms for 3 months which

now have at least become manageable. at their worst, i hadEXTREME

bloatedness, violent spasms of the esophagus and stomach, which would

either push air up to my throat which caused this gulping noises. and

my insides would just hurt from all the activities. i also had reflux,

my stomach did not empty at all at times (as seen on ct scan), which

caused me to vomit multiple times almost daily for weeks. i also

experienced a lot of pain (of different kinds - sharp, dull, tender)

in the whole abdominal areas, but particularly in the stomach. other

symptoms were intermittent diarrhea and constipation. when i did have

a bowel movement, my stool was always shaped really thin or extremely

small, like shredded or extremely runny. (which my doctor explained to

me that it was due to my intestines in spasm.) i had a feeling of

urgency all the time which in particular made me a nervous wreck. very

very excessive flatulence, which was another thing that made my

personal and professional life hell. (the holding gas in was painful

and exhausting and nerve-wrecking, as i had sooo much air in me that

it was impossible to hold things in all the time.) i was very nauseous

all the time, and just felt ill constantly. whenever my stomach didn't

(and doesn't) empty, i'd feel either a rush of heat or cold from

within the body - i don't know if anybody knows what i mean by that.

and that feeling would just sort of take hold of me and i'd kind of

panic. at the worst times, i couldn't ride in a car at all, as the

slightest vibration on my body would make me feel very very sick. (not

motion sickness) the very slight motion of a very steady car would

feel like tidal waves in my digestive system, and it's the worst

feeling...

anyway, i was prescribed a few things which made me have more

diarrhea. finally i was prescribed an anti-depressant, which i was

very reluctant to get on. but in the end, as i was at my wit's end as

my symptoms became worse and worse, i started taking it. (a doctor

told me that he believed it was a physical manifestation of

depression, that it was caused by a chemical imbalance.) I immediately

got better. so now i'm on 5 mg of lexapro everyday and my symptoms

have become a lot milder. though they still " get in the way " , i do

feel relatively normal and just feel thankful that i have some form of

a life back.

then a friend told me about this diet. i have to say i've never been a

disciplined person when it came to food. i tried to start this diet

about less than a week ago and have cheated a few times already. i'm

also traveling a lot for work right now so it's particularly hard to

start a diet at this time. but i'd really like to give it a shot even

if it means accepting that i might fail and cheat. (knowing myself,

i'm afraid to have too high of an expectation.) but even in less than

a week, i'm already quite sick at the sight and smell and taste of

chicken soup-which i have been eating quite a bit of whenever i'm

home. and i seem to be hungry all the time. (and i am not underweight

like many of you. i'm not overweight either, but i do have excessive

fat on my body, esp. in the belly. also i'm pretty much chronically

bloated...) the last few days have been really difficult as i started

ravenously craving crunch that i'd normally get from crackers and the

likes. (that was when i started to cheat) i gave in the night before

when i was out with friends and had nachos and some other bar foods.

then last night home alone-starving even though i'd been eating all

day and couldn't stand the thought of more chicken - i ate a lot of

banana chips. i had cramps afterward and for the first time in about 2

weeks, my stool was beginning to shape " weird " again.

so i'm trying to be good and ate chicken soup today but i am having

more symptoms today and had to be on the road. i'm traveling with

co-workers so i don't always have my say as to where to go to eat. and

i'll be on the road for 3 more days with no food with me. *sigh* i

have to say i'm really struggling to keep up with this diet right now.

i do find it very difficult. but i seemed to have felt better for

about 2 or 3 days after i cut out carbs before the serious craving cut

in. though i wasn't a vegetarian, i do feel a bit disgusted at having

to eat the amount of meat to fill myself up now.

i just needed to vent a bit and hopefully get some advice or support

here. i've always had not completey minor digestive issues all my

life, but never something as serious and completely debilitating. my

symptoms were painful and tiring and isolating. i literally didn't see

anyone for months because of this and was really starting to develop a

depression after a while. i had to miss a lot of work and got really

stressed out because of that. everything that i did sort of manage to

do, i was only hanging on by a thread. i konw i can't go back to that

place - but it's weird as soon as i get a little better i still don't

have the will power to maintain this diet, at least so far...

i'm starting the book (haven't finished it) and do have a few

questions but i think i'll wait til later to ask you guys.

i do want to know if there's anyone who has had similar symptoms as

mine? i keep reading about people who have crohn's or celiac or

colitis, but not too many cases of ibs. does this diet really work for

ibs as well?

anyone with experience in scd, especially those with similar symptoms

- please let me know if this diet has helped you or not!!

any advice or suggestion is welcome. thank you for reading!