Reddit reviews IBS: Free at Last! Change Your Carbs, Change Your Life with the FODMAP Elimination Diet, 2nd Edition

It sounds like you're dealing with a lot. :( All this pain and struggle can certainly take it's toll.

The truth is, no diet is really going to eliminate all of your symptoms (if there was such a diet...we'd all be on it!). It's more about finding a diet that helps a bit and fits your lifestyle. Every day is a new day; every meal an experiment.

I did a very strict FODMAPS diet for a few months, and while it didn't help with many of my symptoms (ibs-d), it certainly eliminated the pain and gassiness for me. I didn't fart for like three months. It was ... weirdly amazing.

That being said, it sounds like you have a lot of things going on. I wouldn't get your heart set on the idea that a FODMAPS diet will cure you, because it probably won't. But, it may help your symptoms.

I based my diet on the info found in this book: http://www.amazon.com/IBS-Change-Carbs-FODMAP-Elimination/dp/0982063520/

I was in a somewhat similar situation a few months ago. My Crohn's was "in remission" but I was still having gut cramps. I did strict paleo for awhile and that helped some but didn't completely get rid of my cramping. I found the FODMAP diet online and figured it was worth a try and I was surprised by how much it helped me. I used this book as my guide and it's pretty thorough but not over-the-top crazy like some diet books can be. I had to cook all my meals for myself the first couple weeks to make sure I didn't accidentally eat something that is "not allowed" but now I can be a little less strict and not have bad symptoms. It did take the full two weeks of the elimination diet before I noticed a change in my symptoms so if you don't notice a change immediately it might still help!

The hardest part was cooking without garlic and onion but chives and green onion are decent replacements. For the most part, I base my meals around a typical "paleo" meal with more cooked veggies/potatoes and less meat and I make substitutions for the non-FODMAP friendly foods. I think corn is the only approved food that I have issues with sometimes...I'm pretty lucky in that respect. Of course, don't eat foods that you know don't work for you just because the diet says they're safe! I'm happy to help more if you have questions...just let me know! Best of luck to you and I hope you can find some safe foods.

Oh lord. Increasing fiber is excellent advice for most people. Unless the fibers you're eating are causing overgrowth of gut microbes. It's the overgrowth that causes problems -- think fermenting beer or rising bread dough: lots of gas is produced. Plus if the microbe colonies in your gut get too large they pull fluid into your intestines, causing loose stools, you get the picture. Why this happens for some people with some fibers isn't clear yet, but we can at least treat it.

Huge disclaimer here that I'm not your doctor, I don't know your weight or diet history.. and there are some situations where I wouldn't recommend this because it can be triggering for anyone with a history of eating disorders and it would be a bad idea if you are low weight, but look up FODMAPs if they haven't had you try it yet.

The key point is that it is not a diet you stay on forever, it's just a trial to see which particular starches are causing your problem, and how much of them you can tolerate. It's supported by lots of studies in the medical literature. The first week or so is a full elimination, and if that doesn't give you relief, stop the trial because the problem is somewhere else. If it does give you relief, the best book for a good explanation of how to do the full protocol is here:

https://www.amazon.com/IBS-Change-Carbs-FODMAP-Elimination/dp/0982063520/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

I know, the title sounds like some fad diet book or something, but the author is a professional RD and GI stuff is her specialty, it actually is a very high-quality and thorough guide.

The other thing I was thinking of.. if you're have a lot of bowel movements a day, we see that in people with insufficient pancreatic enzymes. I've seen it in particular with patients after partial removal of the pancreas, when doctors forget to prescribe supplemental enzymes. Basically, your pancreas secretes enzymes into your small intestine that help digest the food you eat. If for some reason you're not producing enough, or there's a blockage so the enzymes aren't getting into the intestines (common in cystic fibrosis) doctors can provides the enzymes in pill form to take with your meals.

But this is really rare. The IBS stuff is faaar more likely so I would try the FODMAP trial first.