Can I Still Have Pizza If I Have IBS?

By Elizabeth Alvarez

2 min read

IBS can be complicated and ever-changing. The issue with figuring out what foods work for you and don't can be a mind-game. Understanding your "safe" foods can be so difficult as they can change at the drop of a hat. But what about those foods that you know you can't have? Like for me, it's pizza. Can I still have it every once in a while?

I say yes. I try to stick to the 80/20 rule with my IBS. At this point, I have been diagnosed for over 10 years, so I have some time under my belt dealing with this pesky syndrome. I know what foods trigger me, and I know what foods are absolutely safe. It took years to get to this place and lots of food journals to understand the patterns. But here I am, and it is empowering.

IBS triggers

Stress is a big trigger for me next to food, so it is best not to go for that pizza when I am highly stressed. Because pizza is already a trigger so it's smart to have it when my body can handle the stress from just digesting it. So here is my conclusion when it comes to having cheat meals:

First, it is so important to know what foods cause you pain and discomfort. Is it wheat, dairy, rice, garlic, spices, etc.? Whatever it is, know on a scale how things will go. For example, I know when I have alcohol, I will throw up. I can have just a small glass or one shot of something, but I will be throwing up. My body literally cannot process alcohol anymore. Now on an epic occasion, like a wedding or New Year, do I want to drink? Heck yes! Do I know that eventually, I will throw up in the night? Yes. But I know what is coming and choose to go through the consequence because it is worth it in certain moments.

Pizza and IBS

With pizza, I can get away with a slice or 2. But if I have more, I will end up paying for it with a bad stomach ache, acid reflux, and diarrhea. However, in certain situations, if the pizza is really good and I have a pizza craving, I go for it! Sometimes, having trigger food for the sake of your mental health is worth it.

Now, we all have some foods that give us severe symptoms. I wouldn't play with that. For me, Mexican food can throw me into a flare that can last for days, so I am not willing to get myself into that kind of trouble. But because of the years of figuring out my trigger foods and the level of their severity, I can gauge whether or not I want to dip my toe into rebellion.

Overall, within reason, I think it is okay every once in a while to have your pizza and eventually pay for it a bit later. How about you? Do you agree or disagree? Share below. We love to hear from you.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The IrritableBowelSyndrome.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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hateibs Member
<inline-mention username="Elizabeth Alvarez" user-id="2297012"/> I do agree, it's good if you can listen to your own "vibes" and what's happening at the moment re: your IBS, and they will usually tell you if you can or can't have certain foods you like. I know this sounds too virtuous, but actually one of my favourite dinners is a puy lentil stew with dark green leafies, carrots, and anything else which fits in there. Celery, potatoes, sage and thyme (I haven't yet dared to try onions or garlic for 2 years but will chop a generous amount of chives to put in for the last cooking minute.) But I can't eat that very often. It is absolutely loaded with high fiber, so that's my special treat reserved for days when my gut is behaving very nicely and has been normal for a good few days. But sometimes, if my gut is only "so-so" I will risk it just because I'm hungry and particularly craving those veggies. I know I will likely pay for it in the morning, and when I do, I usually manage to shrug it off as self inflicted. So the little flare that follows doesn't even seem that dramatic. I know what caused it and can almost laugh at myself for being cheeky with my body. . Then it's back to boring white rice and hard boiled eggs for a couple of days to get the balance right again. Who would have thought that a super healthy lentil stew would end up being a "naughty food" ?! I am sorry alcohol makes you throw up, Elizabeth. I suppose you also have to beware of alcohol as an ingredient in foods that are offered to you? Alcohol, even marinated meats used to give my husband (who has passed now) terrible asthma attacks, even when he didn't know it was an ingredient. It took us some time to work out the alcohol link with his symptoms. I am fine with moderate amounts and sometimes a small drink can even help calm my gut!! Especially when I get bloating with trapped wind. And is the only remedy I have found for the excruciatingly painful "proctalgia fugax" which I get sometimes. It doesn't last long enough for painkillers to take effect but a shot of alcohol will help it within a few minutes. We are all so very very different, aren't we?
1. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="hateibs" user-id="4146293"/> Thank you for your comment! I know! I can't believe something like lentil soup can be hard for us. I can't do lentils either. Good point about alcohol with marinating meats. I never thought of that. And glad you can at least have a bit of alcohol. Agreed, we are all so different. -Elizabeth (team member) 
2. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Klang" user-id="4184681"/> Oh no. Sorry about that. And I assume, if you eat garlic you get sick? -Elizabeth (team member)
terrif Member
I’m strictly a FODMAPS follower. Dairy ok, gluten ok, but absolutely can’t tolerate those supposedly “good for you” high fiber foods. That’s why I can’t relate to people who say Don’t eat pizza or No Mexican foods like it’s the whole category. I can eat pizza as long as it doesn’t have mushrooms green peppers onions or other high FODMAPS foods on it. Same for Mexican food. No BEANS!! Lentil soup as a comfort food?? Yikes!!! Never!!
1. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="terrif" user-id="4195605"/> Great points. We shouldn't categorize food because within the category there are always options. Glad you can tolerate pizza! -Elizabeth (team member)
explodingguts Member
How awful! Yes, I've had to say goodbye to tomatoes and almost all raw food. I don't even try anymore - the diarrhea is too severe. I've been experimenting with homeopathic remedies. So far, great success with Aloe Socatrina. I take 5 pellets every few hours. I've tried supplementing with Podophyllum and Croton Tiglium - both useless. Still to try: 9-Mercurius when explosions are worse at night (mine are) and 12-Argentum Nitricum. I learned of these from a blog by Dr. Pranjali, a homeopath in Bangalore. She provides the most detailed description of various kinds of diarrhea. If I forget the Aloe after supper I almost certainly need Immodium at bedtime. If I remember, the familiar cramp precluding explosion dissipates quietly or is avoided altogether. It's a damn nuisance but ingesting the pellets is easy. I will try the Mercurius after supper tonight to see if it's effective. If I take the Aloe 10 min before the workout I can usually go the full 30 min w/o having to run to the toilet. Any kind of exercise is a big trigger for me. I think Aloe is generally considered pretty harmless so I'm not worried about overkill. My goal is to condition the digestion until it reverts to norgmalcy if ever. In the meantime I avoid tomatoes and citrus and roughage. Leafy greens are dead to me now. The explosions are so awful that for me it's not worth experimenting. I do still drink an occasional vodka lemon or beer. No one else in the household imbibes.
1. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="explodingguts" user-id="2321200"/> Sounds like you have such a great take on how to care for your bowels. I've never tried aloe, I may give it a whirl. Thankfully, my guts are in pretty good shape lately. Thanks for sharing what has brought you relief. Best, Elizabeth (team member)
ChroniKat Member
<inline-mention username="Elizabeth Alvarez" user-id="2297012"/> , I do eat pizza, but it's my own homemade variety - no gluten, garlic, onions, peppers. Sometimes I make my own GF crust (some of the store ones taste like cardboard). I like cheese, I'm glad I can still eat aged or hard varieties. If I eat nachos/tortilla/taco, they are "sanitized" versions also, minus the above items as well as no beans or hot stuff. At least I can still enjoy some cleaned-up favorites! I want to enjoy some things in life, but not overdo it so to make myself miserable later. It's a fine line we walk, "eat what I want" people don't realize what we go through.
1. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="ChroniKat" user-id="4134856"/> Oh I hear you. It is certainly a fine line we walk and we all have to be so in tune with our bodies to properly and safely "rebel." As weird as that sounds. But like you, I want to enjoy some things in life and find a good balance to do so. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I'm sure your homemade pizza is delicious. Best, Elizabeth (team member)
hateibs Member
 I might be able to eat pizza, but haven't tried. I haven't eaten it since January 2020 before my real IBS symptoms set in. It's not the pizza base that would bother me as I'm not gluten sensitive. Mainly it's the obligatory tomato paste, cheese (I don't eat meats), and anything onion-y or garlic-y about it. Sad because I adore onions and garlic but daren't eat them. Capsicums also aren't that friendly to me, or mushrooms. So what does someone who can't eat all that lot put on a Pizza?? Nothing -right? I will pass on the plain pizza base with nothing on it! haha. 
1. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="hateibs" user-id="4146293"/> Oh gosh, I totally understand. Yea, for me if its plain pizza it's not a pizza so I would pass too. The tomato sauce is certainly the main culprit for most of us. I wonder what could be an alternative for it? I'm sure there is something out there these days. Stay well, Elizabeth (team member)
hateibs Member
<inline-mention username="explodingguts" user-id="2321200"/> I am glad to hear you have found some remedies that help you control those exploding guts. It's most unpleasant I think in the middle of the night when you are tired and just want to sleep, Occasionally I get a night time flare up and it is so tiring and bleak. There are definitely happier ways to pull an all-nighter.
1. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="hateibs" user-id="4146293"/> Couldn't agree more. Night-time flares are the absolute worst! -Elizabeth (team member)
hateibs Member
<inline-mention username="terrif" user-id="4195605"/> That lentil stew that I like so much is a very rare treat. Maybe once every 6 months I might get away with it! But if my "D" turns a bit "C" which it can do sometimes....then yippee I can eat some of my favourite foods.
1. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="hateibs" user-id="4146293"/> When you get C you can handle a little more, for sure. -Elizabeth (team member)
Njf0618 Member
I also have certain foods and sometimes even look at the calendar and if I don't have any appointments or reasons to be traveling I may eat something that can sometimes be a problem. There are some things that will almost always be a problem and I also try to eat them carefully but don't always totally avoid. There are lots of things that when we are vacationing and traveling that I totally avoid and it has made a huge difference in our being able to travel now that I've learned a lot of trigger foods. Still there can be an occasional oops but not as often as there used to be. 
1. Elizabeth Alvarez Moderator & Contributor
 Thank you for sharing. I can relate to this. I think with time also, the discipline gets better. You really think about the consequences more and it makes "cheating" not so worth it. -Elizabeth (team member)

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